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In their latest opinion piece for Aggregates Business, Aggregate Research Ltd, providers of strategic and operational advisory services across aggregates and related industries, look at whether innovation in the aggregates industry is a threat or an opportunity, focusing specifically on manufactured sand.

In today’s world we embrace change on a daily basis. Just a few decades ago we were still sending greeting cards by post, driving around with paper maps and using printed address books to store our con

I’ve travelled much since the last issue of this magazine, including a week-long tour of leading OEMs and medium-sized firms across Asia. What struck me loud and clear during that trip was the exciting level of innovation and ambition shown by many of the senior figures within Asia-based firms that I’ve had the pleasure to spend time with.

Huge figures are being invested by two leading Chinese manufacturers in order to fulfil their global commercial vision of becoming major international players, with on

Since the last issue I’ve visited numerous countries in Europe and further afield, attending exhibitions and visiting leading OEMs and smaller-sized aggregates production-related firms. During my travels, certain topics and issues within the sector have been constant.

Within Europe, there has been much talk about how sanctions imposed by the EU and the US against Russia over its role in the ongoing Ukraine conflict may affect aggregates industry trading. This issue came up during a press conference at th

Swiss cement giant Holcim said it expected to have chosen buyers for assets it must divest to seal its merger with France's Lafarge by the end of January and to complete the deal by the middle of next year, Reuters News Agency reports.

The planned merger with Lafarge will create the world's largest cement group with over $40 billion in annual sales. The deal is to be accompanied by the sale of assets representing around 12% of combined revenues.

"We expect the final bids somewhere in January 2015," Ho

A turnkey sand and gravel washing plant is set to reduce environmental pollution for a German company. To unveil the plant, CDE Global and Josef Bohnen hosted an open day at Josef Bohnen’s main quarry in Swisttal, near Cologne.

Owner Josef Bohnen started the business with one Deutz tractor and a cart in 1948 and supplied local houses in the area with loads of sand. Today, the company, which also specialises in civil engineering, earthmoving and demolition services, supplies the regions of Bonn and Cologn

Jeremy Crook of Stephens Scown LLP outlines the role of a European Works Council and its potential impact on minerals and aggregates businesses. Large minerals and aggregates businesses with employees in Europe need to be aware of European Works Councils and the circumstances in which they must be set up. Failure to meet the legislative requirements could lead to financial penalties.

What is a European
Works Council?
A European Works Council (EWC) is a consultative body set up by multinational employe

Bitumen is one of the most widely used products in the world, with an estimated 85% being used annually as the binder in asphalt for roads and other paved areas such as airports, writes Patrick Smith.

Indeed, world demand for asphalt is projected to rise 3.6%/year through to 2017 from a weak 2012 base to 121 million tonnes or 734 million barrels, according to a new World Asphalt study from The Freedonia Group, the Cleveland, USA-based industry market research company.

The Asia/Pacific region has overt

Most mining, quarry and industrial operations worldwide require some form of dewatering system to keep their operations moving. As water becomes even scarcer, the precious resource is often being used, cleaned, and recycled, says Weir Minerals.

Indeed, the company supplied equipment used by Holme Sand and Ballast’s Masters Quarry near Wareham, County Dorset, England, that produces around 200,000tonnes of sand with a small amount of gravel each year for a diverse range of applications.

The company deci

Drilling and blasting is one of the first operations to be carried out in a quarry to gain the material for further processing.

The vital process often starts with a detailed survey of the quarry face, which will enable the explosives engineer to design the blast and to plot where the shot holes should be drilled, enabling the task to be carried out safely and efficiently.

The EPC Groupe says it is among those continuing to develop energetic solutions for safe and efficient quarry blasting.

As quar

As authorities worldwide introduce steadily declining limits for soot particles, nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons for off-road machines, manufacturers of mobile plants are being requested to develop fuel consumption, noise and resource-saving technologies. Patrick Smith reports.

Sandvik Construction has given the global launch to its track-mounted UH450E crushing and screening unit at the recent Steinexpo in Germany, while Rockster says it has met the challenge with an entirely new machine, and Austrian

Good housekeeping at a quarry site will greatly reduce the risk of accidents.

Maintaining a tidy working environment is a major step towards reducing or eliminating accidents in the workplace. Incidents such as slips, trips and falls can be eliminated with a good housekeeping procedure. This will include identifying and then tackling the relevant issues to prevent such incidents, says Blackwood Quarry Engineering, which offers companies support to do this as a matter of course, drawing up a housekeeping

The European Commission published on 2 July, 2014 its much-awaited Circular Economy Package, comprising five different elements. These are listed below:

1. Communication Towards a Circular Economy.

This sets out the overall approach: keeping resources in productive use longer; using them again and again through recycling; cutting waste, and reducing dependence on uncertain supplies.

The objective is to establish a common and coherent European Union (EU) framework thanks to the combination of smart

The multi-million euro acquisition of Terex Trucks by Volvo Construction Equipment is big news in the quarrying equipment sector, filling what was a notable gap in Volvo CE’s otherwise extensive equipment range. The company’s boss, Paul Douglas, spoke to Aggregates Business Europe about the likely impact of the major deal.

The completion of the €123.5 million Terex Trucks acquisition by Volvo Construction Equipment earlier this year was music to Paul Douglas’ ears.

Based at Terex Trucks key articulat

Terex Washing Systems (TWS) showcased a recently installed Terex Aggresand 165 washplant during a successful Open Day in Australia.

An “exceptional number” of potential customers from leading material companies throughout Australia attended the event, staged in collaboration with TWS’ Australian distributor, mineral Washing Soltuions (MWS), at Dubbo Sands, New South Wales, witnessing for the first time in Australia a working Terex Aggresand 165 washplant.

Mardi and Graham Colbran, owners of Dubbo Sa

Mitas has unveiled the latest addition to its family of ERL-50 earthmoving tyres, the radial 23.5R25 ERL-50, which is scheduled to be available for worldwide sale this month.

The company says the ERL tyres are used on loaders, dozers and graders in mining/quarrying operations, with the series featuring 12 various tyres of 28-90mm tread depth.

“Mitas has a long expertise manufacturing off-road tyres. By introducing a new size of ERL-50 we would like to emphasise our focus on industrial and particularl

Martin Engineering, an innovator of modern bulk material handling technology, has introduced a new conveyor belt skirting system.

The Martin self-adjusting skirting, design-engineered to fit virtually any conveyor, prevents spillage and equipment breakdown caused by fugitive material by creating a constant tight seal to the belt.

The unit self-adjusts to rubber skirt wear, regardless of material volume and size diversity, allowing it to be an adaptable solution for an entire bulk material processing s

Scottish quarrying expert William Thompson & Son is the first UK company to invest in the new Caterpillar 972M XE wheeled loader. It will join the Cat 336EL Hybrid Excavator, another debut UK buy, at the Dumbarton-based site.

“At William Thompson & Son we strive to be at the cutting-edge of new technologies enabling us to maximise productivity, minimise cost, whilst reducing our carbon footprint,” says Andrew Thompson, director at William Thompson & Son.

The Cat 972M XE wheeled loader, with XE advance

Terex Minerals Processing Systems (MPS) has launched the new MJ47 primary jaw crusher module, increasing the application capabilities and crushing capacity of its existing modular product range with their largest jaw module to date.

The module is designed for large quarries or contractors that want a stationary type design without the complexity of a normal stick-built plant.

The MJ47 module features the 914mm x 1219mm Terex Jaques ST47 jaw crusher, and other key features include the Terex Simplicity

Screening, crushing, recycling and materials handling equipment distributor Blue Group has been appointed UK distributors for the range of specialist screening and crushing excavator buckets manufactured by Hartl of Austria.

“To us, Hartl specialist buckets seem an obvious extra string to our bow. The clever design, build quality and performance of their buckets can only enhance our reputation for providing the best possible equipment available,” says Pat McGeary, Blue Group managing director.

“We alr

The British Geological Survey (BGS) has released the 10th edition of the Directory of Mines and Quarries (DMQ 2014),an invaluable directory containing information on over 2,000 mineral workings and related mineral handling sites operating in 2014.

This is available as a free download from the BGS website and as a printed book.

The British Geological Survey has been collecting locational and other information about operating mineral workings in the United Kingdom since its formation in 1835 and the cur