INNOVATION AND TRENDS IN RMC

INOVAÇÃO E TENDÊNCIAS NO

BETÃO PRONTO

24 May 2018

APEB – Concrete Day - Lisbon

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PAST AND PRESENT: materials

Innovation, since the birth of readymix concrete industry, mainly involvedcomponents in concrete:

• Cement: the range has broadened to suit different needs + CO2 and environmental constraints

• Admixtures: a giant leap!• Other components: fibers, fly ash, silica fume and slag, lightweight aggregates• Aggregates & water: no changes

The trend continues but no revolutions are foreseen.

Main topics for components:• Circular economy• CO2 reduction

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PAST AND PRESENT: production

Truckmixers: bigger and faster, but mainly the same. We follow the truck industry: hybrid or electric in the future?

Plants: «standard» performances. Dry or wet, improvements in sensors but no revolution.

Plant automation: follows the average trend of the heavy industry.

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FUTURE

In a rapidly changing world, RMC industry is still mostly conservative.

The concept of concrete itself will not change: a building material prepared mixing aggregates, other components and binders to be poured and hardened in the final shape.

We will have possible innovations in the whole process:

• New performances: requirements, control and assessment• Tailor made design• Specification, order and delivery

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FUTURE

WHY INNOVATE?

High tech materials have higher appeal higher margins!

Industrial process: designed, controlled, measured and traced risk control!

Innovation in products new markets!

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MAIN FIELDS

SUSTAINABILITY

DIGITALIZATION

WASTE

LOGISTICS

QUALITY

PRODUCTS

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Innovation and trends in RMC

SUSTAINABILITY

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SUSTAINABILITY

3 pillars of sustainability:

• Social: concrete is STRONG

• Economic: concrete is STRONG

• Environmental: concrete is (mostly perceived as ) WEAK

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SUSTAINABILITY: environmental

PRODUCT CARBON FOOTPRINT

LOW CO2 CEMENT, WASTE AS FUEL

EPD – PEF – LEVEL(S)

Mostly cement related

RECARBONATION

RECYCLED AGGREGATES

WASTE/SECONDARY MATERIALS

Onlymaterial

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SUSTAINABILITY: environmental

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SUSTAINABILITY: environmental and safety

POLLUTION AT JOB SITES – NO FOSSIL FUEL TRUCKS AND PUMPS

NOISE REDUCTION AT JOB SITES

WASHING - DRUM AND PUMP CLEANING AT JOBSITES

SAFETY ISSUES FOR TRUCKMIXERS AND PUMPSChutes handlingLadderBooms

Truckmixer and pumps cleaning: build up concrete demolition

EXTERNAL

INTERNAL

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WASTE no waste industry

CEMENTITIOUS WATER AND WASTE CONCRETE ARE POLLUTANT

Leftover concrete: some uncertainity in legal definition

Possible actions: rework, separate, harden and crush, pour blocks…

Hardened concrete: landfill or reuse? Truckmixer washing water: leave it in or discharge?

Recycled aggregates (C&D and leftover): national provisions

Sludge water: density measurement, full recycling in production qualitycontrol

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SUSTAINABILITY: RSS

RESPONSIBLE SOURCING SCHEME

The certificate of responsible sourcing shows the level to which a company/plant/product operates in an environmentally, socially and economically acceptable way to stakeholders and that they produce products with a low impact (relative to similar products) on the environment subject to them meeting the other demands, e.g. strength and durability, placed on the product.

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Innovation and trends in RMC

QUALITY

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QUALITY

Parameters that can influence quality

RAW MATERIALS CONTROL IN PRODUCTION = INCREASE RELIABILITY

AGGREGATES:- Moisture probes: improve reliability and range- Cleanliness: to be invented- Superficial texture – absorption: to be invented- Temperature: feasible

CEMENT- Temperature: feasible- Strength development: to be improved?- Performances in fresh concrete: standard to be improved?

SLUDGE WATER- Density: feasible

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QUALITY

ACCELERATED TEST

- To predict performances in hardened concrete.

- Durability for better prescription and acceptance test

- To test new components (e.g. for secondary materials from circular economy)

STANDARDS AND TESTS NEEDED FOR FAIR MARKET

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QUALITY

ADD PRODUCT INFORMATION TO CUSTOMER = INCREASE VALUE

Recognized standard for slump measurement on the truck: feasible

Recognized standard for quantity measurement on the truck: to be invented

Recognized standard for temperature measurement on the truck: feasible

Detection of abnormal operations: water addition, incorrect mixing: feasible

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Innovation and trends in RMC

PRODUCTS

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PRODUCTS: New performances and applications

Concrete roads

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PRODUCTS: New performances and applications

Thermal mass

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PRODUCTS: New performances and applications

Pervious concrete

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PRODUCTS: New performances and applications

Self healing:cracks reduction, water permeability reduction

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PRODUCTS

SCC

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PRODUCTS: what can we do?

Additional concrete performances for designers: tools for right concrete definition, correct pouring operations…

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Innovation and trends in RMC

DIGITALIZATION

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DIGITALIZATION

«the AMAZON concept»

Complete information integration: contract – order – delivery information - delivery notes –invoices – payment – test samples

Informations: all available on the same platform to be shared betweenproducer and customer.

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DIGITALIZATION: LOGISTICS

Plant remote control to allow small volume plants to be runeconomically.

GPS controlled fleet and computerized dispatching programs.

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Fleet efficiencyReduction of misunderstandingsProduction planningTraceabilityInformations shared with customer

DIGITALIZATION: LOGISTICS

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DIGITALIZATION: LOGISTICS

DIGITAL TRUCKMIXER

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DIGITALIZATION: PLANTS

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DIGITALIZATION

“Clever samples”: microchip or RFID to identify specimens for total traceabilityCan we think of a National archive of Control Data?

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DIGITALIZATION: BIM

If cars were designed and builtlike buildings…

You’ll get this…

And this…

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DIGITALIZATION: BIM

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DIGITALIZATION: BIM

Risk or opportunity?

Pros- Evaluate the global effect of concrete performances (strength increase and additional

features: water permeability, thermal mass, durability…..)- Competition on performances at design stage- Integration with customer’s accountability

Cons- «blocked» materials: once concrete type is defined at design stage it may become very

difficult to be changed at jobsite- Competition only on price

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3D PRINTING

Tomorrow, later or never?

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Innovation and trends in RMC

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VISION

TO MAKE CONCRETE BECOME (MORE) AN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCT, CONTROLLED AND CERTIFIED

TO ADD PERFORMANCES AND VALUE TO CONCRETE

TO HELP OWNERS AND DESIGNERS TAKE BENEFIT OF ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES

TO MAKE CONCRETE (AGAIN) THE BEST BUILDING MATERIAL

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THANK YOU

OBRIGADO PELA VOSSA ATENÇÃO