The Argos Innovation Centre inaugurated

On 26 August 2015, the new Argos Innovation Centre was inaugurated. Cementos Argos constructed the centre at the campus of EAFIT University as a sign of its commitment towards the productive, competitive and sustainable growth of the industry.

Through its Innovation Centre, Argos wanted to create a meeting place for the challenges of the cement and concrete industry and academic solutions, stimulating the discovery of new uses of these materials that could be key to development.

The company invested COP 25 billion to build the centre, and COP 5 million to equip its laboratories. The centre covers 4807 m² of gross floor area, distributed over 6 floors with 12 laboratories and close to 60 workstations.

63% of the concrete used for its construction corresponds to some of the company’s value-added products, such as coloured concrete, high-strength concrete, permeable concrete, industrial flooring concrete and self-consolidating concrete.

The efficient use of non-renewable resources at the Argos Innovation Centre was one of the fundamental principles used for its design and construction, which was undertaken in compliance with the LEED parameters. 30% of the first-floor surface is green space, reducing the heat island effect in the area. Also, the building takes advantage of natural light and uses technological devices that reduce energy consumption by more than 44%. Finally, it collects rainwater in order to reuse it, replacing nearly 72% of its demand for drinking water.

Adapted from press release by Joseph Green

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/27082015/argos-innovation-centre-inaugurated-451/