New processing methods economically recover C33-grade material from construction, demolition and excavation waste streams One of the newest instances of circular economy principles impacting concrete materials is recovery of sand & gravel from inert or contaminated soils tied to construction, demolition and excavation. Investors in next generation wash and classification plants aim to tackle new transportation and environmental economics forcing…
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A visit with 2024 Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association Chair Sam Hoehner Two years out from the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute and National Concrete Masonry Association unification, the successor organization’s board chair sees a groundswell of indicators favoring members, allied interests and architectural, engineering and construction parties, concluding, “I can’t think of a better time to be a part…
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Oldcastle APG, a CRH Company, underscored a commitment to its Permacon business in Canada with the November 2023 dedication of a new hardscape production line in Anjou, Quebec. The advanced paver, slab and segmental retaining wall operation is built in an existing enclosure across from a twin-machine line whose decades of output supported the Quebec and Ontario hardscape market leader.…
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By Josephine Patterson A visit with 2024 Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute Chair Jim Fabinski With 30 years of experience in the precast concrete industry, Jim Fabinksi, vice president and general manager of EnCon United, brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to his leadership role as Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute chair. In fact, he has been involved with the institute for two…
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A visit with 2023-24 National Precast Concrete Association Chair Bill Bundschuh Concurrent with new association staff leadership under Nick Rhoad, PRETECH Corp. President and Principal Bill Bundschuh succeeds Joel Sheets (Tindall Infrastructure) as NPCA chair. Over his 30 years at the helm of PRETECH, Bundschuh has steered the Kansas City, Kan.-based precast business through a major downturn to record top…
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Workforce safety, input and growth potential carry the day at new Knife River Prestress Division flagship BY DON MARSH A new high-bay structure a stone’s throw from the Washington-Idaho border is poised to emerge this decade as the most productive precast, prestressed concrete facility on the West Coast. With nearly 200,000 square feet under roof on a 45-acre site, the…
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WBE Tec-Crete Transit-Mix holds its own in the Big Apple A work ethic cultivated by a range of duties—filling sand bags to office work—for her father’s New York City ready-mix business, F&M Transit Mix in Jamaica, Queens, more than paid off for Linda Gisonda in adult life. Indeed, she is the sole proprietor of a two-plant operation filling mixer trucks…
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The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association 2023 Environmental Excellence Awards program honors nine plants. Now in its 28th year, the program offers producer members national recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment and maintaining sound environmental management practices. It salutes operators that have not only met, but surpassed governmental compliance requirements and demonstrated a commitment to environmental excellence through…
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The past decade’s top two mergers in North American cement, aggregate and concrete—Lafarge Group + Holcim Ltd. and HeidelbergCement AG + Italcementi S.p.A.—have spurred realignment of markets up the Atlantic Seaboard, across the Great Lakes and down the Mississippi. Of all the markets those deals and their asset divestitures impacted, none stands out quite like Toronto, where a case study…
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Where engineering efficiency and cement optimization go, spun prestressed power transmission and distribution (T&D) poles have few rivals in concrete production: The centrifugal forces that low-slump mixes encounter in hollow cylindrical molds, bearing on horizontal racks and spinning at up to 300 rpm, drive inordinate cement particle hydration and packing. Robust bonding of reinforcing cage and prestressing strand steel to…
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