Global aggregates producer LafargeHolcim and IBM have teamed up to develop a digital materials platform for sustainable road solutions.
The first digital platform for road design optimisation – known as ORIS – will be developed by the two companies.
LafargeHolcim claimed the platform is expected to drive down one-third of project costs, cut carbon emissions by half and triple the lifespan of road durability and usage.
Many specific factors must be considered when building a road, including location, climate, vehicle types, and traffic volumes. LafargeHolcim said this can cause complexities when creating the most sustainable and cost-effective mix of building materials and technologies in the design phase.
ORIS simplifies this by using digital technology that implements a circular economy to road construction.
“ORIS is instrumental in recommending appropriate and tailored approaches to road-building, thus minimising costs, environmental impacts and project delays,” IBM Europe industrial solutions vice president Hervé Rolland said.
Under the partnership, LafargeHolcim will use several of IBM’s technologies including its digital platforms, hybrid clouds, digital design services, machine learning, artificial intelligence, Industrial Internet of Things and data analytics to broaden its knowledge in cement and ready-mix concrete products.
“We are accelerating the digitalisation of our solutions for sustainable and high performance construction,” Marcel Cobuz, LafargeHolcim’s region head of Europe and a member of the executive committee responsible for global innovation, said.
“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.”