The Americas

Votorantim Cimentos has reached an agreement with ANCAP to build a new cement plant in Uruguay, with an initial capacity of 750 000 tpa.

MIT researchers take a life-cycle approach to evaluating the real costs and environment impacts of infrastructure.

The EPA has decorated five Cemex plants in the US with an ENERGY STAR® award.

ABB has delivered a complete power and automation solution for Drake cement’s new facility in Arizona, USA.

Texas Industries (TXI) has acquired ready mix and aggregate operations of Cemex USA that serve the Austin metropolitan market.

The PCA has forecast a marginal cement consumption improvement for the next two years. However, significant government policy risks could affect the near, long-range forecast.

Potomac Landfill, Inc. is using Powerscreen equipment to sort the recyclables from the waste at its construction landfill site in Virginia.

On 22 July, Cemex announced that consolidated net sales increased by 9% during the second quarter of 2011 to approximately US$4.1 billion versus the comparable period in 2010.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has accepted Lafarge’s FEIS application.

Scientists at Blue World Crete, Inc. disclose details of their newest geo-polymer binding agent, Geo-Blue Crete II.

The Lehigh Permanente cement plant has announced that its new activated carbon injection system is to reduce mercury emissions by as much as 90%.

Cemex plays a major role in a US$66 million airport expansion project in Panama.

Ed Sullivan, Portland Cement Association, USA, provides an overview of projections for the US economic recovery and its impact on the construction industry.

A fight over cement markets in the Dominican Republic has drawn the Jamaican minister of Industry and Commerce into defending home-based exporter Caribbean Cement Company Ltd, whose quality standards have been contested in the rival market.

Lafarge has announced the sale of its cement and concrete assets in the southeast United States to the Colombia-based conglomerate Cementos Argos for an enterprise value of US$760 million.