July 2017 – Page 2 – Concrete Products

Admixture helps Thomas Concrete ‘shrink’ emergency bridge work schedule

July 26, 2017 Concrete News

The Georgia Department of Transportation approved the use of Premier Construction Products Group’s PREVent-C, a shrinkage-reducing and crack control admixture, among accelerated construction techniques on the Interstate 85 over Piedmont Road Bridges contract. Completed ahead of schedule, the six-week emergency project stemmed from a late-March fire that doomed twin structures carrying upwards of 250,000 vehicles daily.

Haarup helps Valmont Utility scale rising prestressed pole demand

July 26, 2017 Concrete News

In 2016, Valmont Utility completed the installation of a new batching and mixing plant for concrete utility poles production in Bartow, Fla. The company is a leading fabricator of concrete and steel structures for the electric utility industry, and the central Florida operation is the largest source of static cast and spun prestressed concrete utility poles in the U.S.

MORTAR ORDER

July 26, 2017 Concrete News

Fast-track plant construction scheduling was essential when Schluter Systems North America moved to round out its board and membrane offering to create a complete floor or wall installation system for tile and stone. Built at a Plattsburgh, N.Y., complex with polymer board and membrane production, plus sales and headquarters offices, the new plant would harbor mixing, packaging and storage of Schluter Systems’ first portland cement-based product: A namesake thin set dry mix mortar sold in 50-lb. plastic bags, shipped on 56-bag pallets.

MAGNIFICENT MILL

July 26, 2017 Concrete News

Montreal-based McInnis Cement began portland cement clinker production and finishing at its eastern Quebec mill last month, triggering what will likely be a two-year ramp up to annual capacity exceeding 2 million metric tons (mt)—much delivered to concrete producers in Great Lakes, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic markets.

JEL ramps up batch plant production with new Milwaukee operation

July 26, 2017 Concrete News

JEL Manufacturing LLC has relocated from its charter Wisconsin site to a Milwaukee facility 25 miles away, eyeing increased ready mixed or precast concrete batch plant production capacity and offerings. The company began manufacturing bulk material handling equipment in 2013, and two years later expanded into modular and stationary concrete plant models. Mobile plant designs on deck for later this year are intended to be towable, pre-wired, and pre-plumbed.

MANUFACTURERS – JULY 2017

July 26, 2017 Concrete News

Lanxess’ signature Bayferrox yellow, red and black pigments have been recertified for pre-consumer recycled iron oxide content from California-based SCS Global Services, a global leader in independent, third-party environmental certification, auditing, testing and standards development. Lanxess first achieved certification in 2014, and remains the only iron oxide pigments producer to hold such accreditation. SCS verified up to 92 percent recycled content in yellow, red and black Bayferrox iron oxide pigments. Specifying them with SCS certification for coloring concrete or other materials used in buildings allows project teams to factor the pigments when calculating a project’s overall recycled content volume.

PCI opens call for 55th Annual Design Award entries

July 26, 2017 Concrete News

The Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute is accepting 2018 PCI Design Awards entries through September 18. The program recognizes design excellence, innovation, and construction quality using precast concrete. All winning projects will be showcased at the 2018 PCI Convention and National Bridge Conference at The Precast Show in March, and included in a summary article of PCI Journal, Aspire, and Ascent magazines.

ORGANIZATIONS – JULY 2017

July 26, 2017 Concrete News

The National Concrete Masonry Association and Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute honor 142 plants in their 2016 Safety Awards Program, recognizing members who demonstrate exemplary accident prevention and worker protection. Eligibility is based on the lowest number of or no reportable injuries as documented by OSHA 300A logs (or equivalent Canadian injury reports) for the year.

PRODUCERS – JULY 2017

July 26, 2017 Concrete News

Lehigh Hanson Inc. will acquire the 13 ready mixed concrete and nine aggregate operations of Saunders Companies, whose roots trace back more than a century in central New York. Set for a third quarter closing, the asset transaction will be effected through subsidiary Hanson Aggregates New York LLC, which has 14 ready mixed, 19 asphalt and 23 aggregate sites—many along the Interstate 90/New York Thruway corridor.

Paris Accord prompts cement companies’ low-carbon production method audit

July 26, 2017 Concrete News

A new report from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI) focuses on technology availability and the need to scale up research and development that can help the cement industry mitigate its greenhouse gas emissions. In light of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Paris Agreement’s entry into force, CSI effected an in-depth review of its original technology papers from 2009, when the sector issued the first ever low-carbon technology roadmap in partnership with the International Energy Agency (IEA).