March 2018 – Concrete Products

Federal transportation, water programs gain $10 billion in final 2018 budget

March 27, 2018 Concrete News

Sources: U.S. House Committee on Appropriations; American Road and Transportation Builders Association, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

The FY 2018 omnibus bill President Donald Trump signed on March 23 adds $8.7 billion to federal transportation programs, which Congress had kept thus far at FY 2017 funding levels through continuing resolutions. Most notably, the federal highway program sees $3.5 billion in additional in road and bridge funding, bringing the FY 2018 FAST Act Highway line item to $46.76 billion, 8 percent above the 2017 level.

Underwriters harden view of hurricane-prone states’ building code fealty

March 26, 2018 Concrete News

Sources: Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), Tampa, Fla.; CP staff

IBHS’ 2018 edition of Rating the States follows a disastrous year of storms, authors note, and is well timed to inform discussion and action to improve building strength as communities repair or replace hurricane-damaged properties.

Urban group prioritizes principles for building resilient population centers

March 26, 2018 Concrete News

Sources: Urban Land Institute, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

A new Urban Land Institute Center for Sustainability and Economic Performance report proposes fundamentals for resilient cities and regions to anticipate, respond to, and recover from immediate shocks such as hurricanes and other extreme weather events, plus long-term stresses such as sea-level rise and declining population.

Boral adds PMI Ash beneficiation technology

March 26, 2018 Concrete News

Sources: Boral North America, Atlanta; CP staff

The leading manager and marketer of coal combustion products has acquired the Carbon Burn-Out (CBO) technology of PMI Ash Technologies LLC in Raleigh, N.C. The CBO process brings the quality of fly ash produced at coal-fueled electric generating stations to ASTM C618 grade, and can also be used to cost-effectively convert impounded ash to high quality pozzolan for concrete applications.

Clark Pacific’s Campus Housing: A robust, instructive tool for a hot market

March 23, 2018 Concrete News

Sources: Clark Pacific, West Sacramento, Calif., CP staff

Precast/prestressed producer and design-build specialist Clark Pacific has launched an online tool, CP Campus Housing, for one of the most active commercial building market segments. A set of integrated structural and façade components that maximize flexibility for Type I dormitory or apartment projects, it enables more owners and designers to leverage off-site construction for cost and schedule savings.

Cemex RM plants move first in responsible sourcing certification program

March 23, 2018 Concrete News

Sources: Cemex USA, Houston; CP staff

Five Cemex ready mixed plants in the San Francisco Bay market have earned Concrete Sustainability Council (CSC) responsible sourcing certification following an audit of environmental, social, and governance practices by SGS, an independent, third-party registrar.

ABC’s nonresidential building backlog hits record levels

March 20, 2018 Concrete News

Sources: Associated Builders and Contractors, Washington, D.C.

The ABC Construction Backlog Indicator (CBI) of nonresidential and infrastructure segments expanded to 9.67 months during the fourth quarter of 2017, its highest level ever, and finished the year up 1.36 months—16.3 percent higher than 2016.

MMC Materials’ Grogan leads 2018 NRMCA officer slate

March 19, 2018 Concrete News

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

The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association has elected Rodney Grogan, president of Ridgeland, Miss.-based MMC Materials Inc., as 2018 Chairman, succeeding his Oldcastle Materials West counterpart Scott Parson. Joining Grogan on the slate of officers elected during the NRMCA annual convention earlier this month in Houston are Vice Chairman William Sandbrook, chief executive officer of Texas’ U.S. Concrete Inc., and Secretary/Treasurer John Carew, president of Wisconsin’s Carew Concrete & Supply Co.

U.S. Concrete gears up for Andretti Autosport sponsorship

March 19, 2018 Concrete News

Sources: Andretti Autosport, Indianapolis; U.S. Concrete Inc., Euless, Texas; CP staff

Driver Marco Andretti’s No. 98 Honda will bear the U.S. Concrete logo and colors as part of a sponsorship spanning six 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series races, starting April 15 with Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach (Calif.) and continuing through Indianapolis (Grand Prix and Indy 500), Texas, Pocono and Sonoma.

Gate Precast etches iconic scenes into Music City Witness Walls

March 19, 2018 Concrete News

Nashville’s civil rights struggle has been eloquently portrayed the past year in the “Witness Walls,” a set of fragmented concrete sculptures bearing imagery from the Nashville Public Library.