The Concrete Producer articles from May 2005

The Concrete Producer archives from May 2005

Marketing quality.(Editorial)(Editorial)
May 1, 2005... For a few minutes, my about-to-be college graduate really thought old Dad had become hip. We were walking along St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans on the way to our favorite restaurant, when I pulled out a bottle of water from my backpack. Its...

CSI: Las Vegas.(American Petrographic Services)
May 1, 2005... This was not your typical murder mystery you might see on prime time television. Or was it? Detectives with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department had a concrete sarcophagus and the body that it had entombed, but they had little...

Lafarge V.P. elected to Wildlife post.(News)
May 1, 2005... David Carroll, vice president, environment, for Lafarge North America, was elected chairman of the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) in March. David Carroll is a visionary leader for achieving effective and efficient environmental management, said...

Oshkosh acquires competitor.(News)
May 1, 2005... Oshkosh Truck Corp. has bought London Machinery Corp., a manufacturer of ready-mix trucks based in London, Ontario. This acquisition provides us with an opportunity to enhance our product offering and service coverage to the Canadian market,...

New Degussa managers.(News)
May 1, 2005... Degussa Admixtures Inc. has named two new managers to support research, product development, and materials testing efforts in the admixture supplier's Cleveland laboratory. Dr. Eric Casmer has joined Degussa as group manager for product...

Concrete groups unite.(Ready Mixed Concrete Organization of the Americas)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Western hemisphere ready-mixed groups have announced plans to form the Ready Mixed Concrete Organization of the Americas (RMCOA). The NRMCA, Canadian Ready Mixed Concrete Association (CRMCA), and Federacion Iberoamericana del Hormigon...

Upcoming conferences & events.(calendar )(Calendar)
May 1, 2005... World of Concrete Mexico After its successful 2004 debut, World of Concrete Mexico once again takes place at the state-of-the-art Centro Banamex in Mexico City. From June 15-17, the best technologies in machinery, equipment, commercial...

Online sustainability.(sustainable products)(certification programs)(1to3.org)(www.sustainabledirectory.org)
May 1, 2005... Sometimes it's hard to distinguish a passing fad from the real thing. Almost everyone now recognizes that the Internet, cyberspace, and World Wide Web are here to stay. But didn't they say the same thing about Hulahoops, pet rocks, and Rubik's...

Pollution solution.(concrete washout material)
May 1, 2005... Producers know that one of the most important discussion points in almost every prejob meeting is where do the trucks get cleaned out? General contractors and producers are finding themselves being watched closely to determine if they are...

Training your mechanics: ask your vendors what kind of training they provide.(Fleet Factors)
May 1, 2005... Although finding training for mechanics can be a problem for some publicly-owned fleets, it's not really a challenge for Harold Roethle, fleet manager for Prairie Material Sales, a concrete producer based in Bridgeview, Ill. Prairie is a...

Preventing sand streaking: controlling entrained air content.(maintain the building)
May 1, 2005... Q. We make precast septic tanks and often get water trails on the tank surfaces, even though we use admixtures. Is there a way to avoid these, or will they always have some trails? A. The condition you describe is called sand streaking, and...

Thoughts of spring: despite fuel costs, hope springs eternal this construction season.
May 1, 2005... Ah, springtime. That wonderful time of the year when we realize finally, just maybe, we hope, that the cold weather is about over. It's great when issues like heating bins, frozen aggregate, and worrying about freezing waterlines on the trucks...

Raising the standard: using ISO 9000 to improve performance.(International Organization for Standardization)
May 1, 2005... When it comes to dealing with third-party scrutiny, J.D. Collins is an expert. During the college basketball season, he enjoys the rigors and responsibility being of an NCAA basketball official. This spring, Collins traveled the country...

Eliminating the guessing: how much cement really weigh, and how should it be counted in the batching process?(Lattimore Materials Co)
May 1, 2005... One of the most important quality control tests routinely perform is calculating yield. Accuracy is important for the proper payment that is based on volume (cubic yards) when the ingredients are measured by weight. In recent years, issues...

Power buying: a buying cooperative might give you the leverage you need.
May 1, 2005... Concrete producers face several challenges. Customers demand continuously higher levels of service. Regulatory compliance is becoming more stringent. Health care costs and other employee benefits are a growing burden. Material and fuel costs...

Patching concrete pipe: proper surface preparation is the key to a successful repair.(casting trends)
May 1, 2005... Even with the best equipment and careful production techniques, producers may find themselves dealing with a surface defect on a concrete element that will require a quick fix. Proper patching is easy to accomplish when the repairman takes...

Reinforcing savings: switching to hoop reinforcement can save producers money.(casting trends)
May 1, 2005... Material costs have affected construction costs and they are increasing for everyone. Concrete products prices rose 2.6% in January 2005, the largest monthly increase in more than a year, according to that month's Producer Price Index. ...

Silo management software.(Holding Their Own)
May 1, 2005... SiloWeigh.Net is an inventory management and control system that allows producers to monitor the weight of material in silos or vessels located across a very wide area. The information can be used to predict when deliveries will be necessary....

Aerators for dry bulk solids.(Holding Their Own)
May 1, 2005... VibraPad aerators from Cyclonaire are designed to increase the rate and consistency of flow for dry bulk materials. They are economical and come in kits for easy installation in bins, hoppers, silos, and bulk carriers. They combine fluidizing...

Eliminate bin overflow.(Holding Their Own)
May 1, 2005... The Binatrol diaphragm switch can be used to eliminate bin overflow, maintain a predetermined material level, indicate plugging of chutes or conveyors, or provide other controls. The flush-mount switch is designed for use in applications where...

Tracks bin movement.(Holding Their Own)
May 1, 2005... The SmartWave is an accurate, noiseless, self-adjusting pulse radar transmitter. It adjusts microwave pulse amplitude and its width to target distance and reflection properties up to 100 feet. The receiver alters its sensitivity with the...

A book for floor problems.(Concrete Floors and Moisture book by Howard M. Kanare )(Brief Article)(Book Review)
May 1, 2005... Unwanted moisture in concrete floors causes millions of dollars in damage to buildings annually in the United States. Problems from excessive moisture include deterioration and debonding of floor coverings, trip-and-fall hazards, microbial...

10 % off Filter Media sale!(Producer Products showcase)
May 1, 2005... C&W Manufacturing is having a huge Filter Media Kit sale from May 1- May 31st 2005. Don't miss the huge savings! Replace all the filter media in your Dust Collector, and receive a volume discount of 10% off! Call C&W today at (800) 880-DUST!...

Posi-Turner[R] rotation beams.(Producer Products showcase)
May 1, 2005... This Posi-Turner[R] quickly, easily, and safely rotates concrete molds from the pour position to the stripping position and back again in minutes. Posi-Turner's can be used for any application that required mold or product rotation in the...

Tumblemaster.(Producer Products showcase)
May 1, 2005... 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,...

Measure color ... measure quality.(Producer Products showcase)
May 1, 2005... Far more reliable than visual inspection, the portable MiniScan XE Plus color measurement instrument provides quantitative results. It is ideal for measuring the color of your concrete product. One-handed, fully portable operation Stores...

Molecular Cement Dissolver.(Producer Products showcase)
May 1, 2005... "Back-Set" Molecular Cement Dissolver is a unique acid alternative formulated by RoMix, Inc. "Back-Set" works on the molecular level breaking down the ionic bond of the portland cement, turning it to a rinse free mud! "Back-Set" is...

Admixtures for colored concrete.(Producer Products showcase)
May 1, 2005... 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,...

Mixer drums & accessories.(Producer Products showcase)
May 1, 2005... 400 brinnell drums. Reduced Weight= Increased Payload. Here at Shumaker Industries we are concluding a study on the abrasion resistant qualities of domestically milled AR400 steel. In 1998 we introduced several test drums into the market that...

Super strong 22 Kp lifting system.(Producer Products showcase)
May 1, 2005... Our popular Ring System is available in 15 Kp and 22 Kp capacities. The all new 22 Kp system has all of the advantages of our 15 Kp version, including reliability, ease of use and spall-free lifting. Simply add the inserts before curing, move...

NRMCA: another 75 years and a new look.(National Ready Mixed Concrete Association )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association put on quite a showing at its 2005 Annual Convention at The Venetian in Las Vegas in March, just before the ConexpoCon/Agg show. (Look for coverage of that huge show on this page in July.) ...