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Category: Editorial

Energy Department powers promotion of low carbon construction materials

Concrete News

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) authors’ recognition of technology transfer hurdles and risk-averse specification tendencies in construction is evident in a slew of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office and National Laboratories initiatives supporting low carbon materials awareness and procurement. The DOE Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO) is eyeing a National Laboratory-led Cement and Concrete Center of Excellence to accelerate…

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Justices draw regulator red line

Concrete News

The Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision should relieve concrete, construction and trucking interests of some uncertainties arising from federal agency rules or shield them when challenging such measures in federal courts. Loper plaintiffs questioned a Department of Commerce rule that hinged on authority indicated in Chevron U.S.A Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Counsel. That 1984 high court…

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Federal judge affirms truck drivers’ absence from Davis-Bacon lanes

Don Marsh

White House and Department of Labor (DOL) staff attempts to lower contractor margins and raise public-construction costs hit a roadblock late last month in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Lubbock Division. Associated General Contractors of America-led plaintiffs prevailed in a challenge to three provisions in the DOL’s “Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations” final rule,…

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Concrete producers lead the way in federal agency’s Buy Clean agenda

Don Marsh

The White House and General Services Administration have marked the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)-funded low embodied carbon (LEC) construction materials procurement program pilot, noting “a dramatic increase of thousands more environmental product declarations used to identify sustainably-manufactured construction materials over the past year. EPDs are a key tool for gaining visibility into a product’s environmental impacts…

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Work ethic takes center stage

Don Marsh

We reflect this month on 2024 National Ready Mixed Concrete Association convention notables: Committee awards and Chairman Nathan McKean’s enthusiastic industry view. Here, we extend the Florida gathering’s salutes to NRMCA Executive Vice President, Operations and Compliance Gary Mullings, who has retired from day-to-day duty after 50-plus years with the organization. Luckily, he continues as a consultant, primarily assisting the…

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Steel, cement and foreign ownership

Don Marsh

Under the pretense of concerns tied to the economy, infrastructure and national security, powerful interests oppose a takeover of United States Steel Corp. (USS) by Japan’s Nippon Steel Corp. The deal is set to close in the third quarter pending USS shareholder approval, voting for which is scheduled this month. In a statement following USS board acceptance of a Nippon…

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Performance specs drive dematerialization strategy

Don Marsh

Building Transparency, the Seattle-based organization behind the environmental product declaration-fueled Embodied Carbon Calculator (EC3), raises a “less is more” premise for carbon emissions-minded architectural, engineering and construction professionals. Authors of its latest report, Manufacturers Guide to Embodied Carbon, frame “dematerialization” as a strategy where the lowest cost, lowest carbon footprint specification results from a design requiring less raw material per…

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Contractors reinforce arguments against White House PLA Mandate

Don Marsh

The Associated General Contractors of America followed up challenges noted here last month to a Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council rule requiring Project Labor Agreements (PLA) on federal construction contracts exceeding $35 million. By offering perspectives on competition, federal labor and procurement statutes, and taxpayer dollar stewardship, the group exposes the dubious nature of what its counsel calls the PLA…

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Opponents craft compelling arguments against Project Labor Agreement rule

Don Marsh

If major construction project permitting, workforce and procurement challenges were not enough, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council has injected additional complications by making good on a White House directive requiring Project Labor Agreements on 100-plus contracts annually where federal funds exceed $35 million. Administration officials argue that PLAs promote economy and efficiency by eliminating the risk of delay associated with…

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Credible carbon credits seed SCM capacity

Don Marsh

This year closes with strong cement and concrete market indicators, especially considering investor enthusiasm for publicly held clinker capacity. Consider activity among New York Stock Exchange-traded operators since Labor Day: Summit Materials announced a cash and stock deal for Argos North America Corp., its $3.2 billion valuation reflecting cement production and distribution assets in Alabama, Florida, South Carolina and West…

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