Sources: NEU, An ACI Center of Excellence for Carbon Neutral Concrete, Farmington Hills, Mich.; CP staff The inaugural American Concrete Institute Center of Excellence has formally launched a validation and verification program for new materials, products or technologies associated with low carbon cement and concrete. The NEU: An ACI Center of Excellence for Carbon Neutral Concrete undertaking is aimed at…
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Batching Evolution and the Future
A look at how game-changing technologies have been transforming ready mixed concrete and batching. Cementitious materials have been around for a very long time, with the ancient Romans often cited as the first accomplished engineers to exploit them via volcanic pozzolanas. Throughout the 1700s and 1800s, significant development took place in England and France. Ultimately, ordinary portland cement—named after the…
Read MoreAttendees, exhibitors, management set for the 50th World of Concrete
Sources: Informa Markets, Irving, Texas; CP staff A 50th anniversary theme will pervade the 2024 World of Concrete, January 22-25 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The event has grown from a modest 1975 production at the Houston Astrodome to the largest annual exhibition serving global concrete construction and masonry stakeholders, Las Vegas its long-term base. The half-centennial edition will…
Read MoreHeidelberg Materials Sustainability course premiers on AEC Daily
Sources: Heidelberg Materials North America, Irving, Texas; CP staff Heidelberg Materials North America is offering a free American Institute of Architects-accredited course, “Mastering Sustainable Concrete: on the Road to Net Zero Construction,” informing owners, contractors, specifiers and designers of structural material choices that promote decarbonization. Available on AEC Daily’s online continuing education platform and geared toward learners with intermediate knowledge,…
Read MoreASTM Advances Sustainable Non-Hydraulic Cements
ASTM C01 Committee on Cement recently approved the first standards addressing non-hydraulic cements and specifically, cements that require carbonation curing. With almost several years in the making, ASTM C1905, Specification for Cements that Require Carbonation Curing and ASTM C1910, Standard Test Methods for Cements that Require Carbonation Curing set the requirements for specifying these unique cements. Approval emerged from Committee…
Read MoreCalcium silicate-rich binder clears ASTM C150 testing
Venture capital-backed Brimstone, Oakland, Calif. developer of a portland cement alternative processed from calcium silicate rock, reports third-party certification that its product meets or exceeds ASTM C150, Standard Specification for Portland Cement. Results from tests by Twining Consulting, Irvine, Calif. indicate a concrete binder identical in all respects—performance, safety and composition—to ordinary portland cement milled through conventional, carbon-intensive methods. “We…
Read MoreThe Hard Value of Batch Plant Tuning
Plant tuning matters when it comes to plugging profit leaks. Ready mixed concrete can be batched with pharmaceutical precision and accuracy. It’s just a matter of time and equipment, which means money. The industry challenge is configuring plants with precise (repeatable) and accurate (close to target) equipment tuned well enough (with speed) to minimize cycle costs. Accuracy is dictated by…
Read MoreThe Real Value of Integrated Material Replenishment
Looking for true savings? Transition from “keep full” to “don’t run out.” U.S. ready mix concrete (RMC) production in 2023 should be just north of 400 million cubic yards, a recession notwithstanding. Based on an average five-bag mix, that means at least 27.5 million equivalent truckloads of aggregates and 4.75 million equivalent truckloads of cementitious materials will be required. Bulk…
Read MoreAdmixture processor, engineering parties promote concrete-grade graphene
Sources: Black Swan Graphene Inc., Toronto; CP staff A partnership between Black Swan Graphene of Canada, plus the United Kingdom’s Nationwide Engineering Research and Development Ltd. and Arup Group Ltd., will position a branded, graphene admixture enhanced concrete for adoption among carbon-minded construction owners. Nationwide Engineering R&D is testing the potential of its high strength Concretene mixes to reduce the…
Read MoreRoyal White Cement raises Southwest market throughput capability
Royal White Cement plans a Houston Ship Channel terminal, equipped for annual transfer of 100,000 tons of cementitious materials to truck tankers or rail cars. Located near the mouth of the channel, the facility will lie on a 23.8-acre site of Industrial Realty Group (IRG), which is repurposing three structures formerly used for fertilizer. Along with deep water vessel access…
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