They claim that the system, Oris, can reduce road project costs by up to one-third and carbon emissions by up to half while tripling road durability and lifespans.
LafargeHolcim said that Oris allows decision-makers, road infrastructure authorities and project investors to improve road construction and sustainability and reduce inefficiencies through smart project design.
It estimates that an average of 700,000 kilometres of new roads are being built globally every year. Improving road quality and resilience will help reduce the massive amount of carbon emissions attributed to transportation. It is a complex challenge to define 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, said the company.
Oris assesses road pavement designs from different perspectives and recommends construction and maintenance patterns with local materials availability and capabilities.
“We are accelerating the digitalisation of our solutions for sustainable and high-performance construction,” said Marcel Cobuz, LafargeHolcim’s region head of Europe and member of the executive committee with responsibility on a global level. “With global solutions like ORIS, we are committed to leading the way in low-carbon and circular construction as well as responsible natural resource consumption for roads and beyond. We have already entered into pilots with different partners such as road authorities, international financing institutions and engineering firms to use ORIS in both developed and emerging markets.”
LafargeHolcim will leverage IBM's portfolio of digital systems and services, as well as IBM's expertise in areas such as machine learning, artificial intelligence and data analytics to enhance its knowledge in cement and ready-mix concrete products, as well as in aspects such as precast concrete, asphalt, and mortar.
“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,” said Hervé Rolland, vice president, industrial solutions at IBM Europe. “Oris is instrumental in recommending appropriate and tailored approaches to road-building, thus minimising costs, environmental impacts and project delays.”
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