Swiss-based cement maker LafargeHolcim is working with IBM Services to create a digital platform aimed at optimising road design
The ORIS tool is expected to reduce project costs by up to one-third, and carbon emissions by half, as well as tripling the service life of the road. With an average of 700,000 kilometres (435,000 miles) of new roads being built globally every year, the impact of this tool is potentially significant.
It can be a complex challenge to pinpoint the most sustainable and cost-effective mix of building materials and technologies early in the design phase as roads vary depending on location, climate, vehicle types and traffic volumes. ORIS assesses the most efficient construction and maintenance patterns, given the availability and capability of local materials.
Marcel Cobuz, LafargeHolcim’s head of Europe, said the company had already entered into pilot projects with road authorities, international financing institutions and engineering firms around the world.
Hervé Rolland, IBM’s vice president of industrial solutions, said, “Data-driven solutions and digital technologies have the potential to transform road construction towards more sustainable, circular, low-carbon, low-resource and cost-efficient techniques”.
“ORIS is instrumental in recommending appropriate and tailored approaches to road-building, thus minimising costs, environmental impacts and project delays,” said Rolland.
Source: www.lafargeholcim.com
