Targeting subatomic particle containment, engineers have turned to a modular concrete design for an accelerator research facility at Uppsala University, Sweden: precast blocks bearing MagnaDense, a high magnetite content aggregate derived from a deposit near the Arctic Circle.
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BeCo Concrete Products has wrapped up production and delivery of a nearly 300-piece Class III reinforced concrete pipe package: 1,080 feet of 144-in. diameter combined sewer sections, including 16 bends, and 1,192 feet of 66-in. diameter storm sewer sections, with 12 bends and six tees. The installation will anchor drainage infrastructure at IKEA St. Louis, a 380,000-sq.-ft., three-level store with 1,300 parking spaces.
Reflecting input from more than 60 producers operating 200-plus plants, the National Precast Concrete Association’s recent Precast Industry Benchmarking Survey indicates 2013 shipments increased 5.2 percent over the prior year, to $16.2 billion—encompassing an estimated 33 million yd. of concrete output and 11 million tons of cement consumption.
Read MoreNational Ready Mixed Concrete Association’s premier Producer Confidence Index, based on results of a 75-member survey, indicates favorable sentiments on current economic conditions and positive view of future business prospects. The survey uses 2006, the best year for ready mixed concrete production and financial performance on record, as a baseline for a 100-point positive Index.
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The latest Engineering and Construction Cost Index (ECCI) from El Segundo, Calif.-based IHS Inc. finds cement and concrete markets well supplied nationally, but with pockets of tightness developing—none more so than along the Gulf Coast, where delivery issues and labor constraints are driving price increases.
Borrowing from a “rigidity theory” that led Corning Inc. engineers to the high-performance Gorilla Glass, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology-hosted Concrete Sustainability Hub is studying potential portland cement reformulation aimed at higher fracture resistance than current ASTM C 150 product.
Read MoreArmed with “Comprehensive Transportation Fuel Reduction Policies —A Comparison of Heavy Truck Fuel Efficiency and Rigid Pavement Policies,” Portland Cement Association calls for roads and pavement structures to be included in forthcoming U.S. Environmental Protection Agency heavy-duty truck fuel standards through which the White House aims to cut greenhouse gas levels.
Read MoreAssistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels sees a final Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule on employer reporting of severe work-related injuries or fatalities significantly enhancing the agency’s ability to steer accident prevention.
Read MoreA revised rule, effective January 2015, details new deadlines for employers to notify Occupational Safety and Health Administration when an employee is killed on the job or suffers a work-related hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye, and updates the list of employers partially exempt from agency record-keeping requirements.
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Hyster Co. and Yale Materials Handling Corp. parent Nacco Materials Handling Group, Inc. (NMHG) recently hosted Representative John Shimkus (R-IL-15) for a tour of its Danville, Ill., operation.