LafargeHolcim logo displayed at its offices in Switzerland, September 2019.
Stefan Wermuth | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Cement manufacturer LafargeHolcim has agreed to buy the roofing company specialist Firestone Building Products for $ 3.4 billion, in the latest example of shifting priorities within the building industry.
In a statement released last week, LafargeHolcim – the world’s largest cement manufacturer – FSBP stated that it had an “instrumental role” in mitigating energy loss through roofs. It was agreed to buy the company, which specializes in insulated, solar, “cool” and green roofs, from the tire and rubber industry Bridgestone Americas.
Speaking to CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Friday, LafargeHolcim CEO Jan Jenisch outlined the FSBP’s strengths in “new sustainable solutions. He described the move as “perfect equipment” for his company’s goal of “becoming the most sustainable and innovative supplier of building materials in the future.”
Changing industry
The environmental impact of the construction industry is significant, and according to a 2018 report from Chatham House, more than 4 billion metric tons of cement are produced each year. This, the policy institute said, accounts for about 8% of global CO2 emissions.
As environmental concerns grow, there is a renewed focus on the sustainability of buildings and leading companies in the sector are looking to strengthen their choices in terms of products, systems and technologies.
The purchase of FSBP complements LafargeHolcim’s other products, including its ECOPact concrete, which the company says could have “30% to 100% less carbon emissions compared to concrete normal (CEM I). “
According to the company, the construction of FSBP will add three research and development laboratories, 1,800 distribution points and 15 manufacturing facilities to its network. Looking ahead, LafargeHolcim said they wanted to “move the business swiftly.”
Stable tweaks, new materials
When it comes to green construction, the use of a structural roof to strengthen its sustainability credentials is established.
Across the world, many developments – from supermarkets and sports parks to car parks and office buildings – boast solar panels that can produce energy to aid energy activity.
“Green roofs” are also seen as a way of improving how a building works and interacts with the surrounding environment.
According to the Royal Horticultural Society, green roofs – which range from small plots to spacious roof gardens – can help increase urban air quality, provide insulation and provide habitats for wildlife such as insects. and birds.
Examples include a six-acre “living roof” at the Vancouver Convention Center in Canada. According to the Center the roof “acts as an insurance device”, helping to cut heat gain through the summer months and reduce heat loss during the winter.
In addition to the alterations and external alterations altering the buildings in which we live, development nuts and bolts – as they are designed and constructed – are also in progress with technology-driven movement and attitudes to sustainability.
Last year, for example, it was announced that UK-based collaboration between academia and industry would work on the development of “low carbon smart pipes” that could be used in major infrastructure projects.