Landmark capital projects for LafargeHolcim
Company playing key role in supply of materials to build Egypt’s new capital and the highest tower in Africa
LafargeHolcim will play a key role in building Egypt’s new capital, currently under construction some 45km outside Cairo. The city will become the country’s new administrative and financial capital, with around 5 million inhabitants.
Since the beginning of the construction works LafargeHolcim have supported several of its landmark projects, with a total contract value for the company of around CHF50 million (£38 million).
Among the buildings using LafargeHolcim materials is the so-called Iconic Tower, which is set to become the highest tower in Africa with a height of 385m when completed by the end of 2020.
Miljan Gutovic, region head for Middle East Africa, said: ‘We are delighted to contribute to Egypt’s new state-of-the-art capital. With these important project wins we continue LafargeHolcim’s successful history of supporting large-scale construction projects across Egypt.
‘These projects will improve millions of lives by providing better infrastructure and housing. We are confident that we will be able to provide further value-adding solutions for other landmark projects in the country.’
For the Iconic Tower, LafargeHolcim is using an innovative and sustainable cement solution with a higher slag content to meet the contractor’s specifications. The solution is unique to the Egyptian market and provides an extended lifetime of more than 100 years thanks to its greater durability and strength, which are essential for a structure of this size and weight.
LafargeHolcim were also the exclusive cement supplier for the tower’s base construction work, and in February this year poured concrete non-stop for 48h, the country’s longest-ever concrete pour.
In addition, LafargeHolcim are providing lightweight concrete solutions for the Egyptian Cabinet building, which will be part of the government district of the new city and will include the parliament, ministries and other state institutions.
To ensure materials are delivered reliably and on time, a new concrete batching plant has been installed on site and another, with an expected annual production capacity of 300,000 cubic meters, is scheduled to open by the end of this month.
LafargeHolcim are also taking the lead in quality control with their state-of-the-art local laboratory, where they can test both their own solutions as well as construction materials provided by other suppliers.
Meanwhile, the company is engaged in several other landmark projects in Egypt that support the country’s growth agenda, including two new metro lines in Cairo, the new Suez Canal tunnels and several port extensions.
