Industry groups tie Sandy relief funding to Resilient Construction Act passage

Sources: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.; National Precast Concrete Association, Carmel, Ind.; CP staff

NRMCA and NPCA are encouraging members and allied interests to stress to federal lawmakers the importance of passing H.R. 5839 Disaster Savings and Resilient Construction Act in conjunction with emergency funding and tax credit measures in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Through H.R. 5839, builders applying resilient construction practice—complying with the 2009 or later International Building Code—qualify for $3,000 and $25,000 tax credits, respectively, on residential and commercial projects in federally declared disaster zones.

Read More

ASTM C94 to recognize in transit, automated water dosing

Source: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.

ASTM Subcommittee C09.40 on Ready Mixed Concrete has approved a revision to C94 Standard Specification for Ready Mixed permitting limited addition of water to a concrete load en route to a job site. It recognizes equipment that gauges the slump of material within a mixer drum, and adds water needed to meet a pour’s workability target.

Read More

RCC: Asphalt Pavement’s Good Cousin

We close this year Illinois centric: a December cover story on Prairie Material Sales’ roller compacted concrete pavement program follows a November cover feature on Ozinga Brothers Inc. and its fleet-wide conversion from diesel to compressed natural gas fuel. Synonymous with Chicago concrete, both producers warrant the attention.

Read More

KriStar eyes second precast plant, in tandem with Northgate Ready Mix

Sources: KriStar Enterprises Inc., Santa Rosa, Calif.; CP staff

Stormwater management products specialist KriStar plans a February 2013 production start at a Windsor, Calif., site along Highway 101—about 30 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Designed as a Caltrans Section 51 Certified Facility, it will more than double the company’s capacity for structural precast components collecting, filtering and treating runoff.

Read More

Drake strengthens Phoenix market integration with aggregate reserves

Sources: Drake Companies, Scottsdale, Ariz.; CP staff

Drake CEO Marco Gomez has announced the addition of major aggregate reserves to a portfolio of ready mixed and cement distribution assets in the metropolitan Phoenix area. With four locations spread strategically throughout Maricopa and Pinal counties, Drake has added long-term aggregate holdings with reserves in excess of 70 million tons.

Read More

TXI ups concrete capacity nearly 50 percent in Transit Mix deal

Sources: Texas Industries Inc., Trinity Industries Inc.; CP staff

An agreement between two of Texas’ biggest ready mixed concrete operators befits the Lone Star State in scope and strategy: TXI is shedding lightweight aggregate plants in Texas, Colorado and California for 42 ready mixed production and two aggregate distribution sites spanning east Texas and parts of Arkansas, all under Trinity subsidiary Transit Mix Concrete & Materials. The deal positions TXI with 106 ready mixed plants, approximately 3.5 million yards’ production (2012 estimate), and a fleet of 500-plus mixers.

Read More