During an October 4 open house that drew 500 students, architects and engineers to its Edmonton precast plant, Lafarge Canada announced participation in a local Habitat for Humanity Net Zero energy duplex project.
Read MoreYear: 2011
Growing U.S. green building market supports 660K-plus jobs
As part of the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) kick off for the sold out annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo held in Toronto in early October, McGraw-Hill Construction Study released new research saying that green building accounts for 661,000 jobs in the United States—one third of the design and construction workforce.
Read MoreM-H Construction unveils next generation of business intelligence tool
McGraw-Hill Construction recently launched new features for its highly successful business intelligence tool, Dodge SpecShare Suite. The platform has been enhanced to enable building product manufacturers (BPMs) to access, analyze and understand their specification share position versus the competition with even greater ease.
Read MoreIndustry-first label tracks life-cycle, material data
Chicago-based Perkins + Will, a major architectural and engineering firm, and Construction Specialities (C/S) of Lebanon, N.J., describe their building product transparency label—detailing complete product make-up, critical life cycle information and potential human health impacts—as a collaborative step aimed at driving increased manufacturer disclosure.
Read MoreCement Regulatory Relief clears House after NRMCA leadership visit
Last month’s bipartisan passage of “Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011” (H.R. 2681) by the U.S. House of Representatives was overwhelmingly called a triumph by construction industry leaders.
Read MoreValue Added Sales – Finding the true value in each sale
Value added or “up-selling” has been foundational to the success of many concrete companies and continues to be a solid source of potential profit generation. The scope of value added is not just product orientated, but also involves a true understanding of customer needs. Many customers still miss the full potential value of concrete and services you can provide.
Read MoreCourt refuses to indulge claims of ‘meal period’ driver plaintiffs
A group of mixer truck drivers sought $6 million in a class action lawsuit, alleging former employer Granite Rock Co. violated California labor laws requiring off-duty meal periods or payment for duty-free meal periods. A Santa Clara County Superior Court decision issued last month suggests that instead of being awarded back pay and legal fee largesse, Driscoll et al. vs. Granite Rock plaintiffs and their counsel were handed their lunches.
Read MoreCommand Alkon ‘Replenishes’ concrete, bulk materials product suites
Sources: CP staff; Command Alkon Inc., Birmingham, Ala.
COMMANDoptimize, offering real-time fleet and plant management to improve ready mixed concrete dispatch operations’ efficiency and profitability, was center stage at the 2011 Command Alkon Customer Conference.
Read MoreNAHB Improving Markets Index expands to 30 metropolitan areas
Source: Rock Products staff
The number of improving housing markets continued to expand for a third consecutive month in November, rising from 23 to 30 on the latest National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index. The list dropped two metropolitan areas and added nine new ones—Fort Collins, Colo.; Hinesville, Ga.; Davenport, Iowa; Monroe, La.; Lima, Ohio; Williamsport, Pa.; Corpus Christi and Tyler, Texas; and, Cheyenne, Wyo.
Read MoreInternational Precast ships first Canadian CarbonCast job
Source: AltusGroup, Bethlehem, Pa.
CarbonCast high performance insulated wall panels were erected for the first time in Canada at the new Cineplex Galaxy cinema in Chatham, Ontario, by International Precast Solutions, River Rouge, Mich.
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