Source: Post-Tensioning Institute, Farmington Hills, Mich. The Post-Tensioning Institute has released the 7th Edition of the Post-Tensioning Manual, a cornerstone that has played a pivotal role in shaping the understanding of post-tensioning technology. PTI members have evolved the content since the document’s 1972 premier, keeping pace with industry advancements and emerging practices. Highlights of the 7th Edition include updates aligned…
Read MoreMonth: January 2024
Holcim gauges cement, aggregate asset traction on Wall Street
Sources: CP staff; Holcim Ltd., Zug, Switzerland The Holcim Ltd. announcement of a plan to spin off its U.S. and Canadian operations into a separate, publicly traded entity coincides with investor interest in construction materials production assets at its highest level in generations. A business encompassing Holcim North America holdings is poised to emerge on the heels of record or near-record valuations…
Read MoreHolcim outlines North American business spin off plan
Sources: Holcim Ltd., Zug, Switzerland; CP staff With an eye to unlocking North American asset value, Holcim Ltd. plans a 2025 spin off of its namesake US and Building Envelope plus Lafarge Canada Inc. operations, the new entity likely listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Across 850-plus sites and a payroll north of 16,000, the three businesses hold top…
Read MoreConcrete.ai applies generative AI solution to carbon-wise mix designs
Sources: Concrete.ai, Los Angeles; CP staff Concrete.ai has announced the commercial launch of Concrete Copilot, an artificial intelligence platform programmed to generate concrete mix designs and predict hardened matrix performance within seconds. During extensive field testing with producers across the U.S., the program optimized mix designs used in over 2 million cubic yards of concrete. The average material savings were…
Read MoreResearchers confirm U-bolts’ role in to rebar cage safety
A Charles Pankow Foundation investigation geared to identifying fabrication and assembly practices curtailing rebar cage collapse or failure incidents confirms the potential of U-bolt hardware to replace tie wires commonly used in lateral and transverse bar connections and increase lateral strength. The Haymarket, Va. organization teamed with the American Society of Civil Engineers Construction Institute, University of Nevada, Reno and…
Read MoreExecutives draw decarbonization, sustainability expertise link
A survey of 100 executives representing North American manufacturers or producers with annual revenues exceeding $250 million reveals major challenges for the construction materials sector to align (GHG Protocol-defined) Scope 1, 2, 3 emissions reduction strategies and widely subscribed decarbonization targets. Dallas-based environmental services provider Trinity Consultants retained Verdantix, an independent research firm with New York and London offices, to…
Read MorePrecast Forte Group harnesses Recon Wall Systems, sister businesses
Leadership of licensing innovator Recon Wall Systems has unveiled The Precast Forte Group, a Minnesota-based parent entity affording clarity of purpose for each of four companies while sharing manufactured concrete domain expertise. On the strength of the Recon Wall Systems flagship, the Forte portfolio has grown to include proprietary product or structure designs, external licensing services, and marketing tools—each serving…
Read MoreSika assesses parent measures flooring specialist Conria’s global prospects
Sika AG has acquired a 30 percent interest in Concria Oy, a Finnish startup whose Optimal Slab concrete floor installation and polishing technology offers a wide range of advantages to contractors, architects, and industrial or commercial property owners. The firm’s novel approach to decorative or performance slabs includes special dry shake hardeners, nanosilica agents, plus unique grinding and polishing procedures…
Read MoreMaturity device measures Performance-Based Temperature Differential Limit
Toronto-based Brickeye, construction-wise IoT device and data analytics technology developer, has unveiled Performance-Based Temperature Differential Limit (PBTDL), the newest LumiCon Concrete Monitoring feature. Through real-time data and analytics on mass concrete projects, the PBTDL method provides contractors, engineers, and project owners an advanced temperature differential limit directly tied to the concrete’s strength. The approach enables an increased allowed temperature differential,…
Read MorePavement-minded Crafco acquires Poreshield intellectual property
Crafco Inc., Arizona-based packaged pavement preservation solutions provider, has acquired PoreShield, a patented, soy-based protectant that extends concrete service life. The agent was created through a research collaboration among Purdue University, the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) and Indiana Department of Transportation, funded by soybean checkoff dollars. PoreShield’s key ingredient is soy methyl ester-polystyrene, or SME-PS. Derived from domestic soybeans, the…
Read More