The Concrete Producer articles from July 2006

The Concrete Producer archives from July 2006

A very, very fine house.(Editorial)
July 1, 2006... You know you're getting old when the songs from your youth become effective marketing tools. In fact, I think there should be a law against using our private songs to urge us to spend our money. We should be allowed to retain some sense of...

A first for Ductal concrete.(highway bridge with ductal ultra-high performance concrete )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... At first glance, there doesn't seem to be anything special about a mew bridge in the Hawkeye State. So why did scores of engineers and construction professionals gather for its opening? The Mars Hill Bridge in Wapello County, Iowa, is the...

Fundraiser fore! CIM.(In the Mix)
July 1, 2006... A golf tournament in May raised more than $103,000 for the Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program's new building project at Middle Tennessee State University. There were 35 sponsors for the event, including Hanley Wood, publisher of TCP....

Holcim awards.(In the Mix)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Two projects won the top Gold prizes in the global Holcim sustainable construction competition. The winning projects involved upgrading and integrating urban infrastructure in the shantytown of San Rafael-Unido in Caracas, Venezuela, and...

Cemstone adds Lambert plants.(In the Mix)(Cemstone Products Company Inc. acquires Lambert Ready Mix s plants )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Cemstone has acquired Lambert Ready Mix s plants in Aitkin, Isle, Pequot Lakes, Sand Lake, and Rock Creek in Minnesota. "The addition of Lambert Ready Mix operations will enhance our service to a large portion of north Minnesota," said Tim...

Batching software supplier Command Alkon hosted more than 400 producer customers at its annual Customer Conference in Las Vegas in spring.(In the Mix)
July 1, 2006... Batching software supplier Command Alkon hosted more than 400 producer customers at its annual Customer Conference in Las Vegas in spring. In addition to Command Alkon, 45 manufacturers exhibited their products at the trade show. Visit...

Nevada concrete plants sold.(In the Mix)
July 1, 2006... Silver State Materials of Las Vegas bought the southern Nevada concrete production and distribution business of All Star Aggregates. The sale involves five concrete plants, including portable installations. All Star Aggregates will continue to...

NRMCA.(Associations in the Mix)
July 1, 2006... The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) elected Peter Brewin its new chairman, succeeding Hale Ritchie. Brewin is president of Trinity Industries Concrete & Aggregates Group in Dallas. He will lead the new board, which includes...

CRSI.(Associations in the Mix)
July 1, 2006... The Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) appointed Robert Risser president. He had been executive director and CEO of the Michigan Concrete Paving Association. Visit www.crsi.org.

P2P: establishing a quality standard.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... To paraphrase and to agree with Mr. Neuber, NRMCA is here to protect its members. That's the reason an association exists. An important part of this member service is to help members control their product and support their business activities....

P2P opportunities enormous.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... As a producer and engineer, the real stumbling block with progressing the P2P initiative forward is not with the producers (suppliers) and not with the contractors--it is with the A/E and specifying community. The origination of the...

Take talking seriously.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... I read your article ("Talking Away," May 2006, p. 30) and have some concerns. It seems you thought it was cute that the drivers were talking while driving and that you condoned it. After seeing our mixer drivers and gravel train drivers talking...

Upcoming conferences & events.(Calendar)
July 1, 2006... 2006 Southeast Building Conference This Florida Home Builders Association's 28th Annual Southeast Building Conference takes place Aug. 2-5 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. This year's theme, Your Driving Force to Success,...

Managing with intelligence: get an insider's look at the residential projects in the hottest markets.(E-CONCRETE)
July 1, 2006... While commercial development might be an important part of the concrete industry's market, producers continue to closely monitor the state of residential building. As commercial sales sagged the last few years, the residential side of the...

Greening cement your way: you can customize local ingredients to create an environmentally friendly cement.(What's New)
July 1, 2006... Researchers from the School of Engineering, Cardiff University, in Great Britain are hoping their review process will help producers become proactive in making their concrete greener. Organized as Celtic Cement Technology Limited (CCTL), the...

Doing your decorative homework.(Problem Clinic)
July 1, 2006... Q. One of our best contractor customers has decided to enter the decorative concrete business. He's convinced that by forming a work crew whose sole purpose is decorative work, he can dramatically grow his business. His crews have a...

Safety versus production: the cost of accidents outweighs any gains in production.
July 1, 2006... Back when I was a corporate environmental, health, and safety officer, I made routine visits to our facilities to observe practices and to offer recommendations on improving safety. I remember one particular visit. The plant manager greeted me...

Boom or bust: prosperity or recession? The trick is to tame inflation without causing a recession.(Concrete Returns)
July 1, 2006... I am not an economist; I am just an investment banker trying to keep my finger on the pulse of our national and global economy. And I am as confused as ever on the outlook for the rest of this year and into 2007. Certain economic...

Keeping it honest: your ethics are as important as the quality of your material.
July 1, 2006... Do you ever give thanks for the amount of work you get? In the last few years there are very few days most of us aren't dispatching truckloads of concrete, whether it's to a tower crane project, the warehouse project that keeps that wonderful...

From committee to Cartel: concrete executives must be wary when discussing business among themselves.(Cover story)
July 1, 2006... In today's business climate, managers are likely to be judged by the company they keep. At a time when the public's distrust of business may be at an all-time high, thanks to daily stories about Enron, WorldCom, and others, many legal experts...

A new kind of concrete code: ACI 332-04 establishes new footing and foundation standards that work for builders and contractors.
July 1, 2006... Construction codes can often be a source of frustration for designers and contractors. Codes provide the minimum requirements to ensure that structures withstand the test of time and provide life safety. However, codes can become so complex...

A new standard: the J-ring method is simple and will improve the quality of self-consolidating concrete.
July 1, 2006... A new standard, designed to help testing engineers assess the passing ability of self-consolidating concrete (SCC), will benefit concrete producers, specifiers, and researchers alike. ASTM recently released the Self-Consolidating Concrete...

Building dreams & market share: a Nebraska block producer brings reality marketing home with hardscapes.(casting trends)
July 1, 2006... Lisa Lackovic is all business, even when she's watching television. What is idle time for most of us is actual research for the marketing manager at Watkins Concrete Block Co. in Omaha, Neb. During her research, Lackovic uncovered the...

Paver products meet the challenge.(casting trends)
July 1, 2006... The market for interlocking concrete pavers continues to strengthen. Thanks, in part, to marketing efforts and events like the Ultimate Backyard Challenge on p. 46, customers are demanding increasingly different styles and looks to show they...

Building sales: expand your market with building systems.(Product Pulse)
July 1, 2006... Offering area home builders new concrete building systems is another way to expand a producer's market, increase productivity, and add to the bottom line. Concrete's treasured values of durability, flexibility, and strength are being included...

In with the new.(Mack Trucks Inc. enhances truck engines compliant to EPA requirements)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Following its announcement of the MP7 engine in late 2005, Mack Trucks has been working hard to eliminate the drastic engine shortages that accompanied the last round of engine changes due to the enforcement of tighter EPA emission...

Engine update seminars.(Fleet Factors)
July 1, 2006... Sterling Truck Corp. is offering its EPA 2007 Seminar Series around the nation. Hosted by Sterling, in conjunction with Freightliner LLC and Detroit Diesel, the seminars explain the federal government's new emissions standards and 2007 engine...

Know the rules for idling.(engine idling laws)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Local and state environmental agencies have made unnecessary idling even more unprofitable. Fifteen states and dozens of counties have passed laws that restrict the amount of time a vehicle can idle its main engine. The U.S. EPA has posted...

Summer relief.(Fleet Factors)
July 1, 2006... Fleet managers know the importance of smooth summer operations. One important piece of equipment you can't afford to be without is the front-end loader. Replacing a worn bucket or boom pin bearing can put the machine out of commission longer...

Tumblemaster.(Producer Products showcase)
July 1, 2006... Revolutionary and novel aging plant for concrete pavers, the "Tumblemaster". It finishes complete layers of concrete pavers (60-100 mm) on both sides in-line with a cycle time of 10 seconds. Daily capacity 25000 sq.ft. Phone (905) 575-4440,...

Heavy-duty pneumatic liftrucks.(Producer Products showcase)
July 1, 2006... The P-Series is the one of the most compact, heavy-duty pneumatic liftrucks in the industry. The low-profile counterweight is shorter in height and length than most liftrucks in its class allowing better visibility and tighter turning. Standard...

Admixtures for colored concrete.(Producer Products showcase)
July 1, 2006... Award winning projects begin with award winning materials. CHROMIX[R] Admixtures for Color-Conditioned[TM] Concrete are colored, water-reducing, set-controlling admixtures for ready mixed architectural concrete. Coloring concrete integrally,...

A special person: a unique form of teamwork helps this ESOP succeed.(Women in Concrete)
July 1, 2006... If you walked through the offices or manufacturing areas of Stone Construction Equipment at just the right time, you might see something different. Each day, employees huddle to discuss workload, problems, and successes. More than just gossip,...