Master Builders rheology conditioner eases Type IL concrete mix work

Sources: Master Builders Solutions, Beechwood, Ohio; CP staff World of Concrete 2024 marked the formal North American market debut of Master Builders Solutions’ MasterEase, a next generation rheology-modifying, water-reducing admixture. Recently developed polymers enable the new ASTM C494 Type A agent to lower concrete viscosity compared to prior water reducing admixtures. The polymers reduce yield stress, the main indicator of…

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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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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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PLC, 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…

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Top LafargeHolcim mills sustain portland limestone momentum

The Holcim (US) Ste. Genevieve plant in Missouri and Lafarge Alpena plant in Michigan have transitioned to production of OneCem portland limestone cement (PLC), lowering by 10 percent the carbon intensity of their ordinary Type I/II powder. A high-performance blended cement milled from conventional clinker and up to 10 percent finely ground, premium limestone, OneCem has been rigorously tested and…

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Holcim (US) mill goes full bore on portland limestone cement

A Texas concrete materials supply chain fixture, the Holcim (US) Inc. Midlothian plant is the first cement mill in the country to fully convert to production of portland limestone cement (PLC), where fine limestone at 5 percent to 15 percent volumes is ground with clinker. The finished binder exhibits performance comparable to ordinary portland cement, but has a lower embodied…

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Key Holcim (US) mill all in on portland limestone cement

Sources: LafargeHolcim U.S. Cement, Chicago; CP staff A Texas concrete materials supply chain fixture, the Holcim (US) Inc. Midlothian plant is the first cement mill in the country to fully convert to production of portland limestone cement (PLC), where fine limestone at 5 percent to 15 percent volumes is ground with clinker. The finished binder exhibits performance comparable to ordinary…

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Lehigh Cement grinds clinker, limestone and ash to High Sulphate blend

Sources: Lehigh Hanson, Irving, Texas; CP staff Lehigh Hanson is extending its recently launched, carbon-wise EcoCem portland limestone cement series with EcoCem PLUS, milled at the Edmonton plant and debuting in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Finished by inter-grinding cement clinker, fly ash, limestone and gypsum, the material outperforms traditional CSA Group-grade HS powder in resisting sulphate attack—common in the Prairie…

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