Concrete perspectives June 2013
INTERNAL NEWS
BIBM would like to congratulate to Martin Clarke, chief Executive of the British Precast Concrete Federation, who has been awarded an OBE for services to industry by the Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. Martin has spent more than 40 years in the industry starting out with ARC Group and spending 12 years as marketing director of the British Cement Association before taking over as chief executive of the Leicester-based British Precast Concrete Federation in 2002.
He said “ I am overwhelmed at this recognition and especially delighted that the citation is for services to industry. This is a great boost for an unsung but critical British manufacturing industry.”
BIBM held its General Assembly on 14 June 2013 in Oslo, Norway. BIBM gave special thanks to Ton Pielkenrood (Treasurer) and Olli Korander for their active participation as Board members and the General Assembly elected three new Board members: Mr Eberhard Bauer (DE),Mr Andy Dix (UK) and Mr Bart Van Melick (NL).
CONSTRUCTION SECTOR
LIVE FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION
Resource Efficiency on the agenda
The European Commission opened a Public Consultation on European Waste Management Targets. The consultation aims at bringing the current targets in line with the Resource Efficiency Roadmap and 7th Environmental Action Programme.
The consultation reviews the Waste Framework Directive, Landfill Directive, Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive. The EU long term policy goals in term of waste policy are as follows:
•To reduce the waste generated per capita
•Increased the amount recycled materials (keep good quality)
•Energy recovery is limited to only non-recycled materials
•Landfill ban
•Economy based on re-use and recycling, with residual waste close to zero
The Public Consultation runs until 10 September.
BIBM will develop a answer to the public consultation and submit it in due course.
On 19 June, trialogue agreement was achieved on the 7th Environmental Action Programme between the European Commission, European Parliament and the Council of the EU. The Programme aims to boost efforts to help EU cities become more sustainable, and improve the EU’s capacity to meet regional and global environment and climate challenges.
In term of Resource Efficiency, the Action Programme limits land filling to non-recyclable and non-recoverable waste by 2020.
The precast concrete industry being 100% recycled, supports the European Union’s Resource Efficiency policy. BIBM believes however that recycling should not be the first priority, but ahead of recycling, one should first consider waste prevention, reduce waste at source and reuse. One of the main advantages of precast concrete is that entire structures can be reused, both for buildings and civil works, for similar or different applications. Once correctly designed and installed, and with minor maintenance, structures made of precast concrete may last for more than one century and serve different purposes.
As mentioned before, construction and demolition wastes with concrete as main component are also recyclable and used as “recycled aggregates” for geotechnical applications. The advantage of using recycled aggregates for these applications (compared to virgin aggregates) is represented by its increased bonding ability that finally improves the strength of the geotechnical work.
European Parliament’s report on Industrial Policy
Further to the publication of the European Commission’s Communication on Industrial Policy (10 October 2012), the European Parliament’s Industry, Research and Energy Committee has decided to prepare an own-initiative report which has been published on 20 June 2013. The Commission’s Communication contains recommendation based on four pillars:
- Investment in new technologies and innovation
- Better access to markets
- Access to finance and capital markets
- Role of human skills.
In terms of the construction industry, the Communication aims at developing new European Standards for sustainability criteria, the promotion of Eurocodes and the use of Ecodesign for construction products.
Construction Products Europe has been in contact with the Rapporteur of the European Parliament’s draft report, and stated that the construction products industry doesn’t need new sustainability standards nor the Ecodesign directive should apply to construction products.
Contrary to the request of the industry, point 21 of the draft report indeed states:
“welcomes the Commission’s focus on Ecodesign, calls on it to set Ecodesign specifications for recyclability and resource efficiency; welcomes the proposal to develop and promote new sustainability criteria for construction products and processes;”
The draft report is foreseen to be voted at plenary sitting on 22 October 2013.
Neither the Communication nor the own initiative report are legally binding, however they could serve as basis for future legislative initiatives.
Environmental Action Programme 7 – Press Release Irish Presidency
NEWS IN BRIEF
From 1 July 2013 Lithuania took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. For further information and for the priorities of the presidency, please visit the following website: http://www.eu2013.lt/en/presidency-and-eu/programme-and-priorities .
NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS
Austria – Concrete Design Award „BARBECUE EDITION 25“
The „Donauinsel“ (Danube Island) was built 25 years ago as part of a flood protection system for the city of Vienna. Since then it has developed into one of the most popular recreation areas and offers many different zones for sports, gastronomy and relaxing.
Along its length of 21 km there you can find a number of barbecue stations which can be booked by the public. Nowadays these stations have to be renewed and the municipal authorities therefore organized the Concrete Design Award „BARBECUE EDITION 25“ in cooperation with the Austrian associations of the cement and concrete industries. The Award was open to students of Austrian universities as well as senior design or technical colleges.
The winner was the project DONAUWELLEpresented by Benjamin KROMOSER and Martin RITT from the Vienna University of Technology.
After the decision by a high-ranking jury these best three projects had to undergo a facebook voting. In this the winner DONAUWELLE was confirmed by public opinion and therefore will now be realized in the near future.
AGENDA
JULY
3 July 2013
Construction Product Europe ad hoc meeting on Waste Consultation
Brussels, Belgium
AUGUST
28 August 2013
CEN/TC 104/TG 20/Editorial panel
Brussels, Belgium
SEPTEMBER
3-4 September 2013
Communication Commission & Directors meeting
Brussels, Belgium
9-10 September 2013
SAFECLADDING coordination meeting
Ljubiana, Slovenia
13 September 2013
Notified bodies SG 13 Precast Concrete
Milan, Italy
19 September 2013
CEN/TC 229/WG 4 on Product Category Rules
Brussels, Belgium
25-28 September 2013
Sustainable Building Conference 2013
Graz, Austria
http://www.sb13.org/index.php/en/
27 September 2013
Silica Task Force
Brussels, Belgium
OCTOBER
8 October 2013
CEN/TC 104/TG 20
Paris, France
9 October 2013
CEN/TC 104/TG 20/Editorial panel
Paris, France
15 October 2013
ECP Task Force on Fire Safety
Brussels, Belgium
16 October 2013
Environmental Commission
Brussels, Belgium
22 October 2013
Construction Product Europe Board meeting
Brussels, Belgium
22 October 2013
BIBM Board meeting
Salzburg, Austria
23 October 2013
CEN/TC 229/WG 4 and WG 1
Brussels, Belgium
24 October 2013
Technical Commission
Brussels, Belgium
30-31 October 2013
Joint IPHA – BIBM Holcofire seminar
CERIB (Epernon), France
DECEMBER
17 December
BIBM General Assembly
Brussels, Belgium