Approximate reading time: 5 minutes

The US construction industry recorded an unexpected upturn in February with the start of 583,000 new homes, 22% higher than in January. Even so, these new homes begun in February 2009 represent only 47% of the February 2008 figure. Despite the good news, we are only talking about a slight upturn after 8 months of steady downward movements in the building industry of the world’s largest economy.

It should also be noted that this figure is accompanied by an 11% increase in building permits for single-family dwellings, the highest in the last 18 years.

It is likely that this recovery in construction will help decelerate the growing unemployment figures during the next few months, which in February reached 8.1% of an active population of more than 154 million workers. A normal unemployment percentage by European standards but quite extraordinary for the US.

As already reported, BERALMAR took part last February in the KIEVBUILD 2009 fair in Kiev (Ukraine).

The Ukraine is not exempt from the global financial crisis and its construction activity is also suffering the consequences.

Despite this, the fair was very useful for BERALMAR, not just because of the contacts made, but also because it revealed the specific needs of the Ukrainian ceramics industry as well as helping to identify opportunities for BERALMAR’s wide range of equipment.

BERALMAR has completed the construction of an intermittent test kiln at its facility in Terrassa.

This facility, built entirely with proprietary technology, will be used to improve the conditions in which the quality tests for gas burners are performed, as well as for boosting the development of new prototypes before they are tested in tunnel kilns.

Despite the size of the facility (4,050 x 2,560 x 2,600), the test kiln has 31 orifices for fitting jets and up to 14 viewing holes for a comprehensive view of the combustion process.

BERALMAR is commissioning a remarkable petroleum coke firing facility at the BRIQUETERIE DEVELOPPEMENT ceramic works in Tangiers (Morocco) for production of 400 tonnes/day.

It is a combined MICROMATIC installation fed with with micronised fuel from a petcoke grinding station.

This combination makes the most of the advantages offered by the MICROMATIC system, such as energy efficiency, work hygiene, firing precision, etc. while consuming raw petcoke which is more economical than petcoke which is supplied dry and micronised. The grinding station deals with this micronisation ((Ø < 100 μ) and the drying and storing of fuel in the buffer-silo, which automatically takes care of feeding the MICROMATIC facility just as a fuel tanker would.

BERALMAR has experience in various applications of solid-fuel facilities, both for coal and petcoke. This allows us to adapt to each situation and develop the ideal facility depending on the type of solid fuels and their prices.