The Concrete Producer articles from September 2004

The Concrete Producer archives from September 2004

Concrete's good impression.(Editorial)(Count on Concrete Bike Ride)(Editorial)
September 1, 2004... I need to thank Larry Mass, marketing director for the Southern California Ready Mixed Concrete Association. Because he chose the Santa Monica Pier entrance to serve as the backdrop for the start of Alan Sparkman's Count on Concrete Bike Ride,...

A commercial turnaround?(News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Construction spending in the United States was 10% ahead of last year's pace through the first five months of 2004, thanks entirely to a surge in residential building. Residential building was up 21% through May, while nonresidential, or...

Safety seminars.(News)
September 1, 2004... Responding to growing interest in vehicle safety, NRMCA will hold one-day transportation safety seminars to instruct how to comply with federal requirements for mixer truck drivers. Topics will include safety and DOT compliance, hours of...

Show registration open.(News)
September 1, 2004... Advanced registration for CONEXPOCON/AGG2005 is open. Housing and seminar advanced registration, in addition to IFPE 2005 (International Exposition for Power Transmission) also are open. The shows, March 15-19 at the Las Vegas Convention...

HOS rules overturned.(News)(Hours of Service)(Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The U.S. Court of Appeals voted 3-0 in July to throw out the new federal drivers hours of service (HOS) rules that went into effect Jan. 4. The court agreed with Public Citizen, a public interest group, that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety...

Upcoming conferences & events.(News)(Calendar)
September 1, 2004... NRMCA OES Forum The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association's 32nd Annual Operations, Environmental, and Safety Forum and Expo will be held Oct. 3-5 at the San Francisco Airport Hyatt. The event is built around seminars and tours...

A cheaper solution: why not make your existing Web site better?(E-Concrete)
September 1, 2004... When we surveyed the concrete producing industry last year as part of our annual TCP 100 project, 85% of the largest 100 producers told us they have Web sites or use email for marketing and sales. (See TCP, Oct. 2003, p. 36.) That's an...

Controlling pH-safely: producers can avoid liquid acid and its associated safety hazards.(What's New)
September 1, 2004... Producers often face a double-edged sword in treating the release of process water. First, they need to reduce the pH level of the water to be discharged. But to do so effectively, they often have to store gallons of liquid acid which raises...

Tank-to-tank accounting: proactive fuel management helps fleet managers keep an eye on their department's pulse.(Fleet Factors)
September 1, 2004... Not too long ago, a fleet manager was forced to take the long view when it came to managing his fuel inventory and use. All of the data often had to be funneled through a maintenance clerk who would then generate a weekly "live" fuel summary...

Concrete under fire.(Problem Clinic)(Fireshield 1350)
September 1, 2004... Q. How thick should concrete be to withstand four hours of temperatures of 2000 degrees F without degrading or failing? The concrete barrier likely will be exposed to more than 2000 degrees F. The barrier would be more than 30 feet tall and...

Keeping up with the specs: CRSI endorses shop-based fusion welding.(Problem Clinic)
September 1, 2004... With the increased use of rebar in high seismic zones such as California, more weld shops are introducing fusion-welded assemblies for beam and column cages. The Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) has published "Assembling Reinforcing...

Concrete recycling takes off: the renewal of Denver's Stapleton Airport showcases concrete's place as a sustainable material.(Cover Story)
September 1, 2004... It takes some imagination to realize that millions of air travelers flying into Denver landed on material that now is recycled into new concrete for a major construction project at the same site. Facing page: Aggregate is piled high every day...

Here's to an environmentally friendly year: six tips that will make your operation comply.
September 1, 2004... A man who does not plan long ahead will find trouble at his door. --Confucius, Chinese philosopher and religious leader (551-479 BC). For many producers, next year is already here. In today's business climate, autumn months have become...

Preventing sewer corrosion: precasters take biology lessons to increase the life of concrete sewer systems.(casting trends)(Microbial Induced Corrosion)
September 1, 2004... About 40% of the more than 20,000 wastewater systems in the United States are concrete. Corrosion severely compromises the structural integrity of these concrete components, costing millions in repairs. Six decades after C.D. Parker...

Keeping the earth under our customers' feet: casting an industry standard.(casting trends)
September 1, 2004... Ten years ago when managers at Jensen Precast realized that federal, state, and local stormwater regulations were beginning to tighten, they saw an opportunity to create their own product. They decided to develop a new line of stormwater...

Level transmitters for complex applications.(Products for the Producer)
September 1, 2004... K-TEK has introduced the SureShot family of low-cost, laser level transmitters. The lightweight, corrosion-resistant SureShot features a unique, all-digital design that delivers high performance for complex level and positioning applications....

Loaders/backhoes for operator comfort.(Products for the Producer)
September 1, 2004... The M Series 2 machines from Case Construction Equipment are the latest additions to the company's line of rugged, durable loaders/backhoes. This group of machines includes five models (580M, 580M Turbo, 580 Super M, 590 Super M, and 580 Super...

Compact, lightweight boom.(Products for the Producer)
September 1, 2004... Genie Industries' TZ-50 trailer-mounted articulating boom has a working height of 55 feet, 6 inches, and an outreach of 29 feet, 2 inches. The compact, lightweight unit has a 500-pound platform capacity throughout the entire working envelope....

Sliders for weight savings.(Products for the Producer)
September 1, 2004... Intraax low-ride platform sliders from Hendrickson International give the benefits of an integrated suspension system to haulers running low flatbed and drop-deck sliders. The low-ride, single-axle AAZL 23K, and the tandem AAZL 46K, complement...

Dispensing system stores batch data.(Products for the Producer)
September 1, 2004... The ColorSelect Pro liquid dispensing system is a fully integrated, automated product. The database tool from Solomon Colors stores information from every batch of color produced, giving instant recall of plant production. Efficiencies for...

Transmitter tracks any target.(Products for the Producer)
September 1, 2004... The SmartWave from BinMaster is an accurate, noiseless, self-adjusting pulse radar transmitter for distances up to 100 feet. It adjusts microwave pulse amplitude and its width to a target distance and target reflection properties. The receiver...

Media for emissions control.(Products for the Producer)
September 1, 2004... Menardi's Mikro-Pleat pleated filter media is available in various for use in airborne fugitive emissions control. Offered in bag or cartridge configurations, the product can be customized for efficient removal of fines, fibers, or other...

Pigment reduces costs, labor.(Products for the Producer)
September 1, 2004... Ferrispec PL liquid pigment delivers faster, more complete dispersion and color development than powder pigments. Every pigment particle is fully wetted and separated, eliminating agglomerated pigment particles and concrete streaking, and...

Pump with new suction housing.(Products for the Producer)
September 1, 2004... ChemGrout Inc.'s L6A progressive cavity pump has a long-life, non-pulsating positive displacement rotor-stator that provides a constant discharge of material. It pumps up to 25 gpm, with a standard pressure of 261 psi; additional pressure...

New book on floor staining: learn why concrete floors are becoming so popular.(Bookshelf)(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... Bob Harris, president of the Decorative Concrete Institute, has written a visual how-to book for staining concrete floors. With more and more customers requesting stained concrete, contractors need to know more about these techniques. Bob...

And the winners are ...(In the Mix)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Forty-seven contestants from 34 states participated in the 2004 National Masonry Contest at the SkillsUSA National Leadership Conference in Kansas City, Mo. Winners, (front row, from right), are Alvaro Gutierrez, secondary third; Terry Miller,...

Toy land.(In the Mix)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Mike Anderson is part of the fourth generation at Anderson Concrete in Columbus, Ohio. Not only has Mike learned about the ready-mixed business from his father, but, like his father, he also got hooked in collecting toy mixers. The collection,...

Associations in the mix.(Insulating Concrete Form Association)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... ICFA The Insulating Concrete Form Association (ICFA) will kick off a new partnership with Habitat for Humanity by helping a family replace its home which was lost in the wildfires that ravaged the San Diego area last fall. The new home...