Sources: Advanced Construction Robotics Inc., Allison Park, Pa.; CP staff Advanced Construction Robotics has entered an agreement with Nucor Rebar Fabrication Inc., broadening deployment of ACR’s TyBOT. Nucor Rebar Fabrication will integrate the robotic tying machine into its installation contracts, starting with a Washington State project. Bridge deck site demonstrations have proved the TyBOT’s ability to increase rebar crew productivity…
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Commercial Metals adds accelerated concrete bridge delivery technology
Sources: Commercial Metals Co., Dallas; CP staff U.S. concrete reinforcing steel market leader CMC is licensing short span bridge technology from Australia-based InQuik Inc., whose easily transported, modular component system is engineered to reduce on-site labor requirements and yield 100-year service life crossings. The partnership will leverage CMC’s extensive reach, manufacturing capacity, infrastructure expertise and ability to rapidly deploy innovative…
Read MoreCarbon Upcycling dispatches CO2-enriched, harvested ash to Burnco
Sources: Carbon Upcycling Technologies, Calgary; CP staff Carbon Upcycling Technologies has announced this year’s first delivery of carbon dioxide-enhanced fly ash to Burnco Rock Products Ltd. as part of a groundbreaking initiative to deploy low-carbon concrete in the City of Calgary. The 200-tonne delivery marks a significant milestone in the parties’ collaboration and stems from a $4.4 million Circular Economy…
Read MoreConcrete Reinforcing Steel Institute reflects on a century of impact
The 2024 World of Concrete provided the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute a springboard for 100th anniversary observances. Founded in 1924 with priorities that included legal measures to ensure fabricator payments, CRSI has emerged as the trusted industry resource and standards development organization for steel reinforcement, specifically rebar, in concrete construction. Since its inception, the Institute has continually built upon partnerships…
Read MoreLabor observer sees continuing slide in unionized construction workforce
An Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of 2023 union membership data published by UnionStats.com finds at least 90 percent of workers in the private construction industry do not belong to a union in 29 states, up from 26 and 24 states in the prior two years. North Carolina, Mississippi, Maine, South Carolina and Texas lead the current list of states…
Read MoreChryso, GCP admixtures propel UHPC Solutions’ Ductal record
Crews from New Jersey-based UHPC Solutions North America closed out 2023 placing Holcim Ductal ultra-high performance concrete on the third and final phase of a 14-month, 5,000-yd. deck rehabilitation for the two-mile Delaware Memorial Bridge. In partnership with UHPC Solutions and Ductal US officials, a technical team from Saint-Gobain Construction Chemicals’ Chryso and GCP brands helped identify high-range water reducers…
Read MoreCourt rejects $125M false claims case against Tresca Brothers Concrete
Sources: McCormack Suny LLC, Boston; Commonwealth of Massachusetts Suffolk Superior Court; CP staff Honoring a motion for summary judgment, Suffolk Superior Court has dismissed a five-year-old case where two whistleblowers asserted that Tresca Brothers Concrete, Sand & Gravel Inc. violated the Massachusetts False Claims Act by providing inaccurate age and water content information on ready mixed orders. Acting on behalf…
Read MoreABC, AGC uniformly harsh in federal project labor agreement rule critiques
Sources: Associated Builders and Contractors, Associated General Contractors of America, Washington, D.C. Merit shop and union contractors’ top national representatives will seek court action in response to a final Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council rule, Federal Acquisition Regulation: Use of Project Labor Agreements for Federal Construction Projects. Effective December 2023, it implements an early-2022 White House executive order requiring federal construction…
Read MoreOSHA inspectors’ PPE evolution: Helmets on, hard hats shelved
Sources: Occupational Safety and Health Administration; CP staff The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is replacing traditional hard hats with safety helmets, citing greater protection prospects for inspectors while noting, “OSHA wants employers to make safety and health a core value in their workplaces and is committed to doing the same by leading by example and embracing the evolution of…
Read MoreConsumer Confidence Contrasts with Economic Growth
As I have written many times in the past, we pay close attention to both the Conference Board’s monthly measure of consumer confidence, as well as a similar measure from the University of Michigan which they characterize as consumer sentiment. Both descriptions are really interchangeable, as they measure how consumers feel about the times, both politically and economically. We publish…
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