In the cement industry there's always new
advancements that manage to amaze people.
Movers and shakers in the cement business like Alexander
Bouri of Seament and Bernd Scheifele
of HeidelbergCement are always looking for new ways to improve their
products. Cement is essential in today's
world, our largest cities and smallest towns all depend on well-made cement to
keep their buildings together. As the
world population continues to grow the demand for cement will rise
substantially, and some groups are already thinking of ways to ensure that
people have access to the building materials they need.
The Spearhead Network for Innovative,
Clean and Safe Cement and Concrete Technologies (SPIN) is n project funded
by the European Commission to address the need of establishing a solid cement
and concrete industry in Africa. The
cement/concrete market in the eastern, central, and southern regions of Africa
in its current state is inefficient.
Producers, suppliers, contractors, builders, unions, government workers,
and even educational institutions all try to control the industry in their own
ways. The splintered market has caused a
significant decrease in the quality of cement and concrete which has made
buildings prone to damage. Cement prices
are much higher in Africa than they are in Europe and North America, but with
Africa's wealth of cement making materials and cheap manpower it shouldn't be.
The SPIN organization is trying to stabilize the African cement/concrete
industry by sharing efficient and environmentally friendly European
cement/concrete manufacturing techniques.
They also hope to get leading industries, research institutions, and
government workers from both continents working together so they can benefit
from each other's work. The group will
be holding their first international conference in 2012 to discuss the future
of cement/concrete and the role it plays in our society.
No comments:
Post a Comment