Sweden: Peab has won a contract to build the new Gothenburg Grand Central station for US$870m. The construction firm will integrate its Eco-Betong reduced-CO₂ concrete in the building. MarketLine News has reported that the project is set to begin immediately, with the station opening progressively up to early-mid 2027.

Peab’s West regional head Stellan Haraldsson said "The new station building will serve passengers from all of western Sweden and is a testament to our commitment to sustainable community building.”

Canada: US-based Command Alkon has acquired concrete digitisation specialist Marcotte Systems. Command Alkon says that the acquisition will accelerate its deployment of cloud applications and automation software.

Marcotte Systems CEO Joel Bardier said "Joining forces with Command Alkon marks a significant milestone, not only for our company, but for the heavy building materials industry as a whole as it will drive the next generation of fully automated plant solutions.”

Command Alkon CEO Martin Willoughby said "Combining Marcotte’s plant automation solutions with Command Alkon’s Command Cloud platform will deliver enhanced value to customers, supporting their efficiency and sustainability goals."

Australia: Climate Tech Cement and Polevine are due to showcase a newly developed reduced-CO₂ geopolymer concrete in a ‘major infrastructure project’ in Western Australia. Proactive News has reported that the partners will supply backing blocks for the project later in July 2024.

The joint venture aims to develop geopolymer concrete formulations to achieve strengths of 10MPa, 20MPa, 30MPa and 40MPa and to assess their performance and costs.

Palestine: Israeli occupying forces have reportedly demolished 38 ready-mix concrete plants in the Gaza Strip since entering the territory on 7 October 2024. The Middle East Monitor newspaper has reported that forces struck the sites from the air before bulldozing them.

A local ready-mix concrete company director said "We previously faced challenges from Israel in establishing these plants, and the response process was very slow. Our estimates indicate that the cost of establishing one plant ranges between US$1 – 3m, in addition to the costs of equipment.” The director concluded “Every item of equipment represents a challenge for us.”