In conjunction with the Commonwealth of Virginia, Bayshore Concrete Products has announced expansion of its Cape Charles headquarters operation, along with infrastructure improvements in the harbor connecting the site to the Chesapeake Bay. The $4 million undertaking was subject to competition with Maryland, New York and New Jersey, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership working with Cape Charles and Northampton County to secure the project for Virginia. Governor McAuliffe approved a $150,000 grant from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund to assist Northampton County and Cape Charles with the project.
Read MoreMonth: March 2014
FIBER CEMENT PANELS PROVE FLEXIBILITY IN RETROFIT PROJECT
Located in Uvalde, Texas, the Willie De Leon Civic Center recently experienced a major renovation, whose final result is a strong statement for fiber cement panels beyond the residential siding market. The civic center was originally built in 1968, as a tribute to the area’s most decorated soldier, who earned a Purple Heart during World War II.
Read MoreBUYING TIME
INDUSTRY HEADS TO LAS VEGAS FOR SEVENTH CONEXPO-CON/AGG
After a second consecutive year where concrete, cement and aggregate interests saw modest shipment gains—while overall construction industry increases in 2013 reached the 7-8 percent range—producers are positioned to act on plant and fleet equipment investment carrying them through the growth projected for the remainder of the decade.
Read MoreBASF charts commercial path for alternative to conventional air entrainment
Sources: BASF Construction Chemicals/Admixture Systems, Cleveland; CP staff
Through a microsphere-based agent manufactured at the batch plant, BASF Admixture Systems is positioning producers and their customers to overcome void size and distribution variability long associated with air-entrained concrete mixes, while improving slabs and structures’ freeze-thaw durability.
Read MoreStrong ConExpo-Con/Agg signals easing of protracted capital investment drought
Sources: Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Milwaukee; CP staff
ConExpo-Con/Agg and IFPE 2014 took center stage in Las Vegas March 4-8 with what organizers dub “tremendous energy and serious buyers,” as registration was just shy of 130,000, second only to the combined events’ 2005 staging, while new scale records were set with 2,400 exhibitors occupying 2.5 million sq. ft of indoor and outdoor space.
Read MoreCaterpillar eyes mid-year production for set-forward axle truck model
Sources: Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, Ill.; CP staff
Caterpillar has added to its Class 8 heavy-duty work truck line the CT681, a mixer- and dump-ready, set-forward axle model designed for operators contending with restrictive road and bridge load limitations. It was unveiled at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2014, nearly three years after a charter model, the set-back axle CT660, proved a key draw at the Las Vegas show’s 2011 staging.
Read MoreNortheast Newcomer
McInnis Cement orients greenfield plant to broad Great Lakes and Atlantic Coast market footprint
By Don Marsh
Quebec Premier Pauline Marois and business leaders convened in late-January to outline a financial structure for an export-driven start up, McInnis Cement. The company will commence spring 2014 construction of a “shovel ready,” $1 billion project: An advanced portland cement mill with ultimate annual capacity upward of 2.5 million tonnes (2.75 million tons), plus marine terminal equipped to load 2,000 tonnes (2,200 tons)/hour.
Read MoreFront Line Excellence
The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association’s 18th Annual Ready Mixed Concrete Delivery Professional Driver of the Year program recognizes three industry veterans from a pool of outstanding nominees across the country. The NRMCA Operations, Environmental and Safety Committee assembled a panel of judges to weigh nominees’ competence, driving skills, number of years without an on- or off-road accident, and colleague or customer testimonials.
Read MoreTo reap efficiency or sow fragmentation
Impending ownership changes of two concrete and cement businesses, one each side of the Atlantic, remind us how reasonably regulated free markets overwhelmingly trump those hamstrung by heavy-handed government agencies. Consider the investor-sanctioned Martin Marietta Materials–Texas Industries merger versus the British government-ordered creation of a portland cement, GGBF slag and ready mixed producer from the sale of existing players’ assets. The driving forces behind the transactions are the embrace or rejection of realities of a market rewarding efficiency versus fragmentation.
Read MoreHigh strength grout
Gorilla Grout Enhanced Strength Grout suits high compressive strength applications without the “creep” associated with epoxy grout formulations. Plastic and flowable compressive strengths exceed 10,000 psi at 28 days (ASTM C 109 2-in. cube test), notes the manufacturer. The non-shrink, non-metallic construction grout features controlled expansion, meets ASTM standards C 1107 and CRD-C621, and can be specified for high tolerance placements that require maximum load bearing capacity. The grout can be placed with standard equipment even at high fluid consistency.
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