Sizing up nano-scale materials

For the third year in a row, we visit a pavement project VCNA Prairie Material helped convert from all asphalt to partial (base slab) or 100-percent roller compacted concrete. More than a routine switch, the Maryhill Cemetery maintenance shop (pages 28-31) marks the commercial debut of RCC Surface Pro, a silica agent emanating from the field of nanotechnology, where particles are measured in billionths of a meter.

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Command Alkon Conference returns to the Big Easy

Command-II

The Command Alkon Training & Technology Conference will be held at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, November 12-13. The annual event is one of the industry’s largest information technology- and plant equipment-focused gatherings for ready mixed, manufactured concrete, cement, aggregate and asphalt producers. Participation in the conference continues to rise, Command Alkon officials note, with the unveiling of new technologies, such as MOBILE series computing applications; previews of the latest releases of core products; and, opportunities for users to network with peer producers and gain industry perspective.

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Heavy/civil elite message accident prevention

A who’s who of major transportation, environmental and marine contractors marked the inaugural U.S. Construction Industry Safety Week through on-site awareness and related measures aimed at thanking workforces for supporting safety and recognizing efforts to be injury free; stressing the importance of being committed to accident prevention every working minute; and, inspiring all companies to share best practices advancing the industry’s safety culture.

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ORGANIZATIONS June 2014

Tim Martin has joined CTLGroup’s Austin, Texas, office as principal engineer. With 20 years in pavement design and evaluation, he is a recognized expert in street and roadway analysis and problem solving. He has focused on research and development of pavement design guidelines incorporating the latest techniques using concrete, asphalt, and roadway materials, and managed a global portfolio of projects from design, evaluation and repair to pavement management systems at airports, ports, intermodel facilities and highways. He will lead CTLGroup’s Pavement Engineering Consulting Services across the transportation industry.

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Heavy/civil elite kick off Construction Industry Safety Week

Sources: American Infrastructure, Worcester, Pa.

A who’s who of major transportation, environmental and marine contractors are marking the inaugural U.S. Construction Industry Safety Week through on-site awareness and related measures aimed at thanking workforces for supporting safety and recognizing efforts to be injury free; stressing the importance of being committed to accident prevention every working minute; and, inspiring all companies to share best practices advancing the industry’s safety culture.

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Twin Steers to Twin Shafts

Photo Courtesy of: Liebherr Concrete Technology

Fleet management is one of the competencies positioning Raleigh, N.C., ready mixed, aggregate and asphalt producer Sunrock Group among the Carolinas’ stronger independent operators. A 2001 change to Allison 4600s in its rear discharge mixer truck specs made the group’s concrete brand, Carolina Sunrock, an early adopter of fleetwide automatic transmissions.

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Ontario Producers Expedite Pavement Cost, Life Cycle Comparison

Ready Mixed Concrete Association

Ready Mixed Concrete Association of Ontario’s Pavement Design Assistance Program (PDAP) provides public and private sector project engineers and consultants comprehensive proposals for an equivalent, comparable concrete pavement alternative for street and road or parking lot contracts carrying asphalt specifications.

 

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FHWA evolves Highway Materials Engineering Course

The Federal Highway Administration is extensively revising its Highway Materials Engineering Academy, which for 20 years has prepared transportation agency staff to develop specifications and guidance; make effective project acceptance decisions; and, design, construct and maintain assets to achieve long service life.

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Major operators affirm strong deliveries in peak season

Fall 2013 saw the release of one set of positive quarterly financials after another from New York Stock Exchange-traded companies with integrated U.S. concrete, aggregate, cement and asphalt businesses. Uniformly upbeat sales, EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) and net earnings reports encompass the peak 2013 construction season; MDU Resources Group summing up conditions likely shared with peers: “The [Knife River] construction materials group had its best quarter since 2007.”

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