Concrete Perspectives February 2018
Construction Sector
- On 22 February, Construction Products Europe launched the Smart CE-marking agreement. The initiative aims to develop a harmonised digital format for technical information of construction products. Smart CE marking is included in the official Work Programme of the European Committee for Standardisation.
- On 23 February, the Concrete Initiative held an internal workshop on “Positioning the concrete and cement sector in the field of sustainability assessment”. The aim of the workshop was to understand and compare the different EU initiatives (Standardisation, Product Environmental Foot-printing (PEF) and LEVELs) and brainstorm the participants about the targets of the sector for a competition on a level playing field and discuss the way forward in achieving the objectives.
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- On 27 February, the Industry4Europe initiative handed over the Joint Reaction Paper to European Parliament President Antonio Tajani, former Commissioner for Industry and Trade. The BIBM Secretariat having been involved in the exercise together with more than 100 industrial sectors, a representative from BIBM was part of the group handing over the document.
Live from the European Union
The General Data Protection Regulation enters into force
The General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679, referred to simply as the “GDPR”, will enter into force on 25 May 2018.
It concerns the protection of natural persons regarding the processing of personal data and on the free movement of this data and it aims to strengthen and unify data protection for all individuals within the European Union.
It doesn’t apply to the processing of personal data of deceased persons or of legal entities.
The rules don’t apply to data processed by an individual for purely personal reasons or for activities carried out in one’s home, provided there is no connection to a professional or commercial activity. When an individual uses personal data outside the personal sphere, for socio-cultural or financial activities, for example, then the data protection law has to be respected.
BIBM will adapt to the changes in due course and is the process of informing its Members about the changes to be done.
EU INDUSTRY DAYS
On 22-23 February, the EU industry days took place where the Industry4Europe initiative were represented by giving a presentation jointly with the European Committee of the Regions, emphasising that regions play a key role to help place-based industry to face global challenges.
Also, the first ever meeting of the new High Level Industrial Roundtable “Industry 2030” took place in the framework of the Industry Days, where Commissioners Elżbieta Bieńkowska (Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) Jyrki Katainen (jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness) were also present.
The joint campaign of the Industry4Europe was equally present and the EU priorities were confirmed: skills, artificial intelligence, circular economy, digitalisation and R&D.
Commissioners: Elżbieta Bieńkowska (Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) Jyrki Katainen (jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness)
Furthermore, for the first time, four organisations of major industries (CECE, Construction Products Europe, FIEC and EBC) held an event on Digitalisation in the construction sector during the two-day Industry Days.
National Award Winner Project
Belgium – Winner in category Precast In Infrastructure
Bridge to MontLegia hospital in Liege (CHC Bridge)
Photos: © Greisch Office
Architects: Greisch Design Office
Prefabricator: Ergon nv
Entrepreneur: AM Franki – De Nul – Eloy
Design Office: Greisch Design Office
Client / Adjudicator: CHC (Chrétien Hospital Center) – SPW Liège Roads Directorate
The bridge consists of two spans of 33 meters each side with 18 prefabricated beams, for a total width of 11 meters. The beams are prestressed and support their own weight. Longitudinal and transversal post-stressing was applied on site to resist the overload of traffic.
The implementation of the upper flange of the beams makes the project special. The shape of the sole is in effect designed that only the longitudinal key was poured on site after making a seal between beams. In this way, moulding is not necessary. Once the transversal prestress was applied, the upper soles act as slab of decking. This method allows a very quick work.
Thanks to the quick assembly of prefabricated concrete, traffic was barely disturbed on one of the main arteries of access to Liege.
The opinion of the jury
The jury was seduced by the very thin design of the bridge combined with a precise design of bending. The bridge shows the essence of prefabrication: precise, high-quality work with beautiful aesthetics.
The jury also highlighted the great precision that this project has requested in the combination of prestressing and the prefabrication process. It also rewarded the aesthetics, elegance and architecture of the bridge which was made possible using prefabricated concrete.
The speed of execution is also a characteristic that the jury wishes to reward. This allowed reduce disturbance to traffic and decrease nuisance.
News in brief
Agenda
MARCH
6 March 2018
BIBM Board meeting
Brussels, Belgium
8 March 2018
FSEU Task Force
Brussels, Belgium
9 March 2018
ECP-TF Sustainable Concrete
Confcall
14 March 2018
CEN/TC 229/WG 1
Brussels, Belgium
15 March 2018
BIBM Environment Commission
Brussels, Belgium
16 March 2018
Wastewater engineering group
Brussels, Belgium
22 March 2018
EMA meeting (fire)
Brussels, Belgium
26 March 2018
CPE CPR & SWG
Brussels, Belgium
28 March 2018
AhG Concrete Initiative
Brussels, Belgium
APRIL
17 April 2018
Communication Commission
Brussels, Belgium
23-25 April 2018
PEF Workshop
Brussels, Belgium
26-27 April 2018
CEN/TC 104/TG 20
Paris, France
MAY
2 May 2018
BIBM Technical Commission
Brussels, Belgium
15 May 2018
BIBM Board meeting
Brussels, Belgium
24 May 2018
Research projects – Green Week Workshop
Brussels, Belgium
24-25 May 2018
CEN/TC 229
Stockholm, Sweden
To the Newsletter of Construction Products Europe please follow this link.
FIEC’s January Newsletter is available at this link.
To read the Newsletter of CEMBUREAU, please follow this link. You can also subscribe directly following this link http://www.cembureau.eu/newsletter/subscriptions.
To read the Quarterly Newsletter of The Concrete Initiative, please follow this link.
List of Acronyms:
CPE – Construction Product Europe
CSC – Concrete Sustainability Council
DG GROW – Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
ECP – European Concrete Platform
EMA – European Masonry Alliance
IPHA – International Pre-stressed Hollowcore Association
TF – Task Force