Masonry interests affirm the block construction economy, speed, soundness

Block Strong, a public awareness-geared partnership between the Florida Concrete & Products Association Inc. and Florida Concrete Masonry Education Council Inc., taps current Pennsylvania State University research to inform multifamily project specifications. Stakeholders especially note a) how construction materials can be an afterthought when developers and real estate investment trusts (REIT) define the financial position of an investment opportunity; and,…

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NCMA probes depth of CMUs’ carbon dioxide-sequestering potential

National Concrete Masonry Association technicians are collecting block from a cross section of producer members for a two-year investigation measuring specimens’ carbon dioxide sequestration characteristics. Findings have the potential to arm the industry with critical CO2 uptake data plus delineate the sequestration rates and net volumes of dry cast versus conventional precast and cast-in-place concrete units or elements.

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CO2Concrete successor CarbonBuilt fuels curing and sequestering technology

CO2Concrete, an entity incubated at the University of California, Los Angeles, has changed its name to CarbonBuilt to better align with a mission to store significant amounts of carbon dioxide in concrete used for the built environment. Developed over the course of seven years at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering-hosted Institute for Carbon Management, the CarbonBuilt Reversa platform spans…

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Purdue team tests concrete strength sensors, no maturity curve required

Engineers at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. have developed slab-embedded sensors that can safely speed up a construction timeline by determining concrete strength directly onsite in real time. Their technology removes the need for extensive offsite testing by allowing contractors to verify concrete maturity onsite.

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Massachusetts and California top 2020 LEED project, credential holder ranks

Massachusetts, Washington and Illinois lead the U.S. Green Building Council’s Top 10 States for LEED ranking, reflecting gross square footage of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified projects per capita. Across the three states, more than 60 percent of certifications were office, healthcare, higher education and K-12 projects. While not ranked due to status other than a state, the District…

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All systems go for rescheduled World of Concrete

World of Concrete organizer Informa Markets has received Nevada Department of Business and Industry approval to move forward with its 2021 in-person edition, rescheduled from an original January target to June 8-10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). An additional, imminent Department measure will position World of Concrete 2021 to be not only the city’s, as well as the…

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South Florida market-bullish Finfrock outlines $36 million plant

Design-build and precast, prestressed specialist Finfrock expects to upward of $40 million in production facilities and administrative offices at Glades Gateway Commerce Park in Belle Glade, Fla. An advanced satellite to the producer’s flagship located just north of Orlando, the 140,000-sq.-ft. operation will better serve commercial developers in Palm Beach, Dade and Broward counties as well as in Southwest Florida,…

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PCA revises three Industry-Wide EPD, inaugurates Portland-Limestone declaration

New Industry-Wide Environment Product Declarations (IW-EPD) for Portland Cement, Portland-Limestone Cement, Blended Hydraulic Cement and Masonry Cement offer private and public construction interests an exhaustive profile of material, fuel and energy factors attending production of the key ingredient in concrete, grout and mortar. The documents inform updates to companion EPDs that ready mixed and manufactured concrete producers, along with bulk…

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Colas subsidiary settles case of sub-spec mixes for Navy airfields

A Middle East sister operation of New Jersey-based aggregate, asphalt and ready mixed producer Colas USA has agreed to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by delivering substandard concrete to U.S. Navy airfields in the Republic of Djibouti, nestled between Ethiopia and the strait linking the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Settlements with the Department of…

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