Precast wall systems match residential, commercial and earth-retaining sites

Residential

VanHooseCo Precast, LLC recently launched a production licensing program for proprietary wall systems. Engineered for residential and commercial building, plus earth-retaining applications, they are based on EnvirOcast structural panel templates, with vertical and horizontal concrete studs and bond beams imparting flexural and shear capacity. System licensees can offer various face finish options, including patterns from brick or stone form liners. VanHooseCo Precast will promote licensing options for these systems at the 2017 Precast Show (March 2-4, Cleveland):

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Market recovery brings residential, commercial builders higher margins, expanded payrolls

Source: L.E.K. Consulting, Chicago

In its fifth annual Contractor Behavior Study, global management consultant L.E.K. confirms residential and commercial construction market momentum, vendor/supplier loyalty based on criteria other than price, and increasing adoption of mobile technology sales and management tools.

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Lafarge eyes $60M prairie province precast capacity upgrade

Lafarge eyes $60M prairie province precast capacity upgrade

Growing demand in energy, infrastructure, commercial and residential markets is driving Lafarge Canada’s planned doubling of output capability at its Edmonton precast operation, enclosure groundbreaking and equipment delivery scheduled for 2014. An investment upward of $60 million will see the addition of plant automation technology, including robotics and full-scale computer-aided design and fabrication.

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Lead forecaster confirms positive construction trends

Source: FMI, Raleigh, N.C.

In its Q1-2014 Construction Outlook, management consulting and investment banking services provider FMI tracks construction put-in-place activity, projected at 8 percent growth this year over 2013, and offers an early gauge on key sectors:

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PLYCEM ADDS FIBER CEMENT SIDING IN SAINT-GOBAIN DEAL

Paris-based Saint-Gobain anticipates a firstquarter 2014 closing on the sale of its RoaringRiver, N.C.; Terre Haute, Ind.; and, WhiteCity, Ore., fiber cement siding facilities toAlpharetta, Ga.-based Plycem USA Inc., whichdistributes fiber cement trim sourced from aCosta Rica plant.

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Housing rebound supports strong outlook for fiber cement products

Source: Freedonia Group, Cleveland

Demand in the U.S. for fiber cement products is forecast to increase 8.5 percent annually through 2017 to 2.9 billion sq. ft. (valued at $2.2 billion), according to Fiber Cement, a new study from market researcher Freedonia Group.

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Lafarge eyes $60M prairie province precast capacity upgrade

Source: Lafarge Canada, Inc., Calgary

Growing demand in energy, infrastructure, commercial and residential markets is driving Lafarge Canada’s planned doubling of output capability at its Edmonton precast operation, enclosure groundbreaking and equipment delivery scheduled for 2014. An investment upward of $60 million will see the addition of plant automation technology, including robotics and full-scale computer-aided design and fabrication.

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