Tag: Bauwesen

Implenia is helping to build tunnels in France

A joint venture run by Implenia has received an order from Tunnel Euralpin Lyon Turin ( TELT ). This involves the planning and construction of part of the Mont Cenis base tunnel in France. The affected section of the 57.5-kilometer tunnel is around 4 kilometers long and runs from the Villard-Clément portal.

Implenia's partners in the project are NGE , Itinera and Rizzani de Eccher . Implenia holds 34 percent of the joint venture. According to the information, the project partners won the contract due to the technical optimizations that they introduced during the tendering phase. They took first place in the evaluation of the technical solutions. The order volume is around CHF 248 million. The project will take about four and a half years.

"Implenia is proud to be able to plan and build such an important part of the future European rail network", Erwin Scherer, Global Head Tunneling at Implenia, is quoted in the press release. “We can use our vast experience in all areas of extensive infrastructure projects as a strength in such projects,” he adds.

The client TELT is a Franco-Italian company that is responsible for the construction and management of the cross-border section of the new Lyon-Turin line at the Mont-Cenis base tunnel. This section is to become a central ring of the Mediterranean Corridor – one of the nine axes of the European transport network TEN-T (Trans-European Transport Network). The expansion is intended, among other things, to promote the relocation of transport goods from road to rail.

July 2021
Construction investments are falling slightly

Construction investments fell by 0.3 percent year-on-year in 2020, as the Federal Statistical Office ( FSO ) writes in a press release. This is understood to mean the construction expenses without public maintenance work. If these are also factored in, the total construction expenditure will be roughly at the level of the previous year.

Investments in new construction projects have decreased by 0.6 percent year-on-year. In contrast, 0.1 percent more was invested in renovation projects. The federal government, cantons and municipalities invested more in both new construction and renovation projects than in 2019. In 2020, private clients were more cautious.

According to the FSO, a positive development was observed in civil engineering investments. These increased by 3.2 percent in 2020. In contrast, investments in building construction projects decreased by 1.1 percent. While the federal government, cantons and municipalities have invested more in building construction as well as in civil engineering than in the previous year, the amount invested by the private sector only increased in civil engineering.

July 2021
Pestalozzi sees construction as a modern and digital industry

A corporate mission statement has been developed for the Pestalozzi Group. In an interview with “ KMU Magazin ”, Matthias Pestalozzi names the main areas: corporate culture of continuity, development of digitization and networking, and cross-generational corporate management. The delegate of the board of directors to the company's management is quoted as saying that the most interesting and most important aspect of the formulation of the mission statement was the broad discussion with the employees who worked on it in workshop teams. Pestalozzi: "In the end there weren't many differences to the old model, but it is formulated in more detail, especially the topic: How do we work together?" One consequence is that the company has introduced the you culture.

Pestalozzi, who runs the family business founded in 1763 in the ninth generation, emphasizes in the interview the importance of digitization for the company that specializes in trading in everything related to construction. Digitization and networking are a "huge topic, we are constantly working on it". Digitization is important in customer contact. The group has invested a lot in the e-shop in recent years to enable digital orders. Around 40 percent of orders for finished products already go through electronic trading. Digital marketing has also been expanded, with the use of platforms such as LinkedIn or the distribution of a newsletter. According to Pestalozzi, security problems in the digital sector are often underestimated, especially by SMEs. At Pestalozzi, employees are therefore trained on an ongoing basis.

The Pestalozzi Group wanted to motivate young people to train in the building and construction industry with the 39th prize awarded this year for good apprenticeship qualifications. It is often difficult to find apprentices there. The pen prize is awarded in the building envelope, building services, metal construction and metal processing sectors.

July 2021
HKG contributed to the new congress center

As part of the renovation project of the Kongresshaus and Tonhalle Zurich, the latest technology has been installed, according to a communication from HKG Engineering . The company's Schlierem representative was entrusted with the electrical engineering. The challenge was to keep the original as much as possible, while new parts and additions were to be adapted to the existing stock.

Thanks to the renovation, the Kongresshaus, which opened in 1939, and the Tonhalle Zurich are now ready for the next 50 years. An area of 5300 square meters is available for events. There is space for 4500 visitors in the premises. The flexible space available means that various events such as specialist congresses or meetings can be held. According to HKG, the congress center is also climate neutral.

July 2021
Implenia and partners receive funding from Norway

The Oslo-based cleantech company TECO 2030 and the Norwegian subsidiary of the construction company Implenia will receive the equivalent of 16.77 million Swiss francs from the state enterprise Enova of the Norwegian Environment and Climate Ministry for the development of hydrogen-powered solutions for construction sites. The funds will be granted from September over a period of two and a half years. Part of Norway's climate strategy is that from 2025 onwards, no more fossil fuels will be used on construction sites. According to a press release from Implenia, these “generous subsidies” will enable both companies to achieve the goal set by the Norwegian government.

Implenia and TECO 2030 had already signed a contract to develop and test such building solutions in April. "Our fuel cells can be used for large ships and other heavy-duty applications, then why not for driving devices on construction sites," Teco had 2030 CEO gates Enger then explained . "By using hydrogen-based fuel cells instead of diesel generators, emissions on construction sites can be completely prevented, making them more climate-friendly," said Enger in the current press release.

As Implenia emphasizes, this initiative is in line with its own twelve sustainability goals, which are to be achieved by 2025. "We are of the opinion that hydrogen will play an important role as an energy source on the construction sites of the future," says the CEO of Implenia Norway, Audun Aaland. "And we are proud that we can advance this sustainable innovation together with TECO 2030."

July 2021
Zurich's Manufakt8048 business park is open

The Manufakt8048 business park has been completed. On Thursday, the building owner Swisscanto , the developer and general contractor Steiner AG , architects, project partners and future tenants celebrated the opening of the new modular building complex in Zurich-Altstetten. In a media release , Steiner AG also announced that in the coming years, with Manufakt8820 and Manufakt8409, two more industrial parks will be built in Wädenswil ZH and Winterthur based on the same concept.

Steiner AG describes its special manufacturing concept as sustainable and multidimensional. It offers shared meeting rooms that can be used as required, as well as so-called flex offices and meeting areas. In order to make commercial rents affordable, especially for young companies, Steiner AG has improved space efficiency with areas that can be used jointly, for example. This can be "implemented well in reception areas, meeting rooms or lounges", says her Head Real Estate, Michael Schiltknecht. This is particularly interesting for start-ups, "who don't have to rent everything right away".

As it is said, the Manufakt8048 commercial property benefits from the attractive environment in the “up-and-coming urban quarter” in the west of Zurich in the immediate vicinity of the Zurich-Altstetten train station. It thus offers "ideal conditions for companies from a wide variety of industries".

July 2021
Strabag operates completely digitally in Küsnacht

The construction company Strabag Switzerland has been awarded the contract for the renovation of a road section in difficult terrain in the municipality of Küsnacht as well as the renewal of the gas, water and electrical lines of the local electricity supplier Werke am Zürichsee AG . According to the media release , the project will be digitally controlled from planning through construction to subsequent maintenance. For this purpose, so-called Building Information Modeling (BIM) is used. Strabag AG has been awarded the contract as general contractor. The start of construction is scheduled for the end of August and completion around October 2022, according to the announcement.

The renovation project of the municipality of Küsnacht on the upper part of the Schiedhaldensteig is considered difficult. There, on the one hand, the renovation work has to be done in a very narrow and steep traffic area and, on the other hand, the sewerage pipes have to be replaced.

BIM manager Stijepan Ljubicic from Strabag is quoted as saying that, on the one hand, “the construction site will be handled completely digitally” with regard to the use of BIM in the planning and implementation of the two construction projects. In addition to planning and execution, all work would be digitally documented and ultimately handed over to the client in a so-called as-built model. This data offers many advantages with regard to quality management, operation and maintenance as well as a planning basis for follow-up projects.

The technical division manager for traffic route construction east at Strabag, Michael Graber, is quoted as saying that one of the main criteria for the award was the company's digital performance. The contract confirms Strabag's own competence and specialist knowledge in the field of BIM.

The press release also gives facts about the construction. The excavation will make up 1,500 cubic meters, 240 meters of raw material will be laid. The road is being built over a distance of 750 meters, using 500 tons of rolled asphalt.

July 2021
Model clarifies the cycle of building materials

With his dissertation, industrial engineer Daniel Kliem wants to create the basis for the recycling of building materials at the OST – Ostschweizer Fachhochschule, across cantons. As it is said in a media release, the “cantonal spirit” is a hindrance in the political process. If, for example, the price for mining gravel and dumping demolition and excavation is raised in one canton in order to provide incentives for recycling, the problem would only shift to other regions: “Dismantling material and excavation would then be transported to other cantons and new material would then drive from further away, ”said Kliem.

Now a participatively developed model wants to clarify the system dynamics. In addition to three OST institutes, experts from the Universities of St.Gallen and Bergen , the Zurich Office for Waste, Water, Energy and Air as well as Energy and Resource Management GmbH are involved in this four-year project. Despite the complex dynamics, it has already created a comprehensive understanding of the problem and has been able to identify actionable fields of action. For example, the processes and spatial planning measures would have to be redefined. In addition, construction-intensive cantons such as Zurich should be included and the taxation of resources should be regulated nationally.

"The realization that even experts can learn new things with models and gain new perspectives and inputs was exciting," Kliem is quoted as saying. “The obvious measure to increase the price of gravel is good and works. But if the catchment areas are included, the cooperation between cantons serves as a key to prevent additional transport. "

June 2021
Nüssli is building ten pavilions for the Expo

The world exhibition, which is actually planned for 2020, begins in Dubai on October 1st. Nüssli is building ten of the total of 200 country pavilions for the Expo, according to a press release by the event builder from the St.GallenBodenseeArea. Despite strict compliance with the health measures, all work is on track, so that the pavilions of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Austria, Belarus, China, Japan, Kazakhstan and Monaco will be ready on time.

The pavilions of France and Japan attracted particular attention. The trade journal “Architectural Digest” recently presented the eight pavilions that will be architecturally the most important at the Expo. With France and Japan, this also includes two of the pavilions built by Nüssli. The event organizer is implementing the motto Pavilion of Light for France and is focusing on sustainability and the connection between Japan and the Middle East for Japan.

“We cultivate forward-looking planning, cultural understanding and constant exchange within and between the teams as important principles,” Harald Dosch is quoted in the message, COO Special Projects at Nüssli and responsible for all ten pavilions. His company also benefits from the experience. Because Nüssli built a pavilion for the world exhibition in Hanover 20 years ago. In the meantime, 35 more Expo projects have been added.

June 2021
Researchers want to print tower

The Graubünden village of Mulegns on the Julier Pass is to receive a new cultural site: Giovanni Netzer, theater director and founder of the Origen cultural festival, wants to have a new white tower built. This should be 23 meters high and comprise four floors. At the very top, a stage for performances is to be built under a dome. The appearance of the tower should be reminiscent of the Graubünden confectioner tradition.

Netzer wants to rely on digital construction technologies for the construction of the tower. To do this, he works with researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich ( ETH ). The tower is designed and planned by ETH professor Benjamin Dillenburger and Michael Hansmeyer from the Digital Building Technologies research group together with the Origen Foundation by Netzer. In addition, with Robert Flatt, Walter Kaufmann and Andreas Wieser, three other ETH professors from the national research focus on digital fabrication are involved.

The components of the tower are to be produced on site with a 3D printer. Interested parties can watch this process. Robots should then build the tower from these parts. According to an announcement from ETH, the tower will be one of the tallest structures ever to be 3D printed and built by robots. The construction using 3D printing enables complex geometries to be produced and raw materials to be used sparingly.

When the project was presented on Tuesday, Federal President Guy Parmelin was also present. Construction is scheduled to start in April 2022. In addition, the dismantling is already planned. In this way, the concrete elements can be separated from each other again at a later point in time. Theoretically, the tower could then be rebuilt in another location.

June 2021
Jansen and SFS secure jobs

The two companies based in the St.GallenBodenseeArea, Jansen and SFS, have agreed to work together in the window area, as can now be seen in a press release. Jansen will concentrate on the further development of the wood-metal window system Connex, while SFS will sell the Connex brand as the exclusive partner.

As part of this collaboration, Jansen would like to continue to drive innovations, while SFS would like to expand its market position with the Connex portfolio. In addition, both companies see their cooperation as a commitment to Switzerland as a business location. By assuming their corporate responsibility, they would secure “jobs and training positions in the Rhine Valley”.

In addition, customers should benefit from the partnership. On the one hand, both companies can concentrate on their complementary strengths and, on the other hand, the geographical proximity makes the cooperation a success.

June 2021
Wunderbrücke is officially opened

The Wunderbrücke is a central project of the new Technorama adventure park in Winterthur. The 130-meter-long structure with its five percent gradient will be officially opened with a ceremony on June 19, according to a media release. It was designed by Conzett Bronzini Partner from Chur.

Wunderbrücke and the redesign of the Technorama Park were initiated by the Swiss Association of Engineers and Architects (SIA ) around ten years ago. The area has been open to the public since April. Natural phenomena can be experienced with all the senses in the new outdoor area and experienced first hand. That makes the Technorama a versatile excursion destination, according to the SIA on the development of the park . The park was designed by the Winterthur office Krebs und Herde landscape architects.

The background to the project is a debate about civil engineering artists without a museum. The "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" took up the topic in 2009. There is a museum for everything, she wrote at the time, except for the achievements that are central to the Swiss brand: bridges, tunnels and buildings. Today, the SIA can present itself to hundreds of thousands of visitors every year in the Technorama Park, including numerous school children. "We are pleased about a prime example of interdisciplinary cooperation that playfully inspires the youngsters for the technical professions and sensitizes several hundred thousand visitors annually to a high-quality building culture", SIA President Peter Dransfeld is quoted in a media release.

Around 30 large exhibits can be seen and experienced on the exhibition grounds in Winterthur. According to the SIA, the “Falling Water” exhibit will cause a sensation. The Wunderbrücke plays a central role in this. A suspension bridge with dynamic vibration behavior that visitors can control will also be added.

The Zurich Government Councilor Martin Neukom, the City President of Winterthur Michael Künzle and the President of the Board of Trustees Werner Inderbitzin will pay tribute to the Technorama at the ceremony for invited guests. Technorama director Thorsten-D. Künnemann and the Technorama staff will guide you through the event with experiments, live music and announced surprises.

June 2021
Steiner AG builds new quarters in Fischbach-Göslikon

When the building permit becomes legally binding, construction work for the Widacher project in Fischbach-Göslikon can begin in summer. The shares the project developer Steiner AG with now.

As part of this construction project, a fallow industrial area will be converted into "a new place to live in the countryside". Listed buildings such as the barn and the Alte Post would be carefully integrated and revitalized for living and common areas.

The start of construction on the first of three stages is scheduled for summer 2022. Initially, 16 terraced houses and 42 apartments will be built to the Minergie standard. A total of 165 residential units are to be built there in ten multi-family houses and 46 single-family houses.

June 2021
HRS drives hotel project in Arbon

HRS Real Estate AG from Frauenfeld would like to build a b_smart hotel on the SaurerWerk-Zwei site in Arbon, according to a media release . The real estate company has now submitted a planning application for the hotel and a neighboring building with 18 condominiums. The hotel is to have 63 hotel rooms, and catering with 70 seats, fitness and meeting rooms are also planned.

The project is related to the closed Hotel Metropol. After its demolition, the Riva project will be implemented on the site. At a round table, an agreement was reached that Riva "with a restaurant, hall, bar, garden terrace and additional overnight accommodation is architecturally the right property in the right place," says the message. HRS has therefore decided to push ahead with the plans for the b_smart hotel. Originally, the company was of the opinion that the “economically necessary and necessary prerequisites for a new hotel would only be met with the construction of Riva”. But now it is making advance payments to create new overnight accommodations in Arbon.

HRS works with the Liechtenstein company b_smart selection from Gamprin-Bendern. It already operates 16 hotels and motels in Liechtenstein and Switzerland. It relies on a so-called self-check-in concept, through which guests can book around the clock and check in on site. The Toni Hilti family trust and the Toni Hilti family from Liechtenstein are involved as investors in the hotel project.

June 2021
Sulzer and Blue Planet are working on CO2-negative concrete

Sulzer and Blue Planet want to work together to accelerate the transition to a sustainable cement industry. For this they have now entered into a partnership. The Californian specialist for CO2 capture and mineralization uses technologies from the Winterthur company to reduce CO2 in order to lower greenhouse gas emissions from industrial operations.

According to a press release from Sulzer, Blue Planet has developed a profitable CO2 capture, use and storage system that captures CO2 from a variety of emission sources such as power plants, refineries, steel and cement plants. The CO2 is mineralized in solid, crystalline form and thus permanently bound. The granulate is added to concrete as a 70 to 90 percent main component. As usual, these aggregates are then bound by cement. With a share of 7 percent, cement makes a significant contribution to global CO2 emissions. But the CO2 footprint of the cement in the concrete is "more than compensated for" by the CO2 bound in the synthetic limestone aggregates, according to Sulzer.

"We are pleased to be able to contribute our expertise in circular applications to such a future-oriented project," said Sulzer's Chemtech division manager, Torsten Wintergerste, quoted in the press release. "It will help reduce carbon emissions from industrial applications and the cement sector – a major concern of our customers."

June 2021
Implenia is building a railway line in northern Italy

Implenia AG and the Italian construction company Webuild have been awarded the contract to plan and build a high-performance railway line between Fortezza and Ponte Gardena in northern Italy. The construction and real estate service provider based in Dietlikon is developing and realizing 49 percent of the project on behalf of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana SpA , the owner of the Italian railway network, according to a media release .

Webuild's project share is 51 percent. The order has a total volume of 1.07 billion euros.

The 22.5-kilometer route connects to the Brenner railway tunnel on the Italian side of the Alps. The largely underground expansion should enable faster connections and higher capacities between Munich and Verona in the future. The passenger and freight trains should be able to travel much faster on the new route. So far, they have been relatively slow on the road due to inclines, the press release said.

In addition to improving mobility and modernizing the infrastructure in northern Italy, the funds made available also serve to create jobs. According to a press release, the project will directly and indirectly create around 15,000 new jobs in the coming years.

"Implenia is proud to be planning and building such an important part of the future European rail network," Christian Späth, head of the civil engineering department at Implenia, is quoted in the Medienmitteling.

June 2021
LafargeHolcim strengthens the cycle in the wind industry

The Zug-based building materials group LafargeHolcim and the Paris-based General Electric subsidiary GE Renewable Energy are teaming up. According to a press release, together they want to find new ways of recycling materials from dismantled wind turbines. The rotor blades are also to become part of a circular economy, among other things as material for the construction of new wind farms.

Both want to develop closed loop solutions especially for the European market. The background to this is that wind turbines that are aging there by 2025 with a cumulative output of almost 10 gigawatts will be repowered, i.e. replaced with more powerful ones of the latest generation or shut down.

"With sustainability at the heart of our strategy, the acceleration of renewable energies and the circular economy are top priorities for our company," said Edelio Bermejo, head of the Global Innovation Center at LafargeHolcim. “I am very happy about this collaboration with GE Renewable Energy because it fulfills both goals.” According to the CEO of his partner, Jérôme Pécresse, this collaboration “will make a significant contribution to increasing the sustainability of wind energy today and in the future ".

Both companies have been working together since 2020. Together with the Danish company Cobod , they are developing record-high towers for wind turbines using concrete 3D printing. These towers are "more robust, more efficient and will be manufactured ten times faster than before," says the press release. According to its own information, LafargeHolcim recycled 46 million tons of material last year. By 2030 it should be 100 million tons.

June 2021
Construction trader HGC takes a stake in Urdorf start-up

The trading cooperative of the Swiss Builders' Association ( HGC ) participates in Cloudworks AG , based in Urdorf. The company operates the PropTech start-up umbaumanager.ch, which was founded in 2019. The digital platform carries out the entire conversion process in digital form, according to the media release on the partnership. She leads the homeowner through the entire process of the construction project, from the first cost estimate, through the obtaining of offers, the award of contracts and construction management to any defect management.

Umbaumanager.ch has been working with a network of qualified craftsmen and suppliers since the start. The HGC was one of the first partners of umbaumanager.ch and is now participating in the operating company Cloudworks, according to the announcement. "With the network and know-how of HGC as a service provider for everything to do with construction, our platform can be expanded further," the founders of Cloudworks AG and developers of umbaumanager.ch, Faton Mati and Christian Vogt, are quoted as saying:

The HG Commerciale cooperative, founded in 1899, supplies the Swiss construction industry with materials. "We at HGC are further expanding our digital competence with our participation and can thus offer our craft customers a clear added value", Martin Tobler, CEO of HGC, is quoted in the announcement. The HGC has around 800 employees.

June 2021
Hächler Group makes Baden city tower future-proof

Specialists in the renovation of historic and listed buildings belonging to the Hächler Group have repaired water damage to the city tower in Baden. According to a press release from the Wettingen construction company, the damage was caused at a height of 30 meters and the entire tufa brickwork was saturated with water.

In order to avoid such water damage in the future after the repair is complete, the most modern technology will be used on the historic building. Every year there will be a control of the drains by means of a drone, it says in the message.

Reto Schwitter – foreman, remodeling and renovation of historic buildings at Hächler – reports on the course of events in the media release. On December 22nd, the remodeling and renovation department of Hächler AG received an emergency message with the information that pieces of plaster were falling from the Baden city tower. The damage was examined the next morning with the help of the turntable ladders of the Baden fire brigade at a height of 30 meters.

The damaged area had been cleaned, but the heavy snow and rain in the following three weeks, followed by night frost, worsened the damage and more pieces of plaster fell off, reports the foreman. A protective net had to be installed in January. In March, the Hächler specialists scaffolded the city tower for the renovation of historical and listed buildings. The historic building material that was soaked in water was identified. After a period of drying out, it was possible to rebuild, reports Polier Schwitter. Now a new gutter has to be installed and then it is necessary to regularly check the Baden city tower at a height of 30 meters – by drone.

June 2021
FenX convinces with sustainable insulation material

FenX AG has secured 2.7 million francs in a seed financing round, according to a press release . Investors include the real estate company Swiss Prime Site, Zürcher Kantonalbank and CADFEM International, which specializes in simulation-based planning.

FenX AG has developed a patented technology with which industrial waste can be converted into insulation boards using a cost-effective foam process at room temperature. According to the communication, the insulation boards produced in this way have good insulation properties and high mechanical strength. They are not flammable and cause almost no CO2 emissions.

On the one hand, FenX intends to use the fresh funds to continue investing in research and development. On the other hand, the company wants to set up its first production facility and prepare for market entry. FenX's long-term goal is to produce recyclable building materials around the world. Production is to take place decentrally from locally available resources.

FenX was spun off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ( ETH) in 2019. Behind the company are researchers from the ETH Laboratory for Complex Materials.

May 2021
Jakob Stark presides over Lignum

Lignum held its spring meeting online at the end of April, according to a media release from the umbrella organization for the Swiss forest and timber industry. Economy Minister Guy Parmelin also sent a word of greeting and referred to the potential of wood. On the one hand, building owners and architects in Switzerland would increasingly rely on wood and, on the other hand, forests and wood would contribute to the achievement of the federal government's energy and climate targets. There is an enormous demand for the material worldwide.

Lignum is now managed by Jakob Stark. The Thurgau Council of States has taken over the presidency from Sylvia Flückiger. On her departure, former National Council President Ruedi Lustenberger gave the laudation and underlined that the wood industry had benefited from Flückiger's work in terms of both forest and wood policy.

The new President Stark sees more and more areas of application for wood as a material in the future. Not only in the building sector, but also in the infrastructure sector, for example in bridge construction, as he says in an interview. In addition, there would also be opportunities to use wood together with concrete: “Modern building is hybrid, you mix.” As a competence center for the use of wood in construction, Lignum would be of major importance for a positive future of wood in Switzerland. In addition, wood has the advantage in terms of climate policy, "that the wood used binds a lot of CO2 and can thus make a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gases and slowing global warming, and that is still very cost-effective," says Stark.

May 2021
Empa and Eawag expand campus

The symbolic construction work for the expansion of the research campus by Empa and Eawag in Dübendorf began on Wednesday. The groundbreaking ceremony gave the go-ahead for a new laboratory building. In addition, a multifunctional building and a multi-storey car park are planned on the 20,000 square meter site. According release Empa and completion is scheduled for the middle of the 2024th
The laboratory building will provide space for around 60 new laboratories and offices, the multifunctional building 1000 square meters of office space and space for restaurants on the ground floor. All parking spaces will be moved to the multi-storey car park. A total of 260 vehicles should find space in it. This would make the outside areas more inviting and safer for pedestrians and cyclists. In addition, more greening is possible.
In the future, research will not only be carried out in, but also on and with the new buildings. Innovations from Empa's laboratories are to be used primarily in the areas of energy and building technology. For example, a field with geothermal probes is planned that will store the waste heat from the buildings and release it again in winter. A research project will then investigate how this innovation affects the campus energy supply.

May 2021
The most modern Swiss sawmill is under construction

Tschopp Holzindustrie AG in Buttisholz is investing 75 million francs to replace its now 21-year-old and overloaded sawmill. According to the company, the most modern sawmill in Switzerland is to be built on an area of 20,000 square meters. The company is run in the third generation by the brothers Ronald and Daniel Tschopp.
With this investment, Tschopp Holzindustrie AG is setting an important example for the domestic wood industry, according to a media release. This means that more wood-based materials made from Swiss wood could be made available to the market in the long term.
The new plant is designed for 300,000 cubic meters of logs. They should be managed from the log yard in one-shift operation and from the sawing line, including the sorting plant and stacking systems, in a maximum of two shifts. The wood species spruce / fir from local forests would also be processed in the future. Tschopp continues to rely on the "long-term and professional partnership with the proven raw wood suppliers".
Tschopp Holzindustrie AG specializes in the manufacture of formwork panels for the construction industry. Since 2005, pellets have been produced from the waste wood for the energy industry. Tschopp is the market leader in Switzerland in both areas.
After the new sawmill has gone into operation, timber construction companies will also be offered products that have not yet been manufactured at home or not industrially manufactured in Germany and therefore have to be imported from abroad, such as three-layer natural wood panels.

May 2021
Circulit concrete is being delivered for the first time

In Stadel, the recyclable concrete was delivered circulit for the first time. This will create three apartment buildings on Hinterdorfstrasse. “The circular age begins with the delivery of the first cubic meters of circular concrete,” writes the newly founded company , which calls itself just like its product, in its press release .

Thanks to the use of 1850 cubic meters of circular concrete, the builder EBI Immobilien saves 3260 primary raw materials. It also reduces the construction project's carbon footprint by 18,500 kilograms. This is achieved by using a “new type of technology” to store CO2 in the concrete.

This building material "gives me the opportunity to achieve a significant reduction in the biggest influencing factor, concrete," Sarah Heinle from EBI Immobilien is quoted in the press release. "We hope that other clients will follow suit so that we can achieve the ambitious environmental goals together."

Theoretically, according to Circulit, the construction industry can remove 7.5 million tons of construction waste annually and at the same time store over 42 million kilograms of CO2 in the concrete. The technology is ready for the market and the national expansion has started.

May 2021
LafargeHolcim purchases in Greece

LafargeHolcim has strengthened its Heracles group in Greece. The Zug-based building materials manufacturer bought Halyps Domia Ylika, namely its large aggregates business and two ready-mixed concrete plants, from its competitor Heidelberg Cement. As stated in a media release from LafargeHolcim, this acquisition will strengthen the position of the Heracles Group in the flourishing metropolitan area of Athens with its important infrastructure projects.

"I am excited about the opportunities and growth prospects of this acquisition in the Attica region in central Greece," said Miljan Gutovic, Region Head EMEA, in the press release. "With our leading range of sustainable building solutions such as the green concrete ECOPact, it will also support us in our pursuit of net zero."

The acquisition will offer Heracles customers an expanded product portfolio of aggregates and concrete solutions that are suitable for all construction projects. This April, for example, the Heracles Group launched its ECOPact range of green concrete with a reduced CO2 footprint.

May 2021
Sika is strengthening in Japan

With Hamatite, Sika takes over one of the leading Japanese suppliers of adhesives and sealants. Its annual turnover was most recently 160 million francs. The tire manufacturer Yokohama Rubber has sold this business area as part of a reorientation towards its core business.

With Hamatite, the Zug-based specialty chemicals company has expanded market access to all important Japanese automobile manufacturers, including those outside of Japan. According to a press release , Sika intends to significantly increase the proportion of its solutions per vehicle. In addition, Sika receives extensive global production capacities and can thus offer all car manufacturers long-term advantages in the supply chain.

The acquisition also expands Sika's portfolio of high-quality adhesives and sealants that meet the high Japanese building standards. Sika's market penetration in the automotive and construction sectors will accelerate, said Sika CEO Paul Schuler. "With our global production capacities, we will be able to serve our customers in the automotive sector even better, both on a global and a local level."

"We look forward to", says Mike Campion, Regional Manager Asia / Pacific at Sika, "to welcome the Hamatite employees at Sika and to develop our joint cross-selling potential together with them".

May 2021
Circulit concrete will soon be available nationally

The ecological concrete called Zirkulit will be available throughout Switzerland in the coming months. The two companies Eberhard companies from Kloten and Kästli Bau from Rubigen have entered into a partnership for its production and distribution. Together they created a licensing system for the innovative building material and founded zirkulit AG based in Kloten. The two owners are the first two licensees.

According to a media release by zirkulit AG, Zirkulit is characterized by "maximum circularity", a smaller CO2 footprint and the same static properties as primary concrete. The consumption of primary resources will be reduced to less than a third. In addition, the CO2 footprint will be reduced by a CO2 storage technology developed by zirkulit. As the first client, Swiss Prime Site Immobilien AG decided last autumn to use the JED area in Schlieren ZH circulit.

"The building material has great potential for the construction industry," the managing director of zirkulit AG, Patrick Eberhard, is quoted as saying. He will "make an important contribution to the achievement of the ambitious environmental goals that we have set for ourselves as a society".

Daniel Kästli, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Kästli Bau AG, is also convinced that the national expansion of this building material is "an important milestone on the way to circular and thus sustainable building throughout Switzerland". The experience and knowledge of both companies would "contribute to the fact that Zirkulit Beton will establish itself throughout Switzerland as a future-oriented building material."

May 2021
Holcim drives innovation from start-ups

The Zug-based cement giant Holcim is teaming up with three young Swiss companies, according to a media release . The aim is to advance innovative technologies in the construction sector and promote sustainability.

In cooperation with the Freiburg start-up Mobbot , for example, the integration of recycled building materials into 3D printing technology is to be promoted. Mobbot has developed the necessary 3D printing technology. Together with Holcim, it now wants to develop a concrete recipe that enables the use of recycled material in 3D printing.

Holcim has entered into another cooperation with the Bern-based company Neuustark . The spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ( ETH ) is developing a technology with which CO2 from the atmosphere can be permanently stored in recycled concrete. For this purpose, liquid CO2 is introduced into the demolition material. As part of the collaboration, neustark is investigating the CO2 conversion potential of the demolition concrete recycled by Holcim. In turn, Holcim is optimizing the concrete produced by Neustark. Holcim believes it is possible to integrate the neustark solution into its recycling process in the future.

The third collaboration between Holcim and the Ticino start-up company HeatNeutral has been agreed. This has developed an innovative combustion system that is intended to promote the decarbonization of production facilities. According to the information, the heating system works particularly efficiently and achieves an almost 100 percent combustion of fuels. This means that less fuel is required for the same output. In addition, the HeatNeutral system can also burn CO2-neutral oils such as vegetable oils, used cooking oils and biodiesel. Holcim is testing the solution in its concrete plant in Birsfelden BL.

April 2021
Genome researchers at the Irchel campus get a new laboratory

The Functional Genomics Center Zurich (FGCZ) of the University of Zurich (UZH) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) is getting a new building on the Irchel campus. The groundbreaking is in May. As general contractor, Implenia AG Switzerland and SAM Architects AG Zurich are responsible for the planning and implementation. With their project, they won a selection procedure from the cantonal building construction office in Zurich in March, according to a media release .

Accordingly, a new laboratory building of 1300 square meters is planned. This offers space for 20 different room types. This should accommodate high-tech devices that have different requirements in terms of room climate, temperature, power consumption and availability.

In addition to the laboratories, a new type of office concept is also being created, which offers different opportunities for community and privacy. This new working environment is intended to make work easier for genome researchers and external users, according to the press release. If everything goes according to plan, the 80 employees at the Functional Genomics Center Zurich could move in summer 2022.

The old building of the genome researchers on the Irchel campus is meanwhile being cleared for temporary use. From 2023, three secondary schools in the canton of Zurich are to move in there. After about ten years, the buildings are to be renovated and handed over again for university purposes.

Accordingly, the new laboratory building is a temporary solution. It consists of modules that can easily be dismantled and recycled. Because: After 15 years, the scientists should move back into their traditional building.

April 2021
LafargeHolcim reports record high quarterly results

According to a release from LafargeHolcim , the globally active Zug-based building materials group generated net sales of CHF 5.36 billion in the first quarter of 2021. In a year-on-year comparison and adjusted for portfolio changes, this corresponds to growth of 7.4 percent. The recurring operating result at EBIT level rose in the same period on a comparable basis by 130.7 percent to 528 million Swiss francs.

"I am pleased to announce that we made an excellent start to the year with a record high Q1 result," said Group CEO Jan Jenisch in the announcement. "We are thus continuing our strong growth trajectory of the last few quarters."

Jenisch expects to be able to strengthen the growth dynamic with the acquisition of Firestone Building Products , which was completed in the reporting quarter. The American company, which specializes in building envelopes and roof systems and is based in Nashville, Tennessee, had annual sales of $ 1.8 billion in 2020. The successful integration of the new acquisition should enable LafargeHolcim to achieve its targets for 2022 in the current financial year. Specifically, on a comparable basis, the Group is aiming for a growth in net sales of 3 to 5 percent and an increase in recurring EBIT of at least 10 percent.

LafargeHolcim can also point to success in the area of sustainability. The group was named the most sustainable company in the construction industry by Vigeo-Eiris, according to the announcement. The rating agency for the environment, social affairs and governance has given LafargeHolcim the top grade A1 +. In addition, ten environmentally friendly products from the group, including the sustainable concrete from the ECOPact series, were recognized by the Solar Impulse Foundation . hs

April 2021