2021 is the first year of the “14th Five-Year Plan” and a key year for the high-quality, healthy and orderly development of the aggregates industry. It is a year for the sand and gravel industry to transform the development momentum, change the development mode, implement new development concepts, and comprehensively promote the sand and gravel industry. The high-quality development and green and low-carbon development of the stone industry have entered an important period of healthy and orderly development in all aspects.

In order to further improve the level of administrative personnel of aggregates producing and equipment enterprises, improve the professionalism and administrative capabilities of technical personnel, publicize and implement relevant national and industry standards, norms, guidelines, and policies, promote the transformation and upgrading of enterprises and high-quality development. On May 17, 2021, the “The Sixth National Training Course for Technical and Administrative Personnel in the Aggregates Industry” jointly organized by China Aggregates Association and Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture opened in Beijing.

Deputy Secretary-General Yang Xiaodong presided over the opening ceremony
Yang Xiaodong pointed out that recently multiple departments of the state have successively issued a number of industrial policies on aggregates. It is the best time for the development of the aggregates industry. The high-quality development of the industry urgently needs senior talents with sophisticated skills in technology, production and management.

After nearly 2 months of careful preparation, the sixth national training course for Technical and Administrative Personnel in the Aggregates Industry officially opened today. Our training program will be officially upgraded to advanced training courses from this time with four characteristics.

1. New courses: 90% of the course content is new, and half of the teachers are newly invited industry experts. The courses cover industrial policy, concrete theory, mine production and operation, high-quality aggregate preparation, and typical green mine models, 5G mines, construction solid waste recycling and so on.

2. High intensity: 5 consecutive days of intensive courses.

3. Comprehensive content: 1 themed salon, 2 on-site inspections, and 9 professional courses, covering the latest hotspots and concerns of the industry.

4. Learning community: have after-class study groups to communicate with each other.

Hu Youyi, President of ChinaAggregates Association delivered a speech for the opening ceremony

He pointed out that there are three reasons for the opening of the courses.

1. The aggregates industry has become a new industrialized product, and the source has undergone major changes. It is necessary to develop industries and enterprises in accordance with new concepts and models.

2. The development of manufactured aggregates needs to be supported by technology, standards, quality, management and talent systems. Compared with the metallurgy, coal, cement and other industries, the aggregates industry is extremely lacking in research institute construction, scientific and technological research and development, standard quality, management, and talents. At present, major universities in China have not established relevant majors, and the industry is in urgent need of talents.

3. The training of talents in the aggregates industry is necessary for the survival and development of enterprises. Under the guidance of 15 departments of the country, the aggregates industry has entered a stage of high-quality, healthy and orderly development. Local governments have begun to pay attention to the development of the industry and have successively released relevant documents. The supply of aggregates is in short supply, and the price continues to rise. Enterprises in various industries have also entered the industry one after another. However, aggregates mining and manufactured sand processing are interdisciplinary, multi-specialized, and long-chain industries. It is not only necessary to learn technology and management, but the key is to master operations and the laws of industrial development.

Niu Zhilin, dean of School of Continuing Education, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture

Dean Niu Zhilin pointed out Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture and China Aggregates Association have conducted long-term and fruitful explorations in industry development, education and training, and formed a good cooperative relationship. He hoped that through the platform of CAA, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture can give full play to the advantages of disciplines and professions, provide technical support and scientific and technological services to the industry, and make a positive contribution to China’s aggregates industry.

The first day courses

Hu Youyi, gave two lessons entitled “High-quality Development of China’s Aggregates Industry” and “Introduction of Domestic and Foreign Aggregate Enterprises and Application of High-Quality Manufactured Aggregates in Major Projects”. The course of “High-quality Development of China’s Aggregates Industry” focuses on future economic development trends, market demand, innovation, and the new development path, intelligent manufacturing and smart mines, and future development mode of aggregates, as well as the current situation China’s aggregates industry and several issues that enterprises should pay attention to.

Hu Youyi said that the aggregates industry has attracted great attention from relevant ministries and commissions in recent years. In addition to the “Several Opinions” of the ten departments and the “Guiding Opinions” of the fifteen departments, other relevant state departments have also issued many documents to encourage the development of the aggregates industry.

Hu Youyi analyzed the current international and domestic economic development situation, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on import, export and consumption. Hu Youyi said that after the pandemic the state has proposed the new infrastructure construction, new urbanization initiatives and major projects, and the transformation of old communities to accelerate the formation of a “dual circulation” development pattern in which domestic economic cycle plays a leading role while international economic cycle remains its extension and supplement. We need to open up all links of domestic production, distribution, circulation, and consumption, and accelerate the speed and efficiency of the internal economic circulation. Infrastructure construction is an important support for opening up the domestic circulation and aggregates are the most used material for infrastructure construction such as buildings. Hu Youyi pointed out that economic recovery and large-scale infrastructure construction are opportunities for the development of the aggregates industry.

Hu Youyi said that China’s aggregates industry had changed from a traditional gathering industry to a manufacturing industry, and a rapid transformation to a modern manufacturing industry. The construction of green mines has changed from “requirement to do” to “do it actively”. Protecting the ecological environment has become a consciousness of the enterprises. In order to guide aggregates enterprises to actively participate in low-carbon development, achieve carbon peak and carbon neutrality, and accelerate the low-carbon transformation of the industry.

Regarding the future development of the aggregates industry, Hu Youyi pointed out that with the development of 6G and other technologies, more advanced sensing, imaging, display and AI technologies will provide a hyper-connected experience. The innovation and development of technology that subverts traditional blasting technology and construction robots will provide strong support for the realization of intelligent manufacturing and intelligent mines. Hu Youyi also introduced 5G + intelligent transportation of aggregates, 5G + quarry smart forestry Demonstration Park, 5G + quarry smart agriculture Demonstration Park, etc.

In order to promote the high-quality development of the aggregates industry, President Hu Youyi appealed that at this stage, we must use new ideas, new connotations, and new methods to give the industry new energy and power, and make the industry full of vitality!

Professor Song Shaomin gave a lecture entitled “Current Situation and Application Technology of the Aggregates Industry” on the aspects of manufactured sand replacing natural sand, problems in the domestic aggregates industry, interpretation of key points of related documents, changes to be made in the manufactured sand industry, and key points of national standard revisions.

Professor Song Shaomin pointed out problems facing the current China’s aggregates industry. The supply of high-quality river sand in China is low, and the price is high; the overall quality of manufactured sand is poor, and high-quality manufactured sand is not enough; the mixed sand seriously threatens the quality of construction project; the unreasonable gradation of manufactured sand and excessively high stone powder, etc. Professor Song Shaomin is concerned about the low level of industrialization of the aggregates industry, and the weak quality assurance capabilities. He said that the current industry is highly polarized in terms of production, management, and modernization. Some enterprises have low levels of mechanization and automation; the quality inspection system is not perfect; the products quality is difficult to trace.

The second day course

Professor Liang Wenquan gave a course entitled “Thinking of Modern Concrete Technology” on the composition of concrete, the core of concrete technology, and the performance of modern concrete.

Professor Liang pointed out in the course that the quality of raw materials is unstable and the supply is relatively tight; the number and ability of employees are seriously insufficient; the irregular management of enterprises and the outdated management concepts are the core problems of the concrete industry at this stage. Professor Liang emphasized that in modern concrete, aggregates and chemical admixtures are more important than cement! The workability of the concrete mixture directly affects the strength and durability! Professor Liang also explained in detail the error of “one-vote veto” in the concrete processing and construction process.

Zhang Xiaowei, Chairman of Jiaozuo Qianye New Materials Co., Ltd.

Zhang Xiaowei gave a course titled “5G+ Tecjnology Reshaping the Green Ecology of Quarry” on the development background of 5G in the quarry, introduction of 5G quarry, and the application of 5G technology in quarries.

The third day activity- field trip to Demonstration Park of sponge city in Beijing suburb

Zhang Li, Director of Eco-Permeable Pavement Technology Department, Eco-Environmental Materials Branch, China Building Materials Industry Federation

Zhang Li gave a lecture entitled “Ecological permeable paving and green construction based on sponge cities”. He introduced the relevant policy for the promotion of sponge cities, technical guidelines for sponge city construction, relevant standards for permeable pavements, the application status of recycled aggregates, and the selection of permeable concrete aggregates.

He also introduced technical standards related to recycled aggregates, and analyzed the market size of recycled aggregates in urban infrastructure construction, river embankment protection, ecological restoration, water purification, air purification, and reduction of glare on rainy roads.

Lei Tao, Senior Engineer, Science and Information Department, Engineering Management Center, China Railway Group

Lei Tao gave a course entitled “Application and Development of Manufactured Sand in High-speed Railway Engineering” on four aspects: the application situation of manufactured sand, the problems of manufactured sand application, the management measures of manufactured sand application, and the prospect of manufactured sand application.

Lei Tao introduced the application of manufactured sand in the railway and highway engineering fields, and pointed out that manufactured sand still has a lot of room for application in the field of railway construction. Through introduction of the case of Guinan Railway, he said that in the process of applying manufactured sand in railway construction, we should make sure the quality, costs and supply controllable. Lei Tao also pointed out that the application of manufactured sand has problems such as excessive chemical composition of the parent rock, violations of on-site application, limited application scope, and unsatisfactory price system, etc., which need to be improved.

Li Gang, Deputy General Manager of Shaanxi Coal and Chemical New Materials Group Co., Ltd.

Li Gang gave a lecture entitled “The development and management of aggregates enterprises”. He introduced the development situation of aggregates enterprises, pointed out problems of enterprises, etc.

In the course, Li Gang pointed out the dilemma of the traditional management model of aggregates enterprises, and proposed that modern aggregates enterprises should realize changes in concepts, management, and business models. Management thinking is greater than management thinking. Li Gang put forward his own unique insights on the construction of sand and gravel enterprises, the difficulties of production line equipment, production management, cost control, intelligent management, and future intelligent sand and gravel enterprises.