Sources: AICrete Corp., Richmond, Calif.; CP staff AICrete Corp., artificial intelligence solutions developer for concrete and aggregate producers, has closed a $5 million funding round, bringing Series Seed commitments to $9 million since May 2022. The investment positions the company to broaden the AI-powered AICreteOS operating system user base; extend customer support to more North American accounts; configure AICreteOS to…
Read MoreMonth: September 2024
Holcim stake further validates Sublime Systems IP, business plan
Sources: Holcim Ltd., Zug, Switzerland; CP staff The parent company of Holcim US and Lafarge Canada has invested in Sublime Systems, Somerville, Mass. low-carbon cement technology startup, to expand its range of materials and solutions reducing carbon dioxide emissions associated with construction. Holcim Ltd. capital will advance a charter Holyoke, Mass. production facility that Sublime Systems has scheduled for 2026…
Read MoreInternational migrates S13 Integrated Powertrain to HV Series
Sources: Navistar Inc., Lisle, Ill.; CP staff International Truck has completed S13 Integrated Powertrain adoption across its heavy-duty vehicle range, unveiling a redesigned HV Series with 109-in. and 115-in. bumper to back of cab models: the HV509 set forward axle and HV615 set back axle. Measured against charter 2018 versions, new HV Series offerings bring safety, driver convenience, fuel economy,…
Read MoreSunrock welcomes Lafarge, VCNA Prairie veteran Nolan as new chief
Sunrock Industries, a ready mixed concrete, aggregates and asphalt producer with North Carolina flagship plus Ontario and Alberta satellite operations, has named Mike Nolan as president. He arrives with 20-plus years in construction materials management roles, primarily at Lafarge North America, Lafarge Group and VCNA Prairie. During assignments in Illinois for the latter producer and on both sides of the…
Read MoreEPA publishes Buy Clean construction materials label program primers
The Environmental Protection Agency Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention has outlined an implementation plan for a program and publicly accessible registry providing data on greenhouse gas emissions attending principal building and infrastructure project inputs. The EPA Label Program for Low Embodied Carbon Construction Materials will define parameters and thresholds informing the White House Federal Buy Clean Initiative, which…
Read MoreAssociated Builders & Contractors on board with Donald Trump
Confirming the Associated Builders & Contractors’ endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, ABC CEO Michael Bellaman and 2024 Chair of the ABC National Board of Directors Buddy Henley (Henley Construction Co. Inc.) note in a letter to his campaign: “After almost four years of anti-competitive, inflationary and divisive policies undermining taxpayer investments in America’s infrastructure, ABC is looking forward…
Read MoreEnergy Department spawns Cement and Concrete Center of Excellence
The Department of Energy Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO) will create a Cement and Concrete Center of Excellence to accelerate the development and adoption of novel low-carbon material technologies. U.S. National Laboratories can receive up to $9 million through an upcoming competitive call to organize and lead the effort. DOE and IEDO officials envision the center as a) supporting…
Read MoreTransamerica Pyramid, global architectural precast icon, marks new era
Sources: SHVO, New York City; CP staff Transamerica Pyramid Center, an historic block on the northern edge of the San Francisco Financial District with architectural precast concrete centerpiece, reopened earlier this month following a $1 billion dollar investment by Deutsche Finance and developer SHVO. Long a symbol of resilience and architectural ingenuity, the 853-ft. Transamerica Pyramid and adjacent Two and…
Read MoreAfter the Artificial Intelligence Crash
What ready mixed concrete jobs will look like after the AI bubble pops. Economic booms and subsequent busts, especially those associated with innovation, have been a part of history for centuries. So what should we expect as the wax (hype) starts to wane for generative artificial intelligence (AI) powered by large language models a la ChatGPT? The likely answers will…
Read MoreThe Fed Easing Is Already Impacting Housing
Fed Chairman Jay Powell’s remarks at the very exclusive Jackson Hole Economic Symposium in August signaled the Fed’s forthcoming action to reduce rates, starting in September. But even before that, in a sign that homebuyers sensed what was coming, sales of new homes rose unexpectedly in July, following significant revisions in the previous month’s data. Sales of newly built, single-family…
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