Much is expected of the construction sector as the government implements an ambitious plan to invest up to P8 trillion in upgrading infrastructures all over the Philippines by 2022.

To better support the wave of construction activity, building solutions provider Holcim Philippines, Inc. has started projects to raise its cement production capacity to 12 million metric tons by 2019 from the current 10 million metric tons.

While Holcim Philippines is continuously improving its ability to supply this important material, the company is dedicated to having a more positive impact beyond providing cement to business partners and customers as they take on the enormous building challenge.

Holcim Philippines is committed to demonstrating to its construction partners that innovations in building materials, from structural to finishing applications, play a key role in helping the local sector not just complete more projects but deliver these faster, more durably and cost-effectively.

“We are everyday committed to foster improving building and construction in the Philippines. There’s a lot more beyond just building materials that Holcim is now providing through its services, training an accompaniment of our partners and customers in the construction industry with clear goal to bring them more value, convenience and expertise from design to successful execution, be it a simple but important project such as a dream house of a Filipino family or a massive building program on roads or infrastructure,” said Holcim Philippines Head of Marketing & Innovation Paul Vu Huy Dat.

Introduced by Holcim Philippines in 2017, this mobile laboratory allows the company to provide technical support to partners building in the countryside. It is one of the latest offerings to better support building in the country.

Holcim Philippines’ access to a deep pool of technical expertise from the LafargeHolcim Group, world leader in building solutions is a definite advantage. But equally important is Holcim Philippines’ commitment to truly understand its customers’ needs. To have a richer insight on how it can better help customer the company proactively engages key project specifiers at the start.

“By working hand in hand with our partners and customers at the very start, we gain a deeper understanding of their needs that allows us to fully and jointly focus on value to support with tailored approaches, products and services that improve their execution of projects,” Vu Huy Dat said.

This approach was key in Holcim Philippines’ development of a range of innovative construction solutions and services from structural to finishing applications in road, infrastructure, residential, and other building projects. Dubbed PROSOLUTIONS, the offerings are concrete manifestation of the company’s promise to business partners and customers that it will help them build better with certainty.

The company’s PROSOLUTIONS offerings have already received positive feedback from partners in the road infrastructure segment, a key focus of the government’s upgrade plans.

For example, the company was one the key players that introduced roller compacted concrete (RCC) to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which led to the agency setting the standards last year for this building technology. The RCC is expected to help speed up the road construction process especially for secondary thoroughfares.

Holcim Philippines has also successfully deployed a concrete that enables roads to open in 12 up to 24 hours after maintenance and/or repair. Dubbed SuperFast-Crete, this was used for the repairs of C5 and EDSA, two of the busiest highways in Metro Manila, the past two years. The company is also proposing and testing soil stabilization technology, which improves the existing soil condition in areas where the available ground is unsuitable for road construction projects.

Knowing that road expansion plans are concentrated at the countryside, where access to testing and other technical support is difficult, the company developed mobile laboratories starting 2017. These well-equipped labs are deployed to project sites to conduct material testing of concrete, aggregate, soil and other as-built requirements leveraging optimization and cost savings for the contractors. These also serve as a classroom-on-wheels for project workers who need to be trained on how the best practices or even latest techniques in building. These will be complemented by a new dedicated technical laboratory in Davao in 2018.

The road solutions are part of Holcim Philippines’ PROSOLUTION offerings. With more public and private projects on the way, Holcim Philippines is more than ready to help local partners deliver additional value.

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