Interviews / 5/8/2024

Cementos Argos: challenges and strategies to enhance sustainability in the concrete industry

Cementos Argos' commitment to sustainability involves different fields and practices

Interviewee

Lina Margarita Cure Bojanini

Director for Quality and Optimization, Cementos Argos

Cementos Argos is a growing concrete and cement multinational. Their commitment to sustainability involves different initiatives in the educational, production and waste management fields

How high is the level of awareness in your geographical area regarding the environmental impact of returned concrete and washing water slurry?

As a company, we prioritize sustainability and strive to minimize our environmental impact when using materials. This includes our use of recycled concrete, which we aim to reuse whenever possible. We currently have recovery systems for some operations, but we are always looking for ways to improve their efficiency. In addition, we have conducted investigations into concrete slurries and found that their composition varies greatly. This makes it difficult to use them in economically and operationally viable percentages in our mix design.

In your opinion, what is the most important factor in order to increase the usage of recycled aggregates in new concrete?

In order to promote the use of recycled aggregate in concrete, it is important to approach the issue from multiple angles. Firstly, it is necessary to develop standardized regulations that govern the industrial production of recycled aggregate and its use in concrete mixes. Additionally, it is crucial to continue regulating the minimum amounts of recycled material that can be used in concrete mixes. Secondly, the construction industry needs to be educated on proper waste management and the use of debris to facilitate the production processes of recycled aggregates. This will lead to the production of recycled aggregates with better characteristics at a lower cost. Thirdly, research should be conducted to determine the impact of using recycled material on the different properties of concrete. This will help determine the optimal percentage of recycled material that can be used in concrete mixes to achieve the best performance of the material.

On 13th June, 2023, Argos Cementos representatives visited the Mapei plant in Robbiano di Mediglia. From the left: Carlos Palacio (Mapei Colombia), Diego Mesa, Wilmar Alberto Echeverri, Lina María Cure (Cementos Argos), Miguel Perilla (Mapei Colombia).

Cementos Argos

Argos is a growing concrete and cement multinational with a consolidated presence in 16 countries and territories with emerging and developed economies. It has an 80-year history and today it is the number one cement and concrete company in Colombia and one of the most relevant companies in the sector in the United States, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Find out more about Mapei solutions for the concrete industry at: https://www.mapei.com/cis/en/home-page