Sources: Materials Processing Institute, Middlesbrough, U.K.; CP staff The United Kingdom’s Materials Processing Institute is testing the potential of converting finely graded, demolition concrete-extracted cement paste to new cementitious material using scrap steel melted by an electric arc furnace. Dubbed Cement 2 Zero and proceeding with a $7 million-plus UK Research and Innovation grant, it could prove the Cambridge Electric…
Read MoreMonth: February 2023
Permeable pavers answer affluent village’s Green Streets call
Sources: Village of Kenilworth, Ill.; CP staff A wealthy northern Illinois community along Lake Michigan recently concluded a two-phase, “green infrastructure” program, installing 83,000 square feet of permeable interlocking concrete pavers (PICP) on six 625- to 676-ft. stretches of three streets, 18- to 22-ft. wide. After observing the performance of Green Streets Phase I permeable asphalt pavements, the Village of…
Read MoreAI Part 2: The Concrete Case for AI Bots
Artificial intelligence is in the house—and it’s about to shake things up! Google, now a verb per Merriam-Webster, controls over 90 percent of the internet search market. Yet the search engine colossus lost over $100 million in market valuation on February 9 when its newly released AI chatbot, called Bard, gave a widely publicized wrong answer for an astronomy question.…
Read MoreTall Order
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat has named the David Rubenstein Forum at the University of Chicago as the Best Tall Building Worldwide in its annual award program. “With the United Nations projecting nearly 70 percent urbanization by 2050, the demand is growing for healthier, more sustainable, and socially just urban environments—tall buildings and other smart, resilient approaches…
Read MoreID tag up to galvanizing stages
The KettleTag Plus EZ sets a standard for survivable identification of galvanized steel. Product ID tags subjected to the nine-step galvanizing process have traditionally required lamination after printing. KettleTag Plus tags are ready to attach after printing with no additional steps required. Fabricators and galvanizers can print them, attach it to the product, and read the barcode after the galvanizing…
Read MoreBesser Servopac Infinity: Mold or table vibration, operator’s choice
Besser Co. engineers have for generations observed customers debate the selection of machines with mold or table (impact) vibration. With the manufacturer’s Servopac Infinity technology, producers no longer need to confront decisions on vibration type. The Servopac Infinity redefines unit masonry production with a game-changing, patented vibration system, Besser officials note. Producers can set up the machine to run either…
Read MoreAI-wise Spider Bot bests buckets for precast, prestressed mix placement
One of the major innovations premiering at The Precast Show 2023 (February 23-25, Columbus, Ohio) is a pinpoint placement machine engineered to succeed mix delivery by crane and bucket, gantry devices or specialized vehicles in precast, prestressed concrete production, while eliminating most of the labor typically required along formwork or casting beds. The EquipPro Spider Bot couples artificial intelligence and…
Read MoreHyster big trucks shoulder M CON’s elevated volume, structure scale
Founded in 1989 to serve Ottawa and eastern Ontario markets, M CON Products Inc. is a leading provider of precast concrete infrastructure components. It produces everything from manholes and catch basins, to pipe, box culvert and other critical concrete structures supporting residential and commercial developments. As the City of Ottawa and surrounding areas have grown, so too has M CON,…
Read MoreCalming Confidence
A visit with 2022-23 National Precast Concrete Association Chairman of the Board Joel Sheets Known for his calm demeanor, Joel Sheets, senior vice president of Operations for Tindall Infrastructure, not only has the confidence to be a leader recognized and appreciated throughout the Tindall organization but also to lead the entire precast industry. Sheets has built a team and a…
Read MoreVillage Green
Unilock, LPS Pavement, PICP underpin stormwater management upgrade The Village of Kenilworth (Ill.) Public Works Department closed a 10-year stormwater management project in late 2022, signing off on nearly 84,000 square feet of permeable interlocking concrete pavement (PICP) from one of the Midwest’s best producer-installer tag teams: Unilock Chicago Inc. of Aurora, Ill. and LPS Pavement Co. of Oswego, Ill. …
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