March 9, 2018 – Concrete Products

NCMA Foundation opens building, hardscape unit design competition

March 9, 2018 Concrete News

Source: National Concrete Masonry Association, Herndon, Va.

The NCMA Education and Research Foundation’s 2018 Unit Design Competition exposes students in college or university design and construction programs to concrete masonry and hardscape products. Individual school teams begin in local competitions, proposing an innovative design for a concrete masonry or hardscape unit that can be produced on current equipment. First place teams from the local rounds qualify for the national competition, the top three teams from which will be invited to present their unit design at the NCMA Midyear Meeting, July 31-August 3 in Chicago. Additional information on the competition and entry submissions can be obtained here.

BuRec competition targets water pipeline performance improvement

March 9, 2018 Concrete News

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation; CP staff

With a purse up to $75,000 divided among five finalists, the Bureau of Reclamation has launched a two-stage competition seeking innovative methods to detect leaks and flaws in buried pipelines—primarily 48-in. and larger prestressed concrete cylinder or steel pipe—that convey water for municipal, industrial, and agricultural uses.

Contractors paint dire jobs, cost consequences in steel, aluminum tariff aftermath

March 9, 2018 Concrete News

Sources: Associated General Contractors of America, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

Responding to President Donald Trump’s March 8 order applying respective 25 percent and 10 percent tariffs to steel and aluminum imports from countries outside the NAFTA region, AGC CEO Stephen Sandherr noted: “These tariffs will cause significant harm to the nation’s construction industry, put tens of thousands of high-paying construction jobs at risk, undermine the President’s proposed infrastructure initiative and potentially dampen demand for new construction.

Command Alkon managers secure patent on mixing process, strength predictability

March 9, 2018 Concrete News

Sources: Command Alkon, Birmingham, Ala.; CP staff

Command Alkon product design and programming veterans Bob Phare and Charlene Hohl have been awarded U.S. Patent No. 9,533,429 – System and Process for Mixing Concrete Having Desired Strength Characteristics. It covers methods for a) rapidly determining the predicted strength of concrete prior to pouring; and, b) creating and maintaining a database in which mix designs and their performance characteristics can be logged and updated as hardened concrete’s actual strength is measured. Functions based on the technology will be incorporated in future versions of the quality control platform, COMMANDqc.