ORGANIZATIONS – December 2014

The National Concrete Masonry Association has promoted Dominick Dowds, staff engineer, to Research and Development Lab manager. He replaces Nick Lang, who becomes director of Research and Development. Additionally, NCMA administrative assistant Mahsheed Ferdowsyan has been promoted to staff accountant.

 
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Coreslab enables New Mexico state ultra-HPC girder research

With specimen production and handling assistance from Coreslab Structures in Albuquerque, a New Mexico State University graduate student team has conducted flexural tests on large-scale prestressed girders designed with steel fiber-reinforced, ultra high performance concrete mixes, to be followed by similar testing on full-scale beams. Under Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering Brad Weldon, it aimed to a) advance the state’s bridge design procedures and extend current structures’ typical 50-year service life three-fold; and, b) obtain flexural behavior data to evaluate design procedures central to development of standardized codes. The initial specimens are the largest scale girders to date fabricated with the UHPC formulation, as previous tests had been limited to small rectangular beams.

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Vietnam veterans group salutes EP Henry

BRF-EPHENRY-150

The New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation honored Garden State hardscape market mainstay EP Henry at its annual fundraising gala, “A Night at the Museum–A Salute to Patriotism.” In May 2014, the Foundation unveiled the Huey Helicopter Plaza during the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Remembrance Day ceremony; the facility was constructed with pavers and wall units EP Henry supplied through its HeroScaping program.

 
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PRODUCERS – December 2014

BMC Enterprises Inc., the parent company of St. Louis ready mixed producer Breckenridge Material Co., has closed on an asset deal for four APAC-Missouri aggregate operations. The active Wright City Quarry and Defiance Quarry, plus two additional properties with future aggregate reserves, will operate under a new entity, BMC Stone, LLC.

 
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NLRB opens employer e-mail systems to union organizers, campaigning

Sources: National Labor Relations Board; CP staff

NLRB has adopted a final Representation–Case Procedures rule to modernize and streamline representation dispute resolution, Chairman Mark Gaston Pearce noting: “With these changes, the Board strives to ensure [the] process remains a model of fairness and efficiency for all.”

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Merit shop contractors, business interests stare down ‘ambush’ election catalysts

Sources: Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, Associated Builders & Contractors, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, representing a wide range of business groups—National Precast Concrete Association, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Portland Cement Association and American Concrete Pressure Pipe Association among them—will challenge the NLRB Representation-Case Procedures rule in federal courts, arguing the agency’s action “paves the way for unfair and illegal ‘ambush’ elections.”

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