January 29, 2014 – Concrete Products

Concrete Industry Management Program grosses $800K+ in Las Vegas auction

January 29, 2014 Concrete News

Sources: Concrete Industry Management Program (CIM) National Steering Committee; CP staff

With confirmed live, online and silent bids totaling more than $810,000, “The CIM [National Steering Committee] program is pleased to report that the 2014 World of Concrete Auction surpassed our highest gross proceeds total (2013’s $615,000) ever,” notes Cemex’s Mike Philipps, who chaired the committee organizing the Las Vegas Convention Center-staged, January 22 fundraiser. “We had a record in terms of the value of donated items and auction attendees that helped make this year’s event a huge success … Everyone stepped up to donate and bid on great items.”

ACI reorganizes 318 code around building system members, curtails cross references

January 29, 2014 Concrete News

Source: American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, Mich.

ACI is finalizing ACI 318-14: Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete, announcing at World of Concrete 2014 the streamlined document’s new orientation to engineers; more intuitive flow of requirements compared to earlier versions; and, centralized construction requirements in a single chapter.

NPCA projects 6 percent growth in 2014 precast shipments

January 29, 2014 Concrete News

Source: National Precast Concrete Association, Carmel, Ind.

Based on data from its recently released Precast Industry Benchmarking Report and leading forecasters, NPCA projects U.S. producers’ shipments increasing this year to $16.8 billion from $15.9 billion in 2013, the 6 percent gain modest against higher overall construction growth in 2014.

NCMA, NRMCA mobilize response to extended OSHA silica rule comment period

January 29, 2014 Concrete News

Sources: Occupational Safety and Health Administration; National Concrete Masonry Association, Herndon, Va.; National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.

OSHA is accepting comments on its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica through February 11—two weeks beyond a prior deadline for stakeholders in concrete, construction and other industry sectors to weigh in on a universal permissible exposure limit (PEL) for silica dust or powder.

Lafarge eyes $60M prairie province precast capacity upgrade

January 29, 2014 Concrete News

Source: Lafarge Canada, Inc., Calgary

Growing demand in energy, infrastructure, commercial and residential markets is driving Lafarge Canada’s planned doubling of output capability at its Edmonton precast operation, enclosure groundbreaking and equipment delivery scheduled for 2014. An investment upward of $60 million will see the addition of plant automation technology, including robotics and full-scale computer-aided design and fabrication.