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University of Tokyo produces cement-free concrete from sand and ash
Written by Global Concrete staff
07 July 2023
Japan: A team at the University of Tokyo has developed cement-free alternative concrete from ultra-fine sand and fly ash. NHK has reported that the process uses recyclable alcohols and has lower CO2 emissions compared to concrete production using ordinary Portland cement. Research with industrial partners into possible construction sector applications is underway. Partnerships with Japanese ready-mixed concrete producers are reportedly also under discussion.
Further information is available from Yuzo Tobisaka, an independent Japanese consultant in the cement and ready-mixed concrete industry, at yuzo.tobisaka@gmail.com.
Saint-Gobain acquires Drymix in Egypt
Written by Global Concrete staff
04 July 2023
Egypt: France-based Saint-Gobain has obtained outright ownership of mortars producer United Paints and Chemicals (Drymix). Saint-Gobain paid US$25m for the acquisition, according to Business News Africa. Drymix operates the 240,000t/yr ‘6th of October City’ mortar plant in Giza Governorate.
Saint-Gobain operates two other building materials plants in Egypt, in Alexandria and Monufia Governorates.
Lafarge France supplies 100% recycled concrete for housing project
Written by Global Concrete staff
03 July 2023
France: Lafarge France is participating in a 76-unit housing development project called Recygénie, at Gennevilliers in Hauts-de-Seine. Lafarge France will supply the project with 100% recycled concrete for use in facades, interior walls and roof slabs. It produced 2000t of 100% recycled 'clinker' at its Altkirch cement plant in Haut-Rhin during a suspension of ordinary clinker production in 2022. It has produced 1600m3 of recycled concrete to date. The concrete won the New Materials Prize at L'Usine Nouvelle's Sustainable Industry Awards 2023.
The Recygénie housing project is due for delivery in late 2024.
Holcim Philippines to supply cement for Sungshin Cement's ready-mix batching plants
Written by Global Concrete staff
03 July 2023
Philippines: Holcim Philippines and Sungshin Cement have signed a memorandum of understanding whereby Holcim Philippines will be priority supplier of cement for use in Sungshin Cement's ready-mix concrete operations in the Philippines, InPR News has reported. South Korea-based Sungshin Cement is anticipating growing demand from infrastructure projects, partly due to a US$3bn development loan agreement between the government of the Philippines and South Korea.
Master Builders Solutions to supply 11,000t of concrete admixtures for Fehmarnbelt Tunnel project
Written by Global Concrete staff
03 July 2023
Denmark/Germany: US-based Master Builders Solutions has won a contract to supply admixtures for use in the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel project. The project will build a 17.6km immersed tunnel between the islands of Fehmarn in Germany and Lolland in Denmark. It will directly connect Germany via a double-track railway and four-lane motorway to eastern Denmark and the Scandinavian Peninsula beyond. This will reduce rail travel time between Hamburg in Germany and Copenhagen in Denmark by 35% to 3 hours 15 minutes. The tunnel will consist of 79 standard 217m-long precast elements, and a further ten 85.7m-long service elements. The latter include a subfloor sections in addition to the tunnel's four tubes. Master Builders Solutions says that it will supply 11,000t of admixture to produce a total 3Mm3 of concrete required for the project. The supplier said that its admixtures will help concrete to meet specifications in line with the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel's projected 120-year lifespan. Master Builders Solutions has collaborated with contractor FLC to develop a new MasterEase superplasticiser for use in the project.
Master Builders Solutions Denmark technical manager Jens Qvist said "This has been an incredibly exciting process, requiring very close collaboration with both our own European colleagues and FLC’s Danish and international concrete experts."