Quarry Products

Portugal-based cement producer Secil has said that it is planning to use alternative fuel sources for up to 70% of its energy needs by 2014. The company has said that 30% of its fuel needs were met from alternative sources last year and the company plans to extend that to 45% this year. Secil said that a key part of achieving this target will be securing a 10 year supply contract with Valnor for 30,000tonnes of waste derived fuel per year over the next 10 years.

Operation of Aggregate Industries’ Bardon Hill Quarry at Coalville in the UK has been secured for the next 40 years with granting of permission to extend the sites. The quarry – one of the largest hard rock quarries in the UK - has just been given permission to access 132million tonnes of reserves which will be worked over the next 40 years. "This positive decision from Leicestershire County Council is excellent news for Aggregate Industries, Coalville and the construction industry,” said Bardon Aggregates

Good weather conditions has been cited by France’s Unicem as the main driver to growth in demand for building materials in the first quarter of the year. The organisation said that demand was up 17.7% in the first three months, compared to a 3.1% drop recorded in the final quarter of 2010. Aggregates production rose 12.5%, while ready mixed concrete production was up by 22.2%.

France’s concrete industry research centre (Cerib) and the national Portuguese civil engineering laboratory (LNEC) have announced signing of a cooperation agreement. Under the deal, they will pool their European research programmes and exchange information to create synergies. Work on concrete durability in corrosive environments is already being jointly carried out.

Cemex has announced the launch of two new ready mixed concrete products, which the company has said will help meet the need of niche markets in Croatia and the UK. New to the UK market it Permatite weather proofing concrete, which has been developed in partnership with weather proofing specialist Fosroc, to produce a moisture barrier solution. The new material is available in a number of strengths and grades and is aimed at use in basements, tunnels and water tank. According to Cemex, the material offers re

Construction of Germany’s Kaiserschleuse Bremerhaven is well on the way to completion following delivery of over 48,000m3 of ready mixed concrete to the project by Cemex over the last three years. The new Kaiserschleuse – which extends 13m below sea level and is designed for 6.5m of high water - is one of Europe’s largest locks with capacity to accommodate ships 305m long and 55m wide. Bremerhaven’s port is one of the key locations for transporting motor vehicles and the new lock provides a high capacity li

Cemex’s aggregates production operation at Marseille Port has gained the ISO 14001 standard in recognition of its environmental performance – the 33rd of the company’s to achieve this since January this year.

Caterpillar has added a Spanish version of its safety training to its dedicated safety website which offers over 200 online training modules.