Sources: Sunrock Group, Raleigh, N.C.; CP staff
North Carolina’s Sunrock Group, a key independent ready mixed, aggregate and asphalt producer, has chartered a satellite entity with the acquisition of an Ontario quarry from Votorantim Cimentos’ North American flagship business, St Marys Cement/Canada Building Materials. The Burnt River site encompasses 1,400 acres of high quality aggregate reserves and will operate under Sunrock Canada Construction Materials.
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Sources: Ingevity, North Charleston, S.C.; Ozinga Bros. Inc., Mokena, Ill.; CP staff
Ozinga Energy is delving deeper into diesel and gasoline alternatives to fuel light- to medium-duty trucks. Through a partnership with activated carbon processor Ingevity, the Ozinga Bros. entity is demonstrating a new natural gas fueling platform in a Ford F-150.
Read MoreSources: Charles Pankow Foundation, McLean, Va.; CP staff
A lack of proper engineering design and detailing procedures to safeguard slurry wall foundation, cast-in-drilled hole pile and tall column rebar cage stability has compelled a Pankow Foundation grant for the American Society of Civil Engineers Construction Institute, teaming with the University of Nevada, Reno. Researchers will examine behavior of cages incorporating innovative mechanical connectors—U-bolt, threaded rod with plate and wire rope—during various loading conditions.
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Sources: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Alexandria, Va.; CP staff
The new Crash Preventability Determination Program (CPDP) enables commercial motor vehicle drivers or owners to submit a Request for Data Review covering eligible events from August 2019 forward. By formally clarifying crash conditions or circumstances, it stands to bring greater accuracy and fairness to FMCSA Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) and Safety Measurement System (SMS) mechanisms for critiquing driver or carrier safety performance.
Read MoreSources: Accenture, New York; CP staff
A precast artificial reef concept, Sulu-Reef Prosthesis (SRP), is elevating the practice of using new or recycled concrete in coral reef restoration or expansion. Professional services and semiconductor giants Accenture and Intel Corp. are teaming with Sulubaaï Environmental Foundation to monitor an SRP installation around the Philippines’ Pangatalan Island.
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Sources: Liebherr-Mischtechnik GmbH, Designwerk Products AG, Germany; CP staff
Germany’s Liebherr and Designwerk have developed the first fully electric concrete mixer trucks with 10- or 12-m³ drums on a five-axle chassis. The models are scheduled to premier later this year in Holcim and KIBAG fleets in Switzerland, where five-axle mixers with 40-tonne GVW are legal.
Read MoreSources: Sika Corp., Lyndhurst, N.J.; CP staff
The introduction of a powdered, concrete plant-dispensed agent positions Sika as the only admixture producer to offer the two core permeability reducing technologies: hydrophilic crystalline and hydrophobic pore blocking. The hydrostatic application-geared WT-240 P is in the former category and meets ASTM C-494 Type S requirements. Its moisture activated compounds produce insoluble crystalline deposits that form within the capillary system. The crystalline formulations have the ability to reduce capillary pore size and prevent water penetration in concrete slabs or structures.
Read MoreSources: U.S. Geological Survey; CP staff
The U.S. Geological Survey has developed the first map of rock deposits exhibiting the potential to contain or form pyrrhotite, whose presence in otherwise ASTM C33 aggregate can prove extraordinarily deleterious in concrete. The map is part of a new fact sheet, “Pyrrhotite Distribution in the Conterminous United States,” whose publication abides a Congressional directive addressing widespread residential foundation failure cases in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Read MoreSources: Charah Solutions Inc., Louisville, Ky.; CP staff
A Southeastern utility has tapped Charah Solutions for a Closure by Removal impoundment project encompassing upward of 100 acres of ash deposits at a coal-fired power station that was retired in 2015. Work will include installation of environmental controls plus rail infrastructure improvements and extension, along with loadout area construction. Over a multi-year contract, Charah anticipates processing of 2 million-plus tons of impounded material for beneficial use as concrete-grade fly ash, while preparing the former pond acreage to be restored as usable property.
Read MoreSource: Quikrete Companies, Atlanta
Quikrete and California-based Contour Crafting Corp. have entered into a collaboration to develop proprietary concrete used in the automated construction of residential, commercial, industrial and government structures using the latter’s technology. Following comprehensive testing at an independent accredited lab at the University of Southern California to confirm ICC-ES AC509 compliance—a building code spearheaded by CC Corp.—the 3D printing process will be used to construct four low-income housing units as part of a demonstration project sponsored by the Los Angeles County Development Authority.
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