Thomas Schwartz, P.E., senior principal and president at Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. in Waltham, Mass., has been named chairman of the 2014 ASTM International board of directors.
Schwartz joined ASTM International in 1982 and currently serves on Committee E06 on Performance of Buildings as well as C14 on Glass and Glass Products and E58 on Forensic Engineering. A past chairman of Subcommittee E06.55 on Exterior Building Wall Systems, he served on the ASTM board of directors from 2006 to 2008 and from 2010 until the present.
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. is a national engineering firm that designs, investigates and rehabilitates structures and building enclosures, with five offices in the U.S. Schwartz joined the firm after earning a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Tufts University in Medford, Mass. He went on to receive a master’s in material engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge during his early years with the firm.
Schwartz has held a number of positions at SGH, from engineer to senior staff engineer, and associate to principal, before assuming his current role. A registered professional engineer in 20 states and the District of Columbia, he focuses on building envelope systems, including curtain walls, glazing, roofing, waterproofing and masonry. He investigates and evaluates all types of wall systems and roofing, and lectures and writes extensively about building enclosure technology.
The Concrete Polishing Association of America (CPAA) Board of Directors announced that Creative Association Management (CAM), a subsidiary of the American Concrete Institute, will provide association management services for CPAA and direct its future growth. CAM manages the operations of several associations in the concrete industry, including the American Shotcrete Association, the International Concrete Repair Institute, and the Post-Tensioning Institute. Roy Bowman, chairman of the CPAA Board of Directors, said that the resources and expertise
available from CAM will help develop the association further, adding, “With CAMʼs management and the passion and energy of the CPAA members, we are now poised to make an even greater impact.” The new executive director for CPAA is Nathaniel Mohler and he brings a background in the areas of continuing education and certification. Since February 2012, Mohler has been an engineer in ACIʼs Professional Development department, helping to create and deliver educational products for concrete professionals. He has also assisted in the roll-out of new ACI certification programs, most recently the Adhesive Anchor Installer Program. Prior to ACI, Mohler spent nearly four years as a concrete engineer with the Portland Cement Association, where he developed online and classroom educational programs.
Industry veteran Mike McPhee and a group of investors have teamed to launch Concrete Fiber Solutions, LLC (CFS), specializing in slit-sheet steel reinforcing fibers. CFS products are manufactured in Chicago and meet all ASTM and ANSI/SDI standards. Available in multiple sizes to accommodate projects from light commercial to heavy industrial, the slit-sheet fibers provide cost-effective temperature and shrinkage reinforcement exceeding both wire mesh and rebar. Precise positioning of wire mesh is critical to optimal performance and is often impossible to maintain given the foot traffic and equipment needed during installation.
CFS offers two reinforcing steel fibers: 100-2 and 150-5. CFS 100-2 is an ASTM A820 Type II fiber, specifically designed and engineered for heavy industrial work and special design projects. The fibers measure 1 in. with an aspect ratio of 43 and provide a specific design to ensure no fibers appear at the slab surface. CFS 100-2 fibers are sold with design services, including a computerized calculation to assess load conditions
for each project. CFS 150-5 is an ASTM A820 Type V fiber designed for commercial, light industrial work and composite steel decks. The fibers measure 1.5 in. with an aspect ratio of 38.
“My 30 plus years in this industry have taught me that steel fibers are the best concrete reinforcement product available,” says McPhee, whose serves as CFS manager of Sales and Engineering. “We’ve developed a steel fiber solution that not only claims its effectiveness but proves it, and I look forward to working with engineers and contractors nationwide to support their concrete reinforcement needs.”
In a career spanning three decades, McPhee has worked across all aspects of the concrete industry from construction to product design. He is a member of the American Concrete Institute, serving on the committee for Concrete Floor and Slab Construction and Design. He is also a member of the Steel Deck Institute and a long-standing member of the ASTM serving on committees for steel and concrete, and can be reached
at 704/609-0020; [email protected].
Halifax, N.C., carbon dioxide-based curing system developer CarbonCure Technologies Inc. has named Dr. Paul Sandberg vice president of Materials Science. A world-renowned expert with more than 25 years of experience in cement chemistry and chemical admixture technology, Dr. Sandberg was formerly principal scientist and technical director of key accounts at Grace Construction Products, and has been involved in several startups in the cement and concrete industry. Dr. Sandberg will lead CarbonCure’s chemical admixture research and development program.
A well-respected concrete industry pioneer who brings 30 years of manufacturing experience, Don Gordon has joined Carbon-Cure as director of Sales. He has received numerous awards for advancing the concept of sustainability in the concrete sector, including the 2014 Clean 16 award, and formerly headed Atlas Block, an Ontario-based concrete products manufacturer that was recently acquired by Brampton Brick. As director of Sales, he will establish partnerships with concrete producers to bring CarbonCure production methods to markets across North America.
The addition of the new hires comes at a time of significant momentum for the company, which closed a $3.5 million Series B round of venture capital funding late last year. CarbonCure aims to continue talent recruitment into 2014 as it seeks to fill additional technical, marketing and sales positions. Its technology is currently available for concrete blocks, pavers and segmental retaining walls, and positioned for expansion into precast and cast-in-place applications this year.
Laticrete International, Inc. has closed on the strategic asset acquisition of L&M Construction Chemicals, Inc., providing customers access to new products and technologies while expanding the company’s presence in the restoration and decorative concrete category. Omaha, Neb.-based L&M produces a diverse line of concrete construction chemicals, including coatings, sealers, construction grouts, patch and repair mortars, and color hardeners for polished concrete.
“This combination strengthens Laticrete and L&M brands alike,” says Laticrete Chairman David Rothberg. “Through this acquisition, L&M’s brand portfolio will gain access to Laticrete manufacturing capabilities, sales representation, marketing, and support services. Laticrete customers, in turn, will enjoy access to some of the most innovative decorative and restoration products on the market.”
Under new ownership, he adds, the L&M brand and product portfolio will leverage resources and opportunities Laticrete offers including: nationwide manufacturing facilities; an expanded team of sales representatives; global research and development capabilities; world-class marketing and technical services; access to global markets; an enhanced architectural presence; and, access to a nationwide distribution system. Product lines will continue to carry the L&M name under the Laticrete corporate brand identity, and the company’s manufacturing and sales functions will remain in Omaha. The acquisition is expected to take three months. Integration of manufacturing, sales and service functions will occur throughout 2014.
A family-owned, worldwide manufacturer and marketer of residential, commercial and industrial construction solutions, Laticrete provides technology, products and experience to make innovative, permanent installations primarily in the flooring industry. Over the past two years, the company has expanded its restoration and decorative product line through strategic acquisitions and partnerships. The L&M announcement
follows the 2011 acquisition of Drytek Flooring Solutions and formation of the Laticrete Supercap LLC joint venture.
Abresist Kalenborn Corp. has changed its name to Kalenborn Abresist Corp. Founded in 1977 as Abresist Corp., the company name was previously changed to Abresist Kalenborn in January 2011. Located 40 miles west of Fort Wayne, Ind., with sales offices throughout the U.S. and Canada, Kalenborn Abresist is part of Kalenborn International GmbH & Co. KG. Kalenborn International is a parent company to 12 subsidiaries with facilities in Asia, Europe, North America and South America.
Kalenborn Abresist specializes in wear resistant products and manufacturing, and installing a wide range of mineral and ceramic based abrasion-resistant protective linings for industrial material handling equipment. The wear-resistant linings serve a variety of processing equipment including hydraulic and pneumatic components and pipes handling large quantities of bulk materials.
Mac Process, North America’s largest supplier of pneumatic conveying and air filtration systems, and Schenck AccuRate, a leader in the manufacture and supply of dry material feeders and weighing technologies, announce the official merging of the two businesses. Both companies are part of the global Schenck Process Group and have integrated their operations in North America under the name Schenck Process LLC. Schenck Process manufacturing will continue in Whitewater, Wis., and Sabetha, Kan., and the company headquarters will be located in Kansas City, Mo. Integration efforts began in 2012, resulting in streamlined processes between the two operations, which have ensured quick response time for customers and the ability to provide state of the art pneumatic conveying, filtration, weighing and feeding systems from one supplier. The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) has released three new resources to help businesses take advantage of equipment finance benefits. A video, digital toolkit and infographic highlight how companies of all types and sizes can use leasing and financing to their strategic advantage to acquire the equipment they need to operate. The tools are available at www.equipmentfinanceadvantage.org.
The video, “How Equipment Finance Equips Business for Success,” examines ways businesses are using leasing and financing to acquire the equipment that helps the country thrive. The 12-page “Equipment Finance Advantage” digital toolkit shows how businesses make the best possible equipment-financing decisions and discusses what a business owner needs to know before entering a financing agreement. “The Road to Equipment Finance” infographic offers a snapshot of equipment financing, giving readers a visual explanation of how the service positions businesses for success.
“There’s a reason seven out of 10 companies lease or finance their equipment—it makes good business sense,” says ELFA President William Sutton. “As [the video, toolkit and infographic] point out, equipment finance is not only a smart and flexible equipment solution for businesses, it’s also an engine for U.S. economic growth, fostering innovation, supporting manufacturing and creating jobs.”
The Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA), a trade association representing batch, custom and specialty chemical manufacturers, has awarded the Lanxess Corp. Baytown facility the 2013 Silver Award for Product Stewardship. The award recognizes the plant’s exemplary efforts and achievements in improving its environmental, health, safety and security. The honor is given as part of SOCMA’s annual Performance Improvement Awards, sponsored by ChemStewards, SOCMA’s EHS&S initiative.
The Baytown, Texas, plant has received the award six times, the 2013 honor announced at SOCMA’s 92nd Annual Dinner in New York City. Lanxess participates in the ChemStewards program, which encourages
companies to operate their facilities\ in a manner that guarantees safety and environmental compliance to all stakeholders.
The Advanced Industrial Intermediates business unit’s production site in Baytown was recognized for its efforts to provide customers, distributors and other product stakeholders with information on the safe use, transport and dispose of chemicals. The award reflects what company officials note is a commitment to workers and neighbors in the Baytown community,
and constant product improvement.