Displaying items by tag: government

Cyprus: Ready-mix concrete workers are continuing a now two-week-long strike to demand higher rates of pay for overtime work. PhileNews has reported that the strikers are seeking an increase from 1.25 times the base rate to 1.4 times for weekdays and 1.8 times for weekends. They have reportedly rejected a compromise proposal by the government.

US: A study by Resource Recycling Systems found that 33% of construction and demolition materials (CDM) entering landfill in Summit County, Colorado, could be effectively diverted into CDM recycling. Concrete and aggregates were among the 11 materials included in the study. Local press has reported that county authorities aim to reuse or recycle 25% of CDM generated locally by 2028, and 50% by 2035. Landfill capacity will run out in 2078.

CDM constituted 30% of Summit County’s landfill intake during the study period.

Kenya: The Daily Nation newspaper has reported the value of contracts of various concrete pole suppliers to utilities provider Kenya Power. Bett Company, a subsidiary of China-based Zhai Yan Quan and Yang Yi, holds contracts worth US$1.49m, Line Enterprises holds contracts worth US$1.35m and Rai Cement holds contracts worth US$920,000.

Kenya Power is in the process of expanding its power supply network using concrete poles, with financial backing from the EU, European Investment Bank, French Development Agency and Japan International Cooperation Agency.

US: Authorities have issued a notice of violation to Orgain Ready Mix Concrete for an alleged spillage of concrete into the Red River near its Clarksville, Tennessee, ready-mix concrete plant. Local press has reported that the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation received reports of materials dumped at a location along the road from the site. A subsequent investigation found ‘cementitious staining’ and ‘solids-laden discharges’ on the riverbank.

US: The city council of Dublin, California, has enacted the Low-Carbon Concrete Code, requiring a given reduction in CO₂ emissions of all ready-mix concrete used in public and private construction projects. Independent News has reported that suitable alternatives to conventional concrete are locally available and offer cost parity, according to the city council.

France: Circular aggregates producer Néolithe has partnered with Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies and Groupe GCC to produce a fuel loading slab for a temporary bus depot in Marseille. The slab will be made of Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies’ H-UKR clinker-free cement and Néolithe’s mixed circular materials-based Anthropocite aggregates. The resulting slab will serve as a test for the use of H-UKR concrete in future Groupe GCC projects.

The partners say that a mix of H-UKR cement with 20% Anthropocite reduces CO₂ emissions by 63% compared to CEM II/A cement-based concrete produced using conventional aggregates, to 62kg CO₂eq/m³.

Groupe GCC executive vice-president Patrick Dubourg said "This project perfectly illustrates one of GCC's key priorities: implementing sustainable solutions. The work we've been doing for several years with Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies enables us to take tangible action in this direction, and the partnership with Néolithe enables us to take a further step in the direction of decarbonisation, an essential issue for construction.”

Laurence Hemerit, infrastructure director at customer Marseille Metropolitan Transport Authority (RTM), said "RTM found GCC's proposal very interesting in that it enabled us to carry out a large-scale, long-term comparative test to assess the qualities of low-carbon concrete. Our temporary bus storage site was therefore the ideal candidate for this experiment."

US: The City of Syracuse, New York, is pilot-testing a new method of infrastructure construction by incorporating recycled glass as a cement substitute in concrete, reports CNY Central newspaper. A patented process by recycling company KLAW Industries crushes glass into fine powder, reportedly replacing 20% of the cement in concrete from recent projects, including upgrades to pavements. The approach follows successful implementations in the City of Binghamton and by the New York State Department of Transportation, with support from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Clarkson University.

Department of Public Works Commissioner Jeremy Robinson said "We’re always looking for the most effective and sustainable approaches to constructing and maintaining city infrastructure. Based on the results of this testing, we can determine if the solution can be expanded to more sidewalks and, possibly, other applications.”

Australia: The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) government has pledged to use low carbon concrete in all future government construction projects, where appropriate, reports Mirage News. This commitment is part of the 'Low carbon concrete policy', designed to cut emissions without significantly raising project costs. The implementation of this policy will begin on 1 January 2025 and will require that designers, engineers and builders provide options for using low carbon concrete options in government projects. This initiative is part of the broader 10-year ACT Sustainable Building Pathway, which aims to embed sustainable practices throughout the building lifecycle.

Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction, Shane Rattenbury said "Using low carbon concrete is a simple and effective way we can reduce these emissions while supporting local industry. Already in Canberra, we have started using low carbon concrete in significant projects like the new Canberra Hospital expansion and in preparation for Light Rail Stage 2A. This is a fantastic example of how seamlessly low carbon concrete can be integrated into our everyday building projects.”

Canada: Clark Brothers Contracting has received conditional approval from the council of Wellington North Township to build a ready-mix concrete plant in the town in Ontario. Local press has reported that the plans will be subject to review by the Wellington County Land Division Committee in September 2024.

US: Vulcan Materials has secured approval from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for its upcoming aggregates quarry in Comal County. The approval is based on the company’s water quality protection plan for the 607 hectare site situated in the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, which supplies water to 2 million people. The plan involves the use of vegetation strips, berms and flood plain areas, while excavating a total 387 hectare (64%) of the site in nine successive stages.

Vulcan Materials said that it plans to operate the site in a ‘safe, socially and environmentally responsible’ manner, and will ‘protect and conserve’ water.