Adjust-to-grade RimRiser makes fast work of manhole component leveling

Paving or public works crew-friendly device features unique, bolt-adjusted riser technology to ease the process of leveling cast iron manhole rings, inlet frames/grates and precast concrete tops. Offered through precast concrete producers, RimRiser solutions use a patented four-bolt system that allows a single crew member to precisely level the riser to the specified grade using a standard 5/8-in. nut driver. …

Read More

Cemco leverages Cardinal Scale load cell, indicator technology

Cemco Inc. has built a presence in North America and overseas concrete markets through 46 years of mobile batch plant engineering and fabrication, augmented by precision weighing components yielding mix accuracy and quality. Underscoring the manufacturer’s capabilities are equipment deliveries to customers approved for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Aviation Administration and Nuclear Regulatory Commission projects, as well as…

Read More

Utelite brings lightweight aggregate to Holcim (US) portfolio

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 More

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 More

Workplace 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 More

Contractor 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 More

Florida 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…

Read More

Western Star rounds out X Series with 111-in. bbc cab model

Sources: Western Star Trucks, Portland, Ore.; CP staff Western Star has unveiled the 47X, a companion to the larger 49X model introduced in fall 2020—both evolving from the established 4700 and 4900 workhorses. The 47X is about 200 lbs. lighter than the 49X in like-for-like spec and available in 111.6-in. or 110.8-in. bumper to back of cab configurations, the latter…

Read More

Lehigh Hanson seals green message in packaged PLC

Sources: Lehigh Hanson Inc., Irving, Texas; CP staff EcoCemPLC portland limestone cement will arrive at big box and construction supply accounts next month in redesigned bags whose graphics emphasize the material’s key metric: A carbon dioxide emissions factor about 10 percent below that of ordinary portland cement. Evolved packaging dovetails an ongoing Lehigh Hanson commitment to carbon footprint reduction and…

Read More

Carolina Craft

Eager to open a new chapter bearing on one of the most advanced and robust precast operations in North America, Tindall Corp. Utility Division completed a midyear move from legacy Spartanburg, S.C. headquarters to a 42-acre parcel about a mile away. At the former site, it shared batch plant capacity, traffic lanes, and property constraints no less than eastbound Interstate…

Read More