Displaying items by tag: Quality

Malaysia: YTL Cement has received environmental product declarations (EPDs) covering products across its cement, concrete and precast ranges. An EPD is a third-party-verified document that discloses a product’s environmental impact throughout its full life cycle in line with international standards. The newly certified products include the Castle Cement brand, as well as ECOConcrete Grade 40 and Grade 35.

US: Amrize has launched a 'Made in America' label for its cement to offer builders ‘the guarantee of American manufacturing and quality, while supporting American jobs and local communities.’ The label signifies that all aspects of the cement are made in the US, including all of its raw materials.

Roll-out of the label will begin at Amrize's flagship cement plants at Ste. Genevieve, (Missouri), Midlothian (Texas), Devil's Slide (Utah), Holly Hill (South Carolina) and Portland (Colorado). The company, already the largest in the US by installed capacity, is investing US$700m in its cement plants during 2025.

“Our new 'Made in America' label offers our customers the confidence that their product complies with US standards for quality, performance and reliability, with local-to-local service,” said Jaime Hill, President of Amrize Building Materials. “We are proud of the role our solutions play in building America and are committed to advancing the US building industry, supporting American jobs and serving as the partner of choice for the professional builders of America.”

Philippines: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is updating its regulatory framework for cement to ensure safer and more durable materials for infrastructure.

Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said “Given our country’s vulnerability to natural disasters, we must ensure that all construction materials, including cement, meet the highest quality and safety standards. This ensures the safety of Filipinos, starting from the foundational materials of our homes and buildings.”

The DTI is revising Department Administrative Order 17-06:2017, with proposed rules calling for post-shipment inspection and full product testing of cement. Public and stakeholder comments on the draft circular will be accepted until 4 November 2025. As of September 2025, the DTI reported 179 active cement manufacturer licensees, comprising 95 for Portland cement, 81 for blended hydraulic cement and three for masonry cement. All are compliant with Philippine National Standards.

Kenya: The Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) has called for urgent measures to tackle the rising presence of substandard cement in the market, amid a reported increase in building collapses, according to The Eastleigh Voice newspaper. The institution has called for audits of manufacturers, enforcement of verification and random sampling from hardware stores and distribution centres.

In a statement, IEK said bags labelled as 50kg were often lighter, some weighing as little as 45kg. Its members had recorded compressive strength reductions of up to 25% in concrete made with some cement brands on the market, even those bearing the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) mark of quality.

US: Fortera has achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification for its ReCarb Plant in Redding, California, which produces 15,000t/yr of ReAct low-carbon cement. The international certification establishes protocols for quality management systems and ensures delivery of products and services that meet regulatory requirements. Fortera said that the certification process involved months of internal audits, documentation of operating procedures and responding to third party feedback.

India: Shree Cement's Ras quality control laboratory in Rajasthan has been recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), affirming its compliance with the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standards. Managing Director Neeraj Akhoury said that the accreditation acknowledges the company's commitment to providing premium, sustainable building materials. The laboratory's role in ensuring standardisation across all product testing is important for maintaining production quality at the plant.

Pakistan: The Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology heard on 10 October 2024 that some cement producers have obtained stay orders from courts against the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority over unpaid marking fees. The marking fees equate to 0.1% of cement’s ex-factory price, and go towards ensuring that cement conforms to standards. Pakistan Today News has reported that only two producers have regularly paid the fee, with combined defaults valued at US$18m across the entire industry. A delegation from Saudi Arabia reportedly queried authorities about the lack of clear labelling.

Science and Technology Committee chair Kamil Ali Agha reportedly said "No one knows what quality of cement is being produced by local manufacturers.”

Tanzania: The Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has introduced a new digital verification application named Hakiki Stempu, aimed at helping consumers verify the quality of cement products and combat the sale of counterfeit and substandard cement.

Ndositwe Haonga, TRA Director for Internal Affairs, explained that Hakiki Stempu allows the public to check whether the product they are about to purchase is genuine or not by scanning the product to check if it has the right tax stamp. The app also serves as a tool for ensuring that products meet necessary standards and offer value for money.

Ghana: The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) is set to close down several cement manufacturing firms for producing low-quality products, as part of its effort to combat substandard cement production nationwide, according to Adom Online. This initiative aligns with the protections outlined in the Ghana Standards Authority Act 2022. Currently, there are only 14 licensed cement plants in Ghana.

Director General, Alex Dodoo, said "The GSA has done research and we have noticed that some particular players believe that the only way to compete is to reduce the quality of cement. We have closed three of them and I can assure you that in the coming days a lot more will be closed down. If there is one thing we will not compromise on, it is quality.”

Ghana: The Ghana Standards Authority has enacted new quality standards for cement products. BNN Breaking News Ghana has reported that the new standards are intended to uphold safety for users of concrete buildings. This will reportedly be accompanied by increased enforcement against substandard products, including the roll-out of a new licensing system.