Energizing the Future of Construction Breaking Down Barriers in Demolition AMG DEMOLITION Solutions-Based Drilling & Blasting M-ROC apeiron-construction.com | JUNE 2024We create boundless opportunity With a wealth of experience in reporting, content creation and publishing, Apeiron Media, Inc – publisher of Apeiron Construction – was set up with a clear vision to shine a light on pioneering organizations and professionals throughout the construction industry. We take a nuanced approach to storytelling and our clients benefit from a comprehensive integrated marketing opportunity through our detailed suite of online media. Apeiron Construction delivers stories from across the industry to offer high-end, thought provoking content to our readers. Conducting fascinating in-depth interviews with industry leading Executives, Managers, Presidents and CEOs allows us to gain insight and perspective while having the privilege of telling impactful stories. Our unique approach to content creation allows us to gain expert commentary on an ever-changing industry, from the people that know it best. As a media platform, we believe that our world is boundless. We want to share this world with our clients. W elcome to the June edition of Apeiron Construc- tion. Temperatures are rising and the days are longer. Summer is most certainly on its way and that means that construction projects right around the north- ern hemisphere will enjoy longer days, warmer jobsites and an overall sense of positivity. All the while, the construction landscape is enjoying a welcome resurgence with projects large and small breaking ground on a daily basis. There are challenges, sure, that will always be the case, but the industry can rise above them. It always does. In this issue, we are delighted to share some of the most innovative and groundbreaking news stories from across the industry. We explore the novel ways to introduce recy- clable materials to the 3D printing process, we look into our infrastructure networks and how they can be expanded to be inclusive to all members of society, and we look into the range of renewables that will be powering jobsites for years to come. Alongside this, we bring the brightest and most exciting stories from businesses, projects and planners that the industry has to offer. As always, we are delighted to share these stories. | 3 APEIRON CONSTRUCTION A note from our Chief Editor APEIRON-CONSTRUCTION.COM APEIRONMEDIAINC.COM CHIEF EDITOR SENIOR CONTENT DEVELOPERS CONTENT DEVELOPERS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DIRECTOR OF SALES CREATIVE DIRECTOR DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER DAVID O’NEILL COLIN O’NEILL | PETER SWALE | MARK PETERS DARAGH KIERNAN | MARCO GUANNUE | AARON HORGAN SURAJ RAMACHANDRAN | JASON QUIGLEY | CONOR ALLEN RAQUEL FARRINGTON | MEGHAN BARTON | AOIFE CHANEY KAYLA BROWN LINDSAY BAILEY ALEX MULVEYSince building and construction began, humans have grappled with the challenge of powering these endeavors. From horse drawn vehicles to modern methods, the full gamut of energy sources have been utilized. Coal, oil, gas, electricity, every conceivable power source has had its time and place. The future of energy is a difficult one to predict, however. The construction industry is navigating an era marked by the occasionally opposing forces of technological innovation and environmental consciousness. 8 Energizing the Future of Construction6 3 Positive News Stories 7 Industry Events 12 Solutions-Based Drilling & Blasting M-ROC 20 Where Quality Meets Speed MAGEST BUILDING SYSTEMS 26 Natural Batteries 30 Breaking Down Barriers in Demolition AMG DEMOLITION 38 Building the Dream L.I.C BUILDERS LTD 44 Full Spectrum Safety NSG LIFE SAFETY & NOREL SERVICE 50 Recyclable Homes 56 From Trees to Streets WYNN SITE DEVELOPMENT 62 Inclusive Infrastructure 5 | APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONWith all that is happening around us, it can be easy to miss some of the advancements that are being made in the construction industry. Let’s shine a light on some positive news stories that are making our world a little better. Natural Cement Cement is big business. In fact, it might be more accurate and fairer to say that it is big, dirty business. 8% of CO2 emissions come from the cement industry which equates to around three billion tons of carbon a year. One of the main problems with the material is that limestone and other fossil fuels are burned during its production. For a long time, Scientists have struggled to come up with alternatives that are cleaner and more sustainable. However, success may be right around the corner. Civil and environmental engineers at Imperial College Lon- don have turned to olivine, a magnesium silicate material that is found in abundance not far below the soil we walk on. Through a complex process, a silica is produced that can be used as a cement substitute and as a binder or filler in other low-carbon construction products such as bricks, blocks and board. “The process requires less energy than other low carbon cement processes and consumes its own CO2 emissions. The patented process is unique and the products can be used without modifying customer’s plants, within the existing standards framework and at competitive market prices.” www.seratechcement.com/ | 6 JUNE 2024In their UQ laboratory L-R Dr Wang and Professor Zhang look at the nanogenerator Carbon Negative Power As researchers and scientists around the world look for cleaner ways to power our society, no stone is being left unturned. In fact, the race for Net Zero has reached the point where scientists are now looking to introduce carbon negative sources of electricity. While it might seem fanciful, research from the University of Queensland is showing early promise by designing a proof-of-concept device that con- sumes carbon dioxide as it generates electricity. Dissolvable Waste Electronic waste has long been a difficult subject to tackle. As electronics become obsolete at a faster rate than ever before, much of what is produced and consumed becomes useless almost immediately. In fact, according to the World Health Organisation, E-waste is the fastest growing solid waste stream in the world with hundreds of thousands of tons ending up in landfill each year. NeoCon 2024: Design Takes Shape JUNE 10-12, 2024 THE MART, CHICAGO, IL neocon.com Houston Build Expo JUNE 26-27, 2024 HOUSTON, TX buildexpousa.com BOMA 2024 Conference & Expo JULY 13-16, 2024 PHILADELPHIA, PA bomaconvention.org/BOMA2024 Circuit boards are generally melted in third world countries to extract the small amounts of valuable minerals. However, mechanical engineer Aniruddh Vashisth has designed a novel way of reusing these boards, replacing the epoxy in PCBs with a type of plastic called a vitrimer. “Vitrimers flow and form new, strong chemical bonds when they are heated past a certain temperature,” he says, “allowing them to be recycled over and over, unlike the plastic in water bottles that degrade with each recycling cycle.” www.nature.com/articles/s41893-024-01333-7 The carbon-negative power generator was designed and tested by Professor of chemical engineering Xiwang Zhang at UQ and works by generating power from the flow of charges. “At present we can harvest around one per cent of the total energy carried intrinsically by carbon dioxide but like other technologies, we will now work on improving efficiency and reducing cost,” said Zhuyuan Wang, a postdoctoral researcher and lead author of the paper in a press release. www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2024/04/ uq-turns-co2-sustainable-power | 7 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONWRITTEN BY DAVID O’NEILL S ince building and construction began, humans have grappled with the challenge of powering these endeavors. From horse drawn vehicles to modern methods, the full gamut of energy sources have been utilized. Coal, oil, gas, elec- tricity, every conceivable power source has had its time and place. The future of energy is a difficult one to predict, however. The construction industry is navigating an era marked by the occasionally opposing forces of technological innovation and environmental consciousness. This context means that renewable energy stands out as a both a hurdle to overcome and a transformative force. According to John Hopkins University, addressing the energy challenge is the single greatest one | 8 JUNE 2024facing modern industry. “Building a sustainable energy future calls for leaps forward in both technology and policy leadership. State governments, major corporations and nations around the world have pledged to address the worsening climate crisis by transitioning to 100% renewable energy over the next few decades. Turning those statements of intention into a reality means undertaking unprecedented efforts and collaboration between disciplines ranging from environmental science to economics.” Embracing sustainable energy sources not only aligns with global efforts to combat climate change but also promises signif- icant advancements in building practices, operational efficiency, and long-term cost savings. But as we move through various sources of energy, which one is leading the pack in terms of future proofing the industry. Which has the most potential to truly revolutionize the construction landscape. | 9 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONNext >