CRH reported second-quarter revenues of $10.8bn, up 6%, with adjusted EBITDA rising 7% to $2.6bn, driven by 10% revenue growth in its Americas Materials Solutions business and 5% growth in Europe from infrastructure and reindustrialisation demand. The group agreed an $8.5bn acquisition of Arcosa to strengthen its aggregates and critical infrastructure footprint in North America, while completing three non-core divestitures. For contractors and materials suppliers, this signals sustained demand for asphalt, aggregates and concrete, particularly in US and European infrastructure pipelines.

Carbon capture is being deployed at cement plants to tackle process emissions that account for much of cement’s contribution to roughly 8% of global CO₂ output, targeting the calcination step where limestone is converted to clinker. Projects are trialling post‑combustion capture on kiln exhausts, oxy‑fuel combustion to produce CO₂‑rich flue gas, and integration with storage or utilisation routes such as mineralisation in aggregates. For designers and contractors, this enables lower‑embodied‑carbon concrete without major changes to mix design, but raises questions on plant energy demand, capture rates and long‑term storage liability.

Building materials group Breedon reported first-half revenues of £857.9m, with volumes in Great Britain continuing to decline while its newly established US business delivered what it called a “strong start”. The company, a major supplier of aggregates, asphalt and ready-mixed concrete to UK infrastructure and housing schemes, is seeing weaker demand in British construction markets despite ongoing road and civils work. For contractors and material specifiers, this points to tighter domestic supply dynamics and a growing shift in Breedon’s capital and production focus towards North America.