Concrete perspective September 2012
CONSTRUCTION SECTOR
Beneficial Use of CO2 in Precast Concrete Products
The American McGill University carried out a research project on the Beneficial Use of CO2 in Precast Concrete Products between January 2010 -September 2012. The project was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and it addressed the use or reuse of CO2 in a variety of different economic and industrial processes.
The aim of the research was to develop a CO2 curing process for the precast concrete industry that can utilize CO2 as a reactant to accelerate strength gain, reduce energy consumption, and improve the durability of precast concrete products.
Please find further details on the project by clicking on the links below:
NETL Research Project – Project description
NETL Research Project – Results of the Study (PPP)
LIVE FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION
Posting of workers Directive
The European Commission issued a legislative proposal for the enforcement of Posting of Workers Directive 96/71/EC during spring 2012. (Definition: “a posted worker” is employed in one EU Member State but sent by his employer on a temporary basis to carry out his work in another Member State. These workers play an important role in filling labour and skill shortages in various sectors and regions like construction, agriculture and transport).
The draft directive aims to prevent and penalise circumvention and abuse of rules on the posting of workers. It introduces the principle of joint and several liability in the construction sector, which is a crucial point in the proposed directive. The directive creates clear rules for cooperation between national authorities.
The Directive is now in the European Parliament who prepares its own recommendation to the Commission’s proposal.
The European Parliament organised a public hearing on 18 September 2012 in the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and in the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) in order to collect experts’ and stakeholders’ view on the draft legislation. The hearing confirmed comments that the European Commission proposal may make it more difficult for the European companies to post workers within the internal market.
The draft legislation recommends the use a closed list of control measures that can be used to assess the conformity of a situation of posting of workers. At the hearing, experts pointed out that it would be problematic to use the closed list, the majority of stakeholders expressed their oppositions.
The Rapporteur of the Draft report in the European Parliament is Danuta Jazlowiecka (EPP, Poland). The plenary vote is foreseen for May 2013.
European Parliament – Press Release
NEWS IN BRIEF
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The seasonally adjusted production in the construction sector fell by 0.3% in the euro area (EA17) and by 0.2% in the EU27 in July 2012, compared with the previous month. In June 20123, production decreased by 0.6% and 1.4% respectively. The largest decreases were registered in Italy (-2.2%), while the highest increases in Hungary (+8.7%).
European Commission – Press Release
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According to the latest report of the European Commission, the unemployment rate increase 0.2% in July 2012. It reached a new high of 25,254,000 (or an unemployment rate of 10.4 %). The report point out a continuous rise in unemployment over the last 16 months. Expectations are poor; EU managers expect employment in the service and construction sector to decrease.
European Commission – Press Release
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According to the figures presented by the European Commission, the GDP decreased by 0.2% in the euro area (EA17) and by 0.1% in the EU27 during the second quarter of 2012, compared with the previous quarter.
European Commission – Press Release
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In July 2012 compared with June 2012, the volume of retail trade fell by 0.2% in the euro area (EA17) and remained stable in the EU27. The largest decreases were observed in Spain (-1.9%) while the highest increases were registered in Latvia (+2.7%).
European Commission –Press Release
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The European Commission released figures for industrial producer prices. The figures shows, that the industrial producer price index rose by 0.4% in both the euro area (EA17) and the EU27 in July 2012 compared with June 2012. The highest increases in the total index were recorded in Greece (+2.1%) while the largest decreases in Denmark (-1.6%).
European Commission – Press Release
NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS
European Concrete Award
The European Concrete Award is organised every two years by ECSN (European Concrete Societies Network). Nominees were submitted from most of the European countries, splitting into two categories: buildings and civil engineering projects.
The “Gooi Bridge in Vleuten-De Meern” (pictured) is a Dutch nominee in the civil engineering project category. The Bridge Gooise in Vleuten-De Meern is the first bridge built with very-high-strength concrete (ZHSB) in the Netherlands which is fully implemented in prestressed concrete.
Winners will be announced on 25 October at the Norwegian Concrete Day in Oslo.
For further details on the European Concrete Award, please click here.
AGENDA
OCTOBER
10 October 2012
BIBM Directors meeting
Brussels, Belgium
10 October 2012
BIBM Communication Commission
Brussels, Belgium
10 October 2012
ECP Board meeting
Brussels, Belgium
10-11 October 2012
ECP Promotion Officers Conference
Brussels, Belgium
17 October 2012
BIBM Environmental Commission
Brussels, Belgium
18 October 2012
Notified Bodies – Conference on CPR
Brussels, Belgium
22-23 October 2012
CEN/TC 104/SC 1
Berlin, Germany
NOVEMBER
6 November 2012
BIBM Technical Commission
Brussels, Belgium
23 November 2012
BIBM General Assembly
Stockholm, Sweden
27-28 November 2012
“Structural Fire Design of Buildings according to the Eurocodes“
Brussels
30 November 2012
European Construction Forum
Brussels, Belgium