Department of Energy supports Cat C13 hydrogen-hybrid R&D

With partial U.S. Department of Energy backing, Caterpillar Inc. has launched a three-year project to demonstrate an advanced hydrogen-hybrid power solution built on its new C13D engine platform. The company aims to prove how advanced control systems and electric-hybrid components can help hydrogen fueled engines meet or exceed traditional diesel engines’ power density and transient performance. Caterpillar will serve as…

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“EPD on Demand” tool arms aggregate producers for Buy Clean

Tennessee-based life cycle assessment and environmental product declaration services provider WAP Sustainability has launched Theta EPD for Aggregates with National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association support. The first tool of its kind programmed specifically for North American producers, Theta Aggregate builds on WAP’s expertise in LCA and EPD generation software for ready mixed concrete, concrete pipe, cement and slag. The…

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CTS Cement helps EPA-backed Hydrova prove aluminum recycling

The Environmental Protection Agency recently announced a $400,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program Phase II grant enabling Santa Ana, Calif.-based Hydrova Inc. to advance work on black dross—a material frequently landfilled after primary aluminum recycling—for applications including cement clinker raw feed. Themed “Complete Resource Recovery and Hydrogen Production from Secondary Aluminum Processing Waste,” the grant extends a $100,000 Phase…

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FHWA publishes portland limestone cement benchmark

The Federal Highway Administration’s new TechNote on Portland Limestone Cement (FHWA-HRT-23-104) provides state highway agencies, contractors and concrete practitioners information enabling broader adoption of a blended binder to which cement plants across North America are migrating. The 12-page document reviews the history of PLC in the U.S.; chemical and physical requirements for a binder combining portland cement + 5-15 percent…

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Institute revises Federal Acquisition Regulation, Design-Build references

The Design-Build Institute of America has updated its Design-Build Done Right Federal Sector Best Practices, offering a comprehensive guide for teams navigating the intricacies of federal project delivery. Understanding the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and adhering to the right practices can be the key to a successful design-build project, DBIA contends, and the revised Best Practices document provides such guidance.…

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Afinitas’ Duncan succeeds County Materials-bound CEO Schmidgall

Afinitas CEO Brad Schmidgall will shift from concrete plant equipment and accessories to ready mixed and manufactured concrete production in January, taking the helm of County Materials Corp. As CEO of the Marathon, Wis.-based producer, he will oversee a portfolio spanning concrete pipe and precast operations that Afinitas has equipped under his tenure.  “Serving as the CEO of Afinitas and…

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ABC, Texas chapter seek federal court relief from Davis-Bacon rule rewrite

An Associated Builders and Contractors and the ABC Southeast Texas lawsuit asks the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Beaumont Division to vacate the Department of Labor’s Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations (DBA) rule, implemented in October and applicable to federal or federally assisted construction projects. Plaintiffs challenge the new rule’s prevailing wage definition, wage…

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GSA backs low embodied carbon material spec commitment

The General Services Administration has released a list of more than 150 federal building construction or upgrade projects across 39 states and District of Columbia where low embodied carbon (LEC) material specifications will be supported by $2 billion in Inflation Reduction Act funding. Contract language will favor LEC material use, net estimated deliveries totaling:  The funding advances the Buy Clean…

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USGS releases crushed stone, sand & gravel producer rankings

Nine publicly traded and four privately held companies populate the upper ranks of U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Specialist Jason Willett’s new “Top 100 Crushed Stone” and “Top 100 Sand & Gravel” producer surveys. Based on his analysis of 2021 shipments, here in descending order are the top players in each category:  Public companies based in North America are Cemex,…

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Labor Department rule broadens Form 300 data submission requirements

Under “Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses,” a final rule effective January 2024, the Labor Department requires certain employers to electronically submit injury and illness information to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Establishments with 100 or more employees in cement, concrete, construction and other industries deemed high-hazard based on reportable incident rates must relay Form 300-Log of Work-Related…

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