Concrete Perspectives June 2022
1. CONCRETE NEWS
66th BetonTage: Building more sustainable with concrete
The BetonTage 2022 (21 – 23 June, Congress Centrum Ulm), organised by the Baden-Württemberg Association of Concrete and Precast Plants (FBF), is Europe’s largest precast congress that provides attendees with a comprehensive knowledge platform by combining the congress program with an industry exhibition. BetonTage returned to the previous three-day program while integrating the entire value chain of innovative construction with concrete and precast elements. A new elements have been added as well, such as the start-up area and a ‘Research Arena’.
New this year: Podiums 1, 6 and 10 as well as the plenum were also broadcasted for participants as a live stream.
The 67th edition of BetonTage will take place from 20 to 22 June 2023.
Find out more: https://www.betontage.de/concrete-solutions/
MPA Precast – Precast & Masonry Expo 2022
The Precast and Masonry Expo 2022 (16 June)returned after a 2-year hiatus to a new home at the Coventry Building Society Arena. This free event boasted an exciting speaker programme designed to update the Precast and Masonry sector on pressing industry topics, such as Low Carbon Cements, Fire, Flooding and the changing Economic and Public Affairs landscape. The Expo floor housed exhibitors from the concrete supply chain, all showcasing their latest innovations and products.
FEBE Elements Awards 2022 – register your project!
FEBE presents the 10th FEBE Elements Awards for the most inspiring projects with precast concrete.
The 10th edition of the FEBE Elements Awards will take place on 27 October, 2022 in the new BNP Paribas Fortis building (Warandeberg) in Brussels. A building that is already emblematic for its architecture and the numerous prefabricated concrete elements. The facade elements give the building an exceptional individuality.
Put your Belgian project in the spotlight and register before June 27, 2022 at http://febeawards.be.
2. BIBM NEWS
ASSOBETON joins BIBM
On its 23 June General Assembly, ASSOBETON, the federation of the Italian precast concrete industry, decided to officially join BIBM. The request was immeditately accepted by the BIBM Board and the affiliation is immediately active.
This is the last step of the expansion of ASSOBETON under the presidency of Mr. Alberto Truzzi, aiming at positioning the association as a reference in terms of ambitious projects, relevance and representativity for the precast sector in Italy.
The whole BIBM family welcomes ASSOBETON and its staff in a new, joint adventure for strengthening the recognition of the benefits of precast concrete in the sustainable society of tomorrow!
BIBM General Assembly
BIBM held its General Assembly on 31 May 2022 at CERIB premises in Épernon near Paris, with over 15 participants.
During the meeting, the General Assembly elected one new Board member: Mr. Ignacio Brujó (Spanish representative on behalf of ANDECE). Also, the work of the Board and the Secretary General have been approved.
Moreover, a few guests speakers presented the following relevant topics:
- Antonio Caballero Gonzalez (Chair of the CPR working group at CPE) “The Revision of the CPR: reasons, challenges and common industry action”
- Andrew Minson (GCCA Concrete and Sustainable
Construction Director): “GCCA Net-Zero Roadmap” - Michel André (Ecominéro President) and Mathieu Hiblot (Technical, Innovation and Public Affairs Director): “Ecominéro: the French concrete value chain common answer to the extended rsponsibility of manufacturers on the end-of-life products”
The day before the General Assembly, BIBM members had a chance to visit the premises of the French Centre for Research of the Precast Concrete Industry (CERIB). CERIB presented its new concrete research facilities with the newly developed concrete mixing plant, latest generation block-making machine with vibratory compaction and the laboratory for building materials microstructure studies, the research centre can strengthen its core competencies in the field of concrete research and its possible applications.
Dansk Beton – new Chief Consultant
Marianne Boelskifte have been hired as chief consultant by the Danish Precast Concrete Association (Dansk Beton) in March 2022. She has previous experience from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) where she has been developing research- and innovation project and been doing project management of the projects. She has worked with both Danish and EU partners and are looking forward to meet other BIBM members. Marianne has no experience in the area of concrete and will therefore have strong collaboration with the industry in Denmark.
BIBM Congress 2023 in Amsterdam – register as Exhibitor!
Be part of the next BIBM Congress 2023 as exhibitor, congress participant or sponsor and meet potential partners and speakers from Europe and beyond!
DATE: 27 to 29 September 2023
VENUE: 5-Star Okura Hotel , Amsterdam (the Netherlands)
WEBSITE: https://bibmcongress.eu
HOST: BIBM – Federation of the European Precast Concrete Industry
ORGANISER: BCF – Building Congress Forum
Official hashtag: #BIBMCongress2023
Registration for Conference Delegates will be possible from 2023. If you want to be a part of the exhibition, click here.
Public consultations and feedbacks
Certification of carbon removals – EU rules
This initiative will propose EU rules on certifying carbon removals. It will develop the necessary rules to monitor, report and verify the authenticity of these removals. The aim is to expand sustainable carbon removals and encourage the use of innovative solutions to capture, recycle and store CO2 by farmers, foresters and industries. This represents a necessary and significant step towards integrating carbon removals into EU climate policies.
BIBM Input can be found here.
Regulatory Analysis for the built environment and construction sector
Architects, engineers, urban planners, designers, public servants, companies and citizens are invited to share their experience with regulations related to the built environment and construction sector.
The survey’s purpose is to map the challenges and opportunities practitioners face with local, regional, national and EU legislation in the built environment. The insights generated with your input will inform future regulatory actions in order to foster the creation of beautiful, sustainable and inclusive transformation in the built environment in line with the objectives of the New European Bauhaus and European Green Deal.
Feedback deadline: 30 June 2022.
Construction products – review of EU rules
The Construction Products Regulation lays down EU-wide rules for marketing construction products. This initiative will review these rules. It includes: addressing the issues identified in the 2019 evaluation and improving how the single market for construction products functions.
The aim is to unlock the sector’s growth and jobs potential, promote environmental goals as part of the Green Deal and Circular Economy Action Plan, and possibly promote product safety.
Feedback deadline: 12 July 2022.
Environmental impact of waste management – revision of EU waste framework
The Waste Framework Directive protects public health and the environment through the proper management of waste. This is done by applying the EU’s waste hierarchy, which promotes waste prevention and re-use over waste recovery and disposal.
This initiative will improve waste management by:
- reducing waste generation including through re-use of products or components;
- reducing mixed waste and increasing preparation for re-use or recycling of waste by improving separate collection.
Public consultation deadline: 16 August 2022.
3. BIBM AGENDA
| JUNE 2022 | JULY 2022 | AUGUST 2022 | SEPTEMBER 2022 |
| 01/06: CPE WG Sustainability Confcall | 11/07: TCI Confcall | 04/08: CEN/TC 229 Editorial panel Common Rules Confcall | 09/09: The Concrete Initiative Concrete Dialogue 2022 Confcall |
| 03/06: Concrete Dialogue, Workshop 2 “Carbon uptake in cement and concrete -Concrete as a carbon sink” (closed event) Brussels (BE) | 12/07: European Commission CPR Acquis – Area Code 1 precast concrete Confcall | 25/08: ECP Board Confcall | 21/09: BIBM Wastewater Engineering group meeting Helsinki (FI) |
| 09/06: CEN/TC 229 WG4 – Horizontal Confcall | 29/08: CEN/TC 104 WG 19 – Sustainability, decarbonisation and circular economy Confcall | 22/09: BIBM Communication Commission Amsterdam (NL) | |
| 16/06: CPE General Assembly Brussels (BE) | 26/09 ECP TF Health, Environment and Hygiene Confcall | ||
| 21/06: NEPSI Council Meeting Brussels (BE) | 26/09 ECP TF Health, Environment and Hygiene WG Microplasctics Confcall | ||
| 23/06: CEN/TC 350 WG3 – Products Confcall | 28/09: CEN/TC 229 WG 1 Structural Elements Confcall | ||
| 24/06: CEN/TC 350 Plenary Confcall | 29/09 BIBM Board Rheden (NL) | ||
| 24/06: The Concrete Initiative Confcall | |||
| 27/06: ECP General Assembly Confcall | |||
| 29/06: CEN/TC 229 WG1 – Structural Confcall | |||
| 29/06-01/07: CEN/TC 104 SC1 and Plenary Zurich (CH) |
4. WEBINARS AND OTHER EVENTS MAY/JUNE 2022
| DATE | ORGANISER | INFORMATION |
| 03 June | European Commission | Level(s): Get going with the eLearning and Calculation and Assessment Tool Registration |
| 08 June | CA4BM | Official launch |
| 09 – 12 June | European Commission | The New European Bauhaus Festival Registration |
| 16 June | ECOS | Sustainable by default – ecodesign as a tool for change Registration |
| 21 June | Euractiv | Media Partnership – Rural futures: ensuring the EPBD leaves no one behind Registration |
| 21 June | GCCA / Mission Possible Partnership | Procurement of low-carbon concrete and construction: A review of green public procurement programs Registration |
| 21 – 23 June | FBF Betondienst GmbH | BetonTage 2022: Sustainable building with concrete Registration |
| 22 June | The Concrete Centre | Fresh Concrete 4: Innovative concrete manufacture Registration |
| 28 June | #EUCircularTalks | EU circular economy policies’ role in reducing carbon emissions Registration |
| 30 June | GCCA | Co-processing Policy Workshop (exclusive to GCCA members and affiliates) Registration |
| 04 July | The Concrete Centre | Healthy, resilient homes and buildings Registration |
| 12 July | Euractiv | Fit for 55: How can we REPower consumers for energy security and sustainability? Registration |
| 9 September | The Concrete Initiative | Concrete Dialogue 2022 (final webinar): Carbon uptake in cement and concreate – the EU policy framework (For TCI members) |
| 12 September | CEN – CENELEC | ‘The potential of European Standards to support the European strategy towards a Green and Sustainable Environment’ Registration |
| 26 – 30 September | European Commission | EUSEW 2022 – European Sustainable Energy Week Registration |
| 10 – 11 November | Industry Link | CarbonZero Global Conference and Exhibition Registration |
5. BIBM PARTNERS NEWS
Carbon Accounting for Building Materials – official research launch
A consortium of European and global trade bodies in the field of construction products published a peer-reviewed study entitled: “Carbon Accounting for Building Materials – An assessment of Global Warming Potential of biobased construction products” undertaken by LBP SIGHT, consultancy and engineering firm specialised in the field of construction and the environment.
In the construction ecosystem, evaluating the whole life environmental effects of construction materials and products, based on comprehensive and robust data, is of critical importance to ensure the right decisions are taken to mitigate the effects of climate change.
When addressing the whole life carbon (embodied and operational) of construction products, bio-based materials are often directly referred as the preferred solution, even before performing any life-cycle analysis.
The study provides an assessment of the science base behind the conditions of carbon neutrality of bio-based construction products, their substitution effects and a critical assessment of temporary carbon storage benefits.
To see the press relase and the CA4BM study, please the website: https://www.ca4bm.org/.
Media enquiries should be directed to: contact@CA4BM.org.
First-ever New European Bauhaus Festival
The first annual festival of the New European Bauhaus – a cultural initiative of Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission) – took place in Brussels (an beyond) on 9 – 12 June 2022. This ambitious programme (presentations, performances, debates and exhibitions) provided a positive message about embracing change in the built environment. recognises its centrality to creating climate neutrality, quality of life and social equity.
Alessio Rimoldi (BIBM) represented The Concrete Initiative on the 2nd day of the NEB Festival in a panel discussion: “Moving towards regenerative design in the built environment”, together with Kadri Simson, European Commissioner for Energy.
The winners of the NEB Prizes were announced during an Award Ceremony on 11 June 2022. Check who won in each category here, and click on particular projects to learn more about them!
Watch the recording of the debate here.
Call for experts for NEB Lab project on labelling strategy
NEB Lab project on labelling strategy is looking for Lead experts.
Their task would be to assist in a Preparatory Action aiming to collect and analyse the existing standards and codes of practice which are relevant to the three dimensions of the NEB to develop an assessment framework allowing interested parties to align with the NEB dimensions while designing, implementing or assessing NEB transformation projects. More information about the call can be found here.
On 16th June, CPE members gathered together for the annual CPE General Assembly where they looked back at a decade of initiatives and achievements, and discussed the next steps. For the conference, the attendees could listen to distinguish speakers and exchange with a panel made up of the construction industry’s CEOs. The day was closed with a meeting with Commissioner Thierry Breton and Gala Dinner with Fulvia Raffaelli – Head Of ‘Construction’ Unit at the European Commission.
6. LIVE FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION
EU Green Week
Dedicated to the theme of making the European Green Deal real, EU Green Week, Europe’s biggest annual event on environmental policy started with a hard question: ‘is there still a place for green policies in times where people struggle with high energy prices, supply chain disruptions that will lead to rising unemployment, high inflation and a war on Europe’s doorstep?’
The three thematic panels demonstrated that Europe remains firmly on the green path and explained why the European Green Deal is today as relevant as ever. The Brussels conference finished with an uplifting and forward-looking panel where circular business innovators, forward-thinking economists and nature conservation entrepreneurs enthusiastically shared their positive experience of ‘making the Green Deal real’.
The EU Green Week partner event (watch here) saw the launch of the first cement sector CEMBUREAU Biodiversity Roadmap, aiming to set a vision for biodiversity in and around quarries over the coming decade.
High-Level Construction Forum dedicated sessions
On 23 May, the High-Level Construction Forum (HLCF) held its another dedicated session to discuss the next steps for the co-creation of the green, digital and resilient transition pathway for the EU construction industry ecosystem. This time the focus was on addressing whole life cycle GHG emissions in construction. Alessio Rimoldi (BIBM) was among the panelists on behalf of The Concrete Initiative for the part 4 of the session: ‘How can the ecosystem mainstream Whole Life Cycle (WLC) assessments across the value chain?’. In this panel session, another three representatives have been invited from different stages of the lifecycle of a building/infrastructure.
Report can be found here.
REPowerEU Plan
On 18th May, the European Commission published its REPowerEU Plan in response to the hardships and global energy market disruption caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (see the promo video). REPowerEU will seek to diversify gas supplies, speed up the roll-out of renewable gases and replace gas in heating and power generation. The goal is to maintain affordable, secure and sustainable energy for Europe. The industrial sector will also play a key role in scaling up the production of equipment and components necessary to quickly transform our energy system.
It is backed by financial and legal measures to build the new energy infrastructure and system that Europe needs.
Press release is available here.
7. OUTSTANDING PRECAST CONCRETE PROJECTS
Kingston University Town House, London
Kingston University’s Town House building has been named winner of the EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture 2022 – Mies van der Rohe Award, the highest accolade in European architecture.
The solution for the interior frame involves 550mm2 precast concrete columns arranged on a 6.4m grid running along the front of the building. A similar arrangement supports the rear of the structure and these shorter spans are bridged mainly by pre-stressed, hollowcore slabs 225mm deep. But in between, and where longer spans are required, these are achieved using 229 precast, pre-stressed “double T” beams cast in C60 concrete and weighing up to 18 tonnes each.
Designed by RIBA Gold medal winning Irish practice Grafton Architects, Town House opened its doors at the University’s Penrhyn Road campus in January 2020.
[Source: The Concrete Centre]