Patent spans Geosynthetic Cementitious Composite Mat concepts, features

Sources: Cortex Composites Inc., Santa Monica, Calif.; CP staff Cortex Composites has secured a patent embodying key aspects of an emerging alternative to cast-in-place, shotcrete or precast concrete surfaces or structures—Geosynthetic Cementitious Composite Mats (GCCM)—for channel, canal or ditch lining, erosion control and slope protection. Weighed against conventional concrete in heavy/civil, mining or oil & gas work, GCCMs afford time,…

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Ruckit deal delivers Command Alkon dump fleet management bandwidth

Sources: Command Alkon, Birmingham, Ala.; CP staff Command Alkon is closing out an eventful 2020—new ownership plus Trimble Construction Logistics and Libra Systems acquisitions—with a deal for Ruckit Inc., an Austin, Texas-based transportation logistics platform developer. The transaction combines what officials note are comprehensive construction materials toolset and Connex platform for heavy work with digital ticketing, invoice reconciliation, and third-party…

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Knife River eyes carbon accounting, synthetic aggregate with Blue Planet stake

Sources: MDU Resource Group, Bismarck, N.D.; CP staff Knife River Corp. has invested in California-based Blue Planet Systems Corp., whose process for mineralizing carbon dioxide into synthetic limestone is approaching commercial scale. The companies will work to develop construction-grade rock and ultimately specification concrete bearing a net-zero or net-negative carbon footprint. 

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Lofty expressions

Coral Gables, Fla.-based Cosentino, a leader in the production and distribution of innovative resin or cementitious material-bound quartz surfaces, has unveiled the industrial motif-laden Silestone Loft Series, where colors capture the essence of neighborhoods celebrated for their raw, purely urban essence. Loft likewise marks the debut of an HybridQ+, a renewable energy-powered production process that combines reused raw materials, along…

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Rainscreen thermal strip

With thermal performance values exceeding 90 percent, ThermaZee is a new, simple girt that reduces thermal bridging in precast concrete, cement board and other rainscreen wall assemblies. It provides specifiers and designers the simplicity of a framing configuration they already know, Z-furring, with code-compliant performance and reduced thermal bridging that rivals modern thermally isolated clip and rail systems.

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Tool storage protection

Manufacturer has expanded its line of Cart Armour, an interlocking steel paneling system encapsulating mobile utility carts to prevent tools from theft or falling out and being damaged. The system wraps around the eight most popular light duty rolling tool carts in the construction industry; its 16-gauge steel panels can be installed in 15 minutes or less without drilling. Cart…

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Steel trowels, slab texture mats

Company has added 22 models to its Steel City Trowels line with five premium blade material options: Carbon, Golden Stainless, Razor Stainless; Blue or Ultra Flex Blue Steel. The latter material yields very thin, 0.19-in. thick blades for superior flexibility—well suited to concrete overlay and self-leveling, micro topping applications when used with 16- to 20-in. trowel models.

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Tool harness

All-in-one tether kits, available in three neatly bundled designs for specific trades, help prevent tool drops from at-height work locations onto crews, vehicles and infrastructure below. Stronghold tethers connect tools to wrists, belts and other anchors. Coils, bungees and swiveling tethers prevent tangles while handling gear, no matter which tool attachment is used. Other kit items include drill boots, tape…

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Mix handler

Company’s new all-wheel drive Crete Rod material handler delivers a 33-cu.-ft. payload to tight quarters with limited access, and across demanding terrains. The nimble, three-wheeled workhorse was designed from the ground up to overcome the limitations of using concrete buggies, pumps and skid steers for material hauling. A Tier 4 engine ensures low exhaust emissions, while a low discharge height…

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