News

The UK construction sector’s recovery appears promising after a testing two years but risks masking the continued pressures small builders face with materials and labour, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

The Concrete Sustainability Council (CSC) has certified 16 Heidelberger Beton plants with the new CO2 module. The ready-mixed concrete division of HeidelbergCement is thus creating further transparency in concrete production.

Volvo Penta has appointed Fredrik Högberg as its new North America president. Högberg takes up his new role on 15 May 2022, replacing Tony Kelleher, who has served as acting president since December 2021.

Metso Outotec has signed an agreement to acquire Tesab Engineering, a Northern Ireland based company offering mobile crushing equipment for aggregates applications, including quarrying, recycling, asphalt and concrete.

Tarmac, working with the Rail Forum and industry partners, is helping to launch an annual SME challenge designed to create the freight terminals of the future.

The India branch of the GCCA (Global Cement and Concrete Association) is holding an online event to present a new report on the benefits of blended cement.

Oldcastle APG, a CRH company, has acquired Calstone, a leading manufacturer of pavers, concrete masonry, segmental retaining walls and packaged products based in Northern California.

Holcim's annual general meeting (AGM) will be held on 4 May 2022 at the Group's headquarters in Zug, Switzerland. Following applicable Swiss COVID-19 legislation, it will be held without the presence of shareholders, making safety a priority again for this year's event. The Board of Directors invites shareholders to submit their questions regarding the Holcim 2021 Integrated Annual Report and the AGM.

National nonresidential construction spending was down 0.1% in February, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) analysis of data published by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualised basis, nonresidential spending totalled US$844.5 billion for the month.

Construction output in Northeast Asia is forecast to record a 4.2% growth and reach US$4.71 trillion in 2022 compared to $4.52 trillion in 2021. It will account for 39% of the projected $12.19 trillion of global output this year. However, the growth of construction output in Northeast Asia in 2022 has been revised downwards by 0.8% this quarter due to the slowing construction activities across the region, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Excavator and loader manufacturer Mecalac Construction Equipment UK has appointed Heath Davies as general manager.

Yanmar has bought a battery technology firm in the Netherlands.

Yanmar Holdings has acquired a majority share in ELEO Technologies, a battery technology company in Helmond, the Netherlands. Integrating ELEO’s modular battery technology into Yanmar’s range will allow the firm to expand its electric powertrain capabilities with versatile solutions for off-road applications.

“We are thrilled to partner with Yanmar”, said ELEO co-founder Bas Verkaik.