A new National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) webpage describes the rights of employees to act together for their mutual aid and protection, even if they are not in a union. A map at www.nlrb.gov/concerted-activity guides users to more than a dozen recent protected concerted activity cases.
Read MoreMonth: August 2012
Teamsters test insidious bargaining unit standard to split dump, mixer driver pool
By recognizing a petitioned-for bargaining unit in an integrated ready mixed and aggregate producer’s driver ranks, the National Labor Relations Board has applied a standard it set in a contentious August 2011 decision, Specialty Healthcare, now under challenge in federal court.
Read MoreCement industry reinforces case for new EPA emissions rule, compliance target
Sources: Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill.; CP staff
A recently proposed standard for particulate matter (PM) will allow cement operators to develop new compliance strategies to address it and other emissions-reduction measures, and potentially see fewer plants shuttered due to cost-benefit factors, according to statements at an Environmental Protection Agency public hearing in Arlington, Texas.
Read MoreResearch Council funds SCC formwork, C-I-P and precast BIM projects
Source: American Concrete Institute Foundation, Farmington Hills, Mich.
The ACI Foundation Concrete Research Council (CRC) has announced $10,000 commitments to four projects:
• “Developing an Information Delivery Manual for Cast-in-Place Concrete Building Information Modeling (BIM)” and “Precast National BIM Standard – Phase III” under Georgia Tech School of Architecture Professor Charles Eastman, whose work is supported by ACI Committee 131, Building Information Modeling of Concrete Structures.
Read MoreArgos looks to brand ash-rich mixes in key U.S. markets
Sources: Ceratech Inc., Alexandria, Va.; CP staff
On the heels of last year’s strategic investment in fly ash binder specialist Ceratech, Argos USA is preparing to offer carbon-neutral concrete mixes in major markets from the Carolinas to Texas. With expanded product offerings based on the ekkomaxx binder—fly ash plus a handful of proprietary liquid admixtures—Argos will reaffirm its industry leadership by offering portland cement-free mixes with two to three times the durability of regular concretes when exposed to extreme corrosive and high temperature environments, Ceratech notes.
Read MoreAggregate top guns track 2012-13 gains, lags
Sources: Rock Products magazine; Martin Marietta Materials, Raleigh, N.C.; Vulcan Materials Co., Birmingham, Ala.
As part of their second-quarter financial reports and guidance into 2013, Martin Marietta and Vulcan Materials cite limited optimism for near-term shipments, driven by small, less-than-uniform production and pricing gains across their regions.
Read MoreTerex marks front discharge model’s 40th year with new truck design, order log
Source: Terex Roadbuilding, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Terex is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its legacy brand, Advance Mixer, by restarting a new front discharge mixer assembly line in response to improving market conditions. The company recently signed a 65-truck order with a large producer operating in multiple Midwestern states, the production carrying into 2013.
Read MoreFirst commercial-scale CO2 capture operation set for Capitol Aggregates mill
Sources: Skyonic Corp., Austin, Texas; CP staff
Construction at Capitol Aggregates’ cement mill outside San Antonio, Texas, is nearing on a facility to capture 83,000 tons of carbon dioxide and offset an additional 220,000 tons of the gas annually once the equipment is operational in 2014. Skyonic’s electrolytic carbon capture technology, SkyMine, will selectively remove CO2, acid gases and heavy metals emitted from the cement plant’s flue gas streams and recycle it into hydrochloric acid, sodium bicarbonate and other byproducts. Skyonic estimates the Capitol Aggregates installation will capture CO2 at a substantially lower cost than competitive technologies.
Read MoreCampaign and economy keynotes, Driver Championship, tech sessions load ConcreteWorks
Source: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.
University of Virginia Center for Politics’ Dr. Larry Sabato and Mercer University Professor of Economics Dr. Roger Tutterow will offer their take on this election and business cycle during opening keynote presentations at the 2012 ConcreteWorks Conference and Expo, September 16–19 in National Harbor, Md., bordering Washington, D.C.
Read MoreNRMCA seeks abstracts for 2013 Sustainability Conference
Source: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.
NRMCA is accepting through November 30 abstracts for the 2013 International Concrete Sustainability Conference, May 6-8 at the Hotel Sofitel San Francisco Bay (Redwood City, Calif.). The 8th annual conference will provide learning and networking opportunities on the latest advances, technical knowledge, continuing research, tools and solutions for sustainable concrete production and construction.
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