Ukrcement urges communities to more actively build, repair roads using concrete

The Ukrcement association advocates broader use of cement-concrete technologies in road construction in Ukraine and is calling on local communities to prepare standard solutions and a package of regulatory documents to enable rapid restoration of destroyed road sections, the association said following the scientific and practical seminar "Cement-Concrete Roads: Technologies, Standards, Prospects," held in Kyiv on February 11.

In her presentation, Ukrcement Executive Director Liudmyla Krypka emphasized the cement industry’s ability to fully supply the domestic market with cement. She also highlighted the transition to European standards in both products and regulation, particularly DSTU EN 197-1, as well as requirements for declarations and the responsibility of participants in the construction product supply chain.

According to Ukrcement, in the context of infrastructure recovery, concrete technologies can serve as a practical tool for communities both for building individual road sections and for repairing roads. The immediate task, the association said, is to develop standard designs, materials, and technologies that would allow restoration work in many cases without involving large road construction companies.

"The most difficult times are times of change. It is important to use these changes to benefit the country’s development," Krypka stressed, noting the importance of implementing best practices using domestically produced construction materials that create added value for the economy.

The association also noted that the development of cement-concrete roads is of strategic importance and could become one of the drivers of national recovery and the creation of resilient, European-level infrastructure.