April 2014 – Concrete Products

Transportation chief floats Congress highway funding reauthorization proposal

April 29, 2014 Concrete News

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx is sending Congress a transportation bill for consideration as the House and Senate face looming deadlines to avoid the economic uncertainty and job loss that would ensue if the Highway Trust Fund runs out of money this summer. The GROW AMERICA Act lays the foundation for long-term competitiveness, rebuilding crumbling roads and bridges while providing much-needed certainty for local and state governments and addressing the country’s future needs.

NCMA, ICPI firm up ICON-Xchange 2015

April 29, 2014 Concrete News

Source: National Concrete Masonry Association, Herndon, Va.

Concrete masonry and hardscape unit producers, along with machinery, equipment and service providers can mark their calendars for NCMA’s 2015 ICON-Xchange, February 18-19, at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa in San Antonio, Texas.

Winter-battered construction activity returns to projected levels

April 29, 2014 Concrete News

Source: McGraw Hill Construction, New York

New construction starts in March advanced 7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $521.4 billion, based on measurements of three major sectors: 1) nonresidential building, which picked up the pace after its lackluster performance at the outset of this year; 2) nonbuilding construction, logging a moderate gain; and, residential building, which settled back as single-family housing remained sluggish.

Construction Specifications Institute publishes MasterFormat 2014

April 29, 2014 Concrete News

Source: Construction Specifications Institute, Alexandria, Va.

CSI and Construction Specifications Canada released the 2014 updates to MasterFormat, their flagship product used to organize construction documents for commercial, industrial, and institutional building projects.

Top LEED critic endorses ICC’s green code development

April 29, 2014 Concrete News

Sources: American High-Performance Buildings Coalition (AHPBC), New York; CP staff

A group of associations representing a wide range of building and construction industry stakeholders—and frequent critic of methods behind the development of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system—AHPBC issued a statement in support of the International Codes Council (ICC) transparent process for developing the 2015 International green Construction Code (IgCC) as it convened for its expert committee hearings in Memphis.

Environmentalists falter in challenge of EPA cement plant emissions rule

April 23, 2014 Concrete News

Sources: Portland Cement Association, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

In a ruling on National Resources Defense Council v. EPA, the U.S. District Court for District of Columbia upholds major parts of an agreement the cement industry and Environmental Protection Agency reached on the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP), under which producers will invest heavily in emissions treatment and controls equipment toward a 2016 compliance target.

Concrete masonry check-off bill clears key Senate committee

April 23, 2014 Concrete News

Sources: National Concrete Masonry Association, Herndon, Va.; CP staff

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation passed the concrete masonry industry’s check-off bill (S.429) by voice vote earlier this month, the legislation garnering consideration for possible avenues to the full Senate. The bill would authorize a Department of Commerce-sanctioned stakeholder committee to explore a market development, research and education program funded through a levy on concrete masonry unit sales.

Martin Marietta CEO Nye to succeed Chairman Zelnak

April 23, 2014 Concrete News

Sources: Martin Marietta Materials, Raleigh, N.C.; CP staff

Longtime Chairman of the Board Stephen P. Zelnak Jr. will retire following Martin Marietta’s annual shareholders meeting, May 22, but remain a director. President and CEO C. Howard (Ward) Nye will assume the chairman’s post, completing a seamless and orderly succession process overseen by the board.

FHWA, AASHTO gauge real-time concrete pavement quality

April 23, 2014 Concrete News

Source: Transtec Group, Austin, Texas

In an effort to reduce costs, increase pavement quality, and minimize travel delays caused by road construction, the Federal Highway Administration, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and Transportation Research Board will help agencies implement a tool that allows contractors to identify concrete pavement surface irregularities during construction.

AEM backs Better Highways campaign with Washington, D.C. fly-in credits

April 23, 2014 Concrete News

Source: Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Milwaukee

Through I Make America, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers is launching an initiative to encourage members and the construction industry’s hardworking ranks to fly-in to Washington, D.C., and support a new federal highway bill.