Steel, cement and foreign ownership

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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Harvesting uptake benefits Coal Ash Production and Use Survey metrics 

Sources: American Coal Ash Association, Sandy, Utah; CP staff The American Coal Ash Association Production and Use Survey indicates 2022 fly ash consumption in concrete at 10.9 million tons, 1 million tons off from the prior year, while year over year use of all coal combustion products (CCP) in cement production increased 8 percent, to just over 6 million tons.…

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Martin Marietta assets perfect CRH Americas’ Texas integration model

CRH Americas Materials will add more than 2 million tons of cement production capacity and 1.5 million yd. of ready mixed concrete volume annually under a Texas asset agreement with Martin Marietta Materials Inc. The producers anticipate a Q1/Q2 2024 closing on the $2.1 billion deal, which spans Martin Marietta’s Hunter cement plant in New Braunfels, Gulf Coast terminals, and…

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GSA backs low embodied carbon material spec commitment

The General Services Administration has released a list of more than 150 federal building construction or upgrade projects across 39 states and District of Columbia where low embodied carbon (LEC) material specifications will be supported by $2 billion in Inflation Reduction Act funding. Contract language will favor LEC material use, net estimated deliveries totaling:  The funding advances the Buy Clean…

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CarbonCure, Heirloom pave path for Direct Air Capture, storage of CO2

Sources: CarbonCure Technologies, Halifax, Nova Scotia; Heirloom Carbon Technology, Brisbane, Calif.; CP staff CarbonCure Technologies and its concrete producer licensees will mineralize and permanently store atmospheric carbon dioxide from Heirloom Carbon Technology Direct Air Capture (DAC) assemblies under an agreement through early 2025. The plan advances the DAC-to-concrete storage pathway demonstrated earlier this year at the Central Concrete Supply headquarters…

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Cemex CEO González stresses regulator outreach for GCCA leadership term

Sources: Cemex S.A.B. de C.V., Monterrey, Mexico; CP staff Cemex Chief Executive Officer Fernando González has been elected to a two-year term as president of the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), London. “It is a great honor,” he notes, “particularly as we enter this ‘decade to deliver,’ a period during which we must accelerate our decarbonization efforts. My number…

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PLC, in-transit mix management raise performance, sustainability attributes

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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Titan measures cement kiln potential in heat battery technology investment

Titan Cement Group, Athens, has joined a venture capital funding round for Oakland, Calif.-based Rondo Energy Inc., whose heat battery technology holds prospects for decarbonizing cement production and power generation. The modular Rondo Heat Battery uses established methods to transform renewable electricity into heat at 98 percent efficiency, and has potential for high scalability at costs competitive with current energy…

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Lehigh Cement crews keep Indiana plant expansion on track for 2023

Lehigh Hanson Inc. has marked placement of the final segment of the steel stack abutting a new preheater tower at the Lehigh Cement Mitchell Plant in Indiana. Management, construction team members and local dignitaries assembled late last month for a ceremonial topping out. “We are another step closer to realizing completion of this monumental project,” said Lehigh Cement Plant Manager…

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Roanoke Cement terminal to reach 100K tons with $37M expansion

Titan America projects a 2023 completion of a new 70,000-ton dome, plus truck and rail loadout infrastructure, at its Roanoke Cement Co. import terminal in Chesapeake, Va. With triple the present bulk storage capacity, the overhauled operation will be equipped to import and distribute fly ash, slag, and aggregates that are in demand throughout the Mid-Atlantic market. The Virginia investment…

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