Hollowstone LLC molds new paradigm for concrete masonry

After a four-and-half-year struggle with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, inventor John August received US Patent #7905070 for an “Interlocking Mortarless Structural Concrete Block Building System.” Years went by as the assigned examiner kept denying his claims; each time the inventor had to rebut the examiner’s take on the proposed patent, but finally 18/22 claims were approved.

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Researchers measure high-SCM grouts’ compliance

To boost market prospects for masonry walls exhibiting high recycled materials content, Concrete Masonry Association of California and Nevada (CMACN) is supporting an investigation through Brigham Young University to a) confirm that California Building Code-required strength is maintained with grouts where portland cement is substituted with fly ash at 45–65 percent and fly ash + GGBF slag at 65–85 percent; and, b) observe how prism units containing such grouts behave with Type M, S and N mortars.

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NRMCA certifies three Titan America Virginia facilities

The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association recently certified the first four concrete plants in its new Sustainable Concrete Plant Certification Program, with member company Titan America having three Virginia operations certified: Clear Brook Ready Mix Concrete Plant, Clear Brook, at the Silver level; Suffolk Ready Mix Concrete Plant, Suffolk, at the Bronze level; and, Bryan Park Ready Mix Concrete Plant, Richmond, at the Bronze level. The fourth plant is Unibeton’s Mussafah Ready Mixed Concrete Plant, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, at the Silver level.

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