Graphene is light, super strong and can lessen the CO2 footprint of cement. Sir Isaac Newton famously wrote, “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” A giant in the natural sciences, Newton knew sustainable progress is only possible through building on incremental advances. In November, the 2021 United Nations Climate Change…
Read MoreThe employee-owners of Besser Co. have honored 37-year veteran Rodney Lang on his recent retirement, noting how his engineering background, outgoing nature, and resourcefulness allowed him to apply his talents in a wide variety of roles which impacted producers and fellow employee-owners worldwide. After graduating from Lake Superior State University, he joined Besser as electrical engineer, paving the way for…
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A ready mixed concrete truck is more than a “truck.” It’s a mobile manufacturing environment. William Shakespeare might be tempted to say a truck by any other name is still a truck, but in the ready mixed concrete industry, a mixer truck is really a mobile manufacturing environment, or MME. Let’s take a few moments to “smell the roses.” One…
Read MoreSources: American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, Mich.; CP staff The American Concrete Institute has named Master Builders Solutions Admixtures US Head of Engineering Charles Nmai, FACI, president for a 2022-23 term. A 35-year veteran of the admixture market leader, he is involved in technology transfer/standards activities and specification efforts to advance the use of durable and sustainable solutions in the…
Read MoreSources: National Precast Concrete Association, Carmel, Ind.; CP staff The precast concrete industry was on full display March 3-5 in Kansas City, Mo., as record-setting attendee and exhibit numbers combined for an exciting and eventful Precast Show 2022. Registration exceeded 4,600 individuals, more than 90 percent of them experiencing 80,000-plus square feet of Kansas City Convention Center space harboring plant…
Read MoreSource: American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, Mich. Engineers, contractors, educators, manufacturers, and suppliers will muster at the ACI Concrete Convention in Orlando, March 27-31, to collaborate on concrete codes, specifications, and practices. Technical and educational sessions will provide attendees with the latest research, case studies, best practices, and the opportunity to earn Professional Development Hours. Select programming will also be…
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How leading producers are influencing the fate of the technology they use. By Victoria K. Sicaras With so many technology options available these days, end users expect a lot from their software providers. This is especially true in the concrete industry, a niche market that requires specialized solutions and on-demand user support. Yet even in an increasingly digital world, many…
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Sources: Concrete Industry Management National Steering Committee, Murfreesboro, Tenn.; CP staff Concrete Industry Management National Steering Committee (NSC) members will formally celebrate the CIM Program’s 25th anniversary on October 26 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The venue is near Middle Tennessee State University, which in 1996 launched the four-year CIM degree program, since expanded to California State…
Read MoreSources: National Concrete Masonry Association, Herndon, Va.; Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute, Chantilly, Va.; CP staff After two years of discussion on closer cooperation between their organizations, the National Concrete Masonry Association and Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute Boards have approved the scheduling of a vote on unification. A merger would require approval by a two-thirds majority of voting members from both…
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As information technology and batch plant improvements continue to usher concrete producers to new efficiency thresholds, control panel and dispatch software provider Marcotte Systems challenges the industry to imagine a ready mixed operation in which robust, high-performance programs enable each workpiece to direct itself through the appropriate production stations. Further, a concrete plant that instructs various autonomous materials handling carriers…
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