Energy storage colossus

Grid-scale solutions developer Energy Vault Holdings Inc. is nearing completion of an inordinate lattice- and cage-like structure destined to rank among top long duration energy storage systems deployed to date. Rising on a site adjacent to a wind farm in Rudong, China, the reinforced concrete behemoth bears the world’s first EVx Gravity Energy Storage System. The structure and its hoisting…

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ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS

The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association 2023 Environmental Excellence Awards program honors nine plants. Now in its 28th year, the program offers producer members national recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment and maintaining sound environmental management practices. It salutes operators that have not only met, but surpassed governmental compliance requirements and demonstrated a commitment to environmental excellence through…

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Instrumental Workhorse

The past decade’s top two mergers in North American cement, aggregate and concrete—Lafarge Group + Holcim Ltd. and HeidelbergCement AG + Italcementi S.p.A.—have spurred realignment of markets up the Atlantic Seaboard, across the Great Lakes and down the Mississippi. Of all the markets those deals and their asset divestitures impacted, none stands out quite like Toronto, where a case study…

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Organizations – December 2023

The Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute has named Jacques Cattan as managing director, Quality Programs. He will oversee certification activities for plants, erectors and personnel, and succeeds Mike Kesselmayer, retiring at year end. Prior to PCI, Cattan was design-build director at Chicago-based F.H. Paschen, a major general contractor, construction manager, and design-build services provider. He was responsible for design management, virtual design,…

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Producers – December 2023

Heidelberg Materials North America has acquired the assets of Bach & Co. in New York, including a sand & gravel site and additional high-quality deposits. “This further strengthens our aggregates reserves in the northern New York State area and fortifies our vertically integrated footprint in this key market,” says Northeast Region President Alex Car. The deal reflects a strategic plan…

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Bio-charcoal hardens Habitat affiliate’s zero carbon concrete home

The Tacoma/Pierce County Affordable Housing Consortium has recognized Tacoma/Pierce County Habitat for Humanity and the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association Build with Strength coalition for a Gig Harbor, Wash. home built with insulating concrete form (ICF) walls and mixes bearing a bio-charcoal admixture. When dosed at 100 lbs., SolidCarbon’s the C-Lock 8 admixture has the potential to sequester 50 kilograms…

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First Lady’s Texas conservation group recognizes Cemex USA

Cemex USA has been named a Texan by Nature 20 (TxN 20) honoree for the fifth consecutive year. A conservation non-profit founded by former First Lady Laura Bush, TxN recognized the cement, aggregate and concrete giant in an official ranking of the best 2023 conservation and sustainability work from Texas businesses.  Cemex is a long-standing advocate for land conservation and…

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CarbonCure brings home Heirloom Direct Air Capture carbon dioxide

CarbonCure Technologies, Halifax, Nova Scotia, and its concrete producer licensees will mineralize and permanently store atmospheric carbon dioxide from Heirloom Carbon Technology Direct Air Capture (DAC) assemblies under a two-year agreement. The plan advances the DAC-to-concrete storage pathway demonstrated earlier this year at the Central Concrete Supply Co. headquarters plant in San Jose, Calif.  Based in Brisbane, Calif., Heirloom Carbon…

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Sublime Cement LCA draws sharp carbon contrast to C150 Type I powder

A screening life cycle assessment (LCA) validates how Sublime Systems’ low temperature, electrolysis-enabled processing of calcium-bearing feeds yields a concrete-grade binder whose global warming potential (GWP) is less than one-tenth that of a typical portland cement. The most widely referenced metric in environmental product declarations, GWP indicates carbon dioxide emissions and is expressed as kilograms per metric ton equivalent (kgCO2/mt). …

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Edge Materials, Cummins, PCC propel hydrogen-fueled Terex mixer

A four-party memorandum of understanding will extend recently announced Cummins Inc. and Terex Advance Mixer work toward an X15H-powered Commander Series front discharge mixer. Cloverdale, Ind. ready mixed producer Edge Materials Inc. and Kentucky green hydrogen processing specialist PCC Hydrogen Inc. (PCCH2) will team with the manufacturers to produce, trial and prove concrete mixer trucks powered by the Cummins hydrogen…

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