Cooperation with external bodies

The Technical and Scientific Advisory Board is the body that controls VDZ's research activities. VDZ's committees report to the Advisory Board concerning their current activities, research projects and future areas for action. The Advisory Board coordinates the tasks of the individual committees and matches them to the current and future challenges and interests of VDZ's member companies.

The Concrete Technology Committee deals with current issues regarding concrete manufacture and use. It monitors VDZ's research work in view of correct and quality-conscious use of cement and concrete in practice.

To this end, the Concrete Technology Committee manages the working groups for traffic engineering and cement and admixtures, as well as the working groups for European standardisation and sulphate resistance.

The ASR Committee monitors the development of test methods and regulations to prevent harmful ASR and analyses the effects of ASR regulations on the demand for concrete raw materials. Further tasks include the monitoring of VDZ's ASR research projects and the development of a definition for na cement on the basis of new types of cement.

About 55 - 60 % of the cement in Germany is used for the production of ready-mixed concrete. The VDZ Ready-mixed Concrete Committee is dedicated to this important field of application, particularly with regard to the further development of the regulatory framework at both European and national level. Current topics are the concept "BetonBauQualität BBQ" and performance-based durability concepts in the form of so-called "Exposure Resistance Classes ERC".

The Energy Committee deals with current issues regarding German and European energy and climate policy. These include greenhouse gas emissions trading, handling of climate change and the German energy transition, control of power and sources of energy, and the German renewable energies act (EEG). The Committee represents the interests of all German cement manufacturers in this field, communicating them to policy-makers in Germany and the European Union.

Alongside current issues concerning thermal and mechanical process technology, the Committee focuses on safety, environment and energy-related topics. The Committee monitors and initiates projects as part of VDZ's extensive research programme.  

In order to fulfil its tasks, the Environment and Process Technology Committee manages the working groups for comminution technology, human resources development, industrial safety, NO_x reduction as well as reduction of emissions.

The work of this Committee focuses on current analytical issues, product-related industrial health and safety and ongoing research projects in the field of cement chemistry, in particular the use of cements with several main constituents and cements with a low percentage of clinker.

To this end, the Cement Chemistry Committee manages the working groups for analytical chemistry and performance of cement constituents and the working groups for trace analysis and product-related industrial health and safety.

VDZ's Specialist Committee to the Quality Surveillance Organisation monitors objective and impartial implementation of the quality inspections carried out by the PÜZ body. In particular, it checks the prerequisites for awarding and withdrawing certificates in the fields of product certifications and certifications for factory production control. In this context, the Committee intensively deals with current and future development of statutory, authority and standardising regulations, and their influence on the manufacture and use of construction products.