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IBB Holding inaugurates Mogoșoaia ready-mix concrete batching plant
Written by Global Concrete staff
05 April 2024
Romania: IBB Holding inaugurated a new €1.5m ready-mix concrete batching plant in Mogoșoaia, Bucharest. Money News has reported that the plant is the company’s fourth.
CEO Ion Crăciunescu said "Through this new concrete plant located in the north of Bucharest, we are in a favourable position to participate in tenders for infrastructure projects in this area and establish strategic partnerships with real estate developers. Moreover, we can ensure the quality of the materials used, faster and more efficient services. Our strategy is to offer services integrated with production, with responsibility towards the environment and towards future generations, adapted to each type of project in which we are involved: infrastructure, residential, commercial or industrial construction. The real need that Romania has both in terms of investments in infrastructure and in the housing fund, as well as the projects already started, leads us to look optimistically at the development of our businesses in the medium and long term."
Balastrieri secures aggregates exploration licence in Plovdiv
Written by Global Concrete staff
05 April 2024
Bulgaria: The government has licensed concrete and aggregates producer Balastrieri to conduct aggregates exploration on land in Yakoviya Chiflik, Plovdiv. SeeNews has reported that the licence will last until April 2025. Balastrieri plans to invest €13,800 in exploration at the site.
Holcim Argentina acquires Tensolite
Written by Global Concrete staff
05 April 2024
Argentina: Holcim Argentina has paid US$28.5m to acquire Tensolite, a producer and supplier of precast and prestressed concrete products such as concrete blocks, fences, tiles and paving stones. This move aims to diversify its domestic product portfolio in response to the ‘significant’ decline in local cement dispatches.
The acquisition is valued at US$28.5m, according to The National Securities Commission has reported that Holcim will pay US$19m upon closure of the transaction and another US$6.65m 12 months thereafter. The remaining US$2.85m will be due in five equal annual instalments.
Christian Dedeu, CEO of Holcim Argentina, said “In March, we recorded a 40% year-on-year drop in dispatches, according to the Portland Cement Manufacturers Association. The decision to expand our product range is key to mitigating the sharp drop in sales.”
The deal includes integrating two precast and prestressed concrete plants located in Los Pocitos (Tucuman) and Río Segundo (Córdoba), and adding over 150 employees to Holcim Argentina's workforce. The acquired plants have a total production capacity of 12m concrete blocks per year and 14Mm/yr of concrete beams. Holcim aims for 30% of its revenue to come from non-cement construction services by 2025.
Bio-Ecomatter launches sustainable mortar without cement or sand
Written by Global Cement staff
02 April 2024
Spain: Bio-Ecomatter, a company based in Extremadura, has launched a new sustainable mortar product without cement or sand, using agro-industrial waste as raw material. This product was developed by founders Carmen Tristancho and Lorena Rodríguez, along with Juanjo Tejado and Marisa Carmona from the Institute of Ornamental Rocks and Building Materials.
Bio-Ecomatter's product composition remains confidential. Beyond reducing reliance on traditional materials like cement, it promotes environmental sustainability by utilising agro-industrial waste. Carmen Tristancho, who heads the innovation department at an environmental engineering firm in Badajoz and co-created the product, revealed that the mortar includes hydraulic lime and agro-industrial waste. The mortar reportedly has a 40% higher performance than standard mortar and is half the density. It has the same texture and workability as conventional mortar, with a formula that minimises carbon emissions and lessens reliance on non-renewable raw materials.
The project, while not aiming to replace traditional mortar, introduces alternative sustainable construction methods. Bio-Ecomatter's product won the sustainable construction award from Metabuilding, an EU-funded project supporting SMEs in the construction sector. Tristancho reveals they are also working on projects using recycled plastic moulds filled with their Bio-Ecomatter mortar.
Tristancho said "We are women in a field very centred on cement and sand, so introducing a new material in construction can be met with scepticism."
Scott Bros prepares to start production of low-carbon concrete using filter cake
Written by Global Concrete staff
28 March 2024
UK: Recycling company Scott Bros plans to install a plant to produce low carbon concrete made from filter cake at its soil wash plant in Middlesbrough. The company has been working with Teesside University on a series of trials to find by how much it can reduce the amount of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) it is using in its concrete mixes. It has been researching how to use filter cake, a fine-grained clay, which it produces as a by-product from its two ‘urban quarries’ which convert construction and excavation waste into sand and aggregate. The silicate clay-rich filter cake, which has cementitious properties, is currently used as low value BS-certified pond lining material or inert engineering fill.
The €715,000 research project is being funded by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the UK’s innovation agency.