August 2017 – Page 4 – Concrete Products

Transportation agencies put proposed sleep apnea testing to rest

August 14, 2017 Concrete News

Sources: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA); CP staff

FMCSA and the Federal Railroad Administration have withdrawn a March 2016 advance notice of proposed rulemaking concerning the prevalence of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among individuals occupying safety-sensitive highway or rail transportation positions. The agencies believe that current safety programs and FRA’s rulemaking addressing fatigue risk management are the appropriate avenues to address OSA.

Contractors track broad drop in public construction spending

August 8, 2017 Concrete News

Source: Associated General Contractors of America, Washington, D.C.

Analyzing construction spending levels from the first half of 2017, AGC officials find significant declines in public-sector investment at a time when much of the nation’s infrastructure is deteriorating due to age or overuse.

Campbell Concrete pilots DrumBlaster mixer truck washout system

August 8, 2017 Concrete News

Sources: DrumBlaster North America, Tampa, Fla.; CP staff

Houston-based Campbell Concrete & Materials LLC is the premier North American user of the DrumBlaster Daily Washout System. Developed in Australia, the equipment combines a narrow, elevated booth from which mixer truck drivers or station operators activate a telescoping 8- or 10-meter boom, tipped with multiple jets directing water at 300 psi to blast residual concrete from drum wall and fins. In typical plant operations, the boom is set for two three-minute passes.

Standard measures drainage products’ pollutant removal capacity

August 7, 2017 Concrete News

Sources: ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pa.; CP staff

ASTM Committee C27 on Precast Concrete Products’ proposed WK52521, Standard Practice for the Performance Criteria for Storm Water Treatment Devices, will help measure the release of runoff-conveyed contaminants from streets, parking lots, and other structures into natural waterways.

Leading forecast revises 2017 construction starts slightly downward

August 7, 2017 Concrete News

Sources: ConstructConnect, Norcross, Ga.; CP staff

The Q3 2017 Forecast Quarterly Report of ConstructConnect (iSqFt, Construction Market Data, BidClerk, Construction Data source) has trimmed projected U.S. total construction starts growth for this year against 2016 from 4.8 percent to 4.5 percent, and the 2018 year-over-year gain from 6.0 percent to 5.9 percent.

Concrete paver, slab sales climb steadily, return to 2006 peak in sight

August 7, 2017 Concrete News

Sources: Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute, Chantilly, Va.; CP staff

Sales of concrete pavers and slabs increased to a projected 721.4 million square feet in the U.S. and Canada during 2016, a 4.3 percent increase from the prior year’s 690 million sq. ft. According to the 2017 ICPI Industry Sales Profile, based on a survey of producers representing more than 50 percent of U.S. and Canadian paver and slab capacity, last year’s estimated total was a) the highest since 2006, when estimated shipments hit 800 million sq. ft.; and, b) 35.5 percent above 2010, when the industry hit a recession-low sales point of 472 million sq. ft.

Lies surrounding Davis Bacon compliance land concrete contractor jail time

August 1, 2017 Concrete News

Sources: U.S. Department of Labor; CP staff

The owner of an Oregon-based Westwind Concrete is nearing completion of a two-month prison sentence for lying to Labor Department Wage and Hour Division investigators about payment of $93,000 in back wages to 27 workers on a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-backed project, subject to Davis Bacon and Related Acts prevailing wage provisions.

Construction material prices building up construction costs

August 1, 2017 Concrete News

Sources: IHS Markit Ltd., London; Procurement Executives Group

Construction costs rose again in July, according to IHS Markit and the Procurement Executives Group. The headline IHS Markit PEG Engineering and Construction Cost Index registered 51.3, down from 51.5 in June. Both material/equipment and labor had few categories with falling prices. While the material/equipment sub-index rose, the labor sub-index showed some weakness.

Huntsman Corp. prepares to spin off Davis, Granufin pigment business

August 1, 2017 Concrete News

Sources: Huntsman Corp., The Woodlands, Texas; CP staff

Huntsman anticipates an early-August initial public offering of 22.7 million Venator Materials Plc shares, priced in the $20-$22 range and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the VNTR symbol. The Wynard, United Kingdom-based entity encompasses Davis Colors, Granufin and other Rockwood Pigments brands Huntsman acquired in 2013.