Global Concrete News

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."

China: China Resources Cement (CRC) plans to sell subsidiaries CRC Changzhi and China Resources Concrete (Lucheng) for US$168m or more. CRC Changzhi operates a 2Mt/yr cement plant in Changzhi City, Shanxi Province. Both it and China Resources Concrete (Lucheng) serve the Shanxi Province market.

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."

Denmark: Switzerland-based Holcim has made an investment in 3D concrete printer supplier COBOD International. Holcim hopes that the investment will help it to further expand its TectorPrint 3D printing ink range. Holcim and COBOD International's collaboration dates to 2019, since which time the partners have 3D printed windmill tower bases in Denmark, a school in Malawi and a housing development in Kenya.

Holcim's head of global research and development, Edelio Bermejo, said “At Holcim, we are continuously expanding our range of building solutions to build better with less, working to improve living standards for all in a sustainable way. 3D concrete printing will help us meet these goals."