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| Lafarge delivers sand for Paris Plages Lafarge group, the world leader in building materials, has teamed up with the city of Paris for the Paris Plages operation. Lafarge will provide and ensure the river transport of the 2,400 tonnes of sand needed for the various sites. The delivery in a single river convoy saves the equivalent of around 100 lorries. With more than 400 million tonnes produced every year in France, aggregates (sand and gravels) are the third most commonly used raw material around the world, after air and water. Every French citizen consumes 6 tonnes a year for housing and travel. Aggregates are one of the key ingredients used in concrete and play a fundamental role in urban planning and construction. For instance, the 185m high T1 tower, the second highest at La Défense, currently under construction, requires around 100,000 tonnes of aggregates. For the Stade de France, 300,000 tonnes were needed, and between 100 and 300 tonnes of aggregates are required for building an individual house. In 2006, more than 30 million tonnes of the material were used in the building, civil engineering and roadwork industries in the Paris region, including some 4 million tonnes for urban renovations within the centre of Paris. Within Paris, aggregates produced in Lafarge quarries located in the Parisian basin are for the most part transported by water, on the Seine and its navigable tributaries. This choice represents a major environmental advantage for Paris and the Ile-de-France region. The use of water transport frees up the roads. What's more, is safe, economical and punctual, and creates no sound pollution or traffic jams. Lafarge prefers this means of transportation for delivering to concrete plants located on the banks of the Seine. These plants produce modern day stone – ready-mix concrete – using a mixture of aggregates, cement and water. This is then delivered to Parisian construction sites. write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Construction News :: home page |