We Conducted an Interview with ERMCO and THBB Chairman of the Board of Directors Mr. Yavuz Işık

In the interview we conducted, Yavuz Işık, Chairman of the Board of the European Ready Mixed Concrete Organization (ERMCO) and Turkey Ready Mixed Concrete Association (THBB), provided detailed information about the work and activities of THBB, one of the most important institutions in the construction sector.

Could you briefly tell our readers about yourself, your education and professional background?

I completed my primary, secondary and high school education in Ankara. For higher education, I chose Mechanical Engineering. I studied Mechanical Engineering at Siegen University in Germany and the Engineering Faculty of Gazi University. After graduation, I started my professional career in 1985. Subsequently, I established, managed and continue to manage ready mixed concrete, aggregate, mining and transportation companies. I have been serving as Chairman of the Board of Turkey Ready Mixed Concrete Association for 4 years. Serving as chairman of Turkey Ready Mixed Concrete Association, which is a representative of the ready mixed concrete sector and an exemplary professional organization, brings me great pride and joy. I am working to carry forward the flag entrusted to me. In 2016, I was elected President of the European Ready Mixed Concrete Organization (ERMCO), which is a very important organization that we have been a full member of since 1991 and have been represented on the Executive Committee since 2014. I was elected at the 24th ERMCO Board of Management Meeting held in Germany on 8 September 2016, by the votes of 70 delegates and the decision of the Executive Bureau consisting of representatives from France, Germany and Turkey. With this position at ERMCO, Turkey Ready Mixed Concrete Association today actively participates in ERMCO Technical and Sustainability Committees and has a say in determining the agendas of these committees. By following European agendas more closely, we are bringing the latest developments to our country and trying to place our sector's problems on the agenda of European institutions and find solutions. Thus, while directing the European ready mixed concrete sector as Turkey, we are also contributing to the development of our country's ready mixed concrete industry. In addition, I continue my work as a Member of the Ankara Chamber of Industry Assembly. I simultaneously hold the positions of Chairman of the Ankara Ready Mixed Concrete Producers Association and Chairman of the Yenimahalle Red Crescent Association.

Can you provide information about the history, activities and events of Turkey Ready Mixed Concrete Association (THBB)?

With the widespread adoption of ready mixed concrete production in Turkey in the 1980s, the "Ready Mixed Concrete Manufacturers Association" was established in 1988 through the initiative of a small number of ready mixed concrete producers operating in the Marmara region. After a while, the association, which took the name "Ready Mixed Concrete Producers Association," increased its number of members and activities in a short time through intensive work by the founding members and became a member of the European Ready Mixed Concrete Organization (ERMCO) in 1991. Our Association, due to its contributions to our sector and country, was deemed worthy of bearing the "Turkey" designation in 1995 by a Cabinet decision and representing our country abroad. The most important work our Association has done for quality production of all concrete used in our country is establishing the Quality Assurance System (QAS). Quality production and compliance with standards can only be ensured through inspection. For this reason, our Association established the Quality Assurance System (QAS) in 1995 for quality concrete production in Turkey. QAS performs on-site inspections of concrete production facilities as well as unannounced product inspections. Through this, continuous quality is maintained in facility production. With this method, currently the only effective and efficient inspection of concrete production in our country is carried out by QAS.

THBB does not accept concrete producers that have not passed inspection into the association. Therefore, all ready mixed concrete facilities that are members of THBB are guaranteed to produce in accordance with EU standards.

Thus, it is possible to say that 65 percent of the 107 million cubic meters of concrete produced in our country is inspected by QAS. This rate is quite high but is not sufficient for us. Our aim is to increase this rate to 100 percent to increase safe structures. To achieve quality concrete production, education quality must be improved. In this direction, certified training courses and seminars have been organized for years within our Association for the sector, its employees and concrete users, meeting the sector's need for qualified personnel.

Since 1994, pump and truck mixer operators, plant operators and laboratory technicians have been receiving certified training from our Association.

More than 16,000 people have participated in these trainings so far. These trainings not only meet the need for qualified personnel but also contribute to production in accordance with occupational safety and worker health. While continuing to organize trainings and seminars for sector employees and concrete users within our Association, on 1 January 2017, due to the requirement for certificates in 48 professions determined within the scope of hazardous and very hazardous work, our Association fulfilled its duty according to the Professional Competence Institution Law and established the Turkey Ready Mixed Concrete Association Professional and Competence Center (THBBMYM). The way to improve concrete's properties, performance and ensure quality in concrete production is through science and inspection. Concrete research is carried out in university laboratories as well as our Association's accredited building materials laboratory. Our laboratory, which serves our members as well as the ready mixed concrete and construction sectors, performs all concrete, cement, aggregate, water, fly ash and chemical additive tests and provides calibration services. Our TÜRKAK accredited laboratory, which ranks among the leading laboratories in the world for durability testing, also conducted durability tests for the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge. This is a major achievement for our Association that will serve as an example to many sectors. The laboratory we established in 2007 conducts R&D work and develops projects that will contribute to the sector with its many academics and experienced personnel. Through these projects, ways are sought to produce quality products at lower cost, and methods are developed for environmentally friendly-sustainable concrete production. For example, the project of recycling demolition waste was first researched by our Association in Turkey.

While our Association continues its work in the scientific field, it conducts work to draw the attention of its member companies to occupational safety, health and environmental issues, which are important topics in the world.

In this direction, our Association organizes the Blue Helmet Occupational Safety Competition in which members participate, with the aim of preventing workplace accidents and raising awareness in the ready mixed concrete sector, which has more than 38,000 employees. One of our Association's awareness-raising efforts is making the Turkey ready mixed concrete sector an environmentally conscious sector. For this purpose, our Association rewards environmentally conscious facilities through the Green Spot Environmental Competition, promoting the development of our sector.   In addition to occupational safety and environmental issues, our Association also organizes Architecture Awards every four years with the aim of promoting the correct and appropriate use of concrete, and rewarding livable environments and aesthetic building examples in the material selection and architectural production process. Turkey, with its quality concrete production, ranks among the top by leaving many countries behind. As a union, we believe that sectoral dialogue and cooperation are very important in order to further strengthen our position and maintain our status as a reference country with the knowledge and experience we possess in the world. In this direction, THBB organizes the Concrete Fair every year, which is a very important gathering in terms of knowledge exchange between companies as well as determining the vision and road map of the sector.

The fact that much of our country is located in the earthquake zone makes concrete quality an indispensable factor for building safety. What kind of work does THBB do to raise awareness in the sector and guide it in this regard?

Ready mixed concrete is the most widely used load-bearing building material in our country. It is used in nearly all construction projects such as residences, public buildings, factories, dams, engineering structures (bridges, culverts, tunnels, retaining walls, etc.). Ready mixed concrete is preferred because it is very economical, easy to produce and use, safe when properly used, durable and requires no maintenance as the most basic load-bearing building material. Because concrete is such an important and widely used building material, Turkey Ready Mixed Concrete Association has been striving since 1988 for concrete production in accordance with standards. For this purpose, our Association organizes congresses and fairs, and organizes professional training courses and seminars to inform sector employees and skilled workers and ensure correct concrete applications in construction.

Since 1994, pump and truck mixer operators, plant operators and laboratory technicians have been receiving certified training from our Association.

The educational work our Association conducts for sector professionals and the general public is of special importance in disseminating correct information about ready mixed concrete. Our Association prepares reports following collapses caused by earthquakes and other external factors, and brings public awareness to quality construction issues by explaining its assessments to the media and public regarding construction, particularly urban transformation. We attempt to convey the knowledge and experience produced through various channels to the ready mixed concrete sector, the construction sector and the public. As the publication body of THBB, "Ready Mixed Concrete" magazine, which has been published every two months since 1993, is the only periodical publication in Turkey directly targeting the ready mixed concrete sector. Besides this, technical publications related to the production, transportation and use of ready mixed concrete; statistical evaluations and reports regarding the development of the ready mixed concrete sector in Turkey; informational and warning posters and brochures regarding the importance of using quality concrete in buildings; documents printed in cooperation with official institutions such as earthquake maps and Disaster Regulations are among THBB's publication activities for the sector and society. THBB also informs the public through its website and social media accounts. For the widespread use of quality concrete in Turkey, rigorous quality inspection in the sector is first necessary. We ensure quality control in concrete through KGS - Quality Assurance System. However, there must be demand for quality, and contractors must prefer quality concrete rather than cheap concrete.

Have you conducted research as THBB on the concrete quality and standards of existing residences in Turkey, and can you share the results?

We know that hand-mixed, low-quality concrete with low strength classes was used in structures built especially before the 1990s. In our post-earthquake research, we found that collapsed buildings had low strength classes such as C6 to C10. That is, these buildings don't need any earthquake to collapse; these buildings are candidates for self-destruction through environmental impact factors. These structures must be demolished and rebuilt. Turkey, with its growth performance in concrete production, has risen above the European average in terms of concrete strength classes and ranks at the top of the list with an 89 percent usage rate of concrete in strength classes C25 and above. It is known that with the advances in strength class and concrete technology that have increased since 2000, the number of skyscrapers is increasing every day. With developing technological infrastructure and increased knowledge and competence, Turkey ranks 14th in the world for the number of buildings over 150 meters tall, first in Europe, and Istanbul ranks 24th among world cities. In our country, which is an example in tall building construction, 97 percent of buildings over 150 meters in use are reinforced concrete. In the construction of buildings over 150 meters, concrete with strength classes C40-C60 is predominantly used. In the upcoming period, the weight of high-rise structures in the construction sector will increase. In these structures, concrete and workmanship become increasingly important. For this reason, our Association emphasizes once again that the entire concrete production process must be inspected. In this regard, the use of quality ready mixed concrete with QAS certificates produced by our members is of great importance.

With urban transformation applications, many regions in our country are being restructured. What is the required concrete strength class for new residences? Can you provide information about the legal regulations and inspection applications on this matter?

According to the earthquake regulation that came into force in 1997, concrete with strength class C20 (200 kg/cm² compressive strength value) and above must be used in buildings. As Turkey Ready Mixed Concrete Association, we recommend using concrete in strength classes above C30 (300 kg/cm² compressive strength value) in buildings. Because; 95 percent of our country's population lives in earthquake zones. More than 7 million residences that lack earthquake resistance need to be renovated. Urban transformation work is being conducted within this scope. Urban transformation work must be accelerated in line with earthquake research and the use of quality ready mixed concrete must be widespread. Because the danger is greater than thought. Research shows that one of the important causes of earthquake destruction is the use of non-standard concrete, application and design errors. In our country, which needs earthquake-resistant structures, the most important problem of the ready mixed concrete sector is that some producers conduct unmonitored, low-quality production. As answered in the previous questions, our priority as THBB is to inform the public about these producers and explain the importance of KGS "Quality Assurance System."

What is the place and importance of ready mixed concrete in the construction sector, what types of advantages does ready mixed concrete use bring to the construction sector? Can you provide information about concrete production data for the world, Europe and Turkey, and how is Turkey positioned?

Concrete holds an important place in human history and in the works of ancient civilizations that have survived to the present day. Today, with very wide areas of use, concrete has become the material most consumed in the world after water. This economical material that is easy to produce and use, safe when properly used, durable and requires no maintenance is the most basic building material of the construction sector. When our Association was established in 1988, 25 ready mixed concrete companies with 30 production facilities were producing 1.5 million m³ of concrete annually, but over the past 29 years the number of ready mixed concrete facilities has reached 1,264 and production has risen to 107 million m³. With this growth performance, Turkey has been Europe's leader in concrete production since 2009 and is the world's third largest ready mixed concrete producer after China and the USA. According to 2015 data we received from the European Ready Mixed Concrete Organization (ERMCO), while the total production amount of all EU member states is 215 million cubic meters, Turkey alone produces 107 million cubic meters of concrete. With this production amount, Turkey ranks first among EU countries, Germany ranks second with 47 million cubic meters of production, and France ranks third with 35 million cubic meters of production. While the average per capita ready mixed concrete production in EU countries is 0.5 cubic meters, per capita ready mixed concrete production in Turkey is 1.4 cubic meters.

An important development occurred in our country's ready mixed concrete sector in 2016. You were elected President of the European Ready Mixed Concrete Organization (ERMCO). Would you share your assessment on this matter?

The European Ready Mixed Concrete Organization (ERMCO) is an international organization that follows developments concerning our sector, which create agendas at CEMBUREAU – European Cement Association, Concrete Initiative, European Concrete Platform, EUPAVE – European Concrete Roads Association, FIB – International Concrete Structure Federation and all other relevant organizations. One of our goals as Turkey Ready Mixed Concrete Association is to represent our sector not only at the national level but also at the international level in the best possible way. For this reason, we have been a full member of ERMCO - European Ready Mixed Concrete Organization, an organization very important for our sector, since 1991 and have been represented on the Executive Committee since 2014. Last year, I was elected President of the European Ready Mixed Concrete Organization (ERMCO), with which we have maintained long-standing cooperation. At the 24th ERMCO Board of Management Meeting held in Germany on 8 September 2016, I was elected by the votes of 70 delegates and the decision of the Executive Bureau consisting of representatives from France, Germany and Turkey. With this position at ERMCO, we are following European agendas more closely, bringing the latest developments to our country, and trying to place our sector's problems on the agenda of European institutions and find solutions. Thus, while directing the European ready mixed concrete sector as Turkey, we are also contributing to the development of our country's ready mixed concrete industry.

How can concrete products be developed in terms of variety, efficiency and technology? What kinds of tasks fall to the private sector, public institutions and universities? Do you think it is possible for Turkey to have a voice globally in concrete in particular in R&D and know-how?

Concrete, which underwent a radical transformation with the discovery of Portland cement in the 1820s, became a material whose performance and durability improved year after year through work conducted in the field and laboratories in subsequent years, parallel with developing technology, and through the use of chemical-mineral additives and various improvement and transformation substances. As in the rest of the world, universities, research and development institutions, ready mixed concrete producers and other organizations in our country constantly make efforts to contribute to this development. Twenty years after the ERMCO Congress we successfully held in Istanbul in 1995, our Association hosted the 17th ERMCO Congress in June 2015.

With ERMCO Presidency in 2016, Turkey Ready Mixed Concrete Association has actively participated in ERMCO Technical and Sustainability Committees on topics such as recycled aggregates and environmental product declarations, and has a say in determining the agendas of these committees.

This is clear evidence of our success in R&D and know-how in the field of concrete on a global scale. As we mentioned in our work, concrete research is conducted in university laboratories as well as our Association's accredited building materials laboratory. Our laboratory, established in 2007, today develops R&D work and projects that will contribute to the sector with many academics and experienced personnel at Yıldız Technical University TechnoPark. Our TÜRKAK accredited laboratory, which ranks among the leading laboratories in the world for durability testing, seeks ways to produce quality products at lower cost through the projects conducted, and develops methods for environmentally friendly-sustainable concrete production. Important developments have been recorded through projects conducted by universities and sector representatives led by our Association in our country. The papers presented at the congresses we organize are good examples of this. At the Concrete 2017 Congress we organized this year, 60 papers will be presented that will contribute to the development of the sector under the headings of concrete components, production and on-site quality control, special concretes, concrete design and solutions in special projects, recovery and recycling in concrete production, concrete roads and highway concrete safety structures, concrete plant and shipment efficiencies, and recent developments in concrete technology.

Can you provide information about THBB's environmental policy and sustainability approach? Can we learn your thoughts on recovery and recycling in concrete production? What can you say about your work related to worker health and safety?

Our Association has worked since its founding years to make our sector an environmentally conscious sector. For this purpose, the "Green Spot Environmental Awards Competition" is organized for production in harmony with natural and urban environment in the ready mixed concrete sector. Before the Green Spot Environmental Competition selections, the Environmental and Occupational Safety Committee Members conduct research and examine new developments before updating the competition conditions each time. In the competition, detailed environmental control elements such as air quality protection, noise, wastewater control, fuel, oil and chemical substance management, solid waste management and traffic management are inspected. In facility inspections, the facility's dust emission permit, recycling systems and other matters are also taken into account. The prepared reports are evaluated by the Turkey Ready Mixed Concrete Association Environmental Committee to determine the winning facilities. The Green Spot Environmental Competition has been held in 1998, 2001, 2007, 2012 and 2014 to date. Turkey Ready Mixed Concrete Association, which demonstrates its sensitivity on environmental matters at every opportunity and has signed work that makes a difference in this regard, implemented the "Investigation of the Recycling Potential of Construction and Demolition Waste Generated within the Scope of Urban Transformation Projects in the Ready Mixed Concrete Sector R&D Project" in Istanbul in 2013. Our Project, supported by the Istanbul Development Agency, aimed to encourage the reuse of construction demolition waste resulting from building demolition as raw material in ready mixed concrete production. With this R&D Project covering urban transformation work that started to be implemented as of 2012, all outputs from transformation would cease to be waste harmful to the environment and would be transformed into building materials to be used in other projects. Thus, it was aimed to re-melt and recover the debris weighing millions of tons within itself. At the end of the project, it was found that recovered aggregates had higher water absorption amounts. Their particle densities were below natural aggregates.

The coarse aggregate in the composition of demolition waste obtained due to the small amount, had high fine material content after crushing.

In the project, it was determined that recovered aggregates must be separated in special facilities for use in concrete. Possible negative effects in concrete must be taken into account. Considering such conditions, the use of recovered aggregates in non-structural concretes (lean concrete, filling concrete, bedding, concrete barriers, concrete blocks, etc.) would be more appropriate. Taking into account the limit values in chloride, sulfate and drying shrinkage tests, it is recommended that recovered aggregates be used in unreinforced concretes. For structural concrete, more careful production and aggregates obtained from qualified concretes should be evaluated.   For this reason, in concrete designs where high workability is desired, it is recommended not to use recovered material under 4mm in concrete designs. Additionally, higher rates of water reducing additives must be used to increase workability. As a result of the work conducted, it was determined that recovered material can be used in normal concrete production at a rate not exceeding 25%. The ready mixed concrete sector reuses 3 million tons of fly ash and high furnace slag annually in concrete production. The sector thus reduces carbon emissions by reducing clinker use and prevents the damage these waste create in the environment by turning them into safe products. Our Association follows work that will increase the use of these products in the concrete sector. Additionally, we are establishing recovery units to minimize waste from concrete facilities.

Can you provide information about the main theme and highlights of the "Concrete 2017 Ready Mixed Concrete Congress and Fair" organized by Turkey Ready Mixed Concrete Association (THBB)?

Through the Congresses and Fairs we have been organizing for many years, we bring together the ready mixed concrete, cement, aggregate and construction sectors. As always, this year we are working to hold the Concrete 2017 Ready Mixed Concrete Congress and Concrete, Aggregate, Construction Technologies and Equipment Fair, an important gathering in terms of providing knowledge exchange between companies and determining the vision and road map of the sector. At the Concrete 2017 Congress to be held on 13-14 April 2017, papers will be presented that will contribute to the development of the sector under the headings of concrete components, production and on-site quality control, special concretes, concrete design and solutions in special projects, recovery and recycling in concrete production, concrete roads and highway concrete safety structures, concrete plant and shipment efficiencies, and recent developments in concrete technology. Thus, we will encourage new research on concrete and the materials that compose it, contributing to the development of our sector. Our congress, which will be attended by approximately 400 delegates and where around 60 papers will be presented, will be closely followed by academics and researchers as well as representatives of our sector and associated industry companies. At the fair we will hold for the 9th time between 13-15 April 2017, the latest technological products, vehicles, machinery and equipment, services and facilities related to ready mixed concrete, cement, aggregate and construction sectors will be exhibited. We expect our fair, where 65 companies with 150 brands will participate, to host 10,000 visitors. Our fair, which will also be visited by numerous professional participants from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, is supported by the Istanbul Chamber of Industry, Ankara Chamber of Industry, Istanbul Branch of the Chamber of Civil Engineers, Turkish Contractors Association, Turkish Contractors Union and Environmentally Friendly Buildings Association. As a representative of our Association, I invite all relevant company officials to participate in our congress and fair, which will bring together the construction, ready mixed concrete and all related sectors under one roof, and to follow the latest developments in the sector.