Haala Industries deal reinforces Afinitas accessories program

St. Louis-based plant machinery and equipment specialist Afinitas has acquired Haala Industries, a major source of steel reinforcements and related accessories for precast concrete and drainage applications. Headquartered in Sleepy Eye, Minn., the company was founded by Dave Haala in 1974 as a fabricator serving local agricultural and construction accounts. Haala Industries has since designed and manufactured steel products and…

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Apples-to-apples carbon metrics drive steel interests’ Buy Clean position

Sources: American Institute of Steel Construction, Chicago; CP staff The American Institute of Steel Construction’s new “Buy Clean Guidance for Structural Steel Products” informs federal, state and local policymakers of the load-bearing solutions that mills, fabricators and contractors bring to sustainable design. By navigating steel industry intricacies, it helps users take full advantage of the structural product supply chain, accurately…

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National Science Foundation funds concrete strength sensor start up

WaveLogix, a Purdue University-incubated company commercializing an Internet of Things sensing system to monitor cast-in-place or precast concrete infrastructure, has earned a six-month, $256,000 SBIR Phase I grant from the National Science Foundation to develop its technology. WaveLogix’s Rebel brand of sensors improves upon the industry standard to measure concrete strength: Breaking multiple field-cured concrete samples. Destructive concrete strength testing…

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Building Better, Lighter, Stronger: We Have the Technology

Since the 1950s, the construction industry in the United States has reaped the benefits of using precast, prestressed concrete. These products increase installation efficiencies, provide ideal curing conditions for better concrete, and standardize measurements through mass production. However, because precast, prestressed concrete must be shipped to the jobsite, it can contribute to higher transportation costs. In addition, it comes with…

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QMC machines 30-ton tractor mount boom truck

QMC Cranes’ new tractor mount boom truck, the 4554S, affords manufactured-concrete producers the ability to deliver oversized payloads with an unencumbered trailer and no overhead interference. The crane has a 30-ton lifting capacity and a 54-ft. long, three-section boom with 50-ft. maximum working radius. Main and auxiliary outriggers spread 20 feet and 12 feet.  Other product features include a high…

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AmeriTex secures upward of $400 million in credit facilities with U.S. Bank

Sources: AmeriTex Holdings LLC, Seguin, Texas; CP staff AmeriTex Pipe and Products LLC, Texas’ top independent concrete drainage structures operator, has closed $380 million in Senior Secured Credit Facilities with U.S. Bank National Association, joining $35 million in current Subordinated Notes with Prudential Capital Partners LP. The credit lines will enable the producer to continue building volume and other capabilities…

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L.B. Foster deepens precast market stake in VanHooseCo asset deal

Sources: L.B. Foster Co., Pittsburgh; CP staff L.B. Foster subsidiary CXT Inc., a key player in prestressed concrete railroad ties with additional presence in precast geared for transportation markets, has acquired the operating assets of VanHooseCo Precast LLC. With a payroll of 100, the Loudon, Tenn. independent specializes in wall, drainage and conventional precast elements or structures for industrial, commercial…

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Clark Pacific halves embodied carbon in new mix design offering

Sources: Clark Pacific, West Sacramento, Calif.; CP staff Clark Pacific, a top West Coast precast, prestressed concrete and design-build operator, has announced Carbonshield, a mix with 50 percent less embodied carbon than conventional concrete alternatives. By leveraging factory-controlled, accelerated curing techniques, Carbonshield offers the same performance as traditional mixes with significantly less portland cement, and affords architects and their clients…

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Market researcher tracks structural precast against C-I-P, steel alternatives

Structural building components lead annual precast shipments and are on pace to exhibit nearly 6 percent annual growth over the next five years, according to “Precast Concrete Products,” a new analysis from Cleveland market researcher Freedonia Group. When specified for slabs, columns, foundations, or full building systems, precast concrete reduces costs in certain construction conditions and lowers site labor requirements. 

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Veneer stone nails top award criteria at International Builders’ Show

Evolve Stone Mortarless Series manufactured stone veneer, cast to enable installation with pneumatic nail guns, took Most Innovative Building Material and Best of Show honors in the National Association of Home Builders’ Best of IBS Awards program. Awards in eight categories were presented to 2022 International Builders’ Show exhibitors with a product embodying “the best combination of design, functionality and…

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