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Optimisation software has the potential to significantly improve crushing and screening productivity. Claire Symes reports

Start of extraction from Ketley Quarry in the Midlands has repositioned owner WCL Quarries as one of the largest independent aggregate, waste and recycling operations in the region, according to the company. WCL gained permission to start work at the 55ha quarry in Kingswinford in March and extraction of engineering clay from the site is now underway.

The European Landscape Convention celebrates its 10th anniversary next year and Robert Camp looks at its origins and how it impacts on Europe's aggregates industry. The European Landscape Convention (ELC) was the first international Convention to focus specifically on landscape and was adopted in October 2000. It was created by the Council of Europe to encourage public authorities to adopt policies and measures at all levels for protecting, managing and planning landscapes throughout Europe.

Metso has signed a contract with Northland Resources for a five-year mill lining service and inspection programme for the Kaunisvaara project in northern Sweden. The order, valued at €19 million, complements previous project orders by Northland Resources, announced by Metso earlier this year. The Metso Life-Cycle Services (LCS) programme at Kaunisvaara includes the supply and installation of mill liners and technical and maintenance support for the semi-autogenous mill on the Tapuli process line.

Failure to match aggregate production with consents for new reserves in the UK is now having a serious impact on the industry, according to a new report. BDS Marketing Research’s latest research estimates the volumes of reserves and reserves life at each operating and inactive pit and quarry in Great Britain. The findings show that of the largest regions, the south east and Yorkshire have the lowest sand and gravel reserves life. Areas such as London, West Sussex, Hampshire and South Yorkshire are particula

Cemex is aiming to improve information available to customers and other key stakeholders in Poland with the launch of a new website. The site – e-cemex.pl – offers users customer and finance information as well as a blog and forum. Through the e-customer module, users can access the company’s profile and basic information, sales service terms and conditions, and dedicated channels of communication. It also provides an open flow of customer information, including the opportunity to enter and update informati

Estonian manufacturers of precast concrete panels and other products will lose export markets in Scandinavia, says Enno Rebane, CEO of the Association of Construction Material Producers of Estonia. The negative impacts of surplus production capacity and price hikes (fuels by 40%; electricity by up to 40%; transport by 30%; and other input prices) are blamed.

Holcim’s Spanish subsidiary has announced the appointment of Claudio Boada as its new chairman. Boada takes over the role from Fernando Varela.

Supply of cement in the Moscow region of Russia has been boosted with the opening of two new major plants to the south of the city today. Holcim has inaugurated its new cement plant in Kolomna, 100 km south of Moscow, is one of the company’s biggest plants in Eastern Europe. At the same time, 150 km south of Moscow in the city of Novogurovsky, in the Tula region, Heidelberg Cement also officially opened its newest plant.

Recognition and promotion of sustainable practices across the supply chain is the aim of Cemex’s extension of its Supplier Sustainability Programme. The company has said that it operates a global procurement function to better align the company’s efforts, support implementation, and share best practices across its global network. But at a national level, it is the Supplier Sustainability Programme that aims to deliver the global aim.

Automatic dispatch systems have the potential to replace paper-based systems to improve efficiency. ABE reports on a new system recently installed for the Arabian Cement Company. Demand for construction materials in Saudi Arabia has led to the Arabian Cement Company investing in a sixth production line at its Rabigh plant in Jeddah. But the new system will deliver more than just extra capacity, the systems being installed by contractor FLS Automation will improve productivity at all stages, including disp

Tarmac is aiming to improve the efficiency of ready mixed concrete deliveries in the UK with the launch of a new concrete calculator smartphone application. The company has said that app makes ordering product even easier by enabling customers to calculate the volume of ready-mixed concrete required for their projects. Users can select the required shape and input the dimensions to accurately calculate the concrete volume they need and the order is placed by requesting a call back from Tarmac.

The economic crisis may have helped end the tyre shortage but what impact has the shortage had on tyre use in Europe. Claire Symes reports. "It Is Important to have the premIum new tyres back In the market as It gIve us premIum casIngs for retreadIng"

Russia-based aggregates producer Pavlovskgranit has released a statement claiming that Sberbank carried out illegal transfers and then organised a corporate raid in order to resell company shares. Pavlovskgranit said, “In August 2008 Pavlovskgranit-INVEST concluded a loan agreement with Sberbank of Russia to obtain a loan of RUB5.1billion for the purchase of a 48% stake in Pavlovskgranit. The financial crisis had a significant impact on the construction market, so the company experienced difficulties in rep

Lafarge has announced that it has agreed to sell its gypsum business in Europe and South America to Etex for €1billion. Under the deal, Lafarge will receive €850million in cash and a 20% interest in the new business that will combine Lafarge’s gypsum operations with that of Etex. Lafarge CEO and chairman Bruno Lafont said, “This project unlocks immediate value for the group while allowing Lafarge to participate in the new entity’s future success. We are very pleased of the future prospects of this reinforce

Credit rating agency Moody's has downgraded French cement group Lafarge's rating from Baa3 to Ba1, with a stable outlook. The move comes after it was put under surveillance on 2 August, 2011. The agencies Standard & Poors and Fitch have already given the French group a speculative grade. Meanwhile, Moody's has downgraded the outlook on Italian construction materials manufacturer Italcementi and on its controlled Italcementi Finance, as well as on the French subsidiary Ciments Francais to negative.

Plans announced by the provincial authorities for Novara in Italy to produce 18million cubic metres of aggregates between 2009 and 2018 have been criticised by environmentalists and legal commentators. The need for this volume of building materials to be produced by the region’s 41 quarries over this time period has been questioned and concerns over mafia control have also been alleged. Nonetheless, the region’s authorities has said that the network of quarries have produced an average of over 2million cubi

Vicat has announced that it has a three year research deal with the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, CEA. Under the agreement Vicat will work with the CEA to investigate thermal properties of cement and cement in building applications.

Germany-based ready mixed concrete producers Mühlherr Kies & Beton and TH-Beton have announced that they are to merge their businesses in the Franconia-region. The new business will be known as MTH-Beton and start operation on 1 August. The merged operation, which will be headed by Eduard Mühlherr and Jens Kluge, has plants in Bad Staffelstein, Breitenau, Kronach, Küps, Kulmbach, Neustadt near Coburg, Rottmar and Sonneberg.

Sadi Servizi Industriali, which provides environmental remediation, waste management, engineering and building material services, has posted a consolidated net profit of €1.75 million for the first half of 2011. This compares to a net profit of €2.25 million in the same period of 2010. The Italian group's consolidated turnover dropped from €48.4 million to €45.08 million, while EBITDA fell from €7.13 million to €5.76 million.