Concrete 2017 Congress and Fair Brings Together Ready-Mixed Concrete, Cement, Aggregate and Construction Sectors in Istanbul

The Concrete 2017 Congress and Fair, organized by the Turkish Ready-Mix Concrete Association (THBB), brought together the ready-mix concrete, cement, aggregate and construction sectors in Istanbul. The opening ceremony held on 13 April 2017 was attended by Undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization Prof. Dr. Mustafa Öztürk, Chairman of the Board of the European Ready-Mix Concrete Organization (ERMCO) and THBB Yavuz Işık, academics and researchers, as well as representatives from ready-mix concrete companies and related industries. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chairman of the Board of the European Ready-Mix Concrete Organization (ERMCO) and THBB Yavuz Işık, stated that the ready-mix concrete sector, with production of 109 million cubic meters and revenue exceeding TRY 16 billion, is the most important part of the construction sector. Yavuz Işık continued his remarks as follows: "When the Turkish Ready-Mix Concrete Association (THBB) was founded in 1988, 1.5 million m³ of concrete was produced annually in our country, while today production has risen to 109 million m³ per year. With this growth performance, Turkey has been Europe's leader in concrete production since 2009 and has become the world's third-largest ready-mix concrete producer after China and the United States.

As THBB, we believed in progress and development, and as a result, at the General Assembly held in Berlin last year, we brought the presidency of the European Ready-Mix Concrete Organization (ERMCO) to Turkey. Thus, we gained greater influence in ERMCO, of which we have been members since 1991.

With this success, we have gained the power to convey the demands and agenda of concrete producers in Turkey to the authorities in Europe. With this power, we now have the opportunity to have a voice in concrete policies created in European Union countries and to contribute to these policies." The "Concrete 2017 Ready-Mix Concrete Congress" organized by the Turkish Ready-Mix Concrete Association (THBB) on 13-14 April 2017 was attended by approximately 400 delegates comprising academics and researchers as well as representatives from ready-mix concrete companies and related industries. At the Concrete 2017 Congress held in honor of Prof. Dr. Saim Akyüz, 64 papers contributing to the sector's development were presented under the headings of concrete components, quality control in production and on-site, special concretes, concrete design and solutions in special projects, recovery and recycling in concrete production, concrete roads and highway concrete safety structures, and recent developments in concrete technology. The Concrete 2017 Congress was held under the Main Sponsorship of "Ford Trucks" and "Betonstar"; and the Official Sponsorship of "Epo", "Yapıchem", "Chryso", "Pascal" and "İston".

The year's most important sector gathering: Concrete Istanbul 2017 Fair

Concurrent with the congress, the Turkish Ready-Mix Concrete Association and Quality Expo organized the "Concrete Istanbul 2017 Ready-Mix Concrete, Cement, Aggregate, Construction Technologies and Equipment Fair". The year's most important sector gathering took place on 13-15 April 2017 at the Istanbul Expo Center. At the ninth edition of the Concrete Istanbul 2017 Fair, the latest technological products, vehicles, machinery and equipment, services and installations related to the ready-mix concrete, cement, aggregate and construction sectors were displayed. The fair served as a common platform where all stakeholders in the ready-mix concrete sector met. As in previous years, fair participants presented their latest technology products to visitors this year. The fair showcased a wide range of products for concrete and aggregate producers and construction companies, including ready-mix concrete and cement equipment, concrete plants, construction machinery, trucks and tractors, transit mixers, pumps, formwork systems, cranes, various concrete chemicals, automation systems, tire and petroleum products, and sectoral machinery. The fair brought together many companies from the construction sector, the engine of the economy, and its most fundamental branch, ready-mix concrete, under one roof. The fair, with the participation of 65 companies with 150 brands, welcomed 10,000 visitors. Supported by the Istanbul Chamber of Industry, Ankara Chamber of Industry, Istanbul Branch of the Chamber of Civil Engineers, Turkish Contractors Association, Turkish Contractors' Union and the Environmentally Friendly Buildings Association, the Concrete Istanbul 2017 Fair was visited by numerous professional participants from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, as in previous years.