Trade Journals for the Concrete Industry

Despite today's world is centered on technology and fast-track businesses, one cannot ignore that concrete and concrete products are one of the bases for the "construction of the human habitat", meaning the transformation of the earth ́s resources into basic, environmentally friendly and economically profitable products. It seems that it will continue very much the same for many years to come, because none of the alternative products seems to offer so much for the same small cost of concrete products. Trying to make this "harsh and bulky" construction technology compatible with today ́s technological, productive, fast, efficient and very commercially oriented world, one cannot forget the basic characteristics of precast concrete construction and how it contributes for a bet- ter world. The core of it is to have heavy stone-like pieces, placed side by side or bound together, to create larger construction units and final works. However, these pieces sell neither as commodities nor as high-technology products. They are not even "final products". They are "components" of structural systems (pavers of a concrete block pavement, blocks of a masonry wall or structure). They do not respond to the marketing strategies or advertising in the same way as the "massive consumer products". It is necessary to have a well-structured argu- mentation for each product, project and owner, intermediate buyers, final contractors and subcontractors. It generates an almost infinite number of combinations, but focused, anyway, to fulfill the final owner ́s expectations.