Doka acquires Dutch concrete specialist B|A|S 22 Sep 2016

Headquartered in Venlo, Netherlands, technology company B|A|S has concerned itself with researching and developing the materials used in the construction industry, particularly concrete, since its foundation in 1979.

B|A|S Headquarters in the Netherlands

On being acquired by Doka of Austria, Jens Günther, designated Chairman of the Executive Board of Doka said, "For us this acquisition is a step forward in our business objective to meet the increasing demand not only for products but also for solutions in construction. That will necessitate a whole new approach to construction sites. And it will call current dogmas of the formwork industry into question, namely that innovation invariably has to mean more efficient formwork and nothing else."

"We've been working successfully with B|A|S for several years,” said Jürgen Obiegli, current Chairman of the Executive Board of the Doka Group, who spearheaded the acquision deal. “Concremote, a sensor-based technology developed by B|A|S for measuring strength development in concrete to identify the ideal time for stripping the formwork, is already being used with great success on the biggest Doka construction sites all over the world.”

B|A|S however is more than Concremote. The company’s holistic business model is about making the entire construction process - from planning, through construction, to maintenance and ultimately demolition of the structure, and disposal of the waste materials - more and more efficient. This is where B|A|S has focused its research and development activities.

B|A|S teams with Doka executive board

B|A|S is Holland's market leader in concrete testing and has one of the largest and most advanced concrete laboratories in Europe. The lab specialists also survey existing structures to gauge their condition and make recommendations for rehabilitation measures and maintenance over any building's remaining lifespan. "This hands-on approach is definitely what we have in common," said Obiegli. "B|A|S teams understand a lot about the essential processes in construction and about the materials that are used on site."

By acquiring B|A|S and its specialised, 40-strong team of experts, Doka reacts to an exponential growth in productivity over the coming years. One study indicates that about 30% of the costs of construction are due to activities that generate no added value, ie costs generated by inefficiencies, mistakes, and poor communications. The Doka Group is developing answers to precisely these problems and is actively driving this development forward with appropriate solutions including Building Information Modeling (BIM).

Doka is a world leader in developing, manufacturing and distributing formwork technology for use in all fields of the construction sector. With more than 160 sales and logistics facilities in more than 70 countries, the Doka Group is part of the Umdasch Group and employs a worldwide workforce of more than 6,000.