Displaying items by tag: construction

Namibia: Ohorongo Cement Namibia has supplied 3000m³ of cement to the site of NamPower's upcoming Sekelduin power plant in Swakopmund. Ohorongo Cement used 730t of its CEMIR cement, which contains 30% fly ash, combined with an additional 30% fly ash in the concrete mixer. The producer said that the extra ash increases the finished product's density, reducing permeability.

Ohorongo Cement said that the project is 'near completion,' having begun in mid-2021.

Egypt: LafargeHolcim Egypt supplied 8200t of its ECOPlanet reduced-CO₂ cement for construction of Alamein Downtown Towers in Alamein City. The producer said that the cement reduced the project's carbon footprint by 45% compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The government contracted China-based China State Construction Engineering Corporation for construction of the five-tower development. Three of the buildings will be residential, while the remaining two will house business and events facilities.

Colombia: Cemex has announced the launch of the Tunjuelo Circularity Centre at its former Tunjuelo quarry near Bogotá. Having rebuilt parts of the 50m-deep quarry with demolition waste, Cemex will now work on its ecological restoration, while continuing to receive excavation waste for reconstruction of the ground. It will meanwhile divert demolition waste deliveries for recycling in aggregate production. In Bogotá, Cemex has launched an initiative for urban construction partnerships in collaboration with local authorities. It will also collect municipal solid waste (MSW) there for use in its cement production and collect its used plastic cement bags for recycling in building materials production.

Cemex’s Colombia and Peru president Alejandro Ramírez said "This is a pioneering model for Cemex in the construction materials industry globally, which we aim to position as a benchmark for circularity within the sustainable development of large cities in Colombia and the world. A piece of land that supplied materials for Bogotá's development for decades has received construction and demolition waste for its redevelopment and was transformed into a green area to the south of the city, an epicenter of the circular economy and an opportunity for urban development for the capital city of Colombia."

Canada: Lafarge Canada has made a donation of US$37,500-worth of its ECOPact reduced-CO₂ concrete to the site of an upcoming recreation ground in Pic Mobert First Nation Reserve, Ontario. The US$562,000-facility will serve 1000 local people.

Lafarge Canada's Hemlo ready-mix concrete plant manager Jared Paris said "For over 20 years, Lafarge's Hemlo plant has been operating and servicing the traditional lands of the Pic Mobert First Nation, supplying concrete for new homes, a water treatment plant and many other projects. The US$562,000 project on the Pic Mobert First Nation reserve is being sponsored by a number of companies, including Lafarge Canada customers, showing their support for this indigenous community."

US: The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has signed an international partnership agreement with the American Concrete Institute (ACI). Under the agreement, the partners will collaboratively develop and disseminate information on concrete production and its use in construction, with a view to advancing best practices in sustainability.

The ACI said "ACI cooperates closely with our international partners, benefitting everyone in the global concrete community. ACI looks forward to working with the GCCA towards a future where everyone has the knowledge needed to use the latest concrete technologies effectively to meet the demands of a changing world."

Croatia: Cemex supplied 37,000t of cement for construction of the new Pelješac Bridge on the Dalmatian coast. Cemex says that the 2.4km-long bridge has connected Southern Croatia to the rest of the country, eliminating the need to cross in and out of Croatia over an international border when travelling by land. Almost all of the cement used in the project was Cemex's Vertua brand reduced-CO₂ cement product.

Cemex's Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia president Sergio Menendez said “Cemex has been a proud contributor to the development of Croatia, and we are very pleased to participate in one of the largest infrastructure projects in the region. Our Vertua products are designed to meet society’s demand for resilient and long-lasting buildings and infrastructure, built with a lower carbon footprint.”

China: China Building Materials Academy (CBMA) has patented a new 3D printing method which uses short rebars to reinforce printed layers. The developer says that this will enable builders to ensure structural strength without the disruption caused to 3D printing by the long rebars of conventional building skeletons.

CBMA said that "An inverted U-shaped or inverted L-shaped short rebar is vertically inserted into the cement slurry layer, wherein the bending mechanism comprises two bending members, separately disposed on two sides of a clamp."

Austria: PERI and STRABAG have used a COBOD 3D printer to successfully build Europe’s first 3D printed office building in Hausleiten, Lower Austria.

PERI board member for innovation and marketing Thomas Imbacher said "The building in Hausleiten is a milestone for STRABAG, for PERI, for all involved. We are convinced that 3D printing of buildings will be part of the future of construction, as this technology offers solutions for challenges that are currently occupying our industry: digitalisation, efficiency, shortage of skilled workers and much more."

US: COBOD says that construction of the largest 3D printed building in the US using its 3D printing technology has commenced at a site in Houston, Texas. The building is the country’s first two-storey residential building constructed using the method. PERI handled the order for contractor CIVE and architect HANNAH.

CIVE president Hachem Domloj said “Having the opportunity to be the engineers and general contractor for the first two-storey 3D printed structure in the US has been an honour. We can see how this technology and our team’s approach is providing the scalability to larger commercial developments. Collectively, we're changing the way our country builds, and paving the way for more affordable housing, higher structural integrity and faster building capabilities. The possibilities of 3D printing are endless!”

Europe: Cemex has reported its success in a trial of zero-CO₂ emissions concrete mixer trucks across its operations in France, Germany and Poland. The trial implemented Germany-based Putzmeister’s IONTRON E-Mixer prototype trucks and mobile charging stations. Cemex was able to recharge the vehicles from 20% battery in eight hours. This will enable it to maintain its supply of concrete to construction sites during their operating hours.

Cemex Europe’s mobile equipment fleet and category manager Craig Hooper said “Transport is one of the key areas where Cemex is striving to reduce carbon emissions. Our company is constantly looking for new, more environmentally-friendly transport solutions, hence the decision to conduct extensive pilot studies to verify the possibilities offered by electric concrete mixers. The positive results of the trials in Europe now allow us to think positively about the potential implementation of these vehicles, which will bring Cemex closer to achieving its climate goals.”