Global Business, Lafarge create special cement for Yolanda projs

MANILA, Philippines - Global Business Power Corp. (GBP), the power generation company of banking tycoon George Ty, has partnered with Lafarge Republic, Inc. (LRI) in developing an initiative aimed to lower the costs of rehabilitation projects in areas affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda.

The project involves the introduction of a special cement variant, GBP said over the weekend.

Under the project, the two companies would provide a type of cement that could be used for the rehabilitation of homes in Yolanda-affected provinces.

Dubbed Kapit-Balay, the project involves the use of a high quality proprietary cement blended with fly ash, particularly coming from the Cebu Energy Development Corp. and Toledo Power Co., that provides appropriate structural strength suited for one- to two-story homes being built by non-government organizations (NGOs), local government units and other government agencies.

Fly ash is a non-hazardous coal power plant by-product derived from clean coal technology, a process involving injection of limestone during combustion of coal. It is a fine powder that could be utilized as a pozzolan, a material that has greater compressive strength and lesser environmental impact used in high-performance blended cement, the company said.

LRI director Don Lee said that GBP’s fly ash has passed the cement company’s standards. Cement with fly ash possesses good workability, smoother finish, enhanced durability, and good strength.

GBP  chairman Francisco Sebastian, for his part, said the company has had projects in the areas of health, environment, education and development.

“Kapit-Balay is one of the activities that we have identified and taken into action the community’s needs, while having a partner with the same vision,” he said.