Cement News tagged under: Switzerland

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Holcim launches Phoenix, 3D-printed bridge

19 December 2023, Published under Cement News

Holcim has launched Phoenix, the first-of-its-kind 3D-printed concrete masonry bridge built using 10t of recycled materials, at its Innovation Hub in Europe. Using its proprietary ECOCycle® circular technology, Holcim developed a custom concrete ink for Phoenix with recycled materials inside. Phoenix demonstrates how circular construction combined with 3D concrete printing can enable low-carbon infrastructure applications.  Circular construction, using computational design and 3D print...

Sika opens new technology centre in China

19 December 2023, Published under Cement News

Sika has significantly expanded its research and development capacities in the Asia/Pacific region and opened a new, state-of-the-art technology centre in Suzhou, China. According to the company, although the facilities at the new Technology Center comprise cutting-edge laboratories for the development of adhesives and sealants, research infrastructure has also been established for concrete admixtures and CO 2 reducing cement technologies. The centre will also focus on research into mate...

Holcim's CCUS project scoops COP28 awards

14 December 2023, Published under Cement News

Holcim has received two awards at COP28 in Dubai for its Carbon2Business project in Lägerdorf, Germany, in recognition of the scalability and breakthrough innovation of its carbon capture technologies. The first saw Holcim named by the COP28 Presidency as an 'Energy Transition Changemaker' - a title awarded to companies with game-changing innovative solutions that can be scaled to accelerate decarbonisation. For the second, Carbon2Business was selected as Germany’s 'outstanding project' in...

Cement-free mineral foams for 3D printing

05 December 2023, Published under Cement News

ETH Zurich has launched a project known as Airlements, which pioneers the use of cement-free mineral foams derived from recycled industrial waste, including fly ash from industrial blastfurnaces, to produce 3D printed building components. Spearheaded by doctoral researcher Patrick Bedarf from Professor Benjamin Dillenburger’s Digital Building Technologies group, the technology promises to reduce heating and cooling costs and to revolutionise the efficiency of construction material usage. ...

Holcim joins Circularity Task Force at COP28

04 December 2023, Published under Cement News

Holcim has become a founding member of the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s (SMI) Circularity Task Force, launched at COP28 in Dubai, to accelerate the world’s shift to a circular economy. The task force aims to close essential material loops to advance climate action, while preserving nature’s resources and planetary boundaries.  This commitment adds to Holcim’s leadership in circular construction, a driver of its decarbonisation journey, which includes the goal of recycling more than...

Swiss team draws on archives to develop low-carbon binders

01 December 2023, Published under Cement News

A team of experts from EPFL (Switzerland), ETH Zurich and a Geneva-based architecture firm has developed a new type of non-reinforced concrete made from stone offcuts. Their method, known as ‘Cyclopean’, draws on ancient technologies uncovered in historical archives to reduce the use of carbon-intensive cement-based binders.  In October this year, the team built six load-bearing walls in Lucery-Villars, Switzerland, using recovered stone-quarry waste and fieldstone. The prototype str...

Aggregate Industries appoints group strategy and commercial growth director

23 November 2023, Published under Cement News

Aggregate Industries , part of Holcim , has appointed Kaziwe Kaulule as its new group strategy and commercial growth director. With a career spanning over 19 years with the Holcim Group, Mr Kaulule brings extensive experience to the role, including operations, digital transformation, business development, and mergers and acquisitions. His most recent role was as chief executive officer (CEO) at Lafarge Industries South Africa . He has also served as CEO at Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe and h...

Holcim US rebrand reaches Atlanta

17 November 2023, Published under Cement News

Holcim US has announced that the expansion of its rebrand has now touched down in Atlanta, Georgia, one of its major cement distribution markets. The transition will see the company refresh its branding and renew its commitment to sustainability as part of the global focus on becoming a net-zero company. With cement terminals in Cartersville, Duluth and Covington, Georgia, the rebranding initiative reinforces Holcim’s dedication to the Metro Atlanta area and Southern region, according ...

Holcim exits Uganda and Tanzania

15 November 2023, Published under Cement News

Holcim has signed agreements to divest its businesses in Uganda and Tanzania. It has agreed to sell Hima Cement Ltd , its local subsidiary in Uganda, to the Sarrai Group, for an enterprise value of US$120m.  Holcim has also agreed to sell its 65 per cent share in Mbeya Cement Co Ltd in Tanzania to Amsons Group for an undisclosed sum. Completion of both transactions is subject to obtaining the respective regulatory clearances. Martin Kriegner, regional head Asia, Middle East and A...

Lafarge Africa reduces CO2 emissions through AF use

10 November 2023, Published under Cement News

Lafarge Africa has reduced is CO 2 emissions from 595kg CO 2 /t  in 2021 to 574kg CO 2 /t in 2022 through the use of alternative fuels and energy-efficient technologies. According to the company’s 2022 Sustainability Report, its global thermal substitution rate in 2022 stood at 13.5 per cent, compared to 9.4 per cent in 2021, reports This Day.  Prince Adebode Adefioye, chairman, Lafarge Africa, said, “I am delighted to present Lafarge Africa Plc’s latest Sustainability Report, highligh...