Investigation proves steel fibers’ potential in seismic-grade shear wall couplings

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The American Concrete Institute Foundation’s “Evaluation of Seismic Behavior of Coupling Beams with Various Types of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete” research supports a prospective building code design option translating to simplified and more straightforward construction, plus schedule, labor and material cost savings.

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Fiber distribution gauge brings ‘Internet of Things’ to mixer chutes

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Steel reinforcing fiber leader Bekaert Corp. 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.

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Manufacturing, utility projects temper 2016 construction start figures

Total construction starts last year advanced 1 percent to $676.5 billion, a considerably smaller gain than the 11 percent increase reported for 2015, according to Dodge Data & Analytics, New York. If the volatile manufacturing plant and electric utility/gas plant categories are excluded, total 2016 construction starts would be up 4 percent, depicting a more gradual deceleration relative to the corresponding 9 percent increase in 2015.

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Multiemployer Pension law frees union to cut benefits, avert fund insolvency

The U.S. Treasury Department has certified the results of an election in which Iron Workers Local 17 (Cleveland) Pension Fund participants have approved benefit cuts now to avoid a projected fund insolvency in 2024. Votes were cast 2 to 1 in favor of approving a plan that calls for accrued benefit reduction plus elimination of early retirement subsidies and extra benefit credits.

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Agency, federation name inaugural Green Infrastructure certifications

DC Water and the Water Environment Federation (WEF) named the first group of individuals completing the National Green Infrastructure Certification Program exam. The NGICP is designed to verify that the 62 certified individuals have successfully demonstrated competency in the foundational knowledge, concepts, and terminology required to perform tasks related to green infrastructure (GI) construction, inspection and maintenance.

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FHWA DATA: BRIDGES ARE GETTING BETTER

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Tech think tank: ‘Innovation Infrastructure’ investment vs. concrete and steel

A traditional infrastructure plan that invests in roads and bridges could increase employment in the short term, but the Trump administration and new Congress should also focus on the building blocks of innovation, such as research & development and technology-enabled “smart” public works because they can support a more robust economy long term, contends the Information and Technology Innovation Foundation (ITIF), Washington, D.C.

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Davis-Bacon: Repeal and don’t replace

Budget hawks on Capitol Hill are scrutinizing wasteful mechanisms in surface transportation construction against the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s infrastructure investment plant. One of the easiest targets for stretching dollars from an expanded highway and bridge funding pool was noted here last month: A lifting of Barack Obama’s executive order fostering the use of wage-inflating project labor agreements on higher ticket federal construction contracts.

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Obama’s contractor ‘blacklisting rule’ bites dust with stroke of Trump pen

Sources: White House Briefing Room; Associated Builders & Contractors, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

President Donald Trump has signed House Joint Resolution 37, which rolls back his predecessor’s Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order 13673 and relieves federal contractors and subcontractors of onerous paperwork and compliance terms attending what critics called the “blacklisting rule.”

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