Global Concrete News

UK: Holcim has completed its acquisition of rail ballast recycling specialist Land Recovery. Land Recovery produces raw materials for use in ready-mix concrete, precast concrete and other building materials from recycled rail ballast. Holcim says that the acquisition advances its own aim of recycling 10Mt of construction-demolition materials (CDM) in 2024. In 2023, Land Recovery recycled 300,000t of CDM. It employs 85 people across the UK.

UK: Saint-Gobain Construction Chemicals has won Tarmac's 2023 Innovation Challenge with its CHRYSO Quad Lab, a digital admixture optimisation tool. CHRYSO Quad Lab analyses sand prior to mixing, aiding in the reduction of the cement content of concrete.

Tarmac’s procurement manager, capex and sustainability, Mark Lewis said "Circularity within the materials industry is crucial to reaching net zero and reducing our impact on the environment. To achieve our sustainability ambitions, we know that collaborating with our suppliers is key to developing innovative new ideas and solutions.”

Ukraine: ONUR Group’s concrete products subsidiary EFE has announced a new US$15m investment in its operations in Ukraine. Ukraine Business News has reported that EFE is paying ‘special attention’ to automation within its investments.

CEO Erhan Oztop said "Although we were able to increase our staff by 30% after 24 February 2022, the need for new employees remains. This motivates us to make large investments in the automation of production processes."

EFE produces ready-mix concrete, reinforced concrete products and paving slabs in Ukraine. It inaugurated two new ready-mix concrete plants in 2023, raising its production capacity to 800m³/hr.

Australia: Local authorities in Isaac, Queensland, have received an application for the planned US$664m Lotus Creek wind farm, including the construction of three temporary ready-mix concrete batching plants to supply the project. The plants will supply 55,000m³ of concrete for the footings of 46 turbine towers. Each one will operate successively as construction progresses over a period of two years. The Lotus Creek wind farm originally secured planning permission in late 2022.

Canada: Threatened strike action at Heidelberg Materials North America’s ready-mix concrete plants in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, is on hold after the company and the Teamsters Local 213 union agreed to mediation meetings. Local press has reported that the meetings will seek to draw up a new contract for workers at the producer’s ready-mix concrete plants. The union previously voted down Heidelberg Materials North America’s last and final offer in the on-going contract dispute in April 2024.

Heidelberg Materials North America said “The potential strike notice will be held in abeyance until a new collective bargaining agreement is ratified or the mediator is unable to resolve differences between the parties."