Pit & Quarry articles from April 2003

Pit & Quarry archives from April 2003

Coming in May.
April 1, 2003... * Truck scales * Megaproducers * Manufactured sand * CemenTrends

PCA: economic growth remains in a holding pattern. (CemenTrends: news from the cement industry).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A monthly analysis of trends in the construction and cement industries published by Portland Cement Association Economic Research, reports that near term economic growth remains under significant stress and the group encourages its membership...

Lafarge's overall profits up, cement profits down. (CemenTrends: news from the cement industry).
April 1, 2003... Lafarge North America Inc. says that net income for 2002 increased 15 percent despite the prolonged economic slowdown and return to normal winter weather conditions in the last three months of the year. For the full year 2002, Lafarge...

Key statistics.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * December 2002 construction activity grew 0.7 percent over November levels. * Portland cement consumption declined 7.6 percent in November and year-to-date 2002 consumption was down 3.8 percent. * Blended cement consumption declined...

Aggregates production falls 3.6 percent in 2002. (Economics: key issues).
April 1, 2003... For the first time since 1991, total aggregates production in the United States has decreased. About 2.68 billion metric tons of aggregate were shipped last year, down from the 2.78 billion metric tons shipped in 2001. The estimated annual...

Gravel company held in contempt. (Legal highlights: key issues).(Darwin Stratton & Son)
April 1, 2003... A federal judge found a Utah company in contempt of an earlier order prohibiting the company and its officials from refusing to allow MSHA inspections of its sand and gravel pits. In his February 4 "order of contempt," U.S. District Judge...

Operator pays reduced $15,000 penalty. (Legal highlights: key issues).(Coweta Sand & Transportation)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A small Oklahoma sand and gravel dredging operation has agreed to pay MSHA civil penalties reduced from $30,000 to $15,000 to settle a case arising from a fatal drowning accident. ALJ Jacqueline R. Bulluck approved the settlement between Coweta...

Doctrine of femme couverte. (Law: key issues).(women play increasingly important role in aggregates industry)
April 1, 2003... Women are increasingly playing an important role in the aggregates industry--as business owners, managers and employees. This article provides a perspective on how, until relatively recently, the law drastically limited the legal capacity of...

The scalpel and the monkey wrench. (Safety: key issues).(Column)
April 1, 2003... A friend of mine has done everything but streak Times Square to make the point that most aggregate plant injuries occur during repairs, not during operations. Another friend who grew up in his father's business delights in telling stories about...

House outlines six-year, $375 billion investment proposal for highways. (National affairs: key issues).
April 1, 2003... The bipartisan leadership of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee outlined several proposals they are considering that substantially increase the nation's investment in highways and transits projects to $375 billion over...

Sand dewatering. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
April 1, 2003... Utilizing the latest advancements in silt-recovery systems, the Finlay Siltmaster range of dewatering and silt-control products can completely remove silt from waste water--down to 300 parts per million (0.03 percent)--and eliminate the use of...

Drilling tools. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
April 1, 2003... Rockmore International's comprehensive drilling product catalog features more than 1,500 items. The 111-page catalog is a complete drilling resource guide for mining, construction, quarry, and water-well companies. Product-specification and...

Universal grease. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
April 1, 2003... Southwestern Petroleum Corp.'s new grease is designed to satisfy two major concerns of the grease market--longer grease life and wider application versatility without giving up performance. Called SWEPCO 121 Tri-Plex Universal Grease, it is...

Rotor upgrade. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
April 1, 2003... Universal Engineering Corp.'s rotor upgrade program is designed for current owners of the Universal 130/150 Impact Master II secondary crushers to revitalize their older machines. Optional top loading hammers are available on these rotors. The...

Couplings. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
April 1, 2003... The new, 400 page Lovejoy international catalog details 11 categories of shaft-to-shaft power transmission couplings. Each category includes product photos, dimensional outlines and selection procedures. An engineering data section features...

Horizontal shaft impactor. (Product Highlight).
April 1, 2003... Designed to increase profits by maximizing production, the Mega-Slam primary/secondary horizontal shaft impactor manufactured by Stedman handles feed sizes beyond the range of conventional secondary impactors. Stedman builds five Mega-Slam...

Machine monitoring. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
April 1, 2003... Rockwell Automation expanded its line of dedicated function protection relays with the addition of MachineAlert relays. The company says these new relays will benefit installation in motor control applications through their compact size and...

Motors, drives and controls. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
April 1, 2003... The 2003 edition of WEG's Stock Products Catalog contains complete information on the latest in UL-recognized and certified electric motors, drives and controls from WEG Electric Motors Corp. Featured items include Crusher Duty motors and soft...

Cartridge bin vent. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
April 1, 2003... The Crossflo system of silo bin vent dust collectors from Beltech Engineering is designed to be an efficient, low-maintenance high-pressure pulse cartridge style dust collection system. The Crossflo bin vent design allows the proper can and...

Split roller bearings. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
April 1, 2003... Craft Bearing Co. has added a new S2 heavy-duty series to its industry standard line of split roller bearings. The split bearing has applications in crushers, cranes, conveyors, bucket elevators, fans, screens and pug mills. Craft says the...

Adhesive dispenser. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
April 1, 2003... ConProTec Inc.'s MixPac S-50 System for two-component adhesive dispensing is designed to work with manually operated dispensers from ConProTec, as well as with a new, patented, battery-powered EZ-mix, HI hand-held dispensing unit by DTIC...

Mobile crushing plant. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
April 1, 2003... The portable RTS-15 open circuit mobile track plant from Irock Crushers features a large discharge opening and large under-crusher clearance to improve production efficiencies. A compact design ensures no component disassembly for transport and...

Vibration monitor. (Product Highlight).
April 1, 2003... The Instantel Minimate Plus is designed for blasters, contractors, consultants and engineers, because the company says it offers unrivaled features and versatility in a rugged and easy-to-use package. It is available with external ground...

Discovering the lost aggregate opportunity: the ability of a sand to perform satisfactorily in concrete is determined by many factors, grading being just one. (E&T Technical Session--Part Five).
April 1, 2003... Aggregates make up 80 percent of the volume of concrete, yet aggregates producers know very little about how aggregates influence their concrete clients' business--either positively or negatively. Only through understanding how aggregates work...

The action of attraction: tramp metal removal is critical for many quarry operations. Plus: the latest material-handling products. (E&T Material Handling).
April 1, 2003... Quarry production managers will tell you that nothing can stop production--or screw up a crusher--faster than tramp metal. Tramp metal comes in many forms: buried junk that surfaces after a blast, a bucket tooth that dislodges from a loader or...

California crushing: new thinking about primary and secondary crushing saves a West Coast crushing contractor big money. (E&T Portable Crushing).
April 1, 2003... A new way of applying the primary/secondary crusher circuit--combining a larger horizontal shaft impact (HSI) crusher with a smaller secondary HSI crusher--is proving to be profitable for some aggregates producers, increasing production and...

A MineStar is born. (eBusiness: update for the wired world).(Caterpillar forms Caterpillar MineStar Solutions )
April 1, 2003... Caterpillar has formed Caterpillar MineStar Solutions (www.cat.com/minestar)--a new division of Global Mining that will serve the mining information systems needs of mining operations worldwide. The new organization will develop, market and...

Polyurethane linings. (eBusiness: update for the wired world).(Rhino Linings USA Inc. offers new Web site)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Rhino Linings USA Inc., manufacturer of sprayed-on polyurethane linings, has a new Web site (www.rhinoliningsindustrial.com) devoted solely to industrial/commercial solutions. Visitors can view data sheet PDFs, browse equipment systems and...

Grand slam impact. (TechWatch: cutting-edge solutions).
April 1, 2003... The Grand Slam Series of horizontal shaft impactors from Stedman uses high-chrome metallurgy to increase the wear life of machine components, reducing metal replacement costs. Their single drive design uses less horsepower per ton compared to...

Super mobile, durable. (TechWatch: cutting-edge solutions).
April 1, 2003... Crushtek LLC's Supertrack impactor is a highly mobile, track-mounted crushing unit designed for durability and consistent performance, crushing up to 400 tph of recycle materials, aggregates and even the most contaminated construction debris,...

Water-friendly dredge. (TechWatch: cutting-edge solutions).
April 1, 2003... Ray LeClair, Plant Manager of U.S. Silica Co. in New Jersey, authorized the construction and purchase of a 12-in. Electric Marlin dredge from Dredging Supply Co. (DSC). Both production and overall operating performance have improved. ...

Calculating stockpile capacity. (Tech watch: cutting-edge solutions).(Advertisement)
April 1, 2003... A specific bin or hopper, when full, contains a finite amount of material. However, regarding the more cost-effective storage method of stockpiling, determining capacity may be less trivial. Stockpile volume varies per conveyor length,...

Continental Conveyor & Equip. Co. (Corporate Capabilities).
April 1, 2003... The Most Cost Effective Components Industry professionals choose Continental because they know that it's the total life-cycle costs that counts. They choose Continental because they want to avoid unexpected maintenance and labor costs....

Convention marks 100th year. (Stockpile: the latest producer news).(National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association)
April 1, 2003... Representatives of hundreds of aggregate producers and aggregate industry-related companies converged in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 8-11 for National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association's annual convention and the kick-off of the 100th year in which the...

Market reference guide correction.(Correction Notice)
April 1, 2003... In our 2003 Market Reference Guide (High-Volume Producers, page 39), Pit & Quarry inadvertently confused U.S. Aggregates Inc./Heritage Group (Indiana) with U.S. Aggregates Inc. (Alabama), which filed for bankruptcy protection and has since sold...

Connecticut. (Northeast).(hearing on Canton sand, gravel mining)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Canton developers seeking to mine sand and gravel from a large tract near the Farmington River assured the planning and zoning commission that they have worked hard to address concerns about the project. Representatives of Canton Village...

Pennsylvania. (Northeast).(industry briefs)
April 1, 2003... Lower Nazareth Township may soon be home to two new concrete manufacturing plants. Frank Casilio & Sons Inc. was granted a special exception use by the township Zoning Hearing Board to build a concrete manufacturing plant on 5.6 acres off...

Maryland. (Southeast).(Tilcon Delaware Inc., Tilcon New York Inc. receive awards from National Asphalt Pavement Association)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The National Asphalt Pavement Assn. (NAPA) has awarded its 2002 Community Involvement Award to Tilcon Delaware Inc. and Tilcon New York Inc. NAPA presents its Community Involvement Award to hot mix asphalt (HMA) companies that serve their...

South Carolina. (Southeast).(Martin Marietta settlement offer)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Many residents of Berkeley County are rejecting a settlement offered by Martin Marietta in a lawsuit alleging damages by the company's mining operations. The company has offered $1 million to more than 700 Cross residents to settle the...

Virginia. (Southeast).(Virginia Aggregates Association meeting)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The Virginia Aggregates Assn. (VAA) held its 2003 Mid-Year Meeting March 30-April 1. The program featured topics on: Increasing profit or decreasing costs through planning; Cone crushers and crusher liners; Asset management of plant equipment;...

Washington, D.C. (Southeast).(construction equipment tax)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Testifying today before an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) panel, AGC Director of Congressional Relations for Tax and Fiscal Affairs, Phil Thoden, urged the service to withdraw its proposal to tax off-road, mobile machinery (such as mobile...

Indiana. (North Central).(mining ordinance proposal deferred)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The Indianapolis City Council's Land Use and Annexation Committee have deferred consideration of a proposed mining ordinance until more information is gathered. John Koven, chairman of the committee, says there were too many unanswered...

Michigan. (North Central).(Michigan Aggregates Association workshop)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The Associate Members of the Michigan Aggregates Assn. hosted the 17th Annual Winter Workshop at the Lansing Center in Lansing, Mich. Entitled, "Paving the Way for a Safer Aggregate Industry," the workshop included topics on winter maintenance...

Arkansas. (South Central).(gravel mine shut down)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality has shut down a gravel mining operation along War Eagle Creek, saying the Madison County Road Department lacked authority to mine there. County officials called the incident a misunderstanding,...

Missouri. (South Central).(transportation fund distribution)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The Missouri Limestone Producers Assn. reports that the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission has voted to reallocate the distribution of transportation funds. The result is a split of 52.2-percent going to rural areas and 47.8-percent...

California. (Pacific).(industry briefs)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The cost of building houses in rapidly growing San Diego County could go up if Baja California follows through on an effort to halt all sand exports to its northern neighbor. The Mexican state's governor, Eugenio Elorduy, says that he wants to...

Oregon. (Pacific).(gravel pit conversion to rock quarry)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Clark County commissioners, by a 2-1 vote, reversed a hearings examiner's ruling that had blocked a proposed quarry on top of Yacolt Mountain. Brent, Cecil and Marie Rotschy now can convert a gravel pit near the top of the 1,772-ft.-high peak...

Washington. (Pacific).(permit considered for rock crushing operation)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A controversial rock crushing operation proposed by Jack J. Streibick in Clarkston Heights is in the permit process at the state level. Streibick owns the Bayman Pit. According to Department of Ecology officials, Steelman-Duff Inc. of Clarkston...

950G and 962G Series II. (Brand new: just released to the market).
April 1, 2003... Caterpillar's 950G and 962G Series II wheel loaders feature a new fuel-efficient, low-emissions engine; an updated cooling system that improves performance; numerous environmental enhancements; and a redesigned operator's station. The 950G II...

Hydraulic breaker. (Brand new: just released to the market).
April 1, 2003... Tramac's Model 125SX is the newest addition to the company's lineup of hydraulic breakers. The 125SX offers Tramac's heavy range breaker features in a 1,000-ft.-lb. class hammer. It easily mounts to skid steer loaders, loader backhoes, small...

Rear eject body. (Brand new: just released to the market).
April 1, 2003... Philippi-Hagenbuch Inc. now offer rear eject bodies for Volvo A35C articulated trucks. The ejector system lowers the load center, allowing the body to dump in conditions where other trucks would be unstable and unsafe. The bodies employ...

Rebuild America, not Iraq. (Mark My Words).(road improvements needed in U.S.)(Editorial)
April 1, 2003... Each month on the Pit & Quarry Web site, we ask a survey question. In January, we asked if a war with Iraq would have a positive, negative or negligible effect on the U.S. economy. Sixty-three percent of respondents said it would have a...

USGS. (Top News).(aggregates production)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * USGS says aggregates production in the U.S. falls in 2002. About 2.68 billion metric tons of were shipped last year, down from the 2.78 billion metric tons shipped in 2001. Crushed stone production fell 1.9 percent while sand and gravel...

McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge. (Top News).(value of construction starts)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * The value of new construction starts increase 2 percent in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $504.4 billion, according to McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge.

Vulcan Materials Co. (Top News).(earnings, sales data)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * Vulcan Materials Co. announces fourth quarter net earnings of $36.6 million, as compared to $45.1 million a year earlier. Net sales of $614.8 million were 7 percent lower than the $659.7 million reported in the fourth quarter of 2001.

Martin Marietta Materials Inc. (Top News).(earnings, sales data)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * Martin Marietta Materials Inc. reports earnings from operations in the fourth quarter were $29.1 million, compared with $50.8 million in the fourth quarter 2001. Net sales for the fourth quarter were $353.2 million, compared with 2001...

The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association. (Top News).(James A. Russ elected board chairman)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association elects James A. Russ of Aggregate Industries as chairman of its board of directors. Russ succeeds David L. Vickers, Lehigh Cement Co., who completed a one-year term. For more producer news,...

Stock watch. (Out in front: this month's critical trends and topics).(stock prices, various companies)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... STOCK WATCH (AT PRESS TIME) THIS Month LAST Month Cemex SA f 17.57 17.72 Centex Construction Prod. d 34.78 34.07 Florida Rock Industries f 33.33 34.37...

Washington wire. (Out in front: this month's critical trends and topics).(federal budget for transportation)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * The Bush Administration released its FY 2004 budget. With a focus on safety, the budget requests $54.3 billion for the Department of Transportation, a six percent increase over last year. Highways would be allocated $29.3 billion, with an...

Red flags. (Out in front: this month's critical trends and topics).(federal budget for transportation)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * During a recent Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee hearing, subcommittee members said that the Bush Administration's proposed budget for highways in FY 2004 was inadequate. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) says that the $29.3 billion...

Essential economics. (Out in front: this month's critical trends and topics).(construction values)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Monthly Construction Contract Value Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rates, in Millions Jan. 2003 Dec. 2002 % Change Nonresidential Building $148,235 $142,521 +4 Residential Building ...

Construction put in place during January 2003. (Other Economic News).(seasonally adjusted annual rate)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * Construction put in place during January 2003 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $877.9 billion, 1.7 percent above the revised December 2002 estimate of $863.4 billion, according to the U.S. Commerce Department's Census...

U.S. construction equipment exports dropped more than 12.75 percent in 2002. (Other Economic News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * U.S. construction equipment exports dropped more than 12.75 percent in 2002, following a decline of 5.9 percent the previous year.