The pressure is on for concrete producers. Demand is high, especially with the passing of the U.S. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, but the market is more challenging than ever. Construction costs rose 14.1 percent year over year by the end of 2022, according to CBRE’s Construction Cost Index. Recruiting skilled labor continues to be difficult as many industry veterans…
Read MoreTag: carbon footprint
Producers – May 2023
Solidia Technologies is expanding production of its proprietary supplementary cementitious material in San Antonio, Texas, where it recently relocated headquarters from New Jersey. The engineered product improves the durability, workability, and overall properties of concrete, while mineralizing captured carbon dioxide to reduce by 30-40 percent the greenhouse gas emissions associated with finished slabs or structures. With significantly more SCM capacity…
Read MoreChryso, GCP launch first admixture under Saint-Gobain umbrella
Sources: Saint-Gobain Construction Chemicals, Alpharetta, Ga.’ CP staff A novel class of concrete strength enhancers tailored to portland cement requirements is the inaugural admixture offering from Chryso Inc. and GCP Applied Technologies following their October 2022 unification as the Saint-Gobain Construction Chemicals business unit. Unveiled at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2023 and formulated to reduce the binder factor in typical concrete mix designs…
Read MorePLC, in-transit mix management raise performance, sustainability attributes
By Jason Straka Reducing net carbon dioxide emissions in finished concrete is a critical endeavor for the industry. As portland cement production accounts for a measurable percentage of global man-made CO2 emissions, stakeholders are under a microscope to change the way they finish binders and develop new approaches that are more sustainable through the entire cycle of concrete production. From…
Read MoreThe Technology Upside in an Economic Downturn
Embrace the paradox: Invest in tech partners and people now, while an impending recession makes talent and time abundant. DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION RATIONALEResearchers preparing the 2022 KPMG U.S. Technology Survey Report asked businesses: “What are the key drivers of your organization’s digital transformation and corresponding investments?” As the United States slides into a recession, our industry is starting to feel it.…
Read MoreAlternative Materials to the Rescue!
Geopolymer concrete and fiber-reinforced polymer rebar can be the perfect match for sustainability in structural applications. Steel and concrete have a love-hate relationship. Steel brings tensile strength to concrete, making it stronger for structural applications. Alas, concrete lets water seep into the relationship and corrode the hope for a lasting union. To fix this marriage, Dr. Ruth (Westheimer) has been…
Read MoreASTM International, ACI’s NEU team on low carbon concrete
Sources: ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pa. A just-signed memorandum of understanding will see ASTM International and NEU, An ACI Center of Excellence for Carbon-Neutral Concrete, work to lower the carbon footprint of concrete in the built environment and minimize redundant efforts toward that goal. The organizations jointly plan to: • Foster and support technologies for cast-in-place and manufactured concrete;• Develop, promulgate,…
Read MoreProducers’ Choice
Integration of data AND business process empower freedom of choice in a concrete technology ecosystem. The Walt Disney Co. is a world champion of vertical capture. The company’s theme parks offer families a complete package of entertainment, dining and lodging. Yet in Orlando, Fla., many visitors choose to complement or even skip Disney World for other cool things like Comcast’s…
Read MoreContinental completes portland-limestone cement migration
Sources: Summit Materials Inc., Denver; CP staff Summit Materials’ Missouri subsidiary, Continental Cement Co. LLC, has consummated a full conversion from clinker-only to portland-limestone cement output at its Hannibal plant— four months after a similar transition at a sister mill up the Mississippi River in Davenport, Iowa. The PLC is typically finished at a 90/10 clinker and ground limestone blend. …
Read MoreCommunity catalyst
Lafarge Canada has teamed with BGC Ottawa (formerly the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa) to build the new Taggart Parkes Family Clubhouse, donating upward of 500 cubic meters of ECOPact low-carbon ready mixed concrete for the 15,000-square-foot facility. The recent grand opening ceremony marked a special milestone for the thousands of children and youth in underserved neighborhoods in the…
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