Sources: MBCC Group, Mannheim, Germany; CP staff BASF Group closed the third quarter with the long-planned sale of its Construction Chemicals business, including Admixture Systems, to MBCC Group, a German peer backed by private equity investor Lone Star Funds. The former BASF Construction Chemicals office and lab in Beachwood, Ohio, will serve as an MBCC regional headquarters for the Americas.
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The board of AltusGroup, Inc., a collaboration of over two dozen precast concrete innovators, has announced the election of Hagen Harker, president of Mid-States Concrete Industries, South Beloit, Ill., as its chairman. He will take over the position from High Concrete Group’s Dave Schneider and serve a two-year term, ending at the organization’s 2021 meeting. Rounding out the officer slate are Harry Gleich of Metromont Corp., re-elected as treasurer, and BASF’s Jason Pitcole, secretary.
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Material science behind lightweight concrete and self-consolidating mixtures yields a principal element of the Monarch Sanctuary, a 15-ft. “vertical butterfly meadow” prototype on display at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, New York City.
Read MoreSources: BASF Construction Chemicals, Beachwood, Ohio; CP staff
Dr. Bruce Christensen, vice president, has assumed responsibility for the BASF Admixture Systems business in the U.S. and Canada, operating from the regional business unit headquarters near Cleveland and succeeding Juan Alfonso Garcia, who was named head of Construction Chemicals Latin America in October.
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Consolidation-minded Construction Supply Group (CSG) has completed its 10th acquisition: California distributor Constar Construction Supply. “This furthers our goal of building a best-in-class wholesale distribution company across North America,” says CSG CEO Mitch Williams, noting that the company will continue to seek additions to its family of concrete and masonry contractor-geared distribution businesses.
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For many years engineers have dreamed about building habitable structures on the Moon or Mars. Those structures will have to be sturdy and stable, which begs the question, why not use concrete? But can ready mixed concrete be successfully formulated in the unique atmospheric conditions of the lunar or Martian surface? That is a question scientists are seeking to answer. And recently completed experiments conducted on the International Space Station (ISS) may bring us closer to that answer.
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The Wabo Trident Finger Joint System is designed and built to handle movements and rotation about all axes, as opposed to a standard alternative that is limited to longitudinal, and in some cases, vertical movements. Along with its unique ability to accommodate transverse movement, the system can also handle large movements, including seismic events, and restore its original position via internal torsional spring components. The advanced system design also allows the Wabo Trident to be installed quickly with minimal downtime and lane closures.
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Focusing on the compound at the heart of quality concrete, BASF Construction Chemicals has developed a first-of-its-kind liquid admixture that improves early- and late-age strength development. Master X-Seed 55 is a stable suspension of synthetically produced crystalline calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) nanoparticles that facilitate growth of CSH crystals between cement grains and improve overall portland cement hydration.
Read MoreSources: World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Geneva; CP staff
BASF AG and CRH Plc are among 30 companies joining the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Factor10. The initiative seeks to advance principles of the circular economy, where the “take-make-dispose” economic model yields to one that is regenerative by design. Charter companies span 16 major sectors and report combined annual sales of $1.3 trillion.
Read MoreSources: BASF Construction Chemicals, Admixture Systems, Cleveland; CP staff
BASF has announced a first-of-its-kind liquid admixture that improves early- and late-age strength development in concrete. Dosed at up to 10 oz./100 cwt, Master X-Seed 55 is a stable suspension of synthetically produced crystalline calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) nanoparticles that facilitate growth of CSH crystals between cement grains and improve overall portland cement hydration.
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