Founded in 1963 and now under a third generation of family ownership, Belgrade Steel Tank began business building bulk feed bins for farmers. Today, it is known across North America for producing top-quality portable and stationary silos for the concrete industry. The company offers cementitious material storage solutions for ready mixed, volumetric order, and precast producers out of its Belgrade,…
Read MoreBy M. Brinker, W. Ripple The way people buy and sell goods has changed dramatically over the decades. With more and more businesses selling their products online, consumers are inclined to purchase this way. This trend is only going to continue as e-commerce becomes more prevalent and as the demographics of the population changes. Millennials and Gen Z have been…
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Kraft Curing Systems’ new Match-Cure insulated enclosure heats and cools test cylinders or cubes containing the same mix design as prestressed concrete elements in the production area, replicating their curing conditions. Temperature sensors, wired or wireless, installed in the Match-Cure enclosures and production area, transmit concrete temperatures to the central AutoCure automatic concrete curing control system. It “matches” the temperature…
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ConExpo-Con/Agg 2023 offered a preview of data science methods destined to improve construction materials production and delivery profits. By capturing a groundswell of plant and fleet inputs from signals, sensors, production logs, and order or ticket files, a new class of information technology specialists demonstrated algorithms or programs greatly extending the dashboard and business intelligence tools accompanying current software suites.…
Read MoreThe pressure is on for concrete producers. Demand is high, especially with the passing of the U.S. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, but the market is more challenging than ever. Construction costs rose 14.1 percent year over year by the end of 2022, according to CBRE’s Construction Cost Index. Recruiting skilled labor continues to be difficult as many industry veterans…
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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…
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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,…
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By Jason Straka Reducing net carbon dioxide emissions in finished concrete is a critical endeavor for the industry. As portland cement production accounts for a measurable percentage of global man-made CO2 emissions, stakeholders are under a microscope to change the way they finish binders and develop new approaches that are more sustainable through the entire cycle of concrete production. From…
Read MoreOne of past decade’s best examples of equipment uptake among North American ready mixed concrete producers is also a textbook case of user experience-driven continuous improvement. Shumaker Industries piloted and initially deployed its Load and Go automated mixer truck wash station over a 2007-2012 window. Operators saw the 12- x 15-ft. aluminum frame device—outfitted with hoses and wands feeding nozzles…
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New kits allow direct replacement of silo top elbows and piping/tubing subject to abrasive wear, with all preparation done safely at ground level. Each contains all components required to replace failing elbows, including two Smart Elbow deflection pieces plus all necessary piping/tubing, connectors and gaskets. The kits can be assembled on the plant floor prior to silo top installation, reducing…
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