Cement news highlights: 6 – 10 October

Cement dispatch statistics

• Argentina: Portland cement manufacturers dispatched 1.054 million t in September, including exports – an increase of 0.3% y/y.
• Pakistan: Local cement dispatches improved by 7.08% y/y in September but exports were down by 10.6% y/y to 730 000 t.

Recognition for end use projects and designs

• Students at the University of Manchester picked up the top prize in this year’s Structural Concrete Competition, which concluded with a prize giving ceremony in London.
• Nine winners have been named in the Fourteenth Biennial Bridge Awards Competition, which recognises excellence in the design and construction of concrete bridges.
• Three cement types produced by Lafarge North America have been used in the construction of the Wickford Junction Commuter Rail Station in North Kingston.

UK: construction, infrastructure and the skills gap

• The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) is working with leading construction companies to tackle the issue of skills deficiencies in offsite construction.
• CPA Chief Executive appointed as chair of new ‘Supply Chain Capacity and Skills’ infrastructure group.
• Recent reports highlight the extent of the mismatch between the skills required and those available to industry, in addition to revealing the low percentage of women taking up engineering careers.

This week’s not to be missed articles…

• South Africa’s Competition Commission has granted approval for the LafargeHolcim merger on the condition that Holcim divests its stake in Afrisam.
• Noman Hasan, Lucky Cement Limited, takes a look at the development and expansion of the Pakistani cement industry in the first part of this abridged article taken from World Cement’s October issue.

Written by Louise Fordham

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/10102014/cement-news-highlights-6-10-october-640/