ASTM C01/09 summer meetings canceled; alternatives pursued

Source: ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pa.

ASTM International staff will confer with C01 Committee on Cement and C09 Committee on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates leadership regarding alternatives to meetings scheduled June 28-July 2 in Boston, all of which have been canceled. ASTM announced the change in response to continued review of information and recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and other governmental bodies; input from ASTM International members whose organizations are increasingly concerned with travel; and, specific information on the projected city restrictions, with input from the hotels. Looking forward, ASTM will rely on these and other relevant criteria and input points to assess the status of future standards development meetings.

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ASTM aligns with ICC to promote resilient construction practice

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

An early-May webinar series timed with the International Code Council’s Building Safety Month, coupled with ICC and Alliance for National Community Resilience partnerships, highlight a longstanding ASTM International commitment to developing standards for safe and resilient construction.

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ACI leads Building Safety Month 2020 sponsors

Sources: International Code Council, Itasca, Ill.; CP staff

“Safer Buildings, Safer Communities, Safer World” is the theme of the International Code Council-designated global campaign, Building Safety Month (May). The American Concrete Institute, National Association of Home Builders and other sponsors will join the ICC in promoting the role of modern building codes and attendant compliance measures in creating safer and more resilient communities. 

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Oldcastle APG to boost Carolinas Sakrete, Amerimix capacity

Sources: Oldcastle APG, Atlanta; CP staff

Oldcastle APG plans to commence work on a 27,000-sq.-ft. dry mix operation and warehouse at an existing concrete paver plant in Cowpens, S.C. A new 11-silo batch system and dual bagging lines, scheduled for late-2020 completion, will support high volume output of Sakrete and Amerimix brand concrete and mortar products. 

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Steelworkers cap Power Precast unit contract through virtual means

Source: United Steelworkers District 6, Ottawa, Ontario

A bargaining unit at Ottawa-based Power Precast Solutions ratified an agreement that contains what United Steelworkers Local 8327 officials describe as significant wage increases, opportunities for skills training, better winter clothing, improved sick day provisions and control over mandatory overtime. The unit’s first contract through the union calls for a minimum 7.5 percent wage increase over three years, with several job classifications receiving special adjustments—the highest equating to a 13.9 percent pay bump. 

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Hard hat-mounted device promotes social distancing, contact tracing

CC042320 New hat

Sources: Triax Technologies, Norwalk, Conn.; CP staff

A new Internet of Things-styled wearable device provides distancing alerts and contact tracing capability for construction, heavy industrial and manufacturing workers. Triax Technologies’ Proximity Trace offers added workplace protection during the Covid-19 pandemic, developers note, and helps companies get crews back to work safely while addressing recommended social distancing practices.

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Tindall Utility Division expansion budget approaches $30 million

Sources: South Carolina Department of Commerce, Columbia; CP staff 

A fixture in architectural and structural precast from Mid-Atlantic to Southeast to South Central markets plans a major capacity expansion in its home base. In conjunction with the South Carolina Department of Commerce, Tindall Corp. has outlined a $27.9 million investment for a new Utility Division production facility in Spartanburg. 

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QC ahead of dispatch in technology adoption; chats beckon

Source: BCMI Corp., Bellingham, Wash.

An analysis of ready mixed producers’ leveraging of the mobile device ecosystem that has evolved since the iPhone’s 2007 debut tracks widely adopted changes in functions like quality control, gradual reshaping of dispatch methods through cloud-based platforms, and advanced chat systems fostering productive team member collaboration. BCMI Principal Craig Yeack makes his case for “Industry is perfectly poised to deploy a mobile workforce” here.

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