Global Concrete News

China: A team at Southeast University has developed an alternative concrete that contains 8% cement. It uses coral reef limestone fragments and biodebris with an upper particle size of 53mm as fine aggregate. The researchers concluded that the material proved suitable for use in precast concrete paving slab production.

New Zealand: The Global Cement and Concrete Association has welcomed Fletcher Building’s concrete division as its first member from Oceania. Scoop News has reported that the concrete’s division’s business spans the entire concrete value chain, including 26 limestone and aggregates quarries and 80 ready-mix concrete batching plants. Its cement subsidiary Golden Bay Cement operates the 0.9Mt/yr Portland cement plant in Whangārei, New Zealand.

Fletcher Building concrete division CEO Nick Traber said "Fletcher Building firmly believes we can play a significant part in a carbon zero and circular future. Our Golden Bay EcoSure cement is one of the lowest-carbon cements in the world already, with 13 - 22% less embodied carbon than imported products. We believe having access to the global research and knowledge from the GCCA will help us improve this further and continue to lead Australasia in best practice decarbonisation of the built environment."

India: Siam Cement Big Bloc Construction Technologies has bought 60,000m³ of land at Ramosadi in Gujarat's Kheda District. The concrete producer informed the BSE Exchange that it plans to build an autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) panel and block plant at the site.

Costa Rica: Holcim Costa Rica has acquired the heavy precast unit of Productos de Concreto for US$3.35m. The La Nación newspaper has reported that the company also increased its stake in prefabricated construction company Tecnología de Construcción to 100% from 49%. The latter deal's value was US$774,000.

Holcim Costa Rica's corporate affairs manager José Alfredo Alpízar Guzmán said that these latest acquisitions complement the producer's existing abilities to supply its customers.

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."