Source: National Precast Concrete Association
For the second-straight year, The Precast Show attendance reflected the positive impact of the slow but steady economic recovery on industry producers’ confidence. Staged January 11–13 at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis, this year’s gathering included a 100,000 sq. ft. show floor and 3,300-plus attendees.
Read MoreSources: Lafarge Group, Paris; CP staff
Lafarge has completed a 10-day, 10,000-ton trial for Aether, a new generation clinker chemically formulated to reduce carbon emissions associated with traditional production methods, and poised for 2014 commercialization.
Read MoreSources: CP staff; Bluegrass Materials Co., Jacksonville, Fla.; Vulcan Materials Co., Birmingham, Ala.
Lafarge North America’s sale of its Georgia quarries-four to Bluegrass Materials, two to Vulcan Materials-marks a retreat from the Southeast and Blue Circle America assets parent company Lafarge Group placed under its control the past 12 years.
Read MoreSource: Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill.
Improving underlying economic fundamentals, large pent-up demand balances, and diminished economic uncertainty will support an 8.1 percent increase in 2013 cement consumption and concrete output over last year’s levels, according to a revised PCA forecast.
Read MoreSources: Portland Cement Association; CP staff
A PCA report released in advance of the International Builders’ Show, January 22–24 in Las Vegas, projects total 2013 housing starts to reach 954,000 units, reflecting further improvement in last year’s nearly 30 percent growth.
Read MoreSources: National Concrete Masonry Association, Herndon, Va.; CP staff
NCMA and Masonry Veneer Manufacturers Association officials will meet this week with an eye to finalizing an agreement enabling MVMA producers to join NCMA as regular members. Discussions will dovetail the MVMA board meeting, scheduled in conjunction with the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas.
Read MoreSources: CP staff; National Concrete Masonry Association; National Precast Concrete Association, Carmel, Ind.
After two years of co-locating its annual ICON Expo with NPCA’s Precast Show, NCMA is eyeing a standalone event for 2014, ICON X Change, with a business-to-business meeting format in hotel suites replacing a traditional trade exhibit.
Read MoreSource: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.
In conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, NRMCA will be conducting a free webinar on Thursday, January 24, at 3 p.m. EST, to introduce new initiatives to help ready mixed concrete plants better manage their energy use and save money.
Read MoreSource: Concrete Industry Management National Steering Committee
A Mack Granite Axle Back model with 11-yd. McNeilus mixer will anchor equipment, material and service offerings at the eighth annual auction—February 6, Las Vegas Convention Center—to benefit four-year CIM degree programs at Arizona, California, New Jersey, Tennessee and Texas universities.
Read MoreSources: Office of Representative Scott Rigell (VA-2), Washington, D.C.; CP staff
President Obama has signed into law the Drywall Safety Act of 2012, the most far-reaching response yet to performance problems plaguing product imported from China during much of the past decade. Owners of homes and buildings containing the imported drywall have cited the high sulfur content product’s tendency to corrode mechanical and electrical system components.
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