As some of you will already well know, I was in Denver last week with a colleague. I got backyesterdayjust after lunch (Frankfurttime).TodayI am a bit jet-lagged so I thought I would take the time to sit back and summarise the findings my trip, which are as follows:
We specifically visited the Colorado Department of Transport CDOT and the Denver Public Works Department (DPWD) whose offices are only 2.5 kms apart from each other. The meeting with the DPWD was fairly short.
Both the CDOT and the DPWD confirmed that now that EdenCrete has been approved by the NTPEP, this will have a major and very positive impact on the roll-out of EdenCrete throughout the US. They both pointed out that not only is the NTPEP approval testament to the wide variety of performance advantages that EdenCrete offers over normal concrete, it also confirms its price effectiveness. Whilst the performance benefits of EdenCrete have been long known, it is EdenCrete's cost effectiveness that was somewhat unknown until fairly recently. Therefore, and independent of the NTPEP approval, both the CDOT and the DPWD did their own cost calculations and comparisons which importantly included a life-cycle model. The NTPEP approval has confirmed both their findings.
The CDOT confirmed to that all DOT's are generally very opposed to and very reluctant to change. In their considerable experience, even if a product is a winner (like EdenCrete is) it can take years before it is actually used in a project. However, once it is used, this is an enormous milestone which will lead to a steady and significant flow of orders. Here again, both the CDOT and the DPWD inferred that with the NTPEP approval this is what a lot of other DOT's will have been waiting for i.e. they can now make the crucial steps of finally actually using EdenCrete in their various projects i.e. it would appear that up until now, most other DOT's have been merely "kicking the tyres" when it came to them considering actually using EdenCrete.
The CDOT made it very clear that all DOT's are extremely risk averse and definitely don't want to stick their necks out when it comes to actually using a new product i.e. "no-one wants to be the first". A lot of this has to do with litigation and the safety aspects i.e. ensuring that there is no danger to their state's motorists. However, generally, all DOT's are under intense scrutiny by motorists who constantly criticise each DOT's every move, which includes the amount of money they spend on road, bridge and highway improvements. This scrutiny also comes from the US DOT as well as the FHWA for each and every project, with regard to funding, which is extremely tight and very strictly controlled.
Both the CDOT and the DPWD said that the concrete market is enormously price competitive and for a small newcomer it is very tough to even get a foot in the door, let alone gain significant traction. Additionally, engineers are particularly difficult to deal with and convince. When they are government employees, even more so.
Interestingly, the CDOT were also very well aware of the EdenCrete situation in India and said that this is a sleeping giant i.e. if EdenCrete can move from the tyre kicking stage there to actually being used in a project, this will be huge. The CDOT said that India isn't much different to the US i.e. once EdenCrete is actually used this will be an enormous milestone which will lead to a steady flow of significant orders. If the Indian Government were to endorse EdenCrete and stipulate its use, the number and the value of orders would far exceed those in the US.
Having both also recently been to India, one thing is for sure, Indian infrastructure is in far worse shape than in the US. Therefore, the need for infrastucture improvements, and thus the budget for these, are both huge. See the following:
Summarising, as far as Colorado is concerned, and we believe generally, there is no reason to doubt the information contained in Eden's recent announcements about EdenCrete.
Just to add, if Eden has made a mistake, it was in vastly underestimating the time it would take to gain acceptance in the US from government transport related departments. Therefore, in the past, they appear to have been very poorly advised. In hindsight, we should have both been on a plane to Denver in 2016! Having said this, the moon and the stars are now clearly aligning.
MBoth the CDOT and the DPWD confirmed that now that EdenCretehas been approved by the NTPEP,
this will have a major and very positiveimpact on the roll-out of EdenCrete throughout the US. This assessment is
basedupon performance advantages and price effectiveness, using their own costcalculations and comparisons which importantly included a life-cycle model. TheNTPEP approval has confirmed both their findings.
(20min delay)