The Concrete Producer articles from July 2002

The Concrete Producer archives from July 2002

A new recipe for a new, bigger market. (Editorial).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... My favorite area manager at my former employer, Tom Hepburn of Material Service Corp., told me an old story about a newlywed young woman who was in the process of preparing her first meal for her parents in her own house. Wanting to prove to...

Cast stone award winners blend right in. (News).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... The cast stone industry prides itself on the ability of its product to blend into its surroundings while improving those surroundings, whether they're in the structure itself or on the nearby landscape. The two winners chosen in the Cast Stone...

PCA launches educational foundation. (News).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... The Portland Cement Association (PCA) has established a new foundation to help finance education in the cement and concrete industries and includes university research fellowships, career recruitment, and training. At its first meeting,...

Grace seeks a bigger manufactured concrete presence. (News).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Last March, W.R. Grace & Co. announced that it had acquired the business and assets of Addiment Inc. of Doraville, Ga. Terms were not disclosed. Grace purchased the wholly owned subsidiary of Lehigh Cement Co., which is part of the...

E-business revisited: even before getting an essential common language, the industry is using the eb to fundamentally change. (E-concrete).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... More than one media figure has noted that society hasn't labeled the 1990s as it has others, e.g., "the '80s Decade of Greed" and "the '70s Me Generation." (And what the heck would you call our current decade? Someone suggested "the Zips.") I...

Sounding for concrete stiffness: a university research team develops an ultrasonic concrete maturity field test. (What's New).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Someday in the future, the concrete producer and an expectant mother may have something in common. Both may employ ultrasonic waves to monitor the progress of "construction." At least that's what researchers hope at the Center for Advanced...

Lower strength with fibers? (Troubleshooting).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Q. A participant in Aggregate Research Industries' Industry Forum (www.aggregateresearch.com/forum) recently posted an interesting question that has challenged our industry since fibers were introduced. The participant started by stating that...

Diminishing returns: funny how too much air plus too much water--which are bad for concrete--equals suds. (As the Drum Turns).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Because U Deserve What Every Individual Should Enjoy Regularly. Know what word might stand for this phrase? If you do, you are one of the many in the construction industry who regularly partakes of the nectar of the barley. Drinking beer...

The `green housing effect': sustainable building structures may lead producers to a greater share of the growing housing market. (Hot markets: New York).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Americans have always been influenced by trends that appear on the European continent. Clothing fashions, music, and even cars have at one time or another influenced the ways that go-getters have spent money. Now there's a trend--or perhaps...

Hitting the big time: local producers help Middle Tennessee State's CIM program to reach a growth stage. (Hot markets: Nashville).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... It used to be that someone joining the management team at a concrete production company got an "education" consisting of a few pointers on dispatching duties from a soon-to-retire co-worker. In many places, education meant tradition. Other than...

A real battle: as the school sector heats up, Southern California block producers try to convey their product's cost-effectiveness. (Hot markets: Southern California).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... It may seem as though the door is wide open to getting the clear advantages of concrete masonry specified in Southern California's school sector, but in reality, members of the Concrete Masonry Association of California and Nevada (CMACN) have...

Fills voids, blemishes on precast concrete. (Products for the Producer).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... PipeWipe is chemically engineered to produce a "sack-rubbed" finish on pipe and other types of precast concrete by filling in the smallest voids and blemishes. According to the company, this cement-finish compound can be wiped or painted onto...

High-capacity stressing jack. (Products for the Producer).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... The new Hercules Model C stressing jack is capable of pulling both 0.600-270K and 0.700-300K pre-stressing strand. The Model C uses the same control panel design as the standard Hercules model, so worker transition is minimal. The Hercules...

Highly productive rebar bender. (Products for the Producer).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Designed for easy single-hand operation, the heavy-duty Simplex system features a hydraulic pump and is available with one to three interchangeable power heads for bending (by pushing or pulling) or cutting of #3 to #6 Grade 60 rebar in 3-6...

Stylish, ergonomic safety eyewear. (Products for the Producer).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... This manufacturer offers its Safari model of safety glasses, which features a sleek 7 base polycarbonate lens that exceeds ANSI protection requirements and wraps stylishly around the wearer's face. Ergonomic temples position snugly behind each...

Creates two-sided rock-faced wall panels. (Products for the Producer).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... This company offers a slotted-post mold that lets precasters create double-sided rock-faced wall panels. This unique one-piece polypropylene mold comes with a steel support channel to ensure production of a quality panel every time. The wall...

Various diamond tools. (Products for the Producer).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... This Spanish manufacturer of diamond tools has 40 years of experience and makes wet and dry diamond blades, wall saw blades, core bits, masonry blades, and wire saws. The company's products have been successfully introduced in more than 40...

Quiet, easily controllable space heaters. (Products for the Producer).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... The VG400 temporary heating unit has been redesigned to provide many new advantages in the field. The unit inputs 400,000 BTUs per hour and has a rated efficiency of 90%. Upgrades include quieter operation, better thermostatic control, a lower...

Custom-designed wastewater treatment. (Products for the Producer).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Custom-designed water clarification/ dewatering systems help concrete producers solve their specific wastewater problems. A system might require a combination of technologies such as separation, clarification or thickening, and mechanical...

Boom pump's outriggers suit tight spaces. (Products for the Producer).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... The XXT36 Dragonfly is a truck-mounted 36-meter boom pump with a "Dragonfly XX" outrigger design that allows setup and operation in extremely tight situations. In this design, the front and rear outrigger legs are attached at a single pivot...

Portable dust-control systems. (Products for the Producer).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... All models in the Dustcontrol series are designed around the "source-capture method" to prevent more than 95% of dust from becoming airborne. This is achieved by using a high-velocity, low-volume vacuum system with special casings surrounding a...

Profiting from the tax laws: two recent changes in the depreciation schedule may encourage producer capital purchases. (Fleet Factors).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... For many fleet managers, financial considerations and not field problems dictate approval of new truck and equipment purchases. So when Congress enacts a major change in the income tax rules that's intended to encourage capital investment, it...