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…
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Embrace the paradox: Invest in tech partners and people now, while an impending recession makes talent and time abundant. DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION RATIONALEResearchers preparing the 2022 KPMG U.S. Technology Survey Report asked businesses: “What are the key drivers of your organization’s digital transformation and corresponding investments?” As the United States slides into a recession, our industry is starting to feel it.…
Read MoreGeopolymer concrete and fiber-reinforced polymer rebar can be the perfect match for sustainability in structural applications. Steel and concrete have a love-hate relationship. Steel brings tensile strength to concrete, making it stronger for structural applications. Alas, concrete lets water seep into the relationship and corrode the hope for a lasting union. To fix this marriage, Dr. Ruth (Westheimer) has been…
Read MoreSources: ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pa. A just-signed memorandum of understanding will see ASTM International and NEU, An ACI Center of Excellence for Carbon-Neutral Concrete, work to lower the carbon footprint of concrete in the built environment and minimize redundant efforts toward that goal. The organizations jointly plan to: • Foster and support technologies for cast-in-place and manufactured concrete;• Develop, promulgate,…
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Integration of data AND business process empower freedom of choice in a concrete technology ecosystem. The Walt Disney Co. is a world champion of vertical capture. The company’s theme parks offer families a complete package of entertainment, dining and lodging. Yet in Orlando, Fla., many visitors choose to complement or even skip Disney World for other cool things like Comcast’s…
Read MoreSources: Summit Materials Inc., Denver; CP staff Summit Materials’ Missouri subsidiary, Continental Cement Co. LLC, has consummated a full conversion from clinker-only to portland-limestone cement output at its Hannibal plant— four months after a similar transition at a sister mill up the Mississippi River in Davenport, Iowa. The PLC is typically finished at a 90/10 clinker and ground limestone blend. …
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Lafarge Canada has teamed with BGC Ottawa (formerly the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa) to build the new Taggart Parkes Family Clubhouse, donating upward of 500 cubic meters of ECOPact low-carbon ready mixed concrete for the 15,000-square-foot facility. The recent grand opening ceremony marked a special milestone for the thousands of children and youth in underserved neighborhoods in the…
Read MoreSources: Charah Solutions Inc., Louisville, Ky.; CP staff Under a multi-year contract effective this quarter, Charah Solutions will market approximately 150,000 tons of specification grade fly ash annually from a central Indiana power generating station. The material will be distributed primarily by truck through the company’s MultiSource network. With nearly 40 truck and rail loadout-equipped locations across the country, the…
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Sources: Clark Pacific, West Sacramento, Calif.; CP staff A top player in West Coast precast, prestressed concrete production and related design-build work, Clark Pacific has entered a partnership with NewGen Energy that will see solar array installations meeting nearly 100 percent of electricity requirements across three California concrete operations. Enlisting the Loomis, Calif. array engineer and installation services provider in…
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Sources: CarbonBuilt, Los Angeles; CP staff Alabama’s Blair Block projects an early-2023 debut for low-carbon concrete masonry units produced with the CarbonBuilt Reversa carbon dioxide capture and mineralization process. Reversa deployment stands to reduce Blair Block products’ carbon footprint upward of 80 percent with no compromise on price, performance or plant operations. A production line retrofit at the producer’s Childersburg…
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