BCA: European publications show why concrete is the building material of choice

British Cement Assoc logo

Wednesday, 04, Jul 2007 12:00

Two wide-ranging brochures have been published by the European Concrete Platform (ECP), a new European industry body, to help specifiers, regulators, building owners and users understand the benefits of using concrete as a building material:

Comprehensive fire protection and safety with concrete demonstrates how concrete can be used to provide complete fire protection including preservation of life and protection of property and of the environment. Through a series of well illustrated case studies and figures, this brochure demonstrates the outstanding fire resistant properties of concrete.

Concrete for energy–efficient buildings explains how concrete can be used both to reduce the speed of climate change and to minimise the effects it will have on the built environment. Supported by the results of new research and evidence from work on real buildings, this brochure presents the energy clear efficiency benefits of concrete.

BCA’s Technical Director, Dr Pal Chana, said: “Concrete’s fire resistance coupled with its thermal mass properties makes it the building material of choice. Concrete offers high levels of protection and safety in a fire, whilst its thermal mass properties makes it a highly energy efficient material.”

Mike Gilbert, BCA’s Chief Executive, added: “These easy to read brochures are a good example of European collaboration within the cement and concrete sector. They provide clear guidance for both building designers and occupiers. Further publications including guidance on the use of the Eurocodes are planned for the near future.

For specifiers in the UK, these brochures complement the work of the UK’s The Concrete Centre and UK Concrete Platform’.

Copies of the brochures can be downloaded for free from the cement industry website www.cementindustry.co.uk or the European Concrete Platform website http://www.europeanconcrete.eu/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 .

Notes to editors:

The British Cement Association (BCA) is the trade and research organisation that represents the interests of the United Kingdom’s cement industry in its relations with Her Majesty’s Government, the European Union and relevant organisations in the United Kingdom. The members of the BCA (Tarmac Buxton Lime & Cement, Castle Cement, Cemex UK Operations and Lafarge Cement UK) are the major domestic manufacturers of Portland cement producing over 90% of the cement sold in the UK.

The cement industry has an annual turnover of £775 million and is a major supplier to the construction industry. It employs around 3,400 people directly with a further 15,000 jobs depending upon its operations.

The European Concrete Platform (ECP) is a recently formed alliance of the European branch associations representing the cement and concrete industry. The ECP aims to promote concrete as the material of choice providing building solutions both for sustainable development and sustainable construction.

The 4 founding members of the European Concrete Platform are European branch associations representing the cement and concrete industry:

BIBM – International Bureau for Precast Concrete

CEMBUREAU – The European Cement Association

EFCA – European Federation of Concrete Admixtures Associations

ERMCO – European Ready Mixed Concrete Organisation

The Concrete Centre and the British Cement Association have published guidance on how to utilise thermal mass to reduce operational CO2 emissions. Copies of Thermal Mass for Housing: Concrete Solutions for a Changing Climate, Thermal Mass: A Concrete Solution for the Changing Climate and Utilisation of Thermal Mass in Non-Residential Buildings can be downloaded from www.concretecentre.com .