News

In France, Connan has launched Copanel fibre cement cladding made from natural mineral materials.

Breathable and waterproof, the cladding is resistant to frost, pollution and mould.

The range consists of three solutions: Copanel Color, Copanel Hydro and Copanel Antigraffiti

According to research by the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, a concrete made with a mixture of Portland cement and powdered ashes of paddy husks suffers less from cracks caused by shrinking. The research is still ongoing.

Bloomberg has revealed that US investors have obtained 71.7% of shares in Mexican cement company Cemex on Mexico's Stock Exchange (BMV) during the last three years, including BlackRock (at 10.78%), followed by Southeastern Asset Management (4.34%), amongt others, mostly because of financial restructuring at Cemex.

According to Actinver (finacial group), the proportion of free-float Cemex shares is 90%. Another analyst has commented on the growing demand amongst US investment funds for Cemex shares.

Th

Reliance Cement is set to venture into Jharkhand, one of the most important cement markets in eastern India.

The cement company already has presence in key cities of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, with its cement bags featuring a special QR code for customer benefit.

The state is expected to record increases in demand following upcoming power and steel plants as well as other mineral based industries.

Thailand's second biggest cement producer, Siam City Cement (SCCC), intends to set up a factory in Myanmar and perhaps invest in Cambodia as well.

The company hopes that overseas expansion will offset the slow cement demand in the Thai market, which is expected to rise by 2%-3% only in 2014 following the ongoing political crisis.

In 2013, SCCC's local cement business expanded by 7%, whereas its other new businesses, including the waste managing unit Geocycle and wood replacement building materials uni

According to Enthus Asnawi, the finance manager of Wijaya Karya Beton (Wika Beton), the concrete company has generated IDR 1.2 trillion (€76.79 million) from its initial public offering (IPO).

The proceeds will be used to finance its expansion including plant expansion. Expansion will be carried to several areas including to Sulawesi, Java and Sumatra.

The state company plans to expand overseas in late 2014 in partnership with its parent company, Wijaya Karya, to Algeria as well as the Middle East an

In China, production of cement in Jiaxing city, Zhejiang Province jumped 14.84% to 184,700tonnes during March 2014.

A growth of 13.05% was seen in the city's bulk cement supply, with bulk cement rate declining 1.38 percentage points to 87.2% as compared to March 2013.

The city supplied 100,300tonnes and 1.3863 million m³ of ready-mixed mortar and ready-mixed concrete respectively during the month.

Hunt Midwest Enterprises's stake in the crushed limestone supplier Hunt Martin Materials has been sold to Martin Marietta Materials (Martin Marietta), its joint venture partner in the US.

The Hunt Martin Materials joint venture had been set up with Martin Marietta in 2004. The deal's financial details were not made known.

The Oyak Group, which has various cement interests Turkey, is looking into acquisition opportunities in the cement sector.

It is focusing on Europe (specifically the UK) and Africa, according to its cement group chairman Celalettin Caglar.

Caglar said that the group was also interested in acquisition opportunities that could arise from the merger of Holcim of Switzerland and France's Lafarge.

Lafarge has said two-thirds of divestments as a result of the deal with Holcim are expected to affect Weste

In 2015, TSK-Beton will complete the procedure of acquiring licenses to quarry sand and crushed stone in the Leningrad region.

The projected quarrying output is 1.5 million m³. Investment in purchasing the licences stands at RUB 1 billion (€20.29 million). The information comes from Vyacheslav Traktovenko, the owner.

Purchasing quarrying facilities allows the company to move to closed-loop production of building materials and cut costs by an estimated 3-5%.

TSK-Beton owns three concrete plants in S

Balfour Beatty has started work on one of the largest coastal defence schemes in the UK which will protect over 12,000 homes and businesses from the risk of coastal flooding while regenerating parkland for local community use.

The £73 million (€88 million) scheme consists of two separate projects along the Fylde Coast at Rossall and Anchorsholme, County Lancashire, north-west England, which will renew 2.9km of sea walls and the promenade and preserve its renowned sandy beaches.

The £20 million Anchors

Following the decision by the EU College of Commissioners to adopt new Environmental and Energy State Aid Guidelines, leading UK energy intensive industry bodies expressed their severe disappointment and frustration that help with crippling energy costs promised by the UK Government will not now be forthcoming to the all-important cement, ceramics, kaolin and ball clay and lime industries.

The decision in Brussels, Belgium, is said to undermine UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne’s statement in

International construction equipment manufacturer Chicago Pneumatic has appointed Powertek as its authorised distributor in Romania and Moldova.

The company will now supply the Romanian and Moldovan construction industry with Chicago Pneumatic’s comprehensive range of rugged and powerful products.

This will include hand-held pneumatic tools, compaction equipment, concrete equipment and rig-mounted breakers, as well as portable compressors and generators.

Palazzo Italia, the symbol of Expo 2015, to be held in Veniced in June 2015, will be built with a completely new material know as biodynamic cement.

The cement has been created by Italcementi and has been hailed as a milestone for Italian research.

Palazzo Italia will remain in place after Expo 2015 and will act as a home to innovative technology. It ius claimed that the biodynamic cement is able to capture pollution and reduce smog and the mortar will be made from 80% recycled products.