Precast concrete manufacturer continuously invests in people and the environment

LG Concrete precast produces precast beams, columns and walls in different colors, thicknesses and heights. The company takes its responsibility and continuously invests in making the production process more sustainable. It also pays plenty of attention to the safety, quality and well-being of its employees. Reason for Beton & Staalbouw to take a look at the sites of LG-Beton in Oudsbergen and Bree, Belgium.

"We are known in the market for our top quality products and are known as a reliable partner," begins Alain Greck, business manager of LG Concrete. "We naturally want to keep it that way. That is why we continue to invest unabatedly in people and machines." He explains that the site in Oudsbergen was modernized at a cost of over 350,000 euros during this summer's construction leave. "We have made the production flow even 'leaner' so that it is even more pleasant, safe and efficient work for our employees. In addition, we are looking at possibilities for further automation and we also see opportunities in new product groups, such as the production of prefabricated stairs and elevator shafts."

carbon footprint

LG Concrete is part of the Altez Construction Group. "Together with the group we are pushing very hard to make our production process more sustainable, and in this we have already achieved great results," Greck says with appropriate pride. "Cement naturally has the greatest CO2 impact, which is why we already switched two years ago from cement type CEMI to CEMII/A-LL, which contains less clinker. Furthermore, we use the new white cement D-Carb CEM II/A-LL 52.5R from our supplier Aalborg Portland. This type of cement has a lower carbon footprint while maintaining high quality standards and performance. We are also closely following market developments in new cement types, as the cement industry is investing heavily to become carbon neutral by 2050. We also recycle the polishing water and residual concrete, whereby the concrete is washed out and separated into pure sand, gravel and sludge water that we can reuse. Furthermore, we use sustainably generated energy from our solar panels on the roofs of our site in Oudsbergen."

Superior

LG Concrete works with suppliers with the same "green" mindset. Greck: "For our insulated walls, among other things, we use PIR insulation. We work with a supplier that recycles the PIR waste and reuses it in the production of new PIR. The collapsing devices in the walls are also environmentally responsible. The spacers are made of high-quality PVC regenerate (100% recycled), and the GFRP connectors are not only environmentally friendly, but also a thermally superior alternative to steel connectors." LG Concrete uses two different methods for producing precast walls. "In Oudsbergen we use a carousel system, while in Bree we produce the walls on fixed tables. Since the beginning of 2023, we have also had eight new pouring tables in Bree, each with a length of 12 meters on which the production of panels up to 3.75 meters high and 35 centimeters thick is possible. And since 2021, precast beams and columns have also been produced in Bree in a so-called 'battery' with four sections of 16 meters each."

Quality App

To ensure the high quality of its precast concrete products, LG Concrete employs an innovative quality system. "Each step in the production process is checked, recorded and secured in our Quality App," explains Greck. "Of the defects identified, photos are taken via the app so that the necessary repairs can be made to the produced elements before the element is released for transport. In this way, we avoid delivering manufactured elements to the customer that do not meet our high quality standards."

LG Concrete is thus already positioned for a sustainable future. "We are working on our CSC and ISO14001 certification to make our efforts towards a sustainable concrete sector tangible as well." To be continued, no doubt!