transportation – Page 4 – Concrete Products

ROAD BUILDERS CONCUR WITH WHITE HOUSE ON TRANSPORTATION FUNDING REAUTHORIZATION

April 1, 2014 Concrete News

A campaign to spotlight the potential for Highway Trust Fund insolvency indicates a decreasing federal share—presently $.52 for every $1—of state department of transportation investments in highway and bridge capital improvements. Here, ARTBA tracks the actual federal/state share coast to coast.

The American Road and Transportation Builders Association reacted favorably to the Obama administration’s FY 2015 budget, released early last month, which recommends investing $90.9 billion in transportation improvements, a proposed $18.6 billion over the FY 2014 amount, or a 25.7 percent increase. In a follow up to the president’s late-February outline MAP-21 reauthorization priorities, the administration again called for a four-year, $302 billion surface transportation program from FY 2015 through FY 2018.

Lead forecaster confirms positive construction trends

April 1, 2014 Concrete News

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:

NPCA projects 6 percent growth in 2014 precast shipments

January 29, 2014 Concrete News

Source: National Precast Concrete Association, Carmel, Ind.

Based on data from its recently released Precast Industry Benchmarking Report and leading forecasters, NPCA projects U.S. producers’ shipments increasing this year to $16.8 billion from $15.9 billion in 2013, the 6 percent gain modest against higher overall construction growth in 2014.

FHWA evolves Highway Materials Engineering Course

January 6, 2014 CP Staff

The Federal Highway Administration is extensively revising its Highway Materials Engineering Academy, which for 20 years has prepared transportation agency staff to develop specifications and guidance; make effective project acceptance decisions; and, design, construct and maintain assets to achieve long service life.

Road Builders Economist Projects Moderate Growth For 2014

January 6, 2014 CP Staff

Factoring a modest increase in construction costs, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) projects that the overall U.S. transportation infrastructure construction market will grow 5 percent this year, to $135.8 billion from $129 billion in 2013.

CSHub Investments’ Ripple Effect

January 6, 2014 Don Marsh

A new roadmap shows how European Union cement interests, with much customer assistance, can clip carbon dioxide output from 1990 levels by 80 percent at mid-century. The ambitious goal fits the European Cement Association, based in Brussels—ground zero of carbon trading schemes, voluntary initiatives and regulatory pursuits aimed at net CO2 emissions reduction across the business and consumer landscape. It hinges on improvements in fuel- and energy-intensive cement milling, coupled with promotion of the energy or fuel efficiency inherent in concrete building and transportation slabs or structures.

Obama talks transportation funding, Jobs Act at Hilltop Concrete

October 31, 2011 CP Staff

With a rickety, steel trestle bridge as a backdrop, President Obama told a late-September gathering at Hilltop Concrete’s downtown Cincinnati plant, “We used to have the best infrastructure in the world.

Obama talks transportation funding, Jobs Act at Hilltop Concrete

September 23, 2011 Concrete News

Sources: White House press staff; National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.; Hilltop Basic Resources, Cincinnati; CP staff

With a rickety, steel trestle bridge as a backdrop, President Obama told a September 22 gathering at Hilltop Concrete’s downtown Cincinnati plant, “We used to have the best infrastructure in the world. We’re the country that built the Intercontinental Railroad, Interstate Highway System, Hoover Dam [and] Grand Central Station.”