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drymix.info Newsletter 182/2016; ISSN Number 1613-0111; 18. August 2016

1. Post-Event Report: Buenos Aires
2. cedmmc five, Istanbul, 20.9.16 featuring Cruise on Bosphorus on 19.9.16
3. Iran Mortar Association Supports Drymix Mortar Meeting, Tehran, 25.10.16
4. 11th Annual SEADMA Conference, Jakarta, 17.11.16: New Location and Program
5. Dubai, 20. and 21. November 2016: MEDMA AGM & Big5 Workshop
6. Bostik Starts up New Mortar Plant in Sweden, Takes over Den Braven
7. New Mineral Wool Lintels Approved in Combination with EIFS for Facade Fire Protection
8. Nirma Group Intends to Acquire Lafarge India
9. Major Fire at Austrotherm Wittenberge

1. Post-Event Report: Buenos Aires, 30.6.2016

2. cedmmc five, Istanbul, 20.9.16 featuring Cruise on Bosphorus on 19. 9.16

The Fifth Central and South European Drymix Mortar Conference and Industry Showcase cedmmc five takes place on Tuesday, 20. September 2016 at Çırağan Palace Kempinski Hotel, Istanbul, Turkey. All delegates are also invited to join our famous Bosphorus Cruise (sponsored by Kalekim and Wacker) in the evening of Monday, 19. September 2016 (exclusively for registered delegates and sponsor's guests; confirmation mandatory). One more thing: DJ Blackbird a.k.a. Volkan Turan will put up some music for us on the boat!

Online registration of delegates is available on drymix.info (Visa or Mastercard required). Admission is 310 € per person for Industry Observers, reduced to 270 € per person for drymix.info members. Drymix mortar manufacturers pay only 170 €. Delegates wishing to pay locally please enquire us.

3. Iran Mortar Association Supports Drymix Mortar Meeting, Tehran, 25.10.16

The President of Iran Mortar Association (IMA), Dr. Ali Asghar Goudarzi, has decided to support drymix.info's first Drymix Mortar Meeting in Iran. The Full-Day event takes place at Parsian Evin Hotel, Tehran, on Tuesday, 25. October 2016, from 09:00 until 17:00. IMA is the organisation for drymix mortar manufacturers and their suppliers in Iran and has over 30 members (mortar manufacturers and several industry supporters). IMA is affiliated with Iran Construction Chemical Association ICCA (umbrella organisation). With well trained construction experts and engineers, Iran will be one of the powerhouses for the construction economy in the Middle East for the next decades to come.

Online registration is already possible through our shop (Visa or Mastercard required), admission is 310 Euro per person, reduced to 270 Euro for drymix.info members. Drymix Mortar Manufacturers enjoy the discounted admission of 120 Euro per person. We have created the opportunity for delegates to pay locally (within Iran), please enquire with us, if needed (info@drymix.info).

4. 11th Annual SEADMA Conference, Jakarta, 17.11.16: New Location and Program

Attention all delegates and supporters: we had to change the location to Hotal Aryaduta, we apologize for any inconveniences caused.

The South East Asia Drymix Mortar Association holds its 11th Annual Conference at Hotel Aryaduta, Jakarta, Indonesia on 17. November 2016. As usual, SEADMA's Annual General Meeting (AGM) also takes place during the conference. A special part of the program will focus on the recent development in SEADMA's regional chapters, namely in Thailand (ThaiDMMA), The Philippines (PhilDMMA) and of course Indonesia (Promindo). The Technical Bulletin Nr. 11 will be presented on occasion of this event.

The Call for Papers has expired on 31. July 2016, here is a preliminary List of Lectures (sorted by lecturer name; subject to change without notice; the program flyer will be available shortly from our website):
Valerie Audiau, Actemium: A New Concept for an Innovative Mixing Plant for Dry Mortars    
Hongfang Chen, Kerneos: Powering Benefits in Drymix Mortars with Calcium Aluminate Technology
Malik Jamal, Wacker: Testing of Cementitious Tile Adhesive for Large Format Ceramic Tiles
Matthias Leeke, AML: (wt) Automation and Efficiency Increase in Drymix Mortar Plants
Dr. Michael Monz, Dennert-Poraver: Lightweight Cementitious Tile Adhesives – Influence of Different Lightweight Aggregates
Pairat Pipattanaboon, ThaiDMMA: Progress in the Standardisation of Drymix Mortars in Thailand
Ian Shaw, m-tec: Mortar Application by Machine in Highrise Buildings
(tbd.), Dow Corning: New Silicone Resin-based Hydrophobic Powder for the Drymix Market
(tbd.), Haver & Boecker: Recent Developments in Drymix Mortar Packaging
(tbd.), PhilDMMA: Technical Requirements for Mortars in The Philippines - Future Applications
Tim Tan, SEADMA: SEADMA Mortar College, a New approach to Education and KnowHow Transfer for Foreign Tradesmen
Ruslin Widjaya, Promindo: Strategy of  The Indonesian Drymix Mortar Manufacturer’s Association Promindo

Registration for the 11th Annual SEADMA Conference has already started, you can book using your credit card (Visa, Master accepted) on www.drymix.info. Admission is 310 Euro, reduced to 270 Euro for SEADMA and drymix.info members. The specially rebated rate for mortar manufacturers has been granted, it is only 150 Euro.

5. Dubai, 20. and 21. November 2016: MEDMA AGM & Big5 Workshop

All MEDMA members and interested guests are invited to join the Annual General Assembly of the Middle East Drymix Mortar Association MEDMA at splendid Al Badia Golf Club in Dubai, UAE on Sunday, 20. November 2016, 19:00. This year's AGM will feature a re-election of the Executive Committee (Board), all members are encouraged to nominate candidates for these honorary positions (formal nomination deadline is 1. November 2016). The Executive Committee will present the MEDMA strategy for 2017 and beyond. This festive event has become a fixed date for the industry prior to The Big 5 Industry Exhibition in Dubai. MEDMA is still looking for sponsors to contribute towards the cost of this event, please contact Leo!

Admission is free of charge for members only (up to two participants for member companies), all others pay AED 500 per person. Advance registration by e-mail to drymix.info is absolutely mandatory (both for members and non-members!).

The next day, Monday, 21.11.16, The Middle East Drymix Mortar Association invites construction experts to join the Fourth MEDMA Workshop during Big 5. This event is conducted in cooperation with DMG World Media, the organizers of Big. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) points can be obtained by consultants, architects and contractors alike by participating. The MEDMA Workshop starts at 10:00, it takes place in one of the meeting rooms on the Main Concourse at Dubai World Trade Center (this is the axis between Novotel and Ibis Hotel, please observe directional signage). The program will be announced in one of our next Newsletters. Sponsors and content is still welcome, also, pre-registration is recommended for delegates, please e-mail to info@drymix.info.

6. Bostik Starts up New Mortar Plant in Sweden, Takes over Den Braven

Bostik SA, part of Arkema Group (both Paris Saint-Denis, France) has recently opened up its new plant in Helsingborg, South-West Sweden (opposite to Helsingör, Denmark). The new facility will be focussed upon the production of cementitous drymix mortars, especially for tile laying, grouting and flooring. From this location, Bostik to intends to deliver products into the entire Baltic Region, both directly to construction sites as well as through distributors including builders merchants and DIY outlets. Bostik has been active in Sweden since 1911.

Bostik also recently announced the take-over of Dutch sealants producer Den Braven, Oosterhout, The Netherlands. Den Braven reached a turnover of 350 Mio Euro and eployed 1.000 people at eight production locations in 2015. A transaction value was not disclosed by either party, the take-over is still subject to the necessary regulatory approvals (anti trust).

7. New Mineral Wool Lintels Approved in Combination with EIFS for Facade Fire Protection

The recent discussion about flash fires in External Insulation and Finishing Systems (EIFS) facades using Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) has led to numerous improvements of the most popular EIF Systems. In principle, a non-combustible bar above the window and door openings has been introduced into the specifications to avoid such fires. The German Institute for Construction Technology (Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik, DIBt, Berlin) has recently approved new types of lintels made from mineral wool for the use as flash fire protection in conventional EIFS. The heat transfer coefficient lambda of these lintels is as low as 0,035 W/mK (WLS 035). Until recently, only 200 mm of mineral wool lamellae had been approved for this application, however this materials' heat conductivity was worse and the installation thus created a heat-bridge. The approval of these new lintels addresses this issue while at the same time helping to prevent flash fires.


8. Nirma Group Intends to Acquire Lafarge India

LafargeHolcim Ltd, Jona, Switzerland has announced its intention to divest of Lafarge India to Nirma Limited, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Lafarge India operates three cement plants and two grinding stations with a total capacity of around 11 million tons per year. The company also markets aggregates and produces ready-mix concrete. LafargeHolcim will continue to operate in India through its subsidiaries ACC Ltd. and Ambuja Cements Ltd. with a combined cement capacity of more than 60 million tonnes and a distribution network that extends across the entire country. Nirma is a diversified conglomerate producing industrial as well as consumer goods at 12 locations in India and in the US. Nirma's sales were 1.000 mio Euro in the last business year.

The value of the transaction value is approximately 1.265 mio Euro. The deal is still subject to approval by the Competition Commission of India (CCI). According to Eric Olsen, CEO of LafargeHolcim, the proceeds from the divestment will be used to reduce debt further. The planned divestment target in 2016 is 3.200 mio Euro. The company has already completed the sale of its business in South Korea and signed an agreement to divest of its minority shareholding in Saudi Arabia. The Group has also expanded its joint-venture with SNI (Société National d'Investissement, a royal Holding), Casablanca, Morocco by merging Lafarge Ciments Maroc and Holcim Maroc to create LafargeHolcim Maroc.

9. Major Fire at Austrotherm Wittenberge

A large fire at the production plant of Austrotherm (Wopfing, Austria) in Wittenberge, Germany has destroyed thermal insulation media stored outside. Suspected cause of the fire was ignition by lightning. 40 fire brigades with over 150 fire fighters were called to the site on 27. July 2016 to prevent a flash over to the production buildings and the office. Austrotherm had to stop production immediately and resumed it the next day. Most of the stored Extruded Polystyrene Boards (XPS) were destroyed, according to Gerald Prinzhorn, CEO of Austrotherm, customer demand will be covered by sister plants until stocks have been refurbished. The plant in Wittenberge is quite new, it was only opended in 2014, it employs 49 people (we reported earlier).


The drymix.info Newsletter is being sent exclusively to registered subscribers and all members of drymix.info. Editor-in-Chief: Ferdinand Leopolder. Back issues will be published on www.drymix.info.

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Sincerely Yours, Ferdinand Leopolder