The Concrete Producer articles from November 2004

The Concrete Producer archives from November 2004

More of the same, but why?(Editorial)(Editorial)
November 1, 2004... I've been told I need to get with the flow of the new basketball game. It's not a big thing. To move up to ref the big games, I need to adapt a softer style of reporting fouls. Or so I'm told. When play stops after a whistle for a foul,...

Schedule this: dispatcher training.(concrete, covering issues)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The annual Fall Dispatcher Training Forum hosted by NRMCA takes place Nov. 16-18 at the RMC Research Foundation Education Center in Silver Spring, Md. The forum begins with the basics of concrete, covering issues such as mix designs, handling,...

Concrete, masonry standards released.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) recently made available construction standards covering concrete and masonry work. The A10.9-1997 (R2004) standard, "Safety Requirements for Masonry and Concrete Work," covers concrete...

Boral makes Denver deal.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Boral Limited will pay $78 million for Ready Mixed Concrete Co., a ready-mixed concrete, quarry, and masonry operation, and the assets of Owens Brothers Concrete, a ready-mixed concrete and quarry business. This makes Boral the third...

Mixer inventor honored.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Stephen Stepanian, inventor of the self-discharging, rotating drum mixer that revolutionized the concrete industry, was named one of the leading transportation construction figures of the 20th century. The American Road & Transportation...

International Spa & Pool Expo 2004.(Upcoming Conferences & Events)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
November 1, 2004... No event brings together all of the elements of the backyard living industry like Hanley Wood LLC's International Spa & Poll Expo. Exhibits at this year's event will be open Dec. 1-3; the conference begins Nov. 30. The expo will feature scores...

SCC insurance: the technology gives specifiers an additional comfort level.(self-consolidating concrete)
November 1, 2004... You might call insurance a "necessary evil." You can't own a home or drive a car without it. When life moves along smoothly and you don't make a claim, you wonder why you you're paying for it in the first place. If you do make a claim, it...

Keeping the moisture out: the manufacturer's technicians can troubleshoot from their offices in Germany.(What's New)
November 1, 2004... Every day, producers go through tremendous efforts to batch concrete at the optimum mix design. They buy the best-quality ingredients at the right price. They invest in high-tech production equipment, and they train their staffs. But all of...

Quickening cycle times: investment decreases the time for an idea to become reality.(Fleet Factors)
November 1, 2004... When Roger Jable walks through his testing lab, he's searching for failure. "We'd rather have a component prematurely break on our lab machine than on a customer's truck," says Jable, the director of engineering for Hendrickson International's...

A mix design's ingredients.(Problem Clinic)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Q. What can we tell our contractor-customers who insist on a low water-cement ratio but who then complain the concrete is difficult to finish? A. The water-cement ratio is only one variable in a concrete mix design. While it is important,...

Backfill timing.(Concrete construction)
November 1, 2004... Q. One of our customers wants to reduce construction time on a job that will include several concrete retaining walls. They've asked us how quickly they can backfill these walls and how much sooner they can do that if they use a high...

A plea for safety: why do we need to be reminded to live our lives safely?(As the Drum Turns)
November 1, 2004... I was in a breakfast meeting with a customer a few weeks ago when one of the plant managers called. Bad news, he said. A driver had rolled a mixer truck while in our yard. (Doesn't this guy ever have a normal, quiet day, you're probably...

A breath of fresh air: Georgia producers chip away at a potential silicosis problem.(Safety and security measures)(Cover Story)
November 1, 2004... There's a new breeze in the air when it comes to safety. Safety professionals like Jim Simpson, Jon Swierenga, and Paul Fly believe common safety problems need to be shared before they can he solved. On issues like job-specific silica...

Safety awarded: more than 500 of the 685 plants that entered the contest won awards.
November 1, 2004... The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association Safety Contest is a safety performance and incentive/award program aimed to foster safe practices at ready mixed concrete plants across the nation. THE CONCRETE PRODUCER is a co-sponsor. Before...

Where corn and concrete meet: a producer meets the challenge of a continuous pour at a new ethanol plant.(R&I)
November 1, 2004... There's not much that's easy about a continuous, five-day pour. Everything has to go right and there's little margin for error. There are no second chances. Things were touring along swimmingly last December for Kevin Murray, general...

Reclaim, recycle, reuse.(Product Pulse)
November 1, 2004... Wouldn't it be great if every ounce of concrete your ready-mix trucks delivered was used at the jobsite? We know that would make our jobs easier, but unfortunately, it's just not the case. Fortunately, several manufacturers offer a wide...

ERMC mesh benders.(Producer Products showcase)
November 1, 2004... Steel is expensive and so is the freight to transport it. Why take delivery of pre-bent mesh when you can bend your own, on your jobsite? ERMC mesh benders are designed to bend the full range of mesh, in virtually any width and any angle up to...

Price breakthrough for dust collectors.(Producer Products showcase)
November 1, 2004... Filter Technology Ltd. has engineered a reliable filtration system that does the same job as carbon steel at a competitive cost. The low density rotationally molded polyethylene body in the 5-Ft. model accepts from 16 to 37 filters for air...

Measure color ... measure quality.(Producer Products showcase)
November 1, 2004... For 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...

Form release agent.(Producer Products showcase)
November 1, 2004... RO396 is a non-hazardous, non D.O.T. regulated, safe to use form release agent. RO396 will deliver clean, positive stripping, eliminate bug holes and prevent corrosion in all temperatures. This easy to use, VOC compliant product is formulated...

Ready-mix management software.(Producer Products showcase)
November 1, 2004... Scale-Tron's RediLink software controls the entire procedure of ready-mix concrete production, including order entry, dispatching, invoicing and mix design formulation. It is a multi-computer, multi-location system that can run on a single...

Concrete stamping tools.(Producer Products showcase)
November 1, 2004... 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,...

Gantry cranes.(Producer Products showcase)
November 1, 2004... Shuttlelift Gantry cranes are available in capacities from 15 ton to 1,000 ton. Some features on our crones include; an exclusively designed pivot trunion for improved mobility over uneven terrain, two or four-wheel drive, radio remote control...

Dexterous drivers.(In the Mix)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Forty-one drivers demonstrated their skills at Moraine Materials Co.'s Fourth Annual Track Rodeo. More than 550 employees and family members attended the Franklin, Ohio, producer's combined summer picnic and rodeo. Events included a serpentine...

'Not Quite There'.(In the Mix)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... For those of us who know him, Greg Vickers often seems to have an answer for everything. Now he even answers his own question: "Who's got the time to keep dreams alive?" Vickers recently fulfilled one of his dreams when he released "Not...

RMC Research Foundation.(Associations In the Mix)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The foundation named Julie Luther its first executive director. She most recently was senior vice president of NRMCA. The RMC Research Foundation, a non-profit organization in cooperation with NRMCA, is dedicated to the continuous research and...

ACPA.(American Concrete Pipe Association)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The American Concrete Pipe Association has made its QCast Plant Certification Program available to state departments of transportation and other local agencies for concrete pipe acceptance requirements. The Qcast program requires participating...

PCA.(Associations In the Mix)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Thomas Gibson was named the Portland Cement Association's senior vice president, government affairs. He will head PCA's Washington, D.C. office and represent the association before Congress and the Administration. Gibson most recently served as...

ISEA.(Associations In the Mix)
November 1, 2004... The recently updated "American National Standard for Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices," ANSI Z87.1-2003, is now available from the International Safety Equipment Association. The Z87 standard gives minimum...