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Plans put forward by Hanson Aggregates to extract 1.5million tonnes of sand and gravel from a new quarry in Oxfordshire, UK are coming under scrutiny of a public inquiry that opened this week. Hanson’s proposals for the new quarry at Stonehenge Farm, near Northmoor were initially rejected by the county council but the plans are now subject to an inquiry following an appeal by the company. Local residents claimed the new development would cause traffic problems and increase flooding risk but the county counc

Despite a downturn in the market, Russia’s Eurocement has posted a net profit for 2009 after recording a small loss in 2008. The company has reported net profits of RUB781million (€19.8million) despite a fall in revenue to rUB36billion, compared to RUB62billion in 2008. The company produced 15.43million tonnes of cement in 2009 and currently has capacity to produce 38million tonnes per year.

Austria-based Strabag and Polish quarrying business Dolnoslaskie Surowce Skalne are reported to be among the nine companies bidding to buy Dolnoslaskie Surowce Skalne from the government. The Polish Treasury has approved the bidders and due diligence of the quarry operator based in south eastern Poland is now underway. Dolnoslaskie Surowce Skalne mainly quarries aggregates for the road construction market.

Concrete used to be seen as a functional construction material. Now the growing popularity of fair faced concrete is placing it at the forefront of architectural aesthetics. Claire Symes looks at the role of aggregates in this emerging market. Few can deny that the concrete used to create the sweeping and smooth lines of the Zaha Hadid-designed Phaeno Centre in Wolfsburg, Germany are dramatic. But it is not an experimental project - it is one of a growing number of high profile buildings in Europe that are

Although cement demand in Poland fell by 17% in the first quarter of this year compared to 2009, market analysts are still confident of market growth in 2010. Sales in March were said to be up 11.1% year on year to 1.1million tonnes, which is claimed to indicate the recovery. Gorazdze Cement and Cementownia Ozarow are also reported to be investing in capacity expansion. The Polish cement association has predicted sales will grow by 5 to 8% for the whole year to reach 15.8million tonnes with a large boom exp

Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) could, according to some, be as serious a threat as exposure to asbestos. Paul Howard finds out what's being done to reduce the risk. When the former president of the European Aggregates Association (UEPG) warns of an occupational health problem potentially of a similar magnitude to that caused by asbestos, it's time to take note.

France’s national aggregates association (UNPG) has awarded two prizes in its sustainable development awards to Cemex Granulats Sud-Ouest. The company’s Albi quarry was selected as the top performer in the economi contribution to society category, while Izon quarry was joint second place in the partnership with local authorities section.

Ireland-based Healy Brothers concrete and quarry business has been bought out by Lagan but financial details of the deal have not been released. Lagan said that acquisition of the Cork-based Healy Brothers forms part of the company’s strategic development plan.

The Polish Government has revealed that there are 11 companies bidding to acquire Zlotoyja-based quarry business Kopalnie Surowcow Skalnych Zlotoryja. The companies, which include KGHM Ecoren, Basalt Minerals of Germany, Gorazdze Kruszywa, Cemex and Eurovia Polska, have been cleared to carry out due diligence for the takeover.

Cemex France is aiming to help speed up construction work on site with the launch of its new fast drying concrete product that is the result of a new generation of Cemex Admixtures. The company has said that the new Promptis material allows formwork to be stripped in just four hours, compared to 18 hours with conventional products.

High PSV aggregates are vital to creating high skid resistant roads and are particularly popular in the UK, but without careful management reserves could run out. Claire Symes takes a look at this premium aggregates market. Rising traffic levels throughout Europe not only mean that the durability of roads is coming increasingly under scrutiny, but the role played by surfacing in terms of safety is also being placed in the spotlight. Advances in both braking and tyre technology have significantly improved

It has been reported that Marwyn Materials – headed by former Aggregate Industries boss Peter Thom – has made an offer to Anglo American for Tarmac. The bid is for the company’s UK operations and is believed to be for around €4.5billion. Anglo has not commented on the offer.

Fines of €10million and €4.5million handed down to Lafarge Ciments and Vicat for cartel activity have been confirmed by the Paris Court of Appeal. The companies were fined for operating a price fixing system in Corsica, France.

Italcementi’s subsidiary Ciments Francais has reported that it has sold one of its Turkish operations to Limak Holding for €290million. The sale involves the transfer of Set Group Holding and does not include Ciment Francais’s other Turkey-based business Afyon Cimento.

Lemminkäinen has expanded its road construction business with the acquisition of a stake in fellow Finnish company Asfalt Remix. Lemminkäinen has bought a 75% share of the business with an option to acquire the remaining shareholding at a later date. Asfalt Remix specialises in the cold milling of asphalt pavements and Lemminkäinen has said that the acquisition fits with its strategy to expand its Nordic infrastructure construction business. No financial details of the deal have been released.

JCB used court orders in Germany to take action against three Asian manufacturers that were displaying copied equipment at the Bauma exhibition in Munich, Germany. As a result of the legal action, the machines were either removed from the show or concealed from view.

France’s SNEF is reported to have acquired part of Holcim’s business in Romania for a token fee of €1. The transfer is believed to have taken place in February and concerned Holcim’s Ceprocim Engineering business, which delivers integrated engineering and project management services to cement manufacturers.

Improving use of recycled aggregates is the aim of a new project launched in the UK through an investment of 800,000 (€920,865) which will allow reprocessing of 600 to 800tonnes of material each week at the site in Leicester. A joint venture of by AR Demolition, which is based in Carlton, Central Construction Services, of Coalville, and AE Burgess & Sons of Leicester have established the AR Aggregate Urban Quarry.

The Czech Republic cement producers association has reported that production in the first three months on this year was down 28% year on year at just over 390,000tonnes. Domestic sales were also down at 32% below 2009 levels and exports dropped by 35%. According to the association, the harsh winter added to the impact of the economic crisis and said that the stagnation is likely to continue during the second quarter of the year. The organisation has said it expects the market to stabilise in the second half

Austria-based quarry operator Bernegger has announced that it is to invest €10million during 2010 in upgrading its equipment and improving operations in Austria. Around €4.5million of the total is expected to be spent on a new sand and gravel plant and concrete plant at Spital to help meet the demands from the Bosruck tunnel construction project. The second bore of the tunnel calls for 450,000m3 of concrete by 2013.