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…
Read MoreDay: December 22, 2020
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.
Read MoreTool 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…
Read MoreSteel 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.
Read MoreLoader buckets
High Performance Loader Buckets are specifically designed for strength and durability, whether digging in virgin soil or transferring material up to 2,000 lbs./cubic yard in density. A 3-degree inclined bottom reduces loading forces, allowing the bucket to do more with less wear and tear. The bucket top channel has a robust design to withstand the high digging forces exerted by…
Read MoreTool 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…
Read MoreMix 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…
Read MoreHot Water
The Direct Contact Water Heater’s (DCWH) energy efficiency, up to 99 percent, stems from a heating method differing from that of a conventional boiler. The latter utilizes boiler tubes within a pressure vessel and a heat exchanger to warm water. The DCWH design, on the other hand, simplifies the energy or heat transfer by placing the process water with the…
Read MoreSafety, fairness and the new era of workplace drug testing
The ready-mix concrete industry prides itself on leveraging technology to optimize the customer experience. Its technology investments generally focus on improving production and delivery such as quality and service. To its discredit, technology does not always provide direct benefits to employees—the resource that leaders in ready-mix production universally acknowledge is the most important. However, through the championing of cutting-edge technology,…
Read MoreConcrete Maturity Method: Tradition Enables Innovation
The construction materials testing (CMT) industry is excited by the possibilities of estimating concrete strength via the non-destructive maturity method. This method provides a number of enhancements to the traditional laboratory compression test method. But the maturity method is not an alternative or replacement. Indeed, maturity testing relies completely on the traditional compression test method.
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