Concrete Perspectives May 2018
Construction sector
On 22 May 2018, Fire Safe Europe held a webinar titled Three reasons why fire resilience contributes to sustainable buildings. Agnes Schuurmans and Fanny Guay drew the link between fire resilience and sustainable buildings providing concrete examples. They also showed how fire resilience of buildings can contribute to the sustainable development goals 9, 11 and 12 and demonstrated how it is necessary that fire resilience is considered when developing policies, regulations and sustainable building rating schemes. Click here for the full programme and information about the speakers.
Live from the European Union
General Data Protection Directive enters into force
New rules to protect the data of Europeans online and simplify rules for companies handling personal information apply to the EU from 25 May. The rules give consumers more power over their digital presence, including the right to information about how their data is used, and to delete content they no longer want visible online.
Strong data protection is indispensable to investment in digital innovation and to make the EU’s Digital Single Market a reality before the end of 2018.
BIBM also amended its privacy policy that you can read here.
Eco-design Directive – call for including resource efficiency
On 7 May, the European Parliament adopted an own-initiative report which calls on the European Commission to go beyond energy efficiency and consider other aspects, such how long a product lasts, how easy it is to take part, repair and recycle. Setting requirements for these things would help to make products last longer and reducing their impact on the environment even further.
This change was already recommended in the Circular Economy Package issued in December 2015.
MEPs debated the proposals to improve the current ecodesign directive at the end of May and voted in favour. The report is now forwarded to the European Commission for consideration.
Spring 2018 Economic Forecast
On 3 May, the European Commission Spring 2018 Economic Forecast. It covers the years 2017, 2018 and 2019 and includes data for all 28 EU Member States.
According to the report, growth rates were at 2,4% high (record in the past 10 years). The pace of growth is expected to remain robust on the back of sustained consumption and strong exports and investment. Both the EU and the euro area are forecast to grow by 2.3% this year.
Unemployment continues to fall and is now around pre-crisis levels. The number of people in work in the euro area is now at its highest since the introduction of the euro.
National Award Winner Project
Techrete for John Lewis, Victoria Gate – Leeds, UK
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Pictures: BPCF
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The British Precast Concrete Project Award 2017 was won by Techrete.
For the flagship John Lewis store in Leeds, the diagrid pattern was deconstructed by Techrete engineers to panelise a façade to enable production. Innumerable intricate details regarding the geometry, the engineering and the manufacturing were combined in 3D BIM, from which over 600 drawings were generated. Many challenges were successfully overcome: accuracy of facetted corners, contrasting finishes within single units, installation of unusually shaped units of up to 14 tonnes in weight and the requirement for unique permanent fixing methods.
Precast concrete products are used for a wide range of applications in our built environment. This award showcases projects that deliver on aesthetics, functionality, innovation, workmanship, cost-effectiveness and demonstrates the inherent benefits and properties of precast concrete.[1]
[1] https://www.britishprecast.org/Awards/Project-Award-2017-Shortlist!.aspx
News in brief
Agenda
JUNE
5 June 2018
Fire Safe Europe meeting
Brussels, Belgium
6-8 June 2018
VEEP mid-term review
Schlierbach, France
6 June 2018
Marketers Conference – Concrete Initiative
Oslo, Norway
7 June 2018
CPE General Assembly
Brussels, Belgium
11-12 June 2018
BIBM General Assembly
Vienna, Austria
18 June 2018
NEPSI Council
Brussels, Belgium
19 June 2018
CPE – CPR implementation
Brussels, Belgium
20-21 June 2018
RE4 mid-term review
Brussels, Belgium
26 June 2018
Concrete Initiative
Brussels, Belgium
28 June 2018
ECP – Board and GA
Brussels, Belgium
JULY
3 July 2018
CPR Sustainability Working Group
Brussels, Belgium
AUGUST
30 August 2018
CPE Sustainability Assessment WG
Brussels, Belgium
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