Construction Sector New Technology R&D

Research and development in new products and technology for the construction sector are underway at the Construction Research and Development Center. These R&D projects are expected to guarantee import substitution and improve quality in the sector.

Current projects include the development of a plasticizing additive for concrete, technical studies for the introduction and generalization of the use of asphalts and asphalt rocks as raw material in asphalt, research in the use of Cuban aggregates, the use of sludge from the quarrying industry as construction material, zeolite, technology, import substitution, and the recycling of asphalt for paving roads, according to engineer Jesús Pulido González, General Director of the Center during a visit on Thursday by the Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez.

These lines of research, said Pulido, will solve current challenges in housing construction, import substitution of raw materials and the creation of new technology.

During the meeting, President Díaz-Canel pointed out that “Revolutionizing, researching, innovating, interconnecting, were key concepts to advance in the country’s development.” He also said that “Searching from knowledge the best ways of doing, to solving complex problems in the sector, was another of the lines of action in the sector.”

Science and innovation working together with the computerization of society and communication have already been defined as one of the three priorities on which the government management system is based. “That is why the work carried out in entities like these is so important,” said Díaz-Canel.

Of the 131 workers at the Construction Research and Development Center, Pulido said that 47 are working on these scientific programs, many of which are carried out jointly with several universities in Cuba.

During the last few years, housing construction has expanded on the Island. In 2017, 21,827 new homes were constructed. In 2019, to the number of new houses increased to 44,556. There are expectations of continued growth in the construction sector after the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to data published by Cuba’s statistical yearbook, construction activity by sectors of the economy behaved as follows: