When it came time to build two residential towers in San Pablo de Heredia, Costa Rica, developers at Desarrolladora Los Volcanes knew they could count on CEMEX.

Traditionally, homes in Latin America are built with masonry, either with bricks or other materials. However, in the case of the Los Volcanes project in San Pablo de Heredia, Costa Rica, the client sought a superior solution. The project, consisting of two towers each rising over six floors with 42 apartments, had a very tight schedule and a strict budget. In an effort to apply value-added engineering to lower costs and to achieve more efficient use of available resources, the project was conceived with “monolithic” structural walls, utilizing one solid piece.

To fulfill this vision, CEMEX employed our cast-in-place housing solution, a construction system that enables fast, efficient, and large-scale construction by combining innovative products and processes. This solution uses formwork molds for the construction of walls and slabs, achieving efficient project completion to quickly advance to the sales phase.

"We knew the effectiveness of building in this way. Our concern was finding a contractor with the expertise and proven experience with the formwork mold system," said architect Paul H. Pereira Magnere, General Manager of Desarrolladora Los Volcanes DLV, S.A. CEMEX, he said, "Was the only company that had everything we were looking for in terms of trajectory, support, and the desire to make our project a reality."

This CEMEX solution responded to the customer’s main concerns: time, cost, and quality. Construction time is reduced, resulting in an earlier delivery date and thus reducing the time to recover the investment. With this solution, additional savings are also achieved on finishes and rework, as well as on labor. In addition, the cast-in-place system enables higher quality by allowing superior control of inputs, better process supervision, and geometric standardization.

CEMEX’s experience and expertise in this area were essential from the beginning. "It was important that the design was really validated by CEMEX, so that it met the system requirements and was within the planned costs," said engineer Victor Salazar Ramirez, CEMEX Housing Manager in Costa Rica.

The construction of the towers lasted only 10 months and was finished in late 2015. Now the homes are on the market in Costa Rica.

"CEMEX offered the complete package," said Pereira Magnere. “They allowed us to delegate much of the logistics of this large project and to devote ourselves to other tasks. I always received very professional attention from all of the staff members who worked with me, and who at all times sought to add value to my project."

The benefits of the CEMEX cast-in-place solution extend even after construction is completed. This type of housing is resistant to natural disasters and creates less waste compared with masonry buildings.

CEMEX is a global building materials company that provides high quality products and reliable service to customers and communities in more than 50 countries. Celebrating its 110th anniversary, CEMEX has a rich history of improving the well-being of those it serves through innovative building solutions, efficiency advancements, and efforts to promote a sustainable future.