Cement producers formally approve carbon neutrality roadmap

Sources: Portland Cement Association, Washington, D.C.; CP staff True to a timeline announced in late 2020, the Portland Cement Association has adopted a Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality, billing it as an ambitious journey to low carbon dioxide emissions across the cement and concrete value chain by 2050. The document demonstrates how the U.S. cement and concrete industry, along with parties…

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Solid market conditions amplify Texas producers’ return to normal

Speakers at the 67th annual Texas Aggregates & Concrete Association meeting, staged last month in San Antonio, offered 450-plus attendees a sampling of production, economic and demographic data well worth the price of admission.

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Lafarge ACM, gypsum veteran Tabbara takes U.S. Cement helm

Sources: LafargeHolcim, Chicago; CP staff LafargeHolcim has named Toufic Tabbara as chief executive officer of U.S. Cement operations. He arrives with more than 20 years’ experience in Lafarge North America and overseas ready mixed concrete, asphalt and gypsum businesses, and most recently oversaw similar operations, plus cement production, as Country CEO for Jordan, then Algeria. Tabbara holds undergraduate and graduate…

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Martin Marietta blazes Pacific trail in Lehigh Hanson West deal

Sources: Martin Marietta Materials, Raleigh, N.C.; HeidelbergCement AG, Germany; CP staff Martin Marietta will significantly boost its West Coast presence in a $2.3 billion cash deal for the bulk of Lehigh Hanson West Region operations in Arizona, California, Nevada and Oregon. Anchoring the asset package are the Lehigh Cement Redding and Tehachapi, Calif. plants, with combined annual capacity upward of…

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State DOT spec recognizes mixer truck option for FDR cement slurry hauling

Sources: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Alexandria, Va.; Portland Cement Association, Washington, D.C.; CP staff The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association credits a prospective fleet utilization opportunity for members to the Illinois Department of Transportation’s adoption of a Full-Depth Reclamation specification allowing mixer truck delivery of cement slurry. A rapidly growing practice among pavement engineers, FDR entails blending of cement…

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PCA confirms industry’s stunning performance in the face of 2020 adversity

Sources: Portland Cement Association, Washington, D.C.; CP staff Thirteen months after pandemic panic and profound economic uncertainty compelled a guarded one- to three-year outlook for U.S. construction activity, the Portland Cement Association Market Intelligence Group reports that a key indicator of building and nonbuilding project volume grew year over year—a trend likely to continue in 2021 and 2022. 

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Argos, Buzzi, GCC and Titan double up in EPA Energy Star certifications

Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Portland Cement Association, Washington, D.C.; CP staff Thirteen of the 95 manufacturing plants earning certification in the 2020 Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star program produce portland cement: Argos USA LLC, Calera, Ala. and Harleyville, S.C.; Ash Grove Cement, Seattle; Buzzi Unicem USA, Festus, Mo. and Chattanooga, Tenn.; CalPortland Co., Rillito, Ariz.; Cemex USA, Miami; Drake…

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PCA issues Industry-Wide EPD for ASTM C150, C595, C91 powders

Sources: Portland Cement Association, Washington, D.C.; CP staff New Industry-Wide Environment Product Declarations (IW-EPDs) for Portland Cement, Portland-Limestone Cement, Blended Hydraulic Cement and Masonry Cement offer stakeholders across private and public construction markets an exhaustive profile of material, fuel and energy factors attending production of the key ingredient in concrete, grout and mortar. The documents inform updates to companion EPD…

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