Sources: LafargeHolcim Ltd., Zurich; CP staff
LafargeHolcim will leverage IBM Services’ hybrid clouds, data analytics, plus machine learning, artificial intelligence, industrial Internet of Things tools to extend its heavy building materials knowledge base and build out ORIS, promoted as the first digital platform for road design optimization, for global deployment.
“We are accelerating the digitalization of our solutions for sustainable and high-performance construction,” says LafargeHolcim Europe Region Head Marcel Cobuz, who oversees innovation on a global level for the cement, aggregate and concrete giant. “With solutions like ORIS, we are committed to leading the way in low-carbon and circular construction as well as responsible natural resource consumption. We have already entered into pilots with road authorities, international financing institutions, and engineering firms to use ORIS in both developed and emerging markets.”
“Data-driven solutions and digital technologies have the potential to transform road construction towards more sustainable and cost-efficient techniques. ORIS is instrumental in recommending appropriate and tailored approaches to road-building, thus minimizing costs, environmental impacts and project delays,” adds IBM Europe Vice President, Industrial Solutions Hervé Rolland. “IBM Services help businesses establish the right industry-relevant platforms that support rapid digitization, standardization and simplification, as well as vertically integrating both industrial and business operations.”
IBM technology-powered refinements of ORIS will equip users and project stakeholders to reduce pavement costs by up to one-third and carbon emissions factors by up to one-half, while tripling road durability and service life. The smart project design platform arrives as more than 400,000 miles of new roads are built globally every year, and policy makers link improved pavement quality and resilience to a lowering of carbon emissions attributed to transportation.
Because roads vary depending on location, climate, vehicle types and traffic volumes, LafargeHolcim cites the challenge of defining the most sustainable and cost-effective mix of building materials and technologies early in the design phase. ORIS assesses road pavement designs from different perspectives and recommends efficient construction and maintenance patterns with local materials availability and capabilities.