LafargeHolcim and IBM join forced to optimise road design

Building materials firm LafargeHolcim teams up with leading technology giant IBM to slash road costs and emissions through technology.

The companies have worked together to produce a system called Oris which aims to slash road project costs by a third whilst cutting emissions by half in many scenarios. The system also carries the ability to triple road durability and lifespans, leading to lower costs and less maintenance long-term.

One of the primary goals of the project is to reduce any inefficiencies that may arise when building roads using traditional methods. 

The digital solution is set to help decrease carbon levels which are caused by the construction of roads, which is a complex challenge. The system will help select the most environmentally friendly and cost-effective technologies and building materials at the beginning of the design phase. The selection of these will differ with each project due to varying climates, terrain vehicle types and the volume of traffic for each project.

LafargeHolcim’s region head of Europe and member of the executive committee with responsibility on a global level, Marcel Cobuz, said: “We are accelerating the digitalisation of our solutions for sustainable and high-performance construction”.

He then went on to say: “With global solutions like ORIS, we are committed to leading the way in low-carbon and circular construction as well as responsible natural resource consumption for roads and beyond. We have already entered into pilots with different partners such as road authorities, international financing institutions and engineering firms to use ORIS in both developed and emerging markets.” 

LafargeHolcim will use IBM’s wide portfolio of digital solutions and expertise in areas such as AI and analytics in order to further boost its knowledge surrounding building materials, particularly cement and ready-mix concrete solutions.

Hervé Rolland, Vice President, Industrial Solutions at IBM Europe said: “Oris is instrumental in recommending appropriate and tailored approaches to road-building, thus minimising costs, environmental impacts and project delays.”