7
april 2015
international
construction
WORLDNEWS
2015
Intermat
April 20–25, 2015
Paris, France
Plantworx
June 2– 4, 2015
Bruntingthorpe, UK
CTT
June 2– 6, 2015
Moscow, Russia
M&T Expo
June 9– 12, 2015
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Bauma ConExpoAfrica
September 15– 18, 2015
Johannesburg, SouthAfrica
BICES
September 22– 25, 2015
Beijing, China
ICUEE
September 29–October 1, 2015
Louisville, Kentucky, US
ConExpo LatinAmerica
October 21–24, 2015
Santiago, Chile
Excon
November 25–29, 2015
Bangalore, India
2016
World of Concrete
February 2 - 5, 2016
(Seminars February 1–5)
Las Vegas, US
Bauma
April 11–17, 2016
Munich, Germany
Hillhead
June 28– 30, 2016
Buxton, UK
EXHIBITIONDIARY
TURKMENISTAN
Thismonth’s Site
Report (p. 64) looks in-depth at the
construction of the US$ 5 billion
Olympic complex inAshgabat,
Turkmenistan. The three-phase
project covers a 1.57 km
2
site in
the southern part of the capital city
and comprises sevenmajor indoor
sporting venueswith capacities
from 5,000 to 45,000 spectators.
Also included in the project
are outdoor facilities, hotels,
restaurants, car parks, anOlympic
Villagewith capacity for 12,000
competitors and a 5 kmmonorail
to connect them all together. In all
there are 52major construction
schemeswithin the overall project.
The project is due for completion
ahead of the 2017Asian Indoor-
Martial Arts Games, which are being
held inAshgabat.
BRAZIL
Corruption
concerns
Both Bilfinger and Skanska have
become embroiled in corruption
incidents
in
the
Brazilian
construction sector.
Skanska do Brazil is being
investigated by the Comptroller
General (CGU) andAdministrative
Council of Economic Defence
(CADE) in relation to thePetrobras
scandal. Meanwhile, Bilfinger has
launched an internal investigation
into alleged bribes paid by a
company employee to a public
official.
Petrobras is the state-owned
Brazilian oil company. Last year
allegations emerged that senior
executives at the company had
demanded bribes and kickbacks
from construction companies in
return for contracts. The following
investigation
–
‘Operation
Car Wash’ has seen some 35
Petrobras managers and Brazilian
construction company executives
arrested on criminal charges.
The revelations at Petrobras have
also sparked further investigations
into corruption in the construction
industry. The hydroelectric power
sector has come under particular
scrutiny.
Skanska said, “Skanska has a zero
tolerance against corruption and
takes the situation seriously.”
US
Export slump
Exports of US-made construction
equipment fell -13.2% last year
compared to 2013 for a total of
US$ 17.3 billion, according to the
US-basedAssociationofEquipment
Manufacturers (AEM), citing US
Department of Commerce data.
The AEM said US exports to all
regions of the world fell last year,
with business in Europe, South
America and Australia/Oceania
hardest hit.
The biggest export market for
US manufacturers is Canada,
where sales were down -2% last
year to US$ 6.66 billion. The next
biggest region was South America,
where sales were down -28.3% to
US$ 2.57 billion, while exports
to Central America fell -11.4%
to US$ 1.95 billion. This meant
US manufacturers saw an overall
fall in the value of construction
equipment exports to Latin
American of –21.8% last year, for a
total ofUS$ 4.52 billion.
Meanwhile, the -22.6% fall in the
value of exports to Europe meant
this market had the same value
last year as Asia for US equipment
manufacturers – US$ 1.98 billion.
Exports to Asia were down -7.1%
last year. Exports to Africa were
down -5.2% to US% 1.23 billion
last year, while the Australia/
Oceania market was down 32.4%
toUS$ 890million.
EUROPE
Sales boost
Construction equipment sales in
Europegrew+%compared lastyear,
according to the Committee for
EuropeanConstructionEquipment
(CECE) trade association. Sales in
the region (including Russia and
Turkey) came to 135,000 units of
construction equipment.
CECE economist Sebastian
Popp said, “This is a positive
development, but we have to bear
inmind that the good performance
was just enough to recover what
had been lost in 2013.The market
is still more than 40% below the
record levels seen in 2007.”
CECE said Southern European
markets remained very low absolute
levels last year, whereas the UK,
Germany and others were not that
far away from pre-crisis levels.
Indeed, the UK saw sales growth
+32% compared to an already
strong 2013, while Turkey and
Russia suffered a devastating year
with market declines of -25% and
-37%, respectively.
Other growth areas included the
Nordic countries, which CECE
said were up +10.5% last year.
Meanwhile,
the
Netherlands
(+35%), Belgium (+11%), and
Austria (+14%) were also strong.
Spain’smarket increasedby+54%,
the tiny Portuguesemarket jumped
by +69% and Italy witnessed
growth of +20%.
