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drymix.info Newsletter 197/2017; ISSN Number 1613-0111; 31. July 2017

0. Correction: ladmmc five, São Paulo, Brasil, on 26. OCTOBER 2017
1. ThaiDMMA Cooperates with Thai Concrete Association, Incorporates Subgroup
2. RMX (India) Joins drymix.info as Industrial Partner
3. First SEADMA Lab Accreditation for Drymix Mortar Testing: Exova/Admaterials in Singapore
4. Knauf Insulation Announces Major Mineral Wool Investment Plan
5. EEC Terminates Legal Action against Germany Concerning Construction Products
6. List of Events 2017/18

0. Correction: ladmmc five, São Paulo, Brasil, on 26. OCTOBER 2017

There was a major mistake in our last two Newsletters, we had published the wrong date for Iadmmc five in Sao Paulo: The Fifth Latin American Drymix Mortar Conference ladmmc five and Industry Showcase takes place on Thursday, 26. OCTOBER 2017 at Espaço Transatlântico, São Paulo, Brasil. The Technical Chairman of ladmmc five is Mario Kristeller, we presented the program in our last Newsletter. The Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2017 will be distributed on this occasion, along with our sponsor's information.

 Delegate registration is available online now (Visa or Mastercard required).

Admission to ladmmc five is (unchanged from 2015!) 310 Euro per person, reduced for members of drymix.info to 270 Euro. There is again a specially reduced admission for Mortar Manufacturers which is only 170 Euro per person (was 230 Euro last time!). We also offer the possibility to pay via bank transfer in Brasil. For group admissions for sponsors, please enquire with us.


1. ThaiDMMA Cooperates with Thai Concrete Association, Incorporates Subgroup

The Thai Drymix Mortar Manufacturer's Association ThaiDMMA has recently firmed up its cooperation with Thai Concrete Association TCA (both located in Bangkok, Thailand). In order to formalize the existence of ThaiDMMA and also create relevance of this new organization when talking to legislators in the Ministry of Industry's Committee on Building Materials, ThaiDMMA has decided to form a subgroup within TCA. "We are very pleased to hold this first meeting at TCA headquarters and thank for the hospitality. It is a start to cooperate when developing new mortar products and improving the existing ones." said Kajornsak Manosupsak, Chairman of ThaiDMMA. Prof. Dr. Chai Jaturapitakul, President of TCA welcomed the new subgroup and already made several proposals for joint projects in the fields of publications, practical trainings, standardization and mechanization on the jobsite. ThaiDMMA is already planning at training event in November 2017 focussed upon the prevention of application mistakes on the jobsite. SEADMA Mortar College will assist ThaiDMMA in this work.

The Thai Drymix Mortar Manufacturer's Association ThaiDMMA was founded due to an industry initiative led by The South East Asia Drymix Mortar Association SEADMA, discussions to form it date back to 2009. Finally a formal representation of Thai drymix mortar manufacturers is existing now, and SEADMA congratulates ThaiDMMA for this. Currently the following drymix mortar manufacturers are member of ThaiDMMA and in turn the TCA subgroup: Cormix, Jorakay (Crocodile Brand, former Cera-C-Cure), Parex-Davco, Fast-Mix, Siam City Cement, Siam Mortar (Siam Cement-Building Materials), Sika, Ubau and White Clound (Singha Mortar). Troy Siam and Wacker are industry supporters of ThaiDMMA.

2. RMX (India) Joins drymix.info as Industrial Partner

Ready Mix Construction Machinery Pvt. Ltd., Pune, Maharashtra, India (RMX) has decided to join drymix.info as Industrial Partner. The company, founded in 2008 is a renowned producer of drymix mortar plants, concrete batching plant support equipment, fabrication hub in India for imported plants and aerated lightweight concrete block (ALC) production lines. RMX also offers engineering services for fully self-contained and integrated plants. RMX partners with Wamgroup, Cavezzo, MO, Italy concerning bulk conveying, handling and mixing equipment.

We warmly welcome RMX to our community.

3. First SEADMA Lab Authorization for Drymix Mortar Testing: Exova/Admaterials in Singapore

Experience has shown, that there are hardly any neutral testing facilities for drymix mortars in Asia. In accordance with and as a support for the SEADMA Seal of Quality, SEADMA has decided to evaluate and approve lab testing facilities as third party testing organizations capable of performing what is required to analyze drymix mortars. This authorization is essential in SEADMA's drive to improve the technical level and overall quality of drymix mortars in the ASEAN Region and in the same run live the standards SEADMA, the ASEAN Task force for the Standardisation of Drymix Mortars and its National Chapters recommend (e.g. EN 12004 and ISO 13007, EN 998 etc.).

Admaterials (Exova) Singapore has recently applied for, undergone and passed all authorization requirements for Tier 1 testing (which applies for cementitious tile adhesives and grouts) and will obtain the SEADMA Third Party Testing Authorization Certificate next week. Other labs in Asia are encouraged to obtain this testing status, which is not limited to the ASEAN Nations. A detailed  description of the procedure and the fees can be obtained from drymix.info.

4. Knauf Insulation Announces Major Mineral Wool Investment Plan

Knauf Insulation Holding GmbH, Iphofen, Germany, has announced to invest into a mineral wool production facility to be located in the border region of Luxembourg and the Moselle (France). This Investment will exceed 100 Million Euro. In addition to that, Knauf reported the completed modernization of its mineral wool plant in St. Egidien, Germany. Also, Knauf Insulation will invest in debottlenecking and modernization of its mineral wool plants in Surdulica, Serbia and Nova Bana, Slovakia.

Two industrial sites in Luxemburg and France have been shortlisted for the new plant and discussions are advancing well with the relevant authorities. This production facility is set to start production in mid-2019 and will have a production capacity exceeding 110,000 t/a of mineral wool insulation panels and will create close to 120 new local jobs. The final location will be unveiled in the coming months.

5. EEC Terminates Legal Action against Germany Concerning Construction Products

The European Commission has recently terminated its lawsuit for contract violation against Germany. The legal action was based on the fact, that Germany had insisted on its (stronger) safety regulations for construction materials and the requirements of fire safety in completed buildings. Thus the European Commission ascertains and respects the German Product Safets Regulation (Bauproduktenrichtlinie) as correct transformation of European Law (§ 89/106/EWG).

The termination of legal action against the German Regulation can be seen in direct connection to the Grenfell Tower fire (we reported earlier). The protection of the people again became the foremost priority in terms of improved building safety, health and environmental compatibility. This concerns particularly the German Fire Safety regulations, which, according to all experts, could have prevented to huge loss of lives in the Grenfell Tower fire. The termination of legal action sends a clear signal to EEC member countries to protect their achievements in terms of consumer and citizen rights whenever they are clearly to the minimal consensus-oriented EEC regulations. It also opens the doors to harmonize the regulations for building materials, construction applications and building certification on an European level.

6. List of Events 2017/18

Weimar, Germany, 18.-20. September 2017: Annual Conference of GDCh Fachgruppe Bauchemie
Munich, Germany, 27. and 28. September 2017: 2nd International Conference on Polycarboxylate Superplasticizers
Tehran, Iran, 9. October 2017: 2nd Iran Drymix Mortar Meeting
São Paulo, Brasil, 26. October 2017: Fifth Latin American Drymix Mortar Conference ladmmc five
Putrajaya Johor, Malaysia, 23. November 2017: 12th Annual SEADMA Conference
University City, Sharjah, UAE, 26. November 2017: 2nd Asia Mortar Summit
Moscow, Russia, 30. January 2018: 4th Russian Mortar Days
Hunter Valley, (February 2018), NSW, Australia: 4th Australian Drymix Mortar Meeting
Mumbai, India, (March 2018): 5th India Drymix Mortar Conference
Chicago, Illinois, USA, 24. (or 26.) April 2018: 6th American Drymix Mortar Conference

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Sincerely Yours, Ferdinand Leopolder