Sources: Cement Sustainability Initiative, Geneva; CP staff
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI), along with partners from the Americas, Europe and Asia, has launched a responsible sourcing certification system for concrete.
Read MoreSources: Concrete Industry Management (CIM) National Steering Committee; CP staff
The National Steering Committee reports a near-record $875,000 in gross proceeds from the 2017 CIM auction, staged January 18 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, amid the World of Concrete show. Liquid Stone Concrete, Burleson, Texas, was the winning bidder for the signature item: a Mack Granite Axle Forward-mounted McNeilus 11-yd. Bridgemaster.
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Source: CP staff
World of Concrete 2017 evidenced a mid-year enforcement timetable for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s new crystalline silica dust exposure threshold covering construction sites and general workplaces. Leading the charge for compliance were sawing and drilling equipment exhibitors, along with peers promoting cementitious material conveying, handling or dispensing devices with which silica dust can reach agency-reduced levels.
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Sources: CP staff; Bekaert, Marietta, Ga.; CP staff
Steel reinforcing fiber leader Bekaert premiered at World of Concrete 2017 a laser-enabled device measuring concrete mixes’ homogeneity and fiber distribution profile. Mounted at the end of a mixer truck chute, the Dramix eyeD generates graphs and limited dashboards that attest targeted reinforcement uniformity.
Read MoreSources: Occupational Safety and Health Administration; CP staff
OSHA has proposed nearly $90,000 in penalties after finding East Orange, N.J.-based County Concrete Corp. exposed workers tasked with mixer cleaning to airborne silica. The agency issued citations for one repeat and two failure-to-abate violations on the heels of a July 2016 inspection, conducted as a follow up to settlement of 2013 citations. The settlement spanned 18 safety and health violations and $153,900 in assessed penalties.
Read MoreSources: Orion Engineered Carbons, Texas; CP staff
Granulated and liquid pigments debuting at World of Concrete 2017 enable producers and contractors to approach jet black in masonry units and cast-in-place or precast concrete surfaces or structures. Orion Engineered Carbons’ Corasol and Derussol agents are based on carbon black, the smudgy film burning candles deposit on container or enclosure walls.
Read MoreSources: American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, Mich.; CP staff
The Masonry Society’s TMS 402/602-16: Building Code Requirements and Specifications for Masonry sets new technician requirements to reinforce quality control measures surrounding concrete or clay units, mortar, grout and prism or scaled-wall specimen testing. Contractors, engineers or owner’s representatives can meet the requirements, published in December 2016, by enlisting ACI-certified Masonry Testing Technicians.
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Miami-based American Business Continuity Group reports breakthrough construction methodologies and proprietary conductive shotcrete shielding to protect buildings from High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse, Intentional Electromagnetic Interference, Emanations Eavesdropping, natural disasters, and ballistic or blast loads.
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Various international standards describe the measurement of mechanical properties for concrete during the setting process. A typical disadvantage common to test methods is low repeat accuracy.
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A new Blastcrete suppression system limits silica dust exposure in industrial and construction. DustAway consists of an innovative bulk bag design that attaches to a mixer to contain particles released during charging. The bag’s dust ruffle encapsulates airborne particles, helping to control respirable dust. DustAway helps businesses meet new Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations for crystalline silica by controlling dust to within agency permissible exposure limits (PEL).
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