Displaying items by tag: mixer trucks

Costa Rica: Holcim Costa Rica has inaugurated a new US$650,000, 25m³/hr ready-mix concrete plant in Agua Caliente, Cartago. The El Financiero newspaper has reported that the new plant is equipped to produce Dynamax high-performance concrete and ECOCycle circular concrete. The plant will employ 13 people, including Costa Rica’s first women concrete mixer truck drivers.

CEO Natalia Soler noted the convenient proximity of the concrete plant to its 1.1Mt/yr Agua Caliente cement plant.

Spain: Cemex España has purchased two additional electric concrete mixer trucks (e-mixers) for its fleet. Alimarket-Construcción News has reported that one e-mixer will operate at the San Fernando ready-mix concrete batching plant in Madrid and the other at the Sant Just ready-mix concrete batching plant in Barcelona.

US: Cement mixer truck driver Allard Tigchelar, from Cemex USA’s Prescott, Arizona, ready-mix concrete plant, won gold representing his company at the National Mixer Driver Championship 2024 at the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association’s ConcreteWorks concrete conference in Aurora, Colorado, on 12 – 13 October 2024. Concrete Products News has reported that the championship pitted drivers against one another in an eight-challenge truck driving course designed to test vehicle handling skills. This was followed by vehicle inspection and an exam for drivers. Florida-based Maschmeyer Concrete driver Damion Wynter came second and Illinois-based Ozinga Ready Mix Concrete driver Garret Lytle came third.

Allard Tigchelar claimed US$6000 in prize money from the Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau. Wynter won US$3000 and Lytle US$1500.

Australia: Aggregates and ready-mix concrete producer Doyle Group has expanded its fleet of ready-mix concrete trucks to 12. Local press has reported that the fleet supports a recently commissioned US$1.68m ready-mix concrete plant in Townsville, Queensland.

Aiden Wherry, raw materials manager at Doyle Group subsidiary CAMM Quarries, said "We want to supply local jobs and keep local jobs going. We are the only local supplier in town."

France: Cemex France reduced the total emissions of CO₂ from its concrete and aggregates logistics operations by 10% in the two years between 2021 and 2023. The company achieved this through various initiatives, including equipment upgrades, route optimisation and the substitution of alternative fuels, including hydrogenated vegetable oil in pusher vessels, and biogas where possible. The producer says that the reduction aligns with its FRET21 transport sustainability initiative, as well as its Future in Action 2050 net zero roadmap.

Cemex France is currently preparing to renew or expand its commitment to the FRET21 initiative for another three years.

Singapore: Pan-United Corporation has introduced a Sany electric-powered concrete mixer truck into its fleet. The truck has a 350kWh battery with a peak power of 360kW and a two-hour charging time. The move will reduce the CO₂ emissions per journey by 45%, in line with Pan-United Corporation’s goal of net zero ready-mix concrete production and distribution by 2050.

Pan-United Corporation CEO Ken Loh said "Pan-United is excited to welcome electric vehicles into Singapore’s built environment industry. We hope to eventually operate a substantial fleet of electric concrete mixer trucks for our day-to-day operations. This step marks an exciting new venture in exploring alternative fuel technology and a deepening commitment to accomplish Pan-United’s aim of being a carbon-neutral ready-mix concrete company by 2050."

Germany/North America: INFORM has announced new collaborations with two other software developers for the ready-mix concrete sector. US-based BCMI Corp and Canada-based Marcotte Systems will work with INFORM to develop AI tools for despatching ready-mix concrete.

INFORM senior vice president Thomas Bergmans, who concluded the deals at World of Concrete in the US, said “In addition to offering our proven AI-powered transport planning and execution software, we are very excited to see that these collaborations will further speed up the wide-spread use of our AI algorithms beyond our traditional markets.” Bergmans said that the collaboration with BCMI Corp will provide ready-mix producers with ‘enhanced decision-making tools, real-time logistics optimisation and intelligent automation, ultimately elevating operational performance and customer satisfaction.’ Regarding the collaboration with Marcotte, he said “By combining Marcotte's robust experience in concrete production management with INFORM’s AI capabilities, this ready-to-use solution will empower ready-mix producers.”

Sweden: Heidelberg Materials Northern Europe has announced its deployment of a 100% electric concrete mixer truck. The producer said that it bought the truck from Volvo.

Heidelberg Materials Northern Europe head of environmental, social and governance (ESG) & public affairs and vice president for Sweden Karin Comstedt Webb said “This partnership is a beacon for industry-wide decarbonisation, bringing us closer to our climate goals in Northern Europe. With a full-load capacity of ready-mixed concrete, our environmentally friendly truck not only heralds a new era in construction transport efficiency, but also confirms our leading position in the European building materials sector.”

UAE: Cemex introduced its prototype 100% electric concrete mixer truck at the COP28 climate change conference in Dubai on 6 December 2023. The cement and concrete producer said that the prototype can transport a full load of concrete and complete a working day on a single charge. It is fitted with a 350kw battery.

Germany: Cemex Zement has bought two iONTRON eMixer electric ready-mix concrete mixer trucks from Putzmeister Group. The ready-mix concrete producer will deploy the vehicles in its Berlin operations, with one based at its Hohenschönhausen batching plant and the other at its Spandau batching plant. The vehicles offer a full eight-hour workday from a single overnight charge. When recharged using renewable energy, they can reduce journey’s CO₂ emissions by 100%. They will also contribute to a reduction in urban air pollution and noise along the routes on which they operate.

Cemex Zement’s director materials Marcel Busch said "We are reducing emissions throughout our value chain, and transport plays an important role in this.” He added “We are investing in the electrification of our vehicle fleet at our sites throughout Germany."