Month: November 2012

Source: RMC Research & Education Foundation, Silver Spring, Md.

To cover 2013 and 2014 program funding without dipping into principal, and offset commitments to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology-hosted Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSH), the RMC Foundation has launched “Bridge the Gap.” In a quiet phase before formally announcing the campaign, it has raised $940,000 toward a roughly $2.3 million goal, with 17 companies contributing at the leadership level of $50,000 over two years (primarily 2013 and 2014).

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Source: Lafarge North America, Chicago

Addressing the Wildlife Habitat Council’s (WHC) 24th Annual Symposium in Baltimore, Lafarge Goup V.P. of Environment and Public Affairs Jim Rushworth presented the company’s world-wide work on biodiversity with a special focus on a new World Wildlife Federation (WWF) partnership.

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Source: Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill.

With the votes counted and the country’s leadership for the next four years determined, construction interests are challenging Congress and the Obama administration to get to work on addressing the “fiscal cliff.” A recent PCA study reports that given the fragile state of the economy, inaction could prompt a recession and have a negative impact on the construction industry.

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Source: Construction Materials Recycling Association, Aurora, Ill.

The utilization of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) as an unbound base product in the highway environment is extensively examined in a new Construction Materials Recycling Association white paper, prepared especially for highway engineers and their federal, state and local agency colleagues.

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Sources: Turner Construction Co., New York City; CP staff

The 2012 Green Building Market Barometer survey from top gun general contractor Turner Construction finds that real estate owners, developers and corporate owner-occupants remain committed to sustainable practices, but are increasingly cool on costs associated with U.S. Green Building Council LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for projects.

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Source: Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD), AFL-CIO, Washington, D.C.

In a statement congratulating President Obama and Vice President Biden on their re-election, BCTD’s Sean McGarvey offers this take on second-term activity affecting members and the construction industry:

“Over the past four years, America’s Building Trades Unions have lamented the toxic nature of our politics that sought to win the latest news cycle but rarely put the needs of constituents ahead of political party goals. With yet another convincing general election victory, President Obama correctly pointed out that the American people decisively ‘voted for action, not politics as usual…it’s about your jobs, not ours.’

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Source: Grace Construction Products, Cambridge, Mass. Grace Construction Products will effect 5 to 15 percent prices increases across North American concrete and masonry product lines, effective January 2013. The increases reflect supply and demand imbalances for certain chemical streams, which have put pressure on the cost and availability of raw materials used in the admixture product lines.

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Source: Hanley Wood Exhibitions, Dallas

Show management reports that next year’s World of Concrete, February 5–8 in Las Vegas, will be larger than their 2012 gathering and packed with a lineup of 100-plus educational sessions (February 4–8), hands-on product demonstrations, spectator events, and competitions.

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Source: HawkeyePedershaab, Mediapolis, Iowa

Germany’s MBK, the world’s leading manufacturer of reinforcement cage machinery, has extended a prior sales and marketing agreement with global concrete pipe machinery leader HawkeyePedershaab. It calls for MBK to purchase the rights to the HawkeyePedershaab Cageflex product line and associated technologies, and HawkeyePedershaab to represent MBK cage machinery exclusively as North American sales agent.

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Source: Vulcan Materials Co., Birmingham, Ala.

Vulcan Materials Co. announced the following leadership changes:

• Danny R. Shepherd, formerly executive vice president–Construction Materials, has been appointed to the position of executive vice president and chief operating officer, effective immediately.
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