Sources: LafargeHolcim, Chicago; Holcim AG, Zug, Switzerland Holcim has closed on Utelite Corp., adding the Coalville, Utah expanded shale lightweight aggregate producer to Mountain Region materials operations serving Denver, Las Vegas and Phoenix markets. Utelite mills lightweight or structural concrete-grade expanded shale in coarse, medium and three fine classes. Its deposit east of Salt Lake City has 60-plus years of…
Read MoreDay: September 27, 2021
Hawkeye Concrete’s Hank Schmidgall, 1926-2021
Source: Afinitas, St. Louis Hawkeye Concrete Technologies founder Hartzell Henry “Hank” Schmidgall, 95, died September 22 at his Mediapolis, Iowa home. He launched the concrete pipe and precast machinery business in 1949, following a World War II tour in the Merchant Marines. One of his most well-known innovations is the Pipemaster, the concept for which originated in 1956 as he…
Read MoreWorkplace heat exposure rises on OSHA radar
Sources: Occupational Safety and Health Administration; CP staff The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is initiating enhanced measures to protect workers better in hot environments and reduce the dangers of exposure to ambient heat. While heat illness is largely preventable and incidents widely under reported, thousands of workers are sickened each year by workplace heat exposure, agency officials contend. In…
Read MoreContractor survey: Labor, material challenges constrain recovery
Source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D.C. In the face of worker and materials shortages, plus rising costs, commercial construction contractors cite a slowdown in the pace of their recovery from the pandemic, according to U.S. Chamber of Commerce Commercial Construction Index third quarter data. The Index presents results from a Dodge Data & Analytics survey of contractors performing nonresidential…
Read MoreFlorida producers elevate concrete pavement practice
Source: Florida Concrete & Products Association, Orlando The premier “Florida Rigid Pavement Streets & Local Roads Design Guide” provides Sunshine State counties and cities with in-depth instruction and best practices for the design, construction, and maintenance of concrete pavement on lower volume thoroughfares. “Concrete roads made with a suitable design and sound construction practices can lead to long-term environmental and…
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