Concrete Centre makes debut

A new organisation, The Concrete Centre, has been launched to provide a focal point for the £5bn concrete industry.

Faced with increased compet-ition from structural materials, such as steel and wood, sales of cement and concrete in the UK over the past decade have not been as high as hoped, with the UK's usage of concrete amounting to only 60% of the EU average and 70% of the US.

This prompted major cement and concrete companies to fund a strategic review resulting in the establishment of The Concrete Centre.

The centre's chief executive Ian Cox said: "It will provide a well-resourced one-stop-shop for the industry by acting as a focal point for the whole concrete sector."

Cox stressed that it is not a trade association. Instead it aims to provide a rapid response to all questions relating to the design, use and performance of concrete.