Investment in equipment and software is projected to expand 4.1 percent in the new year, during which gross domestic product is projected to increase 2.3 percent over 2018, according to the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation. The Washington, D.C. group’s 2019 Equipment Leasing & Finance U.S. Economic Outlook notes that such investment increased at a robust rate in the first half of last year, driven by more preferable tax treatment and a general upswing in the U.S. economy. However, growth slowed in the third quarter and recent federal government figures suggest a continuation of the trend, spelling a weak 2019 springboard.
Read MoreMonth: January 2019
AIA, Microsoft, Steel Institute support embodied carbon calculator
California-based Charles Pankow Foundation has announced a grant to the University of Washington for development of the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) to advance transparency in the construction industry. By enabling a performance-based approach to embodied carbon reductions in design, procurement, and construction, the EC3 team aims to provide climate conscious building owners tools to make more informed decisions about the materials going into their projects.
Read MoreVolvo programs autonomous dump truck as ‘limestone transport solution’
Volvo Trucks North America parent, Volvo Truck Corp. of Sweden, recently entered an agreement to equip Norway limestone producer Brønnøy Kalk AS with six dump body-bearing FH cabover models programmed for driverless operation. Following individual vehicle demonstrations last year, the fleet will be deployed in 2019 to haul rock from underground mine to crusher—navigating a three-mile tunnel and outdoor road route at a wheel loader operator’s direction.
Read MoreDigitization, powertrains takecenter stage at bauma 2019
Organizers of the bauma 2019 building material machinery and construction equipment trade fair, April 8-14 in Munich, stress the digitization trend across attendees’ markets as more and more technologies make their way into the industry. Cloud-based infrastructures, digital services and security solutions are spurring what show manager, Messe München, dubs a change of paradigm for stakeholders up and down the construction value chain.
Read MoreBeck, Con-Tech, Kenworth and Mack ensure robust CIM Auction payload
For the second year in a row, the Concrete Industry Management Auction at World of Concrete will have an equipment pool topped by two mixers, thanks to donations from Beck Industrial and Mack Trucks, plus Con-Tech Manufacturing, Kenworth Truck and Kenworth of Central Florida. Vehicle bidding will cap the CIM Auction, January 23 in Las Vegas Convention Center Room N262.
Read MoreCemex Ventures funds job progress-tracking app developer
The venture capital unit of Cemex S.A.B. de C.V. has invested in StructionSite, a new technology player promoting digital worksite models to reduce time required to calculate construction progress—a function representing up to 2 percent of total project costs. StructionSite software generates models with images from 360-degree view cameras. Through the user’s position, plus Computer Vision and Machine Learning technologies, it analyzes and illustrates exterior and interior work status. The application obtains contextualized information to enable strategic decision making, along with improved coordination between project principals and the trades. It offers what Cemex Ventures calls deep differential value by combining support on a web-based platform and mobile application, plus ease of use and integration with other tools to streamline information flow.
Read MoreCemex veteran Mack brings pavement depth to ACPA chairmanship
Cemex Director of Market Development–Commercial Strategy Jim Mack was elected 2019 American Concrete Pavement Association chairman during the group’s annual meeting, held in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., under the “Celebrating Concrete Victories” banner. Based at Cemex USA Houston headquarters, Mack succeeds Chuck Niederriter, who during a traditional passing of the gavel noted how Mack is the first ACPA chairman to have served with a cement company, regional shipper’s group, ACPA-affiliated Chapter, ACPA National and the Portland Cement Association.
Read MoreDistributor Alley-Cassetty gains masonry production in LoJac deal
Nashville-based Alley-Cassetty Companies Inc., one of largest independent and family owned masonry distributors, has entered a purchase agreement to acquire the block, brick and stone assets of LoJac Materials, Inc., serving the middle Tennessee market from three locations. Projected to close this month, the transaction will expand Alley-Cassetty’s reach from 11 to 14 locations in the Southeast.
Read MoreEPA prepares to shed contentious Waters of the U.S. interpretation
Construction and business interests welcomed a late-2018 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of the Army proposal for a clear, understandable, and implementable definition of “Waters of the United States,” clarifying federal authority under the Clean Water Act. Unlike a 2015 definition that drew sharp criticism from construction materials producers and their customers, the new proposal a) contains straightforward wording that results in significant cost savings; b) protects the nation’s navigable waters; helps sustain economic growth; and, c) reduces barriers to business development.
Read MoreTravelers Cos. heeds state’s call for foundations repair fund participation
A $5 million fund from Hartford-based Travelers Cos. will assist Connecticut customers whose homes exhibit concrete deterioration associated with expansion attributed to pyrrhotite, an iron sulfide-bearing compound identified in aggregate from a Willington, Conn. quarry. The voluntary Travelers Benefit Program offers up to $25,000 and $10,000, respectively, to current and past policyholders whose repair costs exceed awards from the recently launched Connecticut Foundations Solutions Indemnity Company (CFSIC).
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