Building materials group CRH spent around €400 million as part of an investment programme in the second half of 2011.

The additional spend in the final months of the year brings the total investment for 2011 to about €600 million.

In a statement this morning, the group said the €400 million was a combination of acquisitions and investment initiatives.

In the European materials division, CRH invested €195 million. This included the acquisition in Belgium of VVM Group, three readymixed concrete plants in Finland and a 51 per cent interest in Ukraine's Odessa Cement.

The group also invested further in China associate Yatai Building Materials.

The European products and distribution sector saw an investment of €28 million, which resulted in four acquisitions and incremental annualised sales of €52 million.

Nine acquisitions in the Americas material division cost CRH €112 million, including the purchase of West Virginia's Central Supply in September and Pennsylvania's Powers Stone.

The group spent a further €72 million on six bolt-in acquisitions in its Americas products and distribution sector in the latter half of 2011.