Construction industry gets wake-up call over technology to cut building costs
Big 5 PMV turns spotlight on ways to reduce cement usage
and make big savings on concrete
Developers and construction companies coming under increasing pressure from soaring building costs in the UAE are looking to new technologies available to cut cement usage and make big savings on concrete.
A strong international line-up of companies displaying a wide range of cement-saving tools and machines are being assembled at the Big 5 PMV, the Middle East’s premier plant, machinery and vehicles show, taking place from 23-27 November at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre.
It is good news for construction firms faced with the increasing cost of cement, the most expensive component in the fabrication of concrete. In June, the UAE Ministry of Economy fixed the cost of cement at US$80 (AED295) per tonne, however construction firms are still faced with the ever rising cost of cement with some recent reports suggesting distributors are charging 15 per cent higher than the government cap, around US$95 – $US100 per tonne.
Warning that construction firms not keeping up to speed with technology will fall behind in the market, UK-based ready-mix concrete specialists Hydronix will give a show debut, ahead of its market release next year, to its new Hydro-Probe Orbiter - which cuts pre-cast concrete production time considerably.
“Usually, a ready-mix concrete producer will over-cement to compensate for water in the fine aggregates that was not taken into account when calculating the water cement ratio,” said David Serra, the company’s international sales manager. “Our moisture measurement eliminates this problem. Customers report pay back periods in a matter of months.”
Added Serra: “The rising costs of materials are making developers, contractors and producers more aware of their processes and procedures, and this will in turn increase cost-effectiveness in our industry. The industry can sometimes be quite slow in adopting new technologies, but as costs increase, the differences between those who keep up with the latest technology, and those who don’t, will grow.”
Italian manufacturer Sacme will showcase its fully automatic block-making machines, with general manager Luciano Badin explaining: “Our machines are peculiar in the sense that they produce blocks on a steel plate. This system enhances the blocks' quality and permits a saving of cement up to 25 per cent, with the use of higher water content which helps in the optimal curing of blocks.”
Another Italian exhibitor, Onyma S.r.l. Sistemi & Tecnologie, is displaying software and electronics that process control and manage the concrete production industry, accurately measuring and optimising the quantities involved in the concrete production cycle.
Onyma’s CEO, Marco Severini said: “An automatic control system used at the production plant, linked with a specific unit installed on transit mixers, can lead to actual money savings from 5 – 15 per cent a year. This is done by avoiding raw materials wastage through guaranteeing a concrete mix that matches lab specifications, and supervising delivery of concrete to the pouring site and collecting technological information.”
Among the American firms appearing at the show’s new US Pavilion, CemenTech will spotlight its on-site cement mixers, Volumetric, which could find a niche market in a country increasingly plagued by traffic problems. The mixers are attached to trucks and allow contractors to keep ingredients separate until they reach the work site.
The US pavilion will be joined by eight other national pavilions, including Spain, France, Italy and China, constituting a fraction of the event’s 300 plus exhibitors from over 22 countries covering an area of 40,000 sq metres.
Organised by Streamline Marketing Group, the Big 5 PMV will take place alongside the Big 5, creating a mega trade show, featuring the latest technologies, products and services in the construction industry.
