Tag: Bauwesen

Federal government plans platform for major foreign projects

The federal government wants to help Swiss companies to get better contracts in connection with infrastructure projects. To this end, at the end of 2019 it decided to set up a coordination office at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs ( SECO ).
According to a statement , the Federal Council is now making a total of 7.8 million francs available for the years 2022 to 2024. The aim is to strengthen and expand the networking of actors such as the official foreign trade promoter Switzerland Global Enterprise , export risk insurance SERV and other federal agencies and interested business associations.
The federal government is also planning a digital platform that will bring together the supply and demand for infrastructure projects abroad. SERV should also target general contractors and project sponsors who might be interested in Swiss suppliers.
The federal government also assumes that the expansion of the infrastructure will increase the demand for innovative solutions for sustainable development. Therefore, employees of the external network are to receive more advanced training in the area of cleantech.

April 2021
Sika raises the bar

Sika closed the first quarter of 2021 with record sales of just under 2.0 billion francs, the Zug-based building materials group announced in a press release . In a year-on-year comparison, this corresponds to growth of 10.2 percent. Sika writes that growth of 12.6 percent was achieved in local currencies. The announcement puts organic growth at 11.1 percent.

All market regions of the globally active group contributed to the positive development. In the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, Africa), a year-on-year increase in sales of 13.2 percent in local currencies to 914.7 million Swiss francs was achieved. The Americas region grew by 6.2 percent in local currencies. In the Asia / Pacific region, sales in local currencies rose by 25.8 percent to 422.8 million Swiss francs. In business with the automotive industry (Global Business), growth of 2.7 percent in local currencies was achieved after a minus in the previous year.

"In the new year we were able to seamlessly build on our strong performance from the fourth quarter of the previous year", Paul Schuler, chairman of the group management, is quoted in the announcement. As a consequence of the development, Sika is adjusting its growth targets for the year as a whole upwards. Instead of the 6 to 8 percent originally communicated, the aim is now to achieve double-digit sales growth in local currencies. The margin on the operating result (EBIT) is also to be increased to 15 percent for the first time this year. In the previous year, an EBIT margin of 14.4 percent was achieved.

April 2021
Sustainable building network develops new standard

The Zurich Sustainable Building Network Switzerland (NNBS) has published a new measuring and control instrument for sustainable building. As of April, a specially set up technical secretariat takes care of the announcement of the new standard, as stated in a press release . The department is intended to be the point of contact for engineers, planners and builders in all construction phases.

The civil engineer and professor for sustainable building at the Bern University of Applied Sciences in Burgdorf, Stephan Wütherich, is in charge of the secretariat. Erdjan Opan from OPAN concept SA also brings his knowledge to the secretariat. He played a key role in developing the standard for sustainable building in the infrastructure sector.

The standard measures the sustainability of a project using 75 indicators. It can be used in all project phases from the location decision through project development and construction to operation, maintenance and dismantling. The users use it to assess various topics such as health and safety, costs and benefits, energy and soil, as well as community, climate and landscape, like checklists.

The catalog also helps to question established processes, raise funds and support communication with political actors and the population, according to the announcement.

The standard is based on the SIA 112/2 "Sustainable Building – Civil Engineering and Infrastructures" standard and is compatible with other application systems.

April 2021
Implenia wants to make construction sites CO2-free

The Norwegian subsidiary of the Implenia construction group, Implenia Norge AS, has signed a contract with Oslo-based TECO 2030 ASA for the development and testing of hydrogen-powered construction solutions. In doing so, Implenia is responding to the Norwegian government's goal of ensuring that all construction sites in the transport sector should be free of fossil fuels by 2025.

“Our fuel cells can be used for large ships and other heavy-duty applications,” explains TECO 2030 CEO Tore Enger in a press release from his company, “why not also drive devices on construction sites? We are very pleased that an industry leader like Implenia has decided to work with TECO 2030 to develop and test the fuel cells that are necessary to achieve the climate targets. "

“Our collaboration with TECO 2030 is an important part of our strategic plan and our corporate sustainability goal,” says Audun Aaland, CEO of Implenia Norge AS.

The agreement between the two companies extends for a period of five years. It comprises the three steps of project financing, product development, and commercialization and use. The first fuel cells are to be delivered in January 2023.

April 2021
Sika raises the bar

Sika closed the first quarter of 2021 with record sales of just under 2.0 billion francs, the Zug-based building materials group announced in a press release . In a year-on-year comparison, this corresponds to growth of 10.2 percent. Sika writes that growth of 12.6 percent was achieved in local currencies. The announcement puts organic growth at 11.1 percent.

All market regions of the globally active group contributed to the positive development. In the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, Africa), a year-on-year increase in sales of 13.2 percent in local currencies to 914.7 million Swiss francs was achieved. The Americas region grew by 6.2 percent in local currencies. In the Asia / Pacific region, sales in local currencies rose by 25.8 percent to 422.8 million Swiss francs. In business with the automotive industry (Global Business), growth of 2.7 percent in local currencies was achieved after a minus in the previous year.

"In the new year we were able to seamlessly build on our strong performance from the fourth quarter of the previous year", Paul Schuler, chairman of the group management, is quoted in the announcement. As a consequence of the development, Sika is adjusting its growth targets for the year as a whole upwards. Instead of the 6 to 8 percent originally communicated, the aim is now to achieve double-digit sales growth in local currencies. The margin on the operating result (EBIT) is also to be increased to 15 percent for the first time this year. In the previous year, an EBIT margin of 14.4 percent was achieved.

April 2021
Office floor in NEST is being built so that it can be recycled

The office unit in NEST called Sprint is intended to set new standards for circular building. The groundbreaking ceremony will take place in mid-April. It should be finished in summer. Sprint is located on the first floor of NEST in Dübendorf. The three-storey modular building is the research and innovation center of the Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute ( Empa ) and the water research institute of the ETH Domain ( Eawag ).

As stated in a press release by Empa, those involved in the planning concentrated on finding the most general solutions possible for a later dismantling. In doing so, they follow a design approach that facilitates future changes and dismantling to recover systems, components and materials. Today's buildings have to be built in such a way “that their components can be fed back into cycles”, says Kerstin Müller, managing architect at baubüro in situ and managing director of Zirkular GmbH .

Your colleague Oliver Seidel points out that reusing materials is often associated with lower costs. “But the added value lies in another area: Re-use is more sustainable. And in terms of quality there is no loss. ”On the contrary. For example, the aesthetics of an old wooden parquet floor represent added value.

"For the first time, Empa is combining the approach of reuse and the market requirements of fast and flexible construction," Enrico Marchesi, innovation manager and project manager at NEST, is quoted as saying. "With the new 'Sprint' unit, we want to show that these needs can be met together."

April 2021
Sika invests in Qatar

Sika has increased the production capacities for concrete admixtures at its location in Qatar's capital Doha, informs the Zug-based building materials group in a press release . In addition, the production of epoxy resins has now also started there, it says there. They are needed for the production of floor coverings and adhesives.

The expansion investments are intended to put Sika in a better position in the competition for major government contracts in Qatar. Here, the national procurement policy stipulates that primarily domestically manufactured products are procured, explains the group. According to the announcement, high investments in the supply infrastructure for energy and water are pending in Qatar.

"Our latest investment in Qatar positions us for further growth and strengthens our competitiveness in the country", Sika Regional Manager EMEA Ivo Schädler is quoted in the press release. "As a result of the expanded production, we are assuming a significant increase in demand and volume for our high-quality adhesive and flooring solutions for our business."

April 2021
LafargeHolcim green building solutions receive certificate

Among the 1000 solutions identified by the Solar Impulse Foundation that protect the environment in a profitable way, ten are from the building materials group LafargeHolcim . In 2018, the Lausanne Foundation of environmental pioneer Bertrand Piccard set out to find, evaluate and certify at least 1000 solutions worldwide. Now they are presented to decision makers to accelerate their scaled application.

According to a company release, LafargeHolcim's products that have been awarded this environmental label include the green concrete ECOPact, which enables CO2-neutral construction, as well as bioactive reef concrete, which restores marine ecosystems, and 3D printing technologies for the faster creation of affordable housing and infrastructure.

"It's great to see companies like LafargeHolcim committed to implementing several such solutions that are positive for the planet," said Piccard. "Given the global reach and size of the company, that can make a real difference in tackling today's climate crisis."

LafargeHolcim CEO Jan Jenisch is proud of his company's “strong contribution” to the goal of the Solar Impulse Foundation. "More than half of our development activities focus on sustainable building solutions," he is quoted as saying. "Today's confirmation of our clean technologies is a great encouragement for our teams to continue pushing the boundaries of innovation for sustainable building."

April 2021
LafargeHolcim becomes Holcim again

At this year's General Meeting, the Board of Directors will propose that the name of the LafargeHolcim Ltd. in Holcim Ltd. to change, informs LafargeHolcim in a message . The aim is to increase the “efficiency and impact” of the globally active company and build on “the legacy of the group”. The various LafargeHolcim brand names will remain unaffected by the group's name change.

The company, which was founded in Holderbank AG in 1912, had been operating under the name Holcim since 2001. After the merger with the French building materials manufacturer Lafarge, the group was renamed LafargeHolcim in 2015.

In addition, the general assembly on May 4th is due to vote on the relocation of the headquarters from Rapperswil-Jona to Zug. This will complete the restructuring of the Group's office locations, which was initiated in 2018, writes LafargeHolcim.

In addition, upcoming changes to the Board of Directors will be communicated in the notification. Its Vice President Oscar Fanjul has decided to resign, LafargeHolcim informs. Fanjul was nominated for the Board of Directors by Lafarge in 2015. He had "played a central role in the successful merger of Lafarge and Holcim and made a significant contribution to making the company the leading global provider of building materials and solutions that it is today," said Chairman of the Board Beat Hess in the press release.

Jan Jenisch, who has been CEO of the Group since September 2017, is also to be elected to the Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting. This serves to ensure continuity in management, explains the group.

April 2021
Implenia is renovating the St.Gallen city motorway

The Federal Roads Office has commissioned ARGE Stadtautobahn with the renovation of the St.Gallen urban motorway between the St.Gallen West and St.Gallen East connections, Implenia explains in a press release . The construction and real estate company from Dietlikon has a 30 percent stake in ARGE Stadtautobahn. In addition to construction work, Implenia will take over the commercial management of the project for the renovation of the St.Gallen city motorway.

The repair work should start at the end of May and be completed by the end of 2024, Implenia further explains in the communication. During this period, coverings, drainage, edge closures and noise barriers will be renewed and some bridges, galleries, support structures and the Stephanshorn tunnel will be renovated. In addition, the construction of a new passerelle is planned.

"The renovation of the St.Gallen city motorway is a complex, large-scale project," Christian Späth is quoted as saying in the communication. The Head Civil Engineering Division Implenia is looking forward to being able to “combine Implenia's accumulated expertise in bridge, tunnel and road construction with our extensive experience in managing large infrastructure projects”.

April 2021
ETH Zurich helps with the construction of the Zug wooden high-rise

A ten-story office building with wooden components is to be built on the Suurstoffi site in Risch Rotkreuz. With a height of 80 meters, it will be one of the tallest wooden houses ever, as the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ( ETH ) writes in an article. A lot of basic research is also required for the construction. Due to fire protection, this type of construction has only been allowed in Switzerland since 2015.

According to the article, basic research for the new building is being carried out in the ETH building hall on the Hönggerberg. There, for example, it is simulated how the timber structure would behave in strong winds. Computer models are not always sufficient for such simulations. This is why experiments are carried out in the ETH building hall. "For us, testing something usually means loading it until it is destroyed," explains Dominik Werne, head of the construction hall, in the article. In the case of innovations in particular, computer models have to be validated through tests, adds Andrea Frangi, Professor of Timber Construction at the Institute for Structural Analysis at ETH.

Tests on the structure of the Zug high-rise are currently being carried out in the building hall. This is planned by the Zurich engineering firm WaltGalmarini and built by the general contractor Implenia . After the tests at the ETH, the researchers decide together with engineers from WaltGalmarini which systems Implenia should use during construction.

April 2021
Steiner plans a new residential complex in Winterthur

The real estate developer Steiner AG is planning to build a new residential complex in Winterthur, according to a media release . It is to be built on the KIM site at Winterthur Neuhegi train station. The so-called Haus Weiler is to be built on a plot of 3328 square meters and comprises 80 condominiums. Twelve of these will be built as studio apartments on the ground floor with private garden terraces. A further twelve are being built as attic apartments with private roof terraces.

The design plan for the KIM area already became legally effective in September 2013. The newly emerging quarter combines living and working. It includes green areas, playgrounds and car-free zones. Grocery stores, cafes and restaurants are within walking distance. In addition, Zurich Airport can be reached in 25 minutes by car or train.

According to the announcement, the building application was submitted to the city of Winterthur on March 25th. Steiner AG expects construction work to start in summer 2022. Completion is planned for spring 2025.

March 2021
NaturLoop wins CHF 150,000 for composites made from coconut

The start-up company NaturLoop from Biel BE won 150,000 francs from Venture Kick for its project to manufacture sustainable biocomposites, or composite materials, from coconut shells. According to a press release, NaturLoop wants to use the money to strengthen its marketing activities and to set up a new pilot project in the Philippines by the end of 2022. A factory for the production of cocoboard is to be built there. The natural fiber board is made from coconut shells. By using coconut shells instead of wood, the Biel-based start-up aims to limit deforestation, increase the local availability of furniture and building materials, improve farmers' livelihoods and promote a circular economy.

NaturLoop wants to replace wood-based composite materials with Cocoboard. According to the communication, these release formaldehyde and other harmful gases, which leads to indoor air pollution. In addition, their production leads to excessive waste generation and energy consumption. The start-up now wants to use part of the around 21 million tons of coconut shells that are produced around the world every year and are either burned or thrown in the trash. NaturLoops Cocoboard is a natural fiber board made from coconut shells and pressed into boards with natural tannin glue. It can be used to make furniture, cupboards, floors or ceiling tiles.

"What distinguishes Venture Kick from other startup programs are the people behind it: The feedback I got during the Kickers Camp was honest and unbiased," Daniel Dinizo, co-founder and CEO of NaturLoop, is quoted as saying.

NaturLoop is a spin-off from the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) and was co-founded by Daniel Dinizo (CEO) and Michail Kyriazopoulos (CTO). The team is currently working on exclusive supply contracts, pre-sales orders, the completion of the production concept and the opening of the seed financing round. According to the announcement, NaturLoop estimates the market for imported wood-based materials at $ 1 billion.

March 2021
Fritschi Fensterbau joins the Spycher Group

In the future, Fritschi Fensterbau AG will operate under the umbrella of Spycher Group Holding AG from Vechingen BE, the two companies inform in a message . With the takeover, the holding company, which has subsidiaries and investments in various economic sectors, wants to strengthen its business in the construction industry.

"Fritschi Fensterbau AG fits perfectly into our group, which already includes several other companies active in the construction ancillary trade", Matthias Spycher, owner and CEO of Spycher Group Holding AG, is quoted in the announcement. "We are also proud to be able to take over a prosperous company with excellent people."

The previous owner and managing director of Fritschi Fensterbau AG will leave the company at the end of March. The previous project manager of Fritschi Fensterbau, Thomas Gisy, is to lead the fate of the window manufacturer from the Zürcher Unterland under the umbrella of the holding company. "In Thomas Gisy we have found an ideal internal successor for Sven Spitzli," explains Spycher. The management of the sales department at Fritschi Fensterbau will be taken over by Thomas Gisy's son and longstanding employee of the company, Tobias Gisy.

March 2021
Empa is replacing bitumen in road construction with string

Researchers at the Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt ( Empa ) are currently examining a new method for stabilizing the amount of stone in road construction. Specifically, according to the press release, it is about replacing the bitumen binding agent in the production of the driving surface. Asphalt consists of stones of different shapes and sizes and only becomes a surface that can be used for roads when it is stabilized with the help of bitumen.

Bitumen causes environmental problems. Air pollutants are released during production from crude oil and later during use. Asphalt is also prone to cracks and deformations and impermeable to rainwater, which pollutes the environment.

The two Empa researchers Martin Arraigada and Saeed Abbasion from the concrete and asphalt department at Empa are currently implementing a method known from art for the production of road surfaces in a test arrangement. In such art objects, stone steles have been used, which are stabilized by a weave of twine and withstand loads of up to 20 tons at a height of 80 centimeters.

In the experiment, an electronically controlled robot arm applies a string to a stone layer in a specific pattern. By “interweaving” the stones are fixed in five layers in their position in the “road bed”. In tests, these were already as strong as conventional bitumen asphalt under loads of half a ton. Inexpensive twine was used, such as are conventionally used for tying up packages.

The trials have not yet led to a ready-to-use product that could be used in road construction. The basic work, however, provides a lot of innovation potential in order to get closer to a recyclable and perhaps rollable road surface using simple means, according to the Empa announcement. A video of the procedure can also be viewed on the website.

March 2021
Andermatt Reuss continues to grow

Andermatt Swiss Alps AG notes a sustained high demand for residential property in the mountains. The company plans, builds and develops the year-round destination Andermatt. The new district of Andermatt Reuss will be built according to a master plan by 30 international architectural offices, it says on their website.

Six apartment houses are currently under construction, according to Andermatt Swiss Alps AG in a media release. 36 of the 46 apartments are already reserved. After the snow melts, the construction of two more houses will begin. In the past few months, several houses around the Piazza Gottardo have grown in height. Some of them were already sold out in the shell construction phase or only had a few apartments left.

In the coming months, the infrastructure base, known as the podium, on which the new buildings are located, will be expanded further. The next expansion will cover around 19,000 square meters and offer space for 16 houses. In addition, it is planned to start preparatory work for the third hotel in the summer.

March 2021
Coconut fiber becomes a building material

As early as 2014, the Institute for Materials and Wood Technology (IWH) at the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) started a research project in which inexpensive and sustainable building material based on coconut fibers was to be developed, the BFH informed in a message . The experience gained is being further developed by Michail Kyriazopoulos in a spin-off from the BFH. The former student and research assistant at the IWH founded the start-up NaturLoop together with Daniel Dinizo.

As the first product, NaturLoop has launched a building board made from coconut fibers. Crop waste from Filipino coconut farmers is used for their production. "With Cocoboard we offer a sustainable, cheap and local alternative to conventional building materials", Kyriazopoulos is quoted in the communication. The next thing on the NaturLoop program is the opening of a production facility in the Philippines.

The products of the young company from Bern are intended to reduce the Philippines' dependence on imported building materials. The sale of coconut fibers also offers local coconut farmers an additional source of income. "As a technology service provider, we want to offer complete solutions for the development of sustainable, natural biocomposites made from agricultural by-products," says NaturLoop CEO Dinizio. For him, sustainability means "taking into account the mutual dependence of nature and people."

March 2021
There are plans for the Rorschacher Feldmühle site

The Zurich-based project developer as well as total and general contractor Steiner is planning, together with the Steiner Investment Foundation , to develop the largely fallow land of the Feldmühle site in Rorschach. A sub-zone and a design plan, which was drawn up together with the city of Rorschach, will be available to the public from Monday until April 21 at the Office for Building and Urban Development. They can also be viewed on the city's website. An identical press release from Steiner and the city provides information on this.

On the 27,500 square meter inner-city area near the train station, 40 percent residential buildings for 760 people are planned, a total of 142 condominiums and 162 rental apartments. Commercial space is to be 20 percent or 9,000 square meters.

An underground car park, e-parking spaces and a car sharing provider are also planned. Individual, historically valuable and identity-creating buildings are retained and placed in context with new buildings. The original character of the former industrial plant should remain noticeable. Completion of the project is planned for 2025 if everything goes smoothly.

March 2021
Implenia is building tunnels on the Gotthard

The Federal Roads Office has awarded the ARGE secondo tubo (in German: second tube) the contract for the construction of a four kilometer long access tunnel to the second Gotthard tube. According to its press release , Implenia is in charge of this working group. It has a 40 percent stake in it, as does Webuild Group / csc . Frutiger holds a further 20 percent.

According to the information, ARGE secondo tubo was able to prevail against four other offers and two additional variants in the tender with the highest number of points from the evaluation of all award criteria. The award is still subject to a 20-day complaint period. Construction work is scheduled to begin this spring and last two and a half years.

"The Gotthard road tunnel is a central infrastructure project for Switzerland, to which Implenia, as the largest Swiss construction service provider with a lot of experience and concentrated specialist know-how, can make an important contribution," said the head of Implenia's Civil Engineering Division, Christian Late, quoted in the communication.

Implenia had already been awarded the contract to relocate the north safety tunnel in November 2020. This is the current lot for the construction of the second tube in the Gotthard road tunnel. This award precedes the publication of the invitation to tender for the two larger lots by a few months, the announcement said. In 2001 and 2014, Implenia was already heavily involved in the construction of the Gotthard Base Tunnel for the railways. At that time, the total order volume was 2.84 billion Swiss francs.

March 2021
Implenia is building tunnels in Norway

The entire Fornebubanen project includes the construction of a railway line from the Fornebu peninsula to connect to the Oslo subway. The construction work that began in December last year is expected to be completed in 2027. Under the project Fornebubanen has Implenia commissioned with the planning and construction of a tunnel for a distance of 2.3 kilometers, the construction and real estate company informed of Dietlikon in a release . The contract volume is stated there at 1.2 billion Norwegian kroner or the equivalent of 131 million francs.

Audun Aaland, Head of Tunneling and Country President Norway at Implenia, is quoted in the press release as quoted in the press release. In addition to the construction of the tunnel and its cross sections, Implenia will also build excavation pits and rock shafts for the Flytårnet and Fornebuporten stations.

"Those companies that invest the most in alternative fuel technologies and contribute to the electrification of machines and systems performed best in this competition," explains Grete Tvedt, project manager at Fornebubanen, in the press release. "The focus on sustainability seems to produce good solutions, not only in terms of environmental and climate protection, but also for the entire project."

The contract is to be signed after a ten-day objection period has expired. Construction work is scheduled to start in May of this year.

March 2021
Hächler rebuilds Spreitenbacher Waldhütte

Hächler AG from Wettingen has rebuilt the forest hut belonging to the municipality of Spreitenbach, which had become dilapidated due to subsidence. From spring onwards, the forest hut will again be available to citizens for festive occasions with 40 seats, according to the press release . There is a new hall with a fitted kitchen and an open fireplace both inside and outside.

The new building in the middle of the forest on Heitersberg became necessary because of subsidence. The forest hut was built in 1968 and renovated in 1990. According to the Hächler Group, the municipality of Spreitenbach decided to rebuild the popular forest hut due to the subsidence of the ground by around 20 centimeters. In May 2020, the timber construction department at Hächler AG was awarded the contract to build the new forest hut.

According to a report submitted by Günter Ebner, Head of Timber Construction at Hächler, the replacement building in timber element construction in the Neuenhof workshop was prefabricated in the same dimensions as the old hut. The finished wall elements with built-in electrical preparation and cutting of the roof components were produced in just three weeks. The shell assembly in the forest on the Heitersberg was carried out with millimeter precision using the company's own truck crane. The inner wall surfaces made of multi-layer panels in spruce and fir were protected from moisture during assembly. According to the Hächler report, only ecological and sustainable building materials were used.

The materials are technically state-of-the-art and enable a comfortable room climate as well as heat, cold and noise protection. The combination of vapor-permeable and multi-layer materials with good soundproofing properties would have made this concept of the forest hut a really great project, construction manager Ebner is quoted as saying.

21 cubic meters of domestic spruce wood, 45 cubic meters of mineral insulation and 450 square meters of multilayer wood panels were used for the supporting structure.

March 2021
Renovation of the Mandarin Oriental Palace Lucerne is making progress

The Hotel Palace Luzern is currently being extensively renovated. It is to be reopened next spring as the Mandarin Oriental Palace Lucerne.

The modernization is progressing, according to a press release . Invita Hospitality Projects, which belongs to Bündner Baulink AG , has now been commissioned to handle FF&E (Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment) and SOE (Small Operating Equipment).

Specifically, Invita will be responsible for purchasing loose furnishings for the 146 rooms and suites and redesigning the public areas. In the spa and fitness area, the Baulink subsidiary even received the entire specialist coordination contract. She also coordinates the redesign of the public areas, which include the catering area as well as conference and meeting rooms.

The interior design is meanwhile taken over by the London office Jestico & Whiles. Architecturally, the project is being accompanied by Iwan Bühler Architects from Lucerne.

The hotel is located in the middle of the city of Lucerne, directly on the shores of Lake Lucerne.

March 2021
Sika buys mortar manufacturer in Brazil

Sika buys a mortar manufacturer in Brazil. With its BR Massa brand, Supermassa do Brasil Ltda has a strong market position in the Minas Gerais region, Sika explains in a statement on the takeover. It is intended to strengthen the presence of the Zug-based building materials group in hardware stores and specialist dealers in what is said to be one of the most important economic regions in Brazil. In addition, Sika is relying on being able to successfully offer other of its own products in conjunction with BR Massa products.

"With BR Massa we can further improve our customer service and our offer in the Minas Gerais region", Christoph Ganz, Regional Manager Americas, is quoted in the press release. “The increased presence in sales and the expanded local supply chain will make a significant contribution to the further penetration of the Brazilian market.” The takeover also gives Sika its first production site in the region.

The transaction will take place subject to the approval of the local antitrust authorities, Sika further informs in the announcement. No information is given there about the purchase price or further details about the takeover.

March 2021
Implenia relies on virtual reality for Lokstadt-Areal

Implenia uses the advantages of virtual reality (VR) at the Lokstadt site in Winterthur. This is made possible thanks to a solution from the Zurich start-up Hegias . Right from the start, users were able to immerse themselves in the virtual plaster model of the area and walk through it from different perspectives.

Thanks to the solution, concerns of monument conservationists could also be quickly dispelled, writes Hegias in a press release. They initially had reservations about a new hotel, which should have shipping containers as a room. When the concept could be experienced virtually, they were convinced that the “valuable building fabric” would be preserved and that the halls would not be crammed full.

In addition, the VR solution is also useful for marketing real estate, according to the announcement. The spatial understanding and the experience of the residential property are essential drivers in the purchase decision. Implenia has already bought a license for the Hegias software. Now she wants to expand the use of the software.

"What was missing so far for the breakthrough of VR was user-friendly software that users can use anywhere without installation and without relevant programming knowledge," Anita Eckardt, head of the Specialties Division at Implenia and member of the management board, is quoted in the press release. "The start-up Hegias made this possible with the intuitively operable solution for VR applications – a real quantum leap."

March 2021
Sika sets new standards in the recycling of concrete

According to a message from Sika , the Zug-based building materials group has "developed a new, groundbreaking recycling process for old concrete". With the help of additives, the demolition material is broken down into its components pebble, lime and sandstone. In addition, around 60 kilograms of CO2 per tonne of old concrete would be bound, writes Sika.

"In the five largest EU countries alone, around 300 million tons of old concrete are produced annually," Sika CEO Paul Schuler is quoted in the press release. "By completely recycling, up to 15 million tons of CO2 emissions can be saved."

The new process allows the complete recycling of concrete waste, explains Sika in the press release. Conventional processes, on the other hand, have only made it possible to recycle around a third of the raw materials recovered. The new concrete obtained in the reCO2ver process, on the other hand, comes close to that of new concrete in terms of quality.

According to Frank Hoefflin, reCO2ver is a unique method in the industry for recycling old concrete. "We are already working on developing chemical additives and means to continuously improve quality in order to further advance the industrialization of our technology," explains the head of technology at Sika in the message.

March 2021
Young Zurich architects win prizes

The canton of Zurich attracts good young architects. All three podium places of the Foundation Awards 2021 went to offices in the canton, and almost all of the award winners came from outside the country.

The Comte / Meuwly office in Zurich received first prize. The two Romands Adrien Comte and Adrien Meuwly were more interested in everyday life and nameless architecture than in building icons, the jury wrote in its reasoning . The work of the office included an extension of a prefabricated wooden house in Geneva as well as a canopy over an old building door and sails for a buvette. "At a time when many are looking for historical references and lovely colors, this minimalist hardness and lightness is surprising and fresh," said the jury.

Angel Solanellas Terés, Camiel Van Noten and Marianne Meister met at a workshop in Antwerp and are now working together in Zurich. You won over the jury with your projects for the Brigerberg residence in Ried-Brig VS and for the Köbö studio in Zurich.

Saikal Zhunushova from the Oekofacta office in Winterthur impressed with her gentle renovation of a Flarzhaus from 1832 in the Zurich Oberland. She also involved the family of the house in the work. The architect trained in Kyrgyzstan combines suggestions from her old and new homeland in her work. She brings the Kyrgyz yurt as a garden pavilion to Switzerland and energy-saving construction projects from Switzerland to Kyrgyzstan.

The Foundation Award has been honoring young Swiss architecture firms since 2010. The award is sponsored, among others, by the cultural television art-tv.ch , the architecture magazine “Hochparterre ”, the Swiss Architecture Museum in Basel and Swissbau.

March 2021
LafargeHolcim is on course for recovery

According to a release from LafargeHolcim , the Zug-based building materials group generated total sales of CHF 23.14 billion in the 2020 financial year. In a year-on-year comparison, this corresponds to a decrease of 13.4 percent. The recurring operating profit at EBIT level was 3.68 billion Swiss francs, 10.4 percent below the previous year's figure. Consolidated profit fell by 7.5 percent compared to 2019 to 1.90 billion Swiss francs.

"2020 was an extraordinary year for everyone, which we have not yet experienced in this form", Jan Jenisch is quoted in the communication. According to the CEO, LafargeHolcim has proven its resilience during the crisis. In the fourth quarter of 2020 the company "returned to the growth path". Specifically, sales and recurring operating profit increased by 1.5 and 14.1 percent on a comparable basis compared to the previous year.

For the current year, LafargeHolcim is aiming for a growth in recurring operating income of at least 7 percent on a comparable basis. The takeover of the American manufacturer of roof systems and building envelopes, Firestone Building Products , which was announced in January, should contribute to this. As part of the acquisition, LafargeHolcim is creating a new position for global management of the Solutions & Products segment. She will be taken over by the current CEO of US Cement, Jamie Gentoso.

In order to streamline the group organization, LafargeHolcim is also merging the regions Europe and the Middle East and Africa into one region EMEA, is further explained in the press release. The current head of Middle East and Africa, Miljan Gutovic, will take over the management of EMEA. The previous head of Europe, Marcel Cobuz, has decided to leave the group, writes LafargeHolcim.

March 2021
Madaster realizes circular building

BIM Facility , GS1 and ZPF Ingenieure are the first three partners to sign an agreement with Madaster, the Swiss cadastre for materials in the built environment. "Your expertise and our platform make material data usable over the entire life cycle of buildings", managing director Marloes Fischer is quoted in a press release. "Together we can implement circular building."

BIM Facility wants to contribute to this with its modeling of building data. The Zurich-based company uses drones to create digital twins of buildings. The digital twin can be transferred directly to Madaster and a material pass can be issued.

Together with Madaster users, the non-profit organization GS1 wants to develop and implement solutions for the availability of reliable and precise data over the entire life cycle of a building, explains Uwe Rüdel, Sector Manager Technical Industries at GS1 Switzerland.

ZPF engineers from Zurich support builders and property owners in carrying out circular construction planning. They also analyze existing buildings on the basis of a material pass. According to executive board member Jaqueline Pauli, this should save raw materials.

Madaster's platform offers digital tools such as material passports and indexes on the economic and circular value of buildings. "Our job is to make materials available forever by giving them an identity on our platform," says Madaster's website. “If materials have an identity, they become a resource for reuse.” Every building is understood as a raw material store with a certain value.

March 2021
Siemens technology makes The Circle sustainable

The Circle building complex at Zurich Airport, which was inaugurated in November last year, is not only Minergie-certified, but also meets the LEED PLATINUM standard of the US Green Building Council, Siemens Switzerland informs in a press release . At the highest standard of the organization, seven areas are checked for sustainability, it says there. Products for building and energy technology from Siemens have made an active contribution to the sustainability of The Circle.

In total, over 30,000 Siemens components have been installed in the Circle, the company writes in the press release. "We are present with our products in every room", Felix von Rotz, Head of Building Products Switzerland, is quoted there. For the implementation of the order, Siemens Switzerland had "designed a unique logistics concept, with a warehouse at our Steinhausen location and a transport vehicle that is only on the road for The Circle," explains von Rotz.

When it comes to heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, Siemens products create a healthy and optimal room climate. Other components regulate the communication of the controls of these systems with blinds and lights. All buildings can be fully automated using the KNX communication standard.

A further 7,000 Siemens components were installed in the power engineering systems. There are also voice alarm systems in private and public areas of the complex.

February 2021
Trusttechnology equips Turin with pavilions

Turin, the capital of Piedmont, has ordered 50 of its pavilions from the Ticino start-up Trusttechnology. The aim is to equip the bars and restaurants in the so-called Murazzi buildings along the banks of the Po. A report on startupticker.ch provides information on this.

These transparent protective structures fold up automatically when required, powered by batteries, and then only take up about one square meter of space. This corresponds to the city's flood protocol: when the water level rises in the arcades and boathouses on the west bank of the Po, they can be quickly stowed away by the staff present. Their installation is planned as soon as the catering industry is allowed to reopen after the corona lockdown.

According to the announcement, the entrepreneurial journey of the now 47-year-old owner Tiziano Pili led from an advanced semester at the University of Applied Sciences South Switzerland and the Venturelab via the Tecnopolo of the Agire Foundation in Manno TI, where he founded his company. In 2014, Pili received an international patent and then the Swiss Made certification. As a finalist in the StartCup Ticino competition, he was finally accepted into the USI Startup Center of the University of Italian Switzerland .

"I believe that the solution I have designed will radically change the market for temporary protective structures outdoors," says Pili. "The ink on the contract is not dry yet, as I am already finalizing the contract negotiations with a large company near Asti that would also like to invest in this solution."

February 2021