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Lafarge: 'Building Better Cities to Meet Demand of Urbanization By Mark S. Kuhar Lafarge North America launched its new brand positioning, Building Better Cities, representing its pledge to offer solutions that contribute to meeting the many challenges posed by the growing trend of urbanization. Lafarge's new brand positioning opens a promising new niche for the company to be a more involved player in sustainable construc‐ tion and resilient building for both com‐ mercial products and the everyday consumer. Urbanization is one of the biggest chal‐ lenges of the 21st century. Over the next decade, cities will change substantially, as population growth is anticipated to occur almost exclusively in urban areas. By 2050, 70 percent of the world's pop‐ ulation will be living in towns and cities, compared with just over 50 percent today, resulting in two billion more city‐ dwellers. Development at this unprecedented scale will be a major challenge for the whole construction industry, including in the U.S. where 79 percent of the popula‐ tion is living in urban environments (ac‐ cording to 2000 U.S. Census numbers). "Our pledge of Building Better Cities en‐ compasses the overall ambition of La‐ farge," said John Stull, president and CEO of Lafarge U.S. "We want to play our part in the improvement of towns and cities, through our contribution to better roads, more sustainable build‐ ings, more energy efficient building so‐ lutions, all with a lesser impact on the environment." Innovation is at the heart of Lafarge's strategy, driving it to be a major con‐ tributor toward developing enhanced urban environments. Lafarge's new brand commits to this strategy in five 56 ROCKproducts • JULY 2013 key areas: ■ More housing in cities. Promoting solutions that encourage more sustainable housing options with an emphasis on affordable housing for all. ■ More compact cities. Providing materials for the construc‐ tion of sustainable, high‐rise build‐ ings which can help reduce urban sprawl. ■ More durable cities. Focusing on the strength and longevity of construction materials by taking full account of environmen‐ tal concerns, particularly the energy efficiency of buildings and the reduc‐ tion of CO2 emissions. ■ More beautiful cities. Integrating innovation, performance and architectural expertise to create visually bold and beautiful solutions. ■ More connected cities. Supporting the development of all in‐ frastructures – roads, airports, train stations, bridges, tunnels – that unite communities. "Thanks to our innovative products and services, we are offering solutions that lead to more durable, more beautiful and more connected communities," said Stull. than 95 percent of construction waste from the landfill and achieve soil stabi‐ lization. In addition, the use of Lafarge products contributed to the facility's Gold Certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Green Building Rating System. Lafarge products also have played a role in the generation of clean energy. The Blue Creek Wind Farm in Van Wert, Ohio, used Lafarge Type I cement in the below‐ground concrete support system for its wind turbines that generate enough clean, homegrown energy to power approximately 75,000 average homes. The project also used cement for soil stabilization, enabling access to the site under difficult soil conditions and providing a base for permanent road‐ ways. Lafarge looks forward to Building Better Cities and as a brand, continuing to rep‐ resent a rich history of quality building products and a steadfast dedication to safety and sustainability benchmark in recognition of its sustainable develop‐ ment actions. E More information is available on the Lafarge Group's website: www.lafarge.com. Lafarge products have long been an in‐ tegral part of sustainable projects in the U.S. In Minnesota, McLeod County relied on Lafarge Type I/II Cement to rehabili‐ tate its distressed Highway 2. The new infrastructure provides long‐term dura‐ bility and a more beautiful drive with its bright and safe aesthetic. For the John Deere sales and marketing center in Olathe, Kan., the use of Lafarge Fly Ash and services by Lafarge sub‐ sidiary, Systech, helped divert more www.rockproducts.com