Industry Digest: August 2022

How do we make concrete more sustainable? What's the latest news on the restoration of the Notre-Dame cathedral? And could you by any chance be living in the world's most expensive city to build in? You'll soon find out: here's our August update.

A more sustainable approach to concrete production

Although concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world, it's not exactly sustainable – yet. When incorporating recycled materials into its production process, even concrete can contribute to a circular economy. This is why the German construction company Bauer Environment excavated 33,000 m³ incurred gravel from a residential construction project in a district near Munich, before transporting it to a nearby gravel plant. The gravel was then treated and processed into concrete, allowing for natural raw materials to be conserved.

Germany produces approximately 27.5 million tons of concrete each year. According to Bauer, “concrete production would be a whole lot more sustainable if just a small portion of this were produced from recycled gravel”. Find out more here.

Restoration of Notre-Dame includes underground visitor centre

Since the 2019 fire, the restoration of the Notre-Dame cathedral has been a top priority for the city of Paris. While the cathedral will be rebuilt exactly as it had been, the surroundings and the square of Notre-Dame are in for a real transformation.

The project, led by Belgian landscape architecture studio Bureau Bas Smets, includes an underground visitor centre in an abandoned car park underneath the main square. The space will also serve as an interior promenade that opens onto the banks of the river Seine. Paris' mayor Anne Hidalgo: “The Seine and nature have a major place in the project of the Bas Smets team selected by the jury. To better highlight our beautiful cathedral to better do it justice, while respecting its history.”

Curious about what to expect? Have a look here.

These are the world's most expensive cities to build in

A survey by Turner & Townsend has revealed that San Francisco is currently the world's most expensive city to build in, followed by Japanese cities Tokyo and Osaka. Geneva and London are the only European cities in the top 10, ranking in 5th and 10th place.

Furthermore, the report mentions high demands and a good recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic in the construction industry: 75% of all respondents say that current market tendering conditions are “warm” to “overheating”. However, participants are worried by inflation and skills shortages. Here's a more detailed overview of the report.