Azerbaijan: The production of precast concrete elements more than tripled year-on-year in the first 11 months of 2025, to 111,000m³, Monthly Azerbaijan Business Monitoring News has reported. Despite this, the State Statistics Committee of Azerbaijan recorded a 3% decline in the total value of the national building materials output in the period, to US$771m.
India: Nuvoco Vistas has launched Nuvoco Concreto Tri Shield, a ready-mix concrete formulated to enhance structural longevity. The product addresses chloride penetration from borewell water and coastal air, carbonation from urban pollution and sulphate attack from soil and groundwater. It reduces chloride penetration by 50% compared to standard concrete, slows carbonation to achieve 50% lower carbonation depth and delivers 50% reduction in sulphate expansion. The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories accredited the validation of the performance claims by Nuvoco Vistas' Construction Development and Innovation Centre.
Nuvoco Vistas' head of marketing, innovation and sales excellence Chirag Shah said "As premature deterioration of structures becomes an increasing concern, this solution has been engineered to enhance durability, extend service life, and prolong repair cycles. The product is well suited for commercial complexes, hotels, hospitals and educational institutions."
Australia: Researchers at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) have developed a cement-free building material using cardboard, soil and water. The material uses recycled heavy cardboard cylinders as form-like confinement, creating comparable strength to that of high-performance concrete. By eliminating the need for cement, it reduces costs by 66% and embodied CO2 by 75% compared with concrete, according to the developers. The ability of the material to be made on-site using local earth and water further reduce its transport costs and impacts.
Construct Connect Daily Commercial News has reported that the team are open to forming industry partnerships for the commercialisation of their new material.
US: A fire broke out at Simon's Ready Mix’s Scottsbluff, Nebraska, site on 9 January 2026, causing ‘substantial damage’ to a mixer truck there. Firefighters brought the blaze under control ‘minutes’ after arriving at the site, without any injuries. Local press has reported that the exact cause remains under investigation, however an initial investigation determined that the fire originated in the cab of the affected truck, and spread from there to the engine compartment.
