Olympics, World Cup: The city of Rio is transforming with LafargeHolcim

9 June 2014

On the occasion of 2014 Football World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic Games, the city of Rio decided to transform its long abandoned port area into the "port of wonders" (Porto Maravilha). In 2016, it will host a new district combining housing, business, tourism and culture. Learn how LafargeHolcim concrete contributes!

Following the example of Barcelona in 1992, Rio de Janeiro decided to take advantage of its status as host of the Football World Cup and future Olympic city to reshape entire neighborhoods. Located in the city center, the port area had remained away from the development of the metropolis. Through an extensive urban redevelopment project, the 50 hectares will become Porto Maravilha, the "port of wonders"!

Besides the construction of infrastructure (network electricity, gas, water, sewer) and thousands of homes, office buildings and hotels, the project focuses on soft mobility with the creation of several public transport lines (including a cable car), 17 km of bike paths, pedestrian walks...

Green spaces will be expanded, with the planting of 15,000 trees, while the new expressway will run underground for 2.5 km. Not to mention a program of economic, social and cultural development, which will include the enhancement of existing architectural heritage.

Artevia®, LafargeHolcim's decorative touch to make the city more beautiful

Contacted early in the project by the authorities of the city of Rio in 2011, we provide approximately 70 % of concrete needs - estimated at 250,000 m³ - with seventeen trucks and two pumps installed on site, supplied by a plant located 9 km.

Among the different qualities of concrete provided, our range of LafargeHolcim decorative concrete Artevia® was chosen to mimic the traditional Portuguese ornament, made of black and white stones, on sidewalks including walkways of Copacabana beach.

Some of the materials coming from the demolitions needed for this project was taken to LafargeHolcim's new building materials recycling site in Inhaúma.

Already partly built for the Football World Cup in June 2014 and for the 450th anniversary of the city in 2015, Porto Maravilha will be ready for the 2016 Olympic Games.

Artevia pavement, around the Porto Maravilha area, Rio de Janeiro.

Focus on materials recycling

LafargeHolcim in Brazil inaugurated a new building materials recycling business in March 2014. On the site of the Inhaúma quarry, situated in the north of Rio de Janeiro, demolition waste can be sorted, recycled and sold as aggregates for construction, thus avoiding new extractions.

The facility, which spreads over an area of 6,000 m², has an hourly recycling capacity of 150 tons. Since its opening, it has recycled approximately 66,000 m³ from the "Elevado da Perimetral" (elevated highway that connected the main areas of the city) and from the transformation work in the area of Porto Maravilha.