To implement the Guiding Opinions of the State Council on Resolving Serious Overcapacity Conflicts and the Green Building Action Plan, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently established a technical steering group for the promotion and application of high-performance concrete and held its first working meeting. This is another close collaboration between the two ministries following their joint efforts on high-strength steel bars.

 

　　High-performance concrete plays a prominent role in four aspects: promoting energy conservation and emission reduction, improving the quality of construction projects, advancing the development and progress of construction technology, and achieving structural adjustment and transformation and upgrading of concrete production.

 

　　It is understood that the two ministries launched this work in January 2013, conducting on-site investigations in eight provinces and municipalities including Shanghai and Anhui, and 23 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions provided feedback on the production and application of ready-mixed concrete. At present, the two ministries have drafted the Several Opinions on Promoting the Application of High-Performance Concrete (Draft for Comments), which clarifies the guiding ideology, main objectives, basic principles, tasks and safeguard measures. Next, the two ministries will issue the several opinions, establish a coordinating body, accelerate the formulation of standards, improve relevant specifications, complete technical guidelines, carry out publicity, implementation and training, build research and development platforms, promote green production, and improve industry management, especially by promoting the implementation of this work through policy support and optimization of the development environment.

 

　　The two ministries have brought together experts and technical forces from concrete and raw material production, architectural design and construction enterprises, relevant associations, research institutes, and universities to establish the technical steering group. It has three specialized subgroups: materials and product production, structural design and construction, and policies and standards and specifications. These are responsible for collecting and analyzing technical issues of high-performance concrete, establishing joint research and development platforms, providing technical support for the formulation and revision of relevant standards, and forming long-term support.

 

　　It is also learned that the use of high-performance concrete will be one of the conditions for participating in or winning awards in activities such as excellent architectural design and green building evaluation. Green buildings, affordable housing, and government-invested projects are encouraged to take the lead in applying high-performance concrete.