Oldcastle Precast teams up with GEI Consultants and FDE for ‘French Dam’ prototype

Source: French Development Enterprises, North Billerica, Mass.

Oldcastle Precast, civil engineering and consulting firm FDE, and Woburn, Mass.-based GEI Consultants have successfully constructed and assembled the first prototype “French Dam,” a modular precast impoundment for construction and retrofit of hydroelectric dams, water control systems and power houses.

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ADA proves no shield for obese driver refusing sleep apnea test

Sources: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, St. Louis; Littler P.C., San Francisco; CP staff

A three-judge Appellate Court panel has affirmed a U.S. District Court decision favoring Lincoln, Neb.-based Crete Carrier Corp., which had defended a policy subjecting drivers with body mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher to testing for risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)—where tissues around the upper respiratory tract relax and physically block the airway.

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Fast-moving Forterra steps up pace for initial public offering approaching $400M

Sources: CP staff; Forterra Inc., Irving, Texas

Water and wastewater infrastructure-geared Forterra Inc., a recently established entity emanating from Forterra Building Products, details in U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission filings an initial public offering of 18.4 million shares priced in the $19-$21 range. Success in the impending sale would give new investors and principal owner Forterra US Holdings LLC, respectively, 29 percent and 71 percent stakes in a 96-plant operation with annual sales of about $1.6 billion across Drainage Pipe & Precast Products and Water Transmission Pipe & Products segments.

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Lafarge veteran Blair takes helm at Michigan’s Consumers Concrete

Sources: Consumers Concrete Corp., Kalamazoo, Mich.; CP staff

Bruce Blair is the new president and chief executive officer of Consumers Concrete, which operates 22 ready mixed plants throughout western Michigan, along with a Redi-Rock precast and two concrete block plants, plus four retail locations. He succeeds Tom Thomas and Steve Thomas, who have retired from day-to-day duty, but will serve as chairman and vice chairman, respectively, and retain full ownership of the business.

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Coal ash recycling reaches record level as production and use trends shift

Sources: American Coal Ash Association, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

“We are pleased to report that 52 percent of coal combustion products were beneficially used in 2015—up from the previous year’s record of 48 percent. For the first time, we are using more of these valuable resources than we are throwing away,” reports American Coal Ash Association Executive Director Tom Adams, taking stock of the central metric in the group’s latest “Production and Use Survey.”

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ORGANIZATIONS – October 2016

The Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute has appointed Diep Tu as Florida Prestressed Concrete Association (FPCA) executive director. A licensed professional engineer in Florida, he has served as Florida Concrete & Products Association director of Engineering for more than 15 years, responsible for promoting concrete in parking lots, streets and local roads. Prior to FC&PA, Tu was rigid pavement research engineer with the Florida Department of Transportation Materials Research Office, Gainesville.

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