Item 2. Properties
Item 2. Properties
As of February 13, 2025, we had a total of 3,816 operating locations:
Americas Materials Solutions Americas Building Solutions International Solutions
United States 1,608 307 10
Europe – 4 1,587
Rest of World 66 23 211
Total 1,674 334 1,808
Our building materials operating locations include product production facilities, mobile plants and retail facilities. Some of these operating locations are located on the same sites as our mining properties described below under the heading “Mineral Reserves and Resources: Background”. Significant building materials operating locations for CRH’s subsidiaries, as of December 31, 2024, are the cement facilities in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Slovakia, Australia and the Philippines. These facilities include plant and equipment such as kilns, crushers, calciners, coolers, and silos used to process limestone and other raw materials into cement as well as equipment used to extract and transport limestone from CRH quarries. The clinker (the key intermediate product in the manufacture of cement) capacity for our significant building material locations is set out in the table below:
Country Number of Plants Average Clinker Capacity
(tons per hour)
Americas Materials Solutions
South United States 4 602
West United States 6 780
Great Lakes United States, Canada 2 298
International Solutions
Western Europe United Kingdom, Ireland, France 8 898
Central & Eastern Europe Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Slovakia 8 1,712
Australia Australia 2 204
Philippines Philippines 5 714
During 2024, CRH’s material cement kilns operated on average at 73% utilization.
Our building solutions businesses have many types of manufacturing facilities including paver, masonry, precast, pipe, dry-mix, fencing and railing and lawn and garden plants. These facilities include plant and equipment such as automated presses, batching systems, packaging equipment, kilns, coolers and silos which are used to turn raw materials into finished goods for our cementitious products as well as equipment such as presses, extruders and molds which are used in the fencing, railing, plastic pipe, trench and metals and enclosure businesses.
Other Properties
In addition to the properties described above and those disclosed under the heading “Mineral Reserves and Resources: Background”, CRH has corporate offices in New York, New York (leased) and Dublin, Ireland (owned). The Company also leases administrative offices for each of its two Divisions, including a CRH Americas divisional headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia and a CRH International divisional headquarters in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
CRH also owns and leases, directly or indirectly through third-parties, heavy mobile equipment, trucks and vehicles for production and transportation purposes.
Condition
CRH believes that all the facilities are in good condition, adequate for their purpose and suitably utilized according to the individual nature and requirements of the relevant operations. CRH has a continuing program of improvements and replacements of properties when considered appropriate to meet the needs of the individual operations.
CRH Form 10-K 21
Mineral Reserves And Resources
Background
CRH’s mineral reserves (reserves) and mineral resources (resources) for the production of primary building materials (which encompasses aggregates (crushed stone, sand and gravel), cement and lime, asphalt, readymixed concrete and concrete products) fall into a variety of categories spanning a wide number of rock types and geological classifications. These reserves and resources are found within our extensive network of quarry locations in attractive local markets globally. This disclosure of the Company’s mining properties has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K (Subpart 1300). As of December 31, 2024, the Company has 1,296 mining properties with 246,058 acres of owned and 129,818 acres of leased land, respectively, as disclosed in the table on page 25 the locations of which are presented by geographic location in the maps on page 26.
None of CRH’s mineral-bearing properties are individually material to the Company as of December 31, 2024. A summary disclosure of CRH’s mining operations is provided on pages 23 to 26.
As of December 31, 2024, the Company’s reserves and resources estimations of 26,685 million tons and 11,573 million tons, respectively, as disclosed on pages 23 to 24, are calculated in accordance with Subpart 1300. The Company’s reserves and resources disclosures may not be comparable to similar disclosures disclosed in accordance with the requirements of other countries and should be read in conjunction with the disclosures that follow on pages 23 to 26.
CRH operates predominantly production stage properties, with a limited number of development and exploration stage properties, as such terms are defined in Subpart 1300. Predominantly, CRH’s production stage properties provide raw materials for on-site modern cement and aggregates producing facilities. Almost exclusively, CRH utilizes surface mining and, with a very limited number of exceptions, CRH and its subsidiaries are the only operators of the properties.
Reserves
Reserves are defined in Subpart 1300 as “ an estimate of tonnage and grade or quality of indicated and measured mineral resources that, in the opinion of the qualified person, can be the basis of an economically viable project. More specifically, it is the economically mineable part of a measured or indicated mineral resource, which includes diluting materials and allowances for losses that may occur when the material is mined or extracted ”. Reserves are classified into two categories, probable and proven reserves, in order of increasing geological confidence.
The Company’s estimate of 26,685 million tons of reserves, as disclosed on page 23 analyzed by rock type (Hard rock, Sand & Gravel and Other), are of recoverable stone, sand, and gravel of suitable quality for economic extraction, based on drilling and studies by the Company’s geologists and engineers. These estimates also consider reasonable economic and operating constraints as to maximum depth of overburden and stone excavation and are subject to permitting or other restrictions.
The disclosed reserves and resources estimations which include diluting materials and allowances for losses that may occur when the mineral is mined, extracted or processed have been estimated by qualified persons, as such term is defined within Subpart 1300.
Not all minerals that may be on CRH’s mineral-bearing properties have been assessed and such properties may be assessed for mineral reserves or resources in future years, as required by operational needs.
CRH’s properties are subject to a wide variety of permitting procedures and conditions, which vary between jurisdictions. Many of CRH’s properties require separate permits from multiple authorities, including but not limited to environmental, mining, regional and national administrative authorities. The periods of validity and the conditions of these permits may be different.
Resources
A mineral resource is defined in Subpart 1300 as “ a concentration or occurrence of material of economic interest in or on the Earth’s crust in such form, grade or quality, and quantity that there are reasonable prospects for economic extraction. A mineral resource is a reasonable estimate of mineralization, taking into account relevant factors such as cut-off grade, likely mining dimensions, location or continuity, that, with the assumed and justifiable technical and economic conditions, is likely to, in whole or in part, become economically extractable ”. Resources are classified into three categories, inferred, indicated or measured resources, in order of increasing geological confidence. Indicated or measured resources can be converted to reserves by the application of certain modifying factors which include, but are not limited to, consideration of mining, processing, metallurgical, infrastructure, economic, marketing, legal, environmental compliance, plans, negotiations, or agreements with local individuals or groups, and governmental factors. There is no certainty that any of the resources disclosed on page 24 will be converted into reserves. Resources have not been fully assessed using modifying factors, however, an initial assessment has been completed in accordance with Subpart 1300.
Internal Controls
CRH has established appropriate governance processes to support the publication of our 2024 reserves and resources disclosures. Reserve and resource estimates are subject to annual review by each of the relevant operating companies across the Company in conjunction with the relevant qualified persons. CRH has established and maintains a number of internal controls to address the risks inherent in the mineral reserves and resources reporting process. These internal controls have been embedded into the local control environments and operate across the business, including controls at an operating company, divisional and Group level.
As CRH’s reserves and resources are predominantly in production stage properties, features of the internal controls relating to quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) include:
• Databases and data repositories for exploration and/or production data that contain accurate and precise data from which reserves and resources can be evaluated, and operational plans can be developed;
• Verification sampling and testing of known mineralization. This is generally required to establish compliance with regulations on product qualities. Verification testing confirms geological maps prepared during earlier exploration programs; and
• In the case of cement raw materials, facility laboratories participate in an externally managed annual review process with ISO 17025 accredited independent laboratories.
CRH Form 10-K 22
When exploration programs are conducted, QA/QC measures include:
• Ensuring that surface or drill sampling results in the highest quality sample possible. This would include down-hole surveying of drill holes as necessary;
• Obtaining pictures of drill sample (e.g. core) for future reference;
• Geological core logging, where the geological description of each sample interval is recorded prior to laboratory analysis;
• Ensuring the integrity of samples from point of origin to analytical laboratory; and
• Using nationally or regionally accredited laboratories for all analyses and tests for exploration programs in properties containing aggregates.
In addition, to provide further assurance over the Company’s mineral reserves and resources reporting process, the Company’s Internal Audit function completed a limited scope review across a sample of material reporting entities on the operation of these internal controls as of December 31, 2024.
The table below presents, by segment and geographic location, the tons of proven and probable aggregates, cement and lime mineral reserves at December 31, 2024, and the related percentages by rock type.
Reserves
Proven Probable Total Reserves (i) (ii)
Country Tons (iii) Grade: % by rock type Tons (iii) Grade: % by rock type Tons (iii) Grade: % by rock type
Hard Rock Sand & Gravel Other Hard Rock Sand & Gravel Other Hard Rock Sand & Gravel Other
Aggregates
Americas Materials Solutions United States 8,067 76% 16% 8% 9,745 86% 8% 6% 17,812 81% 12% 7%
Canada 456 70% 30% – 169 84% 16% – 625 74% 26% –
International Solutions Western Europe (UK, IE, FR, ES, DK, FI) (iv) 1,993 82% 18% – 1,262 93% 7% – 3,255 86% 14% –
Central & Eastern Europe (PL, RO, SK, CH, HU) (iv) 267 82% 18% – 232 51% 49% – 499 68% 32% –
Australia 476 89% 11% – 227 95% 5% – 703 91% 9% –
Philippines 54 100% – – 5 100% – – 59 100% – –
Subtotal 11,313 78% 17% 5% 11,640 86% 9% 5% 22,953 82% 13% 5%
Cement
Americas Materials Solutions United States 745 98% – 2% 272 100% – – 1,017 98% – 2%
Canada 159 100% – – 22 100% – – 181 100% – –
International Solutions Western Europe (UK, IE, FR, ES) (iv) 407 96% – 4% 151 94% – 6% 558 96% – 4%
Central & Eastern Europe (DE, PL, RO, RS, SK, CH, UA) (iv) 695 95% 1% 4% 563 85% 3% 12% 1,258 91% 2% 7%
Australia 145 100% – – 1 – – 100% 146 99% – 1%
Philippines 455 69% 7% 24% 58 84% – 16% 513 70% 6% 24%
Subtotal 2,606 92% 2% 6% 1,067 91% 1% 8% 3,673 92% 1% 7%
Lime
International Solutions Australia 30 30% 70% – 29 94% 6% – 59 61% 39% –
Subtotal 30 30% 70% – 29 94% 6% – 59 61% 39% –
Total 13,949 80% 14% 6% 12,736 86% 8% 6% 26,685 83% 11% 6%
(i) CRH has no individually material mineral-bearing properties requiring individual property disclosure under Subpart 1300.
(ii) CRH’s point of reference for the estimation of the Company’s mineral reserves is “in-situ” reserves.
(iii) All reserves quantities are quoted in millions of short tons.
(iv) The country and their respective codes are Denmark: DK, Finland: FI, France: FR, Germany: DE, Hungary: HU, Ireland: IE, Poland: PL, Romania: RO, Serbia: RS, Slovakia: SK, Spain: ES, Switzerland: CH, Ukraine: UA, United Kingdom: UK.
CRH’s mineral reserves and resources are used predominantly for the production and sale of aggregates, cement and lime. The average sales price for the period January 1, 2024, to October 31, 2024, for aggregates and cement was $18.5 and $135.4 per ton, respectively, for our Americas Materials Solutions’ businesses and $12.0 and $119.3 per ton, respectively, for our International Solutions’ businesses. The average sales price for lime within our International Solutions' businesses over this time period was $165.6 per ton. These prices, which are used for estimation of both mineral reserves and resources, are impacted by product mix, geographic location and foreign currency.
CRH Form 10-K 23
The table below presents, by segment and geographic location, the tons of measured, indicated and inferred aggregates, cement and lime resources as of December 31, 2024, and the related percentage of these resources by rock type. CRH’s mineral resources in the table below are disclosed exclusive of mineral reserves.
Resources
Measured Indicated Total Measured & Indicated Inferred Total Resources
(i) (ii)
Country Tons (iii) Grade: % by rock type Tons (iii) Grade: % by rock type Tons (iii) Grade: % by rock type Tons (iii) Grade: % by rock type
Hard Rock Sand & Gravel Other Hard Rock Sand & Gravel Other Hard Rock Sand & Gravel Other Hard Rock Sand & Gravel Other
Aggregates
Americas Materials Solutions United States 1,014 92% 5% 3% 1,583 82% 17% 1% 2,597 86% 12% 2% 4,333 75% 23% 2% 6,930
Canada 354 94% 6% – — — — — 354 94% 6% – 96 100% – – 450
International Solutions Western Europe (UK, IE, FR, ES, DK, FI) (iv) 331 20% 80% – 571 80% 19% 1% 902 58% 42% – 403 92% 8% – 1,305
Central & Eastern Europe (RO, SK, CH) (iv) 248 76% 24% – 52 78% 22% – 300 76% 24% – 16 14% 86% – 316
Australia 26 100% – – 347 67% 33 % – 373 70% 30 % – 516 100 % – – 889
Subtotal 1,973 79% 19% 2% 2,553 79% 20% 1% 4,526 79% 20% 1% 5,364 78% 20% 2% 9,890
Cement
Americas Materials Solutions United States 38 85% – 15% 40 93% – 7% 78 89% – 11% 316 100% — – 394
Canada 49 89% – 11% — — – — 49 89% – 11% — — — – 49
International Solutions Western Europe (UK, IE, FR, ES) (iv) 138 100% – – 62 90% – 10% 200 97% – 3% 47 95% 5% – 247
Central & Eastern Europe (DE, RO, SK, UA) (iv) 347 57% – 43% 205 71% – 29% 552 62% – 38% 115 100% – – 667
Australia 2 100% – – – – – – 2 100% – – 2 100% – – 4
Philippines – – – – – – – – – – – – 32 99% 1% – 32
Subtotal 574 72% – 28% 307 78% – 22% 881 74% – 26% 512 100% – – 1,393
Lime
International Solutions Australia 71 82% 18% – 218 48% 52% – 289 56% 44% – 1 – 100% – 290
Subtotal 71 82% 18% – 218 48% 52% – 289 56% 44% – 1 – 100% – 290
Total 2,618 78% 15% 7% 3,078 77% 20% 3% 5,696 77% 18% 5% 5,877 80% 18% 2% 11,573
(i) CRH has no individually material mineral-bearing properties requiring individual property disclosure under Subpart 1300.
(ii) CRH’s point of reference for the estimation of the Company’s mineral resources is “in-situ” resources.
(iii) All resources quantities are quoted in millions of short tons.
(iv) The country and their respective codes are Denmark: DK, Finland: FI, France: FR, Germany: DE, Hungary: HU, Ireland: IE, Poland: PL, Romania: RO, Slovakia: SK, Spain: ES, Switzerland: CH, Ukraine: UA, United Kingdom: UK.
CRH Form 10-K 24
The table below outlines the number of facilities by segment and geographic location along with the annualized extraction (in millions of tons) for each of the three years ending December 31, 2024.
Country No. of Quarries /pits Surface acreage (acres) (i) Annualized extraction
(millions of tons) Years to Depletion
(ii)
Owned Leased 2022 2023 2024
Aggregates
Americas Materials Solutions United States 719 138,464 71,662 203.2 211.6 207.1 86
Canada 33 14,129 1,717 20.5 20.3 17.1 32
International Solutions Western Europe (UK, IE, FR, ES, DK, FI) (iii) 394 40,870 24,117 85.8 79.6 76.3 40
Central & Eastern Europe (PL, RO, SK, CH, HU) (iii) 38 2,807 1,213 11.3 10.9 12.3 43
Australia 24 9,518 1,858 – – 10.4 67
Philippines 1 – 440 – – – –
Subtotal 1,209 205,788 101,007 320.8 322.4 323.2
Cement
Americas Materials Solutions United States 11 22,233 2,647 10.1 11.6 11.8 91
Canada 2 1,053 17 2.2 3.4 2.2 70
International Solutions Western Europe (UK, IE, FR, ES) (iii) 18 7,060 556 14.2 15.2 10.8 42
Central & Eastern Europe (DE, PL, RO, RS, SK, CH, UA) (iii) 29 3,131 4,595 16.5 17.1 18.1 73
Australia 12 3,632 1,127 – – 2.8 53
Philippines 5 2,469 531 7.2 7.7 7.0 70
Subtotal 77 39,578 9,473 50.2 55.0 52.7
Lime
International Solutions Australia 10 692 19,338 – – 3.7 47
Subtotal 10 692 19,338 – – 3.7
Total 1,296 246,058 129,818 371.0 377.4 379.6
(i) The disclosures in the table above include the surface area of infrastructure, process plants, waste piles, water storage, water treatment plants and boundary areas of CRH’s mineral-bearing properties. Remote properties such as offices, distribution facilities and readymixed concrete plants are not included.
(ii) Years to depletion is based on the average of the three years’ 2022 to 2024 annualized extraction.
(iii) The country and their respective codes are Denmark: DK, Finland: FI, France: FR, Germany: DE, Hungary: HU, Ireland: IE, Poland: PL, Romania: RO, Serbia: RS, Slovakia: SK, Spain: ES, Switzerland: CH, Ukraine: UA, United Kingdom: UK.
CRH Form 10-K 25
CRH Mineral-Bearing Locations
l Represents the location of CRH’s mineral-bearing properties
CRH Form 10-K 26