South Korea: Sampyo Industrial has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with two D&B Group architecture firms – D&B Architects Office and D&B Partners Architects Office – for increased design-phase specification of its Bluecon Winter cold-weather ready-mix concrete. The parties will pursue a specification-in strategy to incorporate Bluecon Winter concrete into technical specifications from the early design phase and strengthen systematic quality control throughout the construction management phase. The strategy will target educational facility bidding and the design competition market.

Bluecon Winter concrete achieves compressive strengths of 5MPa within 36 hours, without additional curing, at air temperatures as low as -20°C.

D&B Group said "In both public and private construction markets, including educational facilities, adhering to project timelines and preventing safety accidents at winter sites are paramount."

US: The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has stipulated that Taiheiyo Cement subsidiary CalPortland must sell three ready-mix concrete plants in San Diego, California, in order to be allowed to proceed with a planned US$712m acquisition of ready-mix concrete assets from Vulcan Materials. Concrete, aggregates and asphalt producer Holliday Rock would in turn acquire the former CalPortland assets.

DOJ Antitrust Division Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed Assefi said "The Division's pursuit of structural remedies in this case provides a signal to the broader market about how to structure transactions that deliver efficiency to the market while protecting competition that benefits consumers."

China: Hong Kong’s Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has welcomed the news that the concrete batching plant at 6 Tung Yuen Street, Yau Tong, will cease operations from the middle of June 2026, bringing concrete production in the area to a close. This according to the EPD, is of significant importance to improving the air quality of the district.

An EPD spokesperson said that the plant's specified process licence had expired on 23 August 2025, but that it had originally submitted a licence renewal application, enabling it to remain in operation until the new licence is refused. The plant has been winding down production, having liaised closely with the EPD in anticipation of the new licence being refused.

Australia: Wesfarmers has announced it has agreed to enter a 50:50 incorporated joint venture with Built Group to establish Built Living, a new business dedicated to delivering residential apartments at scale through advanced manufacturing of pre-cast concrete elements. The partners will initially each commit up to US$100m of equity to the joint venture to fund Australia’s first manufacturing facility dedicated to medium and high-rise residential precast concrete construction and development.

Built Living will use design for manufacture and assembly methods established in international markets, aiming to deliver apartments at about 20% lower cost and 50% faster than traditional construction methods. The facility, to be established in Western Australia, is expected to support delivery of more than 2000 apartments per year once completed, with construction to commence in the second half of 2026. Additional facilities in other states will be considered in due course.

“Australia urgently needs more housing, and the Built Living joint venture is well positioned to address that need using internationally-proven construction models, to deliver high quality properties,” said Wesfarmers’ Managing Director Rob Scott. “Built Group brings world-class construction experience, sophisticated digital processes and a strong track record of quality developments, while Wesfarmers contributes investment capacity and demonstrated capabilities in advanced manufacturing and supply chain management. We look forward to working closely with Built and the Western Australian government on what is a shared challenge.”