A little concrete was added to one of the world’s signature steel structures earlier this year as Golden Gate Bridge engineers effected a major safety upgrade for northbound (Marin County) and southbound (San Francisco) drivers: Installation of a 13,330-ft. Barrier Systems median structure.
A coalition of industry institutes and associations representing individuals and companies that design, fabricate, construct, or maintain concrete structures, the Concrete Joint Sustainability Initiative (CJSI) has appointed Lafarge Construction Specialist Julie Buffenbarger as chair, plus Portland Cement Association CEO James Toscas and American Concrete Institute Director of Sustainability and Marketing Kevin Mlutkowski as vice chairs, focusing on advocacy and operations, respectively.
An external audit of multinational producers behind the World Business Council for Sustainable Development Cement Sustainability Initiative finds high scores in two of seven key CSI Charter areas: 1) Carbon Dioxide and Energy Management and 2) Fuels and Materials Use. Emissions reduction and resource optimization have netted economic savings, improved waste recovery, and nurtured innovation.
As members and their customers approach the current federal surface transportation program’s May 31 funding sunset, the American Road and Transportation Builders Association has outlined a plan it believes could end the political impasse over how to cover Washington, D.C.’s share of state highway, bridge and transit capital projects—while seeding a $401 billion, six-year highway and mass transit capital investment bill.
The Department of Labor has submitted to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a proposed rule enacting President Obama’s July 2014 Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order (E.O.), provisions in which can bar participation in federal projects if contractors or their subcontractors have violated labor laws in the past three years.
A joint Occupational Safety and Health Administration and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Hazard Alert defines dust control measures to protect workers from significant crystalline silica exposure during manufacturing, finishing, and installing natural and manufactured stone countertops, leading types of which bear 60–95 percent silica content.
The Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) was set to meet this month at the Department of Labor’s Washington, D.C., headquarters to weigh in on proposed revision of operator qualification requirements in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Cranes and Derricks in Construction Standard.
Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY-2) and lead co-sponsor Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL-14) have introduced the Concrete Masonry Products Research, Education, and Promotion Act of 2015 (H.R. 985) into the 114th Congress, its title and language nearly identical to 2013 legislation. The bill would authorize concrete masonry interests to conduct an industry-wide referendum establishing a commodity check-off program; approval would lead to a U.S. Department of Commerce-sanctioned stakeholder board empowered to collect a target amount per concrete masonry unit sold. It contains provisions for the industry to eliminate the program at any time and requires at least half of funds to be reinvested in regions from which they were collected, thereby supporting products most beneficial to a specific geographical area.
Independent and major operators representing 60–70 percent of the Sunshine State’s concrete masonry production capacity assembled in early March to sign a commitment, effective this month, to contribute 1 cent per concrete block sold to support the Florida Concrete Masonry Education Council (FCMEC) Inc.
The first quarter of 2015 proved a lively financial period for public and would-be public heavy building materials operators, who commanded investor attention the world over.