Five lessons from Xiamen Stone Fair 2014

1.- The construction industry in China is slowing down and demand for imported stone is declining after 12 years of consistent growth. But this should not be mistaken for an imminent crash in demand for natural stone. The Chinese government has recently announced plans for building infrastructure for a further 100 million people moving from the rural areas to the cities by 2020 and this should mean a lot of demand for all kinds of stones.

Parliament Palace, Bucharest (Romania)

The Parliament Palace in Bucharest (Romania) is no ordinary building. For one, it is considered to be the second biggest building in the world after the Pentagon in USA. There is some history behind it. Originally the project began as a Palace for the Romanian ex-dictator Nicolaus Ceaucescu, it started in the seventies, and the original name he gave was Casa Poporului (House of the People).

Survey: Multi-wire machines

Over two years ago this magazine published a survey on multi-wire machines, and the article was well received by our readers. Being a new, evolving technology, during this period the different manufacturers have brought out new, improved models of this machinery, and we have found it appropriate to publish an updated version of the survey. The questions were sent to the different companies and we publish here the replies of those who answered them.

Questions:

1.- Is your machine supported on 2 or 4 columns?