BMC Enterprises becomes U.S. gateway for U.K. operator Breedon

Sources: Breedon Group Plc, Derby, United Kingdom; CP staff London Stock Exchange-traded aggregate, cement, concrete and masonry producer Breedon Group plans an early-March closing of a $300 million deal for St. Louis-based BMC Enterprises Inc. The transaction affords the suitor a North American market platform with 44 ready mixed concrete and five precast plants, plus five crushed stone and seven…

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Concrete, composites, steel and wood stakeholders pen Utility Pole PCR

Sources: American Composites Manufacturers Association, Arlington, Va.; CP staff Cambridge, Mass.-based Product Category Rule program operator Sustainable Minds LLC has published the Utility Pole PCR, providing a life cycle assessment applicable to Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for concrete, composite, steel or wood power distribution structures. The American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) initiated development of the document through a committee with…

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Survey confirms wood vs. concrete multifamily building insurance differences

Sources: Concrete Advancement Foundation and National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Alexandria, Va.; CP staff In a follow up to an initial 2017 study, the Concrete Advancement Foundation and National Ready Mixed Concrete Association quantify the expected underwriting cost differences between combustible versus noncombustible construction in their 2024 Survey of Insurance Costs for Multifamily Buildings Constructed with Wood-frame and Concrete. The…

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NRMCA honors Dickinson RM, Superior/VCNA, Chaney delivery professionals

Sources: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Alexandria, Va.; CP staff  The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association has named Richard Fulda of North Dakota-based Dickinson Ready Mix as the 2024 Ready Mixed Concrete Delivery Professional Driver of the Year. A panel of industry judges selected him from a near record number of NRMCA producer member-nominated candidates. Judges recognize Fulda for his…

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A brief history of Environmental Product Declarations and the arrival of EPD 3.0

Increasing demand for low carbon concrete, transparency, and digitization are driving a radical transformation in how EPDs are developed and used.  Industry demand for low carbon concrete and the critical need to measure reduced carbon metrics are driving radical change in the concrete industry, which increases monthly with new legislation, investor and commercial demand influencing construction materials production and specifications.…

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Organizations – January 2024

National Ready Mixed Concrete Association Senior Vice President, Compliance and Regulatory Affairs Kevin Walgenbach, has been named executive vice president, Operations and Compliance, effective this month. Over a 17-year tenure, he has played a key role in conducting educational training for NRMCA members, including organizing regional seminars and workshops along with the Plant Manager, Safety, Dispatcher and Environmental courses. He…

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ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS

The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association 2023 Environmental Excellence Awards program honors nine plants. Now in its 28th year, the program offers producer members national recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment and maintaining sound environmental management practices. It salutes operators that have not only met, but surpassed governmental compliance requirements and demonstrated a commitment to environmental excellence through…

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Bio-charcoal hardens Habitat affiliate’s zero carbon concrete home

The Tacoma/Pierce County Affordable Housing Consortium has recognized Tacoma/Pierce County Habitat for Humanity and the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association Build with Strength coalition for a Gig Harbor, Wash. home built with insulating concrete form (ICF) walls and mixes bearing a bio-charcoal admixture. When dosed at 100 lbs., SolidCarbon’s the C-Lock 8 admixture has the potential to sequester 50 kilograms…

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FHWA states case for portland limestone cement specifications

Sources: Federal Highway Administration; National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Alexandria, Va.: CP staff 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.;…

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Software developer brings concrete delivery optimization into AI age 

The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association 2023 ConcreteWorks Conference in Nashville was the backdrop for broad roll out of Inform Transport Planning and Execution software for concrete, aggregates and cement. The logistics platform equips dispatchers and planners running medium to large fleets to perform complex, time-critical calculations with ease—netting delivery of more loads with fewer trucks when measured against conventional…

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