The discovery of new cement mixtures by researchers at Lancaster University in England could turn buildings, bridges, street lamps and even curb-stones into cheap batteries. The mixture, which is made from fly ash and chemical solutions, is able to store electrical energy through the diffusion of potassium ions and can monitor its own structural health.
Everything it seems runs on batteries and science has been working overtime to develop longer-lasting and easily rechargeable battery alternatives. But what if an entire building was a battery?
Consistent with its Strategy 2022, LafargeHolcim announced that it will close its head offices in Paris and Zurich by the end of the year, eliminating 200 jobs as part of a cost-cutting drive. Remaining positions in Switzerland will be moved to the company’s Holderbank site and a new corporate office in Zug. In Paris, remaining positions will be moved to Clamart, a commune in the southwestern suburbs of the city.
Total shipments of portland and blended cement in the United States and Puerto Rico in March 2018 were about 7.4 million metric tons (Mt), slightly less than shipments in March 2017, according to the most recent USGS Mineral Industry Survey.
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