Page 14 - Construction_Opportunities_Oct_2026

VER STOR
COVER STORY
CO
Y

efficiency and emissions. The SLM 4300 NEU combines loading machine.
and mixing in a mobile platform, offering flexibility for projects The RMC equipment of the next phase will therefore be judged
where conventional RMC infrastructure is difficult to establish. The not simply by how much concrete it can produce, transport or
FBP 29, meanwhile, combines concrete mixing and pumping in pump, but by how intelligently, efficiently and sustainably it can
a single machine, potentially reducing equipment movements keep the concrete moving.
and simplifying the path from production to placement. Together,
the developments point towards a more flexible RMC fleet, Global Innovation: Redefining the RMC Value Chain
where productivity is measured not only by output but also by The next wave of RMC innovation is emerging at the intersection
how efficiently each machine can contribute to the complete of materials, machinery and data. The global industry is moving
concrete cycle. towards systems that can respond to changing material conditions,
Apollo Inffratech is focusing on another critical RMC requirement: track concrete through its journey and optimise production with far
achieving higher batching efficiency without unnecessarily greater precision. At the same time, the concrete itself is changing,
increasing the plant footprint or complexity. Its compact batching with lower-carbon binders, recycled inputs, application-specific
solutions are designed for applications where space, mobilisation mixes and industrialised construction creating new demands
time and operating economics are important considerations, with on RMC producers and equipment. The definition of efficiency
the company’s ATP range extending across capacities suited to is consequently expanding—from output alone to consistency,
different project scales. Its compact systems incorporate single- resource consumption, delivery reliability, performance and the
belt material handling and automated controls, while larger inline carbon intensity of every cubic metre.
configurations are designed for higher-volume infrastructure and One of the clearest signals is the arrival of AI inside the batching
industrial applications. The emphasis is on faster installation, process. Command Alkon’s Batch AI, recognised in the 2026
efficient material handling, accurate weighing and greater plant World of Concrete Innovative Product Awards, analyses variables
productivity, allowing RMC producers and project contractors to including material moisture, temperature, equipment behaviour
match batching capacity more closely to the requirements of the and load size to dynamically optimise batching. Reported
site. As construction moves into increasingly constrained urban deployments have shown improvements in in-tolerance batching
environments, this ability to combine capacity with a smaller from 86% to 97% and a reduction in cement overuse from 9%
operational footprint could become an important differentiator. to 2%. The significance is larger than automation alone: AI is
Taken together, the latest developments point to a clear evolution beginning to make batching a continuously optimising process,
in RMC equipment. Electrification is moving into transit mixers and with quality, material efficiency and cost increasingly addressed
pumps; intelligence is entering batching and machine controls; together.
compact designs are widening the scope for mechanisation; and That intelligence is also moving onto the road. Saint-Gobain’s
multi-functional equipment is reducing the number of separate Verifi Pulse, launched in 2026, captures workability, temperature,
steps between production and placement. The more important mixer activity, water additions and truck location, creating real-
shift, however, is the growing emphasis on the performance of the time visibility into concrete while it is being transported. Saint-
complete system rather than the specification of an individual Gobain says Verifi technology has already tracked approximately

14 CONSTRUCTION OPPORTUNITIES|OCTOBER 2026