New urban concrete plants open for business

• 
• 13th January 2009
• Materials Handling
 

15^th December 2008:  CEMEX's latest  new concrete plants, at Stepney in London and Oldbury in Birmingham, are up and running and represent significant investment and commitment to local construction markets. Both plants are well placed to provide readymixed concrete for housing, infrastructure and other construction projects in some of the busier conurbations in the country.

Vice President for Readymix and Mortars, Chris Leese, explains: "These new production facilities replace plants that have been in operation for over 40 years and which did tremendous service. Although the building and housing market is going through a tough time construction activity continues and our customers are demanding high quality products delivered on time. These plants help us to achieve those requirements as well as operating in a more sustainable way."

The Oldbury plant is just 200 yards from Junction 2 on the M5 and offers easy access to customers based in the Black Country. The new plant cost in excess of £1.2 million and includes an efficient full reclaim system reducing the ongoing costs of the facility.

As well as reusing water from the concrete process, the reclaim system ensures that all cement, gravel and sand is reused and eliminates the requirement to send waste materials to landfill.

Similarly, the new Stepney plant is designed to produce very high volumes of concrete, in excess of 180 cubic metres per hour in the most efficient and sustainable way. The twin mixer units are capable of producing higher strength concretes, such as 50 and 60N which are increasingly in demand by the market, and have built-in ‘recyclers' to significantly reduce waste disposal and recycle surface water in the concrete mixes.

The £2.2million facility is currently supplying materials to Laing O'Rourke for the famous ‘Walkie Talkie' skyscraper building at 20 Fenchurch Street and to the Balfour Beatty Carillion Joint Venture (BBCJV) for the East London Line.

Both plants were part of CEMEX's major UK investment programme, which this year alone included six other permanent concrete plants and a new Dry Silo Mortar plant at Braintree in Essex. "Our investment in these plants demonstrates our commitment to the industry and is a key element in our drive for efficiency and improved quality and service. The plants are also well positioned for the future inevitable upturn in the construction industry," concludes Chris.

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