LafargeHolcim’s concrete solutions used for the airport were developed by the Group’s Mexican technology center in collaboration with LafargeHolcim’s global R&D center in Lyon, France. They are designed to withstand aggressive sulphate conditions and chloride attacks for 75 years. These special qualities were necessary as the airport is built on the former Texcoco Lake with its high concentration of salts. The concretes developed for this project are unique to the Mexican market. Thanks to their sulphate resistant cement and low alkali aggregate reactivity, they help prevent cracks and other damage to the structural integrity of different airport applications.
In July 2017, LafargeHolcim started delivering material for the passenger terminal construction from an on-site concrete plant that was specifically set-up to secure on time supply. The plant is producing concretes for the first construction phase of the new airport, expected to be completed in 2020.
The LafargeHolcim concretes have an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and will contribute to achieving the LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Platinum certification, the highest sustainability grade awarded by the US Green Building Council.
Labeling Sustainability, Inc. and the Institute for Environmental Research and Education, based in Washington, awarded the EPD to LafargeHolcim after reviewing the environmental impact of the concretes that will be used in the construction of Mexico’s most important infrastructure project. EPD results confirm that the concrete produced at the plant is of the highest quality and exceeds the standards used by the concrete industry in the United States. The analysis assesses environmental impact over the product’s lifespan, using the UNE-EN ISO 14025 international norm.
LafargeHolcim has been involved in large and challenging airport projects in thirteen countries around the world. Recent projects include the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia, where LafargeHolcim supplied more than 1.3 million cubic meters of concrete, cement-treated base as well as advanced technical services; and Jeddah International Airport, Saudi Arabia, where LafargeHolcim met the high environmental sustainability requirements by supplying building materials in line with the highest health and safety and LEED standards. LafargeHolcim also delivered aesthetic solutions for the passenger terminal of the Rabat Sale Airport, Morocco, built with the Group’s high-strength Ductal solution. LafargeHolcim will also be working with China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) to deliver the extension of Uganda’s main international airport in Entebbe.
