Boral block business brings Quikrete Texas heft

Sources: Boral Ltd., Sydney; CP staff

Boral has announced an agreement to sell its Texas concrete masonry operations to Atlanta-based Quikrete Holdings Inc., anticipating a mid-November closing for the $156 million deal. Boral inherited the block production assets with the May 2017 Headwaters Inc. takeover, and has recently moved to streamline its portfolio around building products and fly ash businesses in North America; the USG Boral gypsum-based wall and ceilings joint venture; and, construction materials production in Australia.

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Marcotte harnesses sensor, IoT capabilities in Coretex partnership

Sources: Coretex Ltd., San Diego; Marcotte Systems, Montreal; CP staff

Batch controls and concrete plant automation developer Marcotte Systems has entered a partnership with fleet technology and Internet of Things (IoT) device specialist Coretex, whose 360 solution encompasses a complete set of sensors specifically designed for ready mixed delivery and quality control—drum rotation, water-added measurement and precise integrated statusing among them. The integrated Marcotte and Coretex system is on field trial and scheduled for early-2019 launch. 

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Dodge Construction Outlook: 2019 markets stay present course

Sources: Dodge Data & Analytics, New York; CP staff 

The 2019 Dodge Construction Outlook predicts that total U.S. construction starts will be $808 billion, essentially even with the $807 billion estimated for 2018. By major sector in dollar terms, residential building will be down 2 percent, nonresidential building will match its 2018 amount, and non-building construction will increase 3 percent.

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Industry groups call out advocacy suppression at Code Council Conference

Sources: Build With Strength Coalition, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association-backed Build With Strength coalition, along with allies the Portland Cement Association and Steel Framing Industry Association, are challenging International Code Council “advocacy guidelines” that restrict communications during the group’s Annual Conference, Public Comment Hearings and Expo, October 21-25 in Richmond, Va. The event is drawing particular interest from mid- to high-rise construction stakeholders, owing to a scheduled vote on a proposal essentially validating design of wood framed buildings taller than the International Building Code’s current five- to six-story threshold. 

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Survey: Employees on board with LEED-certified work environments

Sources: U.S. Green Building Council, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

Employees who work in (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) LEED-certified green buildings are happier, healthier and more productive than employees in conventional and non-LEED buildings, according to a U.S. Green Building Council-commissioned survey of 1,000 full- or part-time workers, plus others self-employed but based in an office building setting.

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Dodge 2019 Outlook Conference: ‘See, think, stay ahead’

Source: Dodge Data & Analytics, New York; CP staff

A review of prospects and risks surrounding 2019 building and non-building markets from Dodge Chief Economist Robert Murray will cap the 80th annual Construction Outlook Executive Conference, October 24-25, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md. Dodge bill the conference as the cornerstone event for building product manufacturers, service providers, contractors, engineers, industry associations, and other stakeholders to gain critical insights into the economic forecast for North American construction. 

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Jointless slab developer targets advanced warehouse, production facilities

Sources: Sinclair Construction Group, Atlanta; CP staff

Sinclair Construction has launched the Megaslab Jointless Concrete System, crediting its design and performance potential for large slab-on-grade project owners to “ground-breaking technology paired with powerful admixtures that create an incredibly dense and impermeable slab, eliminating the need for installing control joints and their associated costs.”

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Thermal beneficiation process equips Charah to step up ash output

Sources: Charah Solutions, Louisville, Ky.; CP staff

Charah Solutions’ new thermal beneficiation technology improves finished fly ash quality by reducing loss on ignition, ammonia, activated carbon and moisture in raw feeds. The proprietary MP618 Multi-Process suits both wet and dry ash streams and offers these company-cited advantages over competing technologies: Lower cost profile; efficient footprint with self contained environmental controls that can be deployed in weeks versus years; and, modular design that can be scaled to market demand.

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