Global Concrete News

India: Research institution Sasthra Vedhi has developed a method for the disposal of hazardous wastes like nickel-cadmium batteries and flourescent light bulbs in hollow concrete blocks called Blue Blocks. Blue Blocks can contain mercury leaks and other hazards while meeting strength standards by transferring the entire load into the solid concrete of the block.

US: The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has launched the sixth annual Concrete in Life photography competition for 2024 – 2025. The launch coincides with The Climate Group’s New York Climate Week (NYCW) 2024. The GCCA will receive photo entries showing concrete’s sustainability, beauty and vitality, and a panel of judges will award a US$10,000 prize to the best. Past entries are currently on display in New York, US, at the One Vanderbilt building.

GCCA CEO Thomas Guillot said "The GCCA is leading pioneering work with our members to decarbonise our essential industry. Our Concrete in Life competition gives every community across the globe a chance to show just how essential concrete is to our lives and building a more sustainable world. It was important to give people attending NYCW a chance to see the role that concrete plays in supporting society and communities across the planet."

Judge and co-chair of design and architecture firm Gensler Diane Hoskins said "The places and spaces where we spend our time shape our experience of the world. Concrete is one of the most versatile and ubiquitous building materials, opening up an incredible opportunity for innovation and creativity. As architects and designers, we strive to achieve beauty, function and resilience in our work. This is the power and promise of the built environment and the materials that bring it to life."

Fellow judge Tina Paillet, president of the UK-based Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), said "As the globally renowned professional body for the built and natural environment, RICS members know just how important concrete is to modern infrastructure and to meeting the world’s net zero targets via the circular economy. I’m looking forward to judging this year’s Concrete in Life competition and getting the chance to see many awe-inspiring photographs from around the world."

US: A ‘leading global building materials producer’ has independently validated Premier Graphene’s claimed 32% increase in the tensile strength of concrete produced using its graphene enhancement technology. Dow Jones Institutional News has reported that the building materials producer will now conduct larger-scale testing prior to possibly entering into initial and long-term supply agreements with Premier Graphene.

Premier Graphene president Pedro Mendez said "We are thrilled with the positive feedback we've received, and we look forward to seeing the results of the further concrete testing which is expected to be confirmed and lead to orders. This could mark a significant milestone for Premier Graphene and our commitment to advancing construction technologies."

Canada: Canal Block will begin to produce CarbiCrete's cement-free concrete products under licence from 2025. The partners say that they have installed a new curing system for the purpose at Canal Block’s Port Colborne plant. Innovation cluster NGen awarded them US$4.04m in funding for the project.

Canal Block president Durk Bylsma said "We look forward to offering a carbon-negative masonry unit to Ontario's construction market in 2025.”

CEO Jacob Homiller said "We are tremendously pleased to bring our cement-free concrete technology to Ontario through Canal Block."

India: The National Green Tribunal has asked the Delhi Pollution Control Board (DPCB) to inspect ready-mixed concrete plants near Delhi’s Sabhapur Extension neighbourhood, National Capital Territory. The Times of India newspaper has reported that the tribunal received a complaint of ‘severe’ air pollution and excessive noise. If substantiated, remedial and punitive actions will follow within three months.