Holcim Philippines Inc., the leading building solutions provider, gathered teams from some of the country's top infrastructure builders to share best practices on concrete production.

The company launched the Holcim Concrete Quality League in its Norzagaray, Bulacan, and Davao City plants, respectively. This seeks to strengthen collaboration and knowledge-sharing on concrete among the country's leading users of this material. Participants also toured Holcim's plants to understand cement manufacturing process and sustainability efforts for operations.

Builders involved in such projects as the Metro Manila Subway, NLEX-SLEX Connector Road, North-South Commuter Railway, Davao Coastal Road, Davao City Bypass Tunnel and Tagum Flyover, among others, participated in the launches.

"This program is part of our efforts to improve concrete used in building development structures that last. HCQL aims to create a community of experts and professionals that closely collaborate and learn from each other on making concrete better. We, at Holcim, are excited to share our technical knowledge as a member of the global leader in building solutions and learn from our partners on how to support them in driving innovations in the country," said Holcim Philippines president and chief executive officer Horia Adrian.

During the launch, local and Holcim Group experts discussed common quality issues that impact the durability of concrete structures and possible remedies for these including the use of low-carbon blended cements. HCQL will meet quarterly to discuss the latest innovation and sustainability trends that can help improve concrete quality in the country.

The initiative is part of Holcim Philippines's efforts to drive innovation and sustainability in the construction industry. In 2023, the company relaunched its flagship general purpose cement as Excel ECOPlanet following successful efforts to slash the carbon footprint of the product by at least 30 percent compared with ordinary Portland cement. It also introduced Optimo, a limestone blended cement for infrastructures and vertical structures. Optimo delivers the same strength, workability and durability as OPC and remains compatible with other cement additives such as slag and fly ash.