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These precautions, along with earthquake and tsunami drills that are routine for every Japanese citizen, show why Japan is the best-prepared country in the world for the twin disasters of earthquake and tsunami — practices that undoubtedly saved lives, though the final death toll is unknown.

In Japan, where earthquakes are far more common than they are in the United States, the building codes have long been much more stringent on specific matters like how much a building may sway during a quake.

After the Kobe earthquake in 1995, which killed about 6,000 people and injured 26,000, Japan also put enormous resources into new research on protecting structures, as well as retrofitting the country’s older and more vulnerable structures. Japan has spent billions of dollars developing the most advanced technology against earthquakes and tsunamis.

Japan has gone much further than the United States in outfitting new buildings with advanced devices called base isolation pads and energy dissipation units to dampen the ground’s shaking during an earthquake.

The isolation devices are essentially giant rubber-and-steel pads that are installed at the very bottom of the excavation for a building, which then simply sits on top of the pads. The dissipation units are built into a building’s structural skeleton. They are hydraulic cylinders that elongate and contract as the building sways, sapping the motion of energy.

Of course, nothing is entirely foolproof. Structural engineers monitoring the events from a distance cautioned that the death toll was likely to rise as more information became available. Dr. Jack Moehle, a structural engineer at the University of California, Berkeley, said that video of the disaster seemed to show that some older buildings had indeed collapsed

– Building materials company, Cemex UK, has announced that it replaced more than 52% of the traditional fossil fuels used to heat its cement kilns with alternative fuels during 2010, up from 45% in 2009.

In the UK, Cemex uses alternative fuels at its two cement plants which feature kilns, one in Rugby, Warwickshire and one in South Ferriby, North Lincolnshire. These used 49% and 67% alternative fuels respectively during 2010.

The alternative fuels used at Rugby are Climafuel and chipped tyres, and at South Ferriby Climafuel and secondary liquid fuel (SLF) are used. Climafuel is derived from household and commercial and industrial waste which is diverted from landfill and processed through a Mechanical and Biological Treatment (MBT) plant. Secondary liquid fuel is made from industrial liquid wastes that cannot be recycled, such as paint thinners, inks and varnishes.

According to Vice President of Cement Operations for Cemex UK, Carlos Uruchurtu, “increasing the use of alternative fuels to replace traditional fossil fuels, such as coal, is key to improving environmental performance at the plants and in our downstream concrete products. It helps to reduce the carbon footprint in particular, but also to drive down other emissions, such as oxides of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide. The use of alternative fuels also helps to reduce waste sent to landfill. In Cemex’s case, more than 300,000 tonnes of waste that would otherwise go to landfill was used to fuel the kilns in 2010.

“We did well in 2010, but are looking to increase the use of alternative fuels further in the future. While 100% replacement would be a challenge in the immediate future, it should be our goal, subject to public consultation and permit approvals, as well as capital investment and continuous improvements in the waste derived fuels supply chain.”

While South Ferriby has permission to use 85% alternative fuels, Rugby hopes to secure the permission to use 65% alternative fuels on a permanent basis later this year.

 Global infrastructure group Balfour Beatty said its annual profit rose 20 percent, beating expectations, adding that growth had been driven by its U.S. professional services unit and construction.

• FY underlying pretax profit 319 mln stg vs 265 mln
• Order book 15.2 bln stg vs 14.1 bln
• Final div 7.65p/share; FY div up 6 pct at 12.7p/share

The company said 2010 pretax profit before exceptional items and amortisation rose to 319 million pounds ($520.9 million), compared with 265 million a year ago.

Market expectations for pretax profit had ranged between 230.0 and 323.3 million pounds, with the consensus at 305.6 million, according to a Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S poll of 8 analysts.

The group, which bolstered its professional services capacity with the acquisition of U.S. firm Parsons Brinckerhoff two years ago, said its order book rose 8 percent to 15.2 billion pounds. Shares in Balfour closed at 341.5 pence on Wednesday, valuing the group at 2.38 billion pounds.

New control software predicts how cement mills will operate and continually optimizes the milling process. The results are improved cement quality and increased mill throughput. The software Sicement IT MCO has been installed for its first operation in one of the mills of a portland cement plant in the Bavarian city of Rohrdorf in south Germany. In the future, it will also control the remaining three mills.

New control software predicts how cement mills will operate and continually optimizes the milling process. The results are improved cement quality and increased mill throughput. The software Sicement IT MCO has been installed for its first operation in one of the mills of a portland cement plant in the Bavarian city of Rohrdorf in south Germany. In the future, it will also control the remaining three mills.

Cement production is one of the most energy intensive production processes. It involves roasting the raw materials and additives to form a clinker, which is then ground into powder in a cement mill. This process requires almost 45 percent of the plant’s total power requirement. The quality of the cement depends on the ground material being as fine and as even as possible. As part of the quality control process, samples are normally taken at regular intervals and analyzed in the laboratory. The operating parameters, i.e. the quantity of fresh material fed in and the sifter rotation speed, are continually controlled in line with the fineness of the grinding stock and the throughput of the returns.

Sicement IT MCO continually controls both the product quality and the fineness of the cement produced. The expert system consists of a neural soft sensor incorporating components of the APC (Advanced Process Control) library from the Simatic PCS 7 and a multivariable controller (model predictive controller) integrated in PCS 7. The soft sensor is a software-based virtual sensor that collates multiple independent measured values and generates new values. It continually acquires current plant data such as the quantity of fresh material or the sifter rotation speed and utilizes this information to reliably predict the fineness of the ground cement. This prediction is regularly compared with current laboratory samples. Sicement IT MCO is replacing the old control system of a ball mill with a capacity of 60 tons per hour at the cement plant in Rohrdorf.

A similar expert system for the processing of copper ores has been developed by Siemens Industry in conjunction with the researchers at Corporate Technology. The system, which has been conceived as an extension of the gearless drive solution Simine Mill GD, also combines a knowledge-based approach with a predictive rule-based system—in this case to optimize water-based grinding processes.

 Indian cements are working to use Bentonite, a certain clay, to replace building material like cement, metal, wood and plastic in the near future.

Sustainable and eco-friendly, Bentonite is found in four states in India, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir. Scientists are currently testing Bentonite to remove pollutants from air and water.

“It has been used for various purposes but my aim is to use it to possibly replace existing harmful building materials in the near future, among other uses,” said Chintan Jani, a scientist who is working with the ”wonder clay” to give a different dimension to different products currently in use.

”Jani Clays”, an Ahmedabad-based organization is performing the trial tests on Bentonite. Jani, the Director of ”Jani Clays”was previously a Research Fellow at IIM-A studying innovation philosophy.

“Truly, it’s all about clay futures as the potential of this material is far-reaching. Using different processing techniques, Bentonite can be used to prepare structural as well as aesthetic objects of a large variety of forms, sizes and functions,” Jani said.

“However, it is important to remember that environmental sustainability should be of the foremost concern while designing products, services and all other elements of our urban surroundings”, he added.

“The clay also offers recyclability and biodegradability; two very essential properties which should be expected of modern materials. It can be used as a binder in construction material and when separated from it, becomes a gel-like substance,” the scientist said.

Bentonite is currently being used as chick feed to poultries in Karnataka. It is known to have wonderful digestive abilities.

The Financial Times reports that Iraq is an increasingly popular destination for British construction firms, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasting a rise in GDP of 6.75 per cent during 2011.

A project manager at one construction company bidding for work in Baghdad, says: “For the very bravehearted among us there is a huge opportunity there, but the totality of destruction in parts of the country makes planning any rebuild far from straightforward.”

The University of Salford is setting up a built environment research centre in Basra to establish building and civil engineering practices tailored to the country’s needs.

Professor Mustafa Alshawi, the Associate Dean at Salford’s College of Science & Technology, says: “Iraq has some very specific needs in its built environment sector, and there are some areas where it lacks expertise and a critical mass. By opening this new centre we will be able to train more researchers and provide staff and students with new skills and ways of working.”

“Iraq is certainly one of the next big places for the industry,” says John Barrow, a senior principal at Populous, the UK practice behind Wembley, the O2 Arena and Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

Populous is in advanced bidding talks to secure the design contract for a 100,000-seater stadium in central Baghdad and is eyeing work on five other stadiums across the country.

Rider Levett Bucknall, a UK construction consultancy, has been in talks with former military personnel about providing security assistance for projects in the region.

“Part of the job of project management is going to be the provision of security on developments,” says Lance Taylor, chief executive of RLB. “There is a real risk in doing work there and if you are going to manage construction projects you need to man up and make sure the security is tight.”

 The concrete industry has been praised by Mark Prisk MP, Minister for Business and Innovation, for its environmental credentials and commitment to sustainability at the Parliamentary launch of the annual Concrete Sustainability Performance Report.

The report is produced on behalf of the Sustainable Concrete Forum, which acts as the steering group for sustainable construction across the concrete supply sector.

The Minister said: “I am really impressed by how the concrete industry has taken positive action and initiative not only to reduce carbon emissions but also to produce cleaner products and reduce waste. This last achievement is one that the industry should take particular pride in for it now uses more waste than it produces.”

He continued: “The environmental achievements of the industry are all the more impressive when one considers how the industry has transformed its operations whilst dealing with a difficult business environment.”

Paul Morrell, Chief Construction Adviser, also applauded the concrete industry for having a vision of leadership for sustainable construction, saying that there is sustainability excellence to be found, for example in the concrete industry and in exemplar sustainable buildings. He encouraged the concrete industry to engage with the Government agenda, when they respond to his low carbon construction report in Spring 2011.

However, he observed that the construction sector “lacks integration, and it is inconceivable that we can solve these problems (of low carbon construction) if we continue to work in silos.”

This is the third Sustainable Concrete Forum report following in the 2008 agreement between the nine sectors within the concrete industry to commit to a pan-industry sustainability strategy that will result, by 2012, in the industry being recognised as the leader in sustainable construction by taking a dynamic role in delivering a sustainable built environment in a manner that is profitable, socially responsible and functions within environmental limits.

This latest report is based upon 2009 production data and reports on 16 performance indicators and targets. The development of performance indicators and achievement of targets is overseen by the Sustainable Concrete Forum, which is dedicated to implementing the Strategy.

The concrete industry is the first sector to link its sustainable construction materials strategy to the responsible sourcing standard developed by BRE, BES 6001 – ‘Framework Standard for the Responsible Sourcing of Construction Materials’. To date, 81% of concrete production is now responsibly sourced to BES 6001 thereby enabling designers to easily source certified materials and gain maximum credits in sustainability tools such as the Code for Sustainable Homes and BREEAM. This is a major achievement as BES 6001 was only published in October 2009 and within a year the vast majority of the concrete industry is certified to the standard.

Praising the environmental and social responsibility of the concrete industry, Karen Bradley, MP for Staffordshire Moorlands, who hosted the launch said: “This is a responsible industry providing an essential material in an environmentally conscious way and making an important contribution to the local and national economy.”

The industry has exceeded a number of environmental targets including the reduction of greenhouse gases and energy performance. There has been an almost 18% reduction of CO2 emissions for concrete production since 1990 and this exceeds the 2012 target. This has been achieved by the substitution of fossil fuels with waste-derived fuels in cement manufacturing and by the use of recycled and low carbon constituent materials – subject to their availability and suitability.

The concrete industry continues its impressive performance in waste minimisation. It is a net user of waste using over 4 million tonnes of waste otherwise destined for landfill whilst generating just under 0.2 million tonnes of waste.

Welcoming the progress being made, Jeremy Greenwood, Chairman of The Concrete Centre said: “The concrete industry is working together to ensure that it is not just in the forefront but is the leader in sustainable construction. As this latest report demonstrates we are dedicated to the ongoing environmental improvement and are committed to the transparent reporting of our progress.

This transparency enables provision of information necessary for designers and specifiers to make an informed choice. We look forward to continuing to work with them as well as regulators and government to ensure that the concrete industry plays an integral role in the provision of a sustainable built environment

Anglo American and Lafarge to create a leading UK construction materials company

Anglo American plc (“Anglo American”) and Lafarge SA (“Lafarge”) announce their agreement to  combine  their  cement,  aggregates,  ready-mixed  concrete,  asphalt  and  contracting businesses  in  the  United  Kingdom,  comprising  Tarmac  Limited  (“Tarmac  UK”)  and  Lafarge Cement UK, Lafarge Aggregates and Concrete UK (“Lafarge UK”).  

The  Transaction  will  form  a  50:50  joint  venture  and  will  create  a  leading  UK  construction materials  company,  with  a  portfolio  of  high  quality  assets  drawing  on  the  complementary geographical distribution of operations and assets, the skills of two experienced management teams and a portfolio of well-known and innovative brands.

The combined sales of these two businesses  in  2010 amounted  to  £1.8  billion  ($2.8  billion),  with combined  EBITDA  of £210 million ($323 million).

This combination is expected to deliver substantial recurring synergies of at least £60 million ($96  million)  per  annum.  Such  synergies  are  expected  to  be  generated  by  increased operational efficiencies, improved logistics, the introduction of value-added products across a wider geographic reach and other opportunities. 

The joint venture’s complementary geographical and product portfolios are also expected to create a business optimally positioned to benefit from economic recovery.

Cynthia  Carroll,  Chief  Executive  of  Anglo  American,  said:  “We  are  excited  to  be  bringing together  two  high  quality  and  complementary  UK  businesses  to  create  a  compelling  new industry  proposition  through  which  we  expect  to  unlock  significant  value.  While  Anglo American’s  objective  remains  to  divest  its  interests  in  the  joint  venture  over  time,  this transaction positions us well to maximise value.”

Bruno Lafont, Chairman and Chief Executive of Lafarge, said: “This new leading construction materials company, built on the strengths and proud histories of two great teams, will create more  value to customers, with an enhanced  and larger offer of  products and services. For Lafarge, this deal is cash neutral, is accretive to Lafarge shareholders and illustrates our strong commitment to the UK market.”

The joint venture will operate with its own Board of Directors led by an independent Chairman and executive management teams drawn from both businesses.

Completion of the Transaction is conditional upon regulatory approvals. Both Lafarge UK and Tarmac UK operations will continue to operate independently until obtaining such approvals.