Sources: Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, Chicago; CP staff A North Carolina State University student team, guided by faculty advisor Gregory Lucier and member producer Tindall Corp., took the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute 2024 Engineering Design Competition. Now in its 24th and better known as Big Beam, the event challenges college or university students to fabricate and test 20-ft. structural members. Teams are judged…
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Mapei adds Denver admixture plant, first of five set through mid-2025
Sources: Mapei Corp., Deerfield Beach, Fla.; CP staff Colorado is the first stop in a rapid expansion plan through which Mapei Corp. aims to extend concrete admixture production and distribution across the U.S. The company’s new 32,000-sq.-ft. facility in Denver features advanced mixing, batching, laboratory and quality control technology, plus warehousing. It joins existing Mapei North America admixture plants in…
Read MoreWalmart validates 3D-printed concrete on store addition’s 20-ft. wall
Sources: Alquist 3D, Greeley, Colo.; CP staff Alquist 3D recently dispatched a concrete/mortar ink printer and crew to place a 20-ft. high enclosure for an 8,000-sq.-ft. addition to the Walmart Supercenter in Athens, Tenn. An articulating robot with 48-in. long, 1-in. diameter nozzle shuttled around each wall section perimeter, efficiently printing twin inner and outer layers with precision. The new…
Read MoreConcrete Pipe Week amplifies industry’s ‘Proven’ value propositions
Sources: American Concrete Pipe Association, Irving, Texas; CP staff The American Concrete Pipe Association will present one virtual plant tour and three webinars during Concrete Pipe Week 2024, September 22-28, while saluting governors and other public officials who formally recognize concrete drainage structures’ contributions to quality of life. “Proven,” the theme of this year’s event, frames the four presentations ACPA…
Read MoreAsh Grove adds natural pozzolan production in Geofortis deal
Sources: Ash Grove Cement, Overland Park, Kan.; CP staff Ash Grove Cement has acquired Geofortis LLC, operator of a Toole, Utah raw natural pozzolan milling and classifying line and nearby deposit. Since starting production in 2021, Geofortis has obtained approvals for its supplementary cementitious material from agencies in California, Colorado, Nevada and Utah. They are among Western states where public…
Read MoreAdvanced Construction Robotics opens order book for rebar-tying workhorse
Sources: Advanced Construction Robotics, Pittsburgh; CP staff Advanced Construction Robotics plans Q1 2025 delivery of initial orders for TyBOT 3.0, the next generation of an automated rebar tying machine previously offered on a project-by-project, “Robot as a Service” terms. Over the past six years, ACR and contractor partners have demonstrated prior TyBOT versions on 60-plus jobs, primarily bridge decks, in…
Read MoreEco Material cuts CO2 emissions, landfill tip tonnages by the millions
Sources: Eco Material Technologies Inc., South Jordan, Utah; CP staff Eco Material Technologies, the top fly ash and supplementary cementitious material processor and marketer, targets annual SCM volume of 20 million tons by 2030, a doubling of 2023 output. That projection leads production data and perspectives in the just-released 2023 Sustainability Report, showing how Eco Material last year: “Our 2023…
Read MoreSociety launches Construction Quality Manager certification
Sources: American Society for Quality, Milwaukee; CP staff The newest American Society for Quality (ASQ) credential responds to universal contractor and owner priorities. Now open to applications, Certified Construction Quality Manager (CCQM) certification addresses the growing need for highly skilled professionals who can manage projects with a focus on quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and sustainable building practices. An ASQ Body…
Read MoreHolcim elevates Mexico business veteran Hill to region head North America
Sources: Holcim Ltd., Switzerland Holcim Country CEO, Mexico Jaime Hill has been appointed region head North America, gaining responsibility for the Holcim US and Lafarge Canada businesses and succeeding Toufic Tabbara. Hill joined Holcim in 1996 and has 30-plus years of experience spanning finance, sales and marketing leadership roles in the U.S. and Latin America. Management credits his track record…
Read MoreEconomists project 380,000 new U.S. construction jobs through 2033
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; CP staff Employment Projections — 2023-2033, a Bureau of Labor Statistics report released just ahead of the Labor Day weekend, tracks the addition of 6.7 million jobs to the U.S. economy over the next 10 years, 380,000 of them in Construction, 75,000 in Architectural, Engineering and Related Services occupational categories. The projected 4.7 percent…
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