Vulcan Materials Co. was named as one of the top 200 Best Companies to Work For by U.S. News and World Report, concurrent with the producer’s inclusion in the 2023 Fortune 500 list of U.S. companies. When compiling the former list, U.S. News editors factor quality of pay and benefits; work/life balance and flexibility; job and company stability; physical and…
Read MoreDay: July 31, 2023
Report tallies subcontractors’ steep unplanned material, labor cost burden
A survey of nearly 900 commercial construction professionals concludes that subcontractors continued to bear the brunt of rising input costs for materials and labor in 2022—to the tune of $97 billion in unplanned expenses. Summarizing survey findings in the 2023 National Subcontractor Market Report, Austin, Texas material and labor financing solutions provider Billd notes that rising costs and price volatility…
Read MoreAmerican Petroleum Institute raises red flags for counterfeit, obsolete oils
From American Petroleum Institute Senior Project Manager – EOLCS/DEF Jeffrey Harmening … Using high-quality parts to repair a truck is essential to keep it running safely and help prevent future breakdowns. Working with a trusted supplier and the ability to examine the packaging and the part or product helps provide assurance fleet operators are getting what they ordered. When you…
Read MoreHolcim, Martin Marietta veteran Allen rounds out Terra CO2 C-suite
Supplementary cementitious material process developer Terra CO2 Technology has appointed Chance Allen as chief operating officer, ahead of an early-2024 groundbreaking on a charter production facility for the Golden, Colo. company’s flagship offering, OPUS SCM. Allen arrives after a nearly four-year tour as Holcim US regional head, Western United States and 20-plus years in Martin Marietta Materials vice president and…
Read MorePurebase ramps up calciner for commercial scale metakaolin output
Purebase Corp. anticipates a Q3 start up for a calciner engineered to process reactive, concrete-grade metakaolin from an Ione, Calif. kaolin clay deposit. An ASTM C618-designated natural pozzolan, metakaolin presents a reduced carbon alternative to portland cement, owing to the lower calcination phase heat, < 700°C versus 1,400°C+, required to drive off CO2 from calcium and other minerals. It can…
Read MoreStandard indicates pre-, post-peak tensile properties of fibrous specimens
A proposed ASTM International standard, WK 73384, New Test Method for Evaluating the Tensile Performance of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Using Cylindrical Specimens with Double-Punch Loading, holds the potential to open conventional fiber-reinforced and ultra-high performance concrete (FRC, UHPC) to a broader range of engineered construction conditions. The document is under ASTM Committee C09 on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates balloting and the…
Read MoreOrganizers call for Hardscape North America Awards entries
Entries for 2023 Hardscape North America Awards are being accepted through September 1 at www.hardscapena.com, eligible projects completed from November 2019 to June 2023. The Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association will honor walkway, driveway, patio, and pool deck installations, plus streets or commercial plazas across Clay Brick, Concrete Paver, Segmental Retaining Wall, Hardscape Product Combination, Porcelain Paver, Natural Stone, Outdoor…
Read MoreSpahn moves from Concrete Pipe to Concrete Masonry Checkoff
American Concrete Pipe Association Vice President of Operations Kim Spahn, P.E. has been appointed the inaugural Concrete Masonry Checkoff chief executive officer. An exhaustive national search to fill the position attracted more than 300 applicants, Spahn quickly emerging as the CMC Board’s top choice given her unique background and skill set. “We really valued Kim’s perspective as a civil engineer…
Read More