The Concrete Producer articles from September 2003

The Concrete Producer archives from September 2003

Don't be caught in the middle.(Editorial)(Editorial)
September 1, 2003... As I reviewed the articles for this month's edition, the feature story reminded me of my worst managerial experiences, while at the same time reminding me of just how much most producers' situations have changed. The scene played out at...

Concrete canoes: race to the finish.(News)
September 1, 2003... Collegians raced concrete canoes at Franklin D. Roosevelt Park in Philadelphia, part of the three-day American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)/ Master Builders Inc. (MBT) National Concrete Canoe Competition. Drexel University hosted the 16th...

Lifetime Achievement winner announced.(News)(American Society of Concrete Contractors Lifetime Achievement Award to Dan Anderson)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Dan Anderson will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Concrete Contractors on Sept. 18 at the ASCC Annual Conference in Dallas. The award recognizes individuals for their furthering concrete construction. ...

Legislation could benefit ready-mix vehicles.(News)(Fuel Tax Equalization Credit for Substantial Power Takeoff Vehicles Act )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Members of congress are pushing for legislation that would remedy the fuel tax inequality. The Fuel Tax Equalization Credit for Substantial Power Takeoff Vehicles Act (S. 932), introduced by Senators John Breaux (D-La.) and John Ensign (R-Nev.)...

Company expands market for flagship product.(News)(Cercorp Initiatives Inc.)(Oldcastle Architectural Products Group)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Cercorp Initiatives Inc., Steubenville, Ohio, a technology development company, is expanding from its south Texas market to six other states through a license arrangement with Oldcastle Architectural Products Group, Atlanta, the largest...

Supplier sells its Florida cement operations.(News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Lafarge North America, Herndon, Va., sold one of its subsidiaries Lafarge Florida Inc.--to Florida Rock Industries for about $122 million. Lafarge Florida consisted of two main cement grinding and import facilities. In 2002 its net sales was...

Upcoming conferences & events.(Brief Article)(Directory)
September 1, 2003... NRMCA Expo The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association's 31st annual Operations, Environmental, and Safety Forum and Expo will be held Oct. 5-7 in Denver. The event includes seminars and tours designed for professionals in the ready-mix,...

Building with a conscience.(E-Concrete)
September 1, 2003... The company I work for recycles paper. As a publishing company, focusing on the greatest generation of waste material seems to be the environmentally sound thing to do. The company does not recycle anything else--lass, plastic, or other items....

From trash to filler: patented process turns waste into lightweight aggregate.(What's New)(Spherical Industrial Solutions Corp.)
September 1, 2003... Small, porous spheres manufactured from recycled glass can be used as lightweight filler in concrete. The material is designed specifically for applications where weight is a factor, and where noise and heat insulation are desirable. Current...

Glass sphere applications span the gamut.(What's New)(Spherical Industrial Solutions Corp. )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... 'When we first made plans to HI Iii bring this technology to North America, we expected that concrete would be our primary market," says Paul Swirla, SISCOR's director of sales and marketing. "It's already being used quite effectively in...

Air test variability.(Troubleshooting)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Q. Is it common to get different air readings when using a pressure meter and a roll-a-meter or volumetric meter? I continually get a difference of about 0.8% to 1%, but I feel very sure my meters are calibrated correctly. The higher reading is...

Concrete too salty?(Troubleshooting)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Q. Does the water for concrete have to be completely void of salt (from seawater)? What happens if it is not? A. Two factors must be considered in answering this question. First, will the concrete include steel reinforcing? If so, any salt...

Addressing blade buildup.(Troubleshooting)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Q. We are trying to use regular transit mixers to produce roller-compacted concrete (RCC). Most of our markets do not have a central mixer available. We have developed a mix that discharges fairly well from a non-paving mixer. It has sand...

Ten things to do on bid day.(As The Drum Turns)
September 1, 2003... Everyone who is involved in this business has certain tricks of the trade they use in bidding projects on any given day. Mostly these are things we have learned over the years by trial and error. Some are successful and some are not; but either...

Don't forget the subs.(As The Drum Turns)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Sometimes we get so deeply involved with the general contractors in a bid situation, we sometimes forget the subcontractors that also work on the jobs. Many times there are concrete subcontractors who bid the "concrete packages" on these jobs...

Green, lean, fast-running machine: creating an environmentally friendy production facility doesn't mean it can't be profitable.(Gregory Reed)(7/11 Materials)(Company Profile)
September 1, 2003... Gregory Reed learned about the importance of fast, efficient, and clean operations from a source close to his heart, his father. Growing up in a contractor family, Reed was consistently reminded of the importance of doing a job right the first...

Profiting from environmentally sound practices.
September 1, 2003... It's hard to be a concrete producer and not be aware of the battle environmentalists across the world are waging to encourage the reduction of global C[O.sub.2] emissions. So it shouldn't be a surprise that the Environmental Protection Agency...

Go ahead, take the LEED: material suppliers can play a key role in achieving certification.(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
September 1, 2003... The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program is putting a new spin on marketingin the building design and construction industries. Through its associated Green Building Rating System, claims of environmental responsibility...

Clearview School makes the grade.
September 1, 2003... Attaining any level of LEED certification for a new school building is not something that happens by itself. But serious planning, commitment, and diligence are expected to result in high honors for the Clearview Elementary School in Hanover,...

'Build green'.(Bookshelf)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... In a typical year, building construction consumes 30 billion board feet of lumber, 50 million tons of concrete, and vast quantities of other resources. More and more people--architects, contractors, government officials, and others--are...

A mixed bag: results of the first round of the ICF mix design program are in--and some are unexpected.(Advertisement)
September 1, 2003... Eight concrete mix designs can be re-submitted for the second round after a successful first round of testing. For the initial round of testing, 70 total points could be scored. Researchers at Aggregate Research Industries, Richmond, Va., found...

Heat up your batch: heating aggregate systems are a new method for an old problem.(Product Pulse)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2003... Sometimes it's important to find new ways to do things. For example, when you consult ACI Committee 306, "Cold Weather Concreting," on how to hear aggregate piles, you'd think construction was frozen in a time long past. In Chapter 3, the...

Weight watchers: to slim down your mixer truck, consider these options.
September 1, 2003... This is the final installment in a three-part series. This part presents ways to shed pounds off your mixer truck. Weight is an issue with mixers, but you have to save a lot to be able to haul an extra half-yard of concrete. The cost of...