Cement and Concrete Group Newsletter
Issue 11 – November / December 2006
Contents
16
Recent News 1
Comment and Discussion 6
Literature Bits and Pieces 6
Funding, Jobs and Vacancies 14
Forthcoming Events 15
Contacts, useful web links etc. 16
Disclaimer 16
Please send items to the usual address: ().
Cement and Concrete Group Mission Statement
“To provide support and educational activities for those who have an interest in the science and technology of traditional and specialist cements and concretes"
Recent News
27th Cement and Concrete Science Conference
Plans are underway for the next IoM3 Cement and Concrete Science Conference, to be held at Royal Holloway on 17th-18th September 2007. Further details to follow.
Pass it on
Just a gentle reminder that if you pass this newsletter on to others, please get them to subscribe themselves. This allows them to get the information straight away, allows me to know who’s interested and in what, and saves you having to remember to forward the email.
Global Cement magazine has been boasting this month of having a distribution of over 7000. Without knowing who is reading this newsletter, I don’t know if there’s 6940, 6900, or even 6850 to go to catch that. (For those of you interested in this sort of thing, I send this out to 58 people, but I know that readership is more than this).
International Conference – Advances in Cement Based Materials and its Application to Civil Infrastructure
This conference is to be held in Lahore, Pakistan on December 12-14, 2007. The deadline for submission of abstracts (to ) is December 01, 2006. For additional details, please visit - www.acbm-aci.org.
Sponsors and co-sponsors include:
· ACI, USA
· RILEM, France
· CSCE, Canada
· ACBM, USA
· Pakistan Engineering Congress
· Higher Education Commission, Pakistan
· University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan
BCA Berthold Lubetkin Memorial lecture
Internationally renowned architect Daniel Libeskind presented the 15th annual British Cement Association Berthold Lubetkin Memorial Lecture in London on 9 November. The lecture, sponsored by The Concrete Centre, commemorates the contribution of Berthold Lubetkin to design and celebrates inspirational works by contemporary engineers and architects. This year saw record level attendance with some 800 academics, architects, structural engineers and students packing into the Kensington Great Hall to hear how Daniel uses architecture as a communicative art to encourage interaction with a building’s location and the people who use it. Next year’s lecture will be delivered by Santiago Calatrava on 18 October
Cement Industry Update – November 2006
Hydraulically Bound Mixtures for Pavements Guide launched
Around 70 attendees representing the Highways Agency, consultancy and contractors, attended an evening presentation to launch the guide, Hydraulically Bound Mixtures for Pavements on 19 October. Under the new design method, for construction to be economical, all major roads will incorporate a cement bound layer.
The guide (£29.50) can be purchased from the Concrete Bookshop, telephone 01276 608778, fax 01276 37369 or email .
Cement Industry Update – November 2006
ATILH visit
A three person delegation from the Association Technique de L’Industrie Des Liants Hydraulics (ATILH) visited BCA on 9 October. The delegation was led by Alain Capmas (Director General) supported by Michel Delort (Director Standards and Quality) and Horacio Colina (Director Technical Development). Wide ranging discussions included detailed matters concerning the European Cement Standard EN 197-1, CE Marking, combinations of cements and additions under UK and European concrete standards and the move towards performance based concrete specifications for service life design.
The delegation also left with BCA a DVD on Health and Safety prepared for contractors working at cement plants. From this meeting it is evident that regular liaison between BCA and ATILH will ensure equitable progress of cement, concrete and engineering design standardisation across Europe. Similar links are being forged with other key cement/concrete organisations in Europe including VDZ (Germany) and IECA (Spain).
Cement Industry Update – November 2006
Sustainability lecture at University of Liverpool
Mike Gilbert, Chief Executive of the BCA, presented the annual Concrete Society Lecture at the University of Liverpool on 13 November. Around 70 students taking BEng and MEng civil engineering degrees attended his talk on sustainability and went away with some new ideas on the environment to consider.
Cement Industry Update – November 2006
Better Regulation Task Force
The Government’s Better Regulation Task Force expressed an interest in meeting with Buxton Lime and the BCA. The Task Force was set up to free business from 'red tape' and to decrease ‘unnecessary’ restrictions which may impact on profits. A BCA and Task Force delegation visit to Buxton Lime is scheduled for 31 January 2007.
Cement Industry Update – November 2006
REACH
Cement clinker currently remains exempt from registration. DTI have assured BCA that they will not allow any attempt to remove the exemption to succeed. A recent proposal to amend the text of the exemption (in a manner helpful to the industry) was not approved by the Environment Committee of the European Parliament.
Cement Industry Update – November 2006
Waste Framework Directive
The important Environment Committee vote on this draft directive scheduled for 10 October has been postponed to allow more time for the rapporteur to find compromises among the 622 amendments tabled. The first proposal for compromise amendments for the vote in the Envi Committee, as drafted by Dr Caroline Jackson and discussed with the shadow rapporteurs on 24 October 2006, is not wholly favourable to the cement industry. At the request of CEMBUREAU, BCA has written to Caroline Jackson and the two UK Shadow Rapporteurs (Caroline Lucas and Bairbre de Bruin) seeking support for industry’s key priorities, and has requested a meeting with Chris Davies (ALDE) to discuss this dossier. The remaining UK MEPs that sit on the Envi Committee have also been contacted. The postponement of the vote will allow BCA/CEMBUREAU more time to lobby on crucial amendments relating to ‘by products’, ‘discard’, ‘end of waste’ and ‘waste oils’. It has emerged in the last few days that all political groups support the idea of Caroline Jackson not to add a definition of by-products in the WFD, but rather to add in the preamble that the Commission should come up with a proposal or guidelines on by-products. This is a welcome development for the cement industry.
Cement Industry Update – November 2006
Eurocodes
The Concrete Industry Eurocode Group (CIEG) was formally wound up with a celebration lunch on 20 October. BCA set up the CIEG in 2003 with the mission to co-ordinate concrete industry efforts to ease the transition to the Eurocodes. With the publication of the concrete National Annexes and preparation of extensive design guidance from the sector, this objective has been achieved. The cement and concrete sector is recognized as leading the way for the implementation of Eurocodes in the UK. For a list of courses and forthcoming publications on Eurocodes, please visit www.eurocode2.info or www.concretecentre.com.
Cement Industry Update – November 2006
Cement/Concrete standards
A successful meeting of CEN/TC51 (Cement and building limes) was held in Dresden in late October. The major current activity in cement standardisation is the revision of EN 197-1, and its supporting standard, EN 197-2. The revision of EN 197-1 will include the text of three amendments and the text of EN 197-4. In this way, its scope will cover common cements, sulfate resisting cements and low early strength blastfurnace cements.
The UK Concrete Standard (BS 8500) is expected to be published by December 2006. The European Standard for Ground Granulated Blastfurnace Slag (BS EN 15167) was published late October.
Cement Industry Update – November 2006
Global Fuels
The November 2006 issue of Global Fuels Magazine is now available for free download. As well as the latest news on alternative fuels for industry from around the world, the issue includes articles on alternative fuel handling, metering and dosage, wallboard dryer efficiency, refractories for use with alternative fuels and more....
You can register free to receive the magazine, at http://www.propubs.com/global-fuels/eGFregister2.html
Global Slag
The latest issue, November 2006, is now available for free download, from http://www.propubs.com/global-slag/eGSnovlononsub.pdf (6Mb). The issue includes all the latest news on slag, slag processing and slag use around the world, articles on slag in Japan and Thailand, technical articles and comment.
You can subscribe to receive the printable high-resolution version of the magazine at http://www.propubs.com/global-slag/gssubs.html.
Ground breaking demonstration buildings to be unveiled at OFFSITE2007
BRE and the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) have revealed plans for a range of pioneering, full scale demonstration buildings that will feature at the OFFSITE2007 exhibition and conference, 11-14 June 2007. The aim of the event is to showcase modern methods of construction that achieve higher levels of performance compared with conventional construction forms. Buildings include a school of the future by Re-Thinking, a part of Willmott Dixon Construction, and three innovative houses from sponsors Hanson, Spaceover and Osborne.
Newcomers to the event Re-Thinking aim to demonstrate how inspirational school design can be achieved that meets the needs of students and teachers, is energy efficient, intelligent and quick to build. Charles Tincknell, Head of Re-Thinking says’ We aim to build an exemplary non-traditional school that demonstrates innovative and adaptable design. Crucially the design will focus not only on the classroom environment but also on the safety and well being of students - corridor and toilet facilities where bullying and drug taking can take place will be key considerations.’
Hanson, who exhibited an innovative house at OFFSITE2005, will return with a house that particularly addresses the issues relating to climate change. Gerry Feenan of Hanson says’ Our OFFSITE2007 house will focus on occupant comfort in the changing UK climate. We’ll be addressing issues such as overheating and solar gain and how best to mitigate against them with a concrete and masonry structure. The house will have excellent sustainability credentials and will exhibit features such as a smart ventilation system and enhanced thermal mass.’
Volumetric manufacturer Spaceover will demonstrate modules from a live housing project, South Chase New Hall, in Harlow. Director Steven Barrett says ‘ our new volumetric system has taken into account some of the major drivers in the housing sector in particular the need for much higher levels of energy efficiency and the benefits of renewable energy sources’.
Sponsors Osborne recently completed their demonstration house on the BRE Innovation Park which has pushed the boundaries for sustainable affordable housing. The house, constructed from the Jabhouse SIPs - Structural Insulated Panel system - in just one and a half days, exceeds current Part L requirements on carbon emissions by 40% and requires only one third of the energy for heating and cooling a house constructed to 2006 Building Regulations
Other sponsors of OFFSITE2007 include The Concrete Centre who are the central development organisation for the UK cement and concrete industry and SmartLIFE the innovative EU project which has involved the construction of a MMC Training and Business Centre and an affordable housing project in the Fenland region of Cambridgeshire.
David Marlow, Chief Executive of EEDA says "The East of Englandfacesmany challengesin deliveringthe housing needs of the region that are both of high standard and affordable. We are fortunate to have so many innovative companies based herethat can ensurehousing is built to the highest possible environmental and design quality. EEDAis particularly pleased to supportOFFSITE2007because it providesan opportunity forthe built environment industryto come together toshow howgrowthcan be delivered in a manner that protects the high quality natural and built environment in the East of England’
For more information log on to www.offsite2007.com or email
Cemex Bids for Rinker
Cemex has bid US$12bn for Rinker, the Australian/US/global cement and building materials maker. The text below was taken from www.ft.com.
Published: October 27 2006 21:30 | Last updated: October 27 2006 21:30
Moving quickly in cement is pretty difficult. Cemex, however, has swooped on its Australian rival Rinker Group with an unsolicited takeover offer worth $12.8bn, including assumed debt. Cemex claims market rumours forced it to go public before it had a chance to talk to Rinker. But there is a whiff of opportunism. Until Friday, shares in Rinker had fallen by 38 per cent from April’s record peak. In spite of Rinker’s Aussie identity, perhaps 57 per cent of sales are exposed to the slowing US housing market.
Cemex would prefer a friendly deal but appears to be keeping some firepower in reserve: claimed pre-tax synergies of $130m by year three amount to just 3 per cent of Rinker’s estimated operating costs for the year ending March 2009. Rinker’s management will remember that synergies estimates for RMC Group, the UK cement maker Cemex bought last year, almost doubled within months of concluding the deal.
Global Cement
The latest issue - November 2006 - of Global Cement Magazine is now available for download: http://www.propubs.com/egcl/eGCnov06reg.pdf (10.6Mb) (downloads to your computer as 'eGCnov06reg.pdf' - if it doesn't open automatically, search for the file on your hard drive). The issue includes all the latest news of the US$12bn Cemex-Rinker bid struggle, as well as a fascinating article on Titan's Pennsuco plant in Florida, global cement news and much more besides.
Global Cement Awards
December 1st is the deadline for entries into the Global Cement Awards 2007. Full details are at http://www.propubs.com/GCA - winners in 2006 included both Lafarge and Cemex.
On the Move
Nick Collier submitted his PhD thesis and recently passed his PhD viva, congratulations! He is no longer in Sheffield, as he has now started as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Construction Science Group at the University of Manchester looking at the water retaining properties of lime mortar and their interaction with various building substrates.
http://www.mace.manchester.ac.uk/research/researchgroups/builtenvironment/
Computers & Concrete An International Journal
This journal will be published Bimonthly in 2007, and if you order your 2007 subscription now, you will get the 2006 issues free of charge. Also, beginning with the issues of 2005, "COMPUTERS and CONCRETE, An International Journal (CAC)" has been indexed in global indexing services, including Science Citation Index Expanded.