Pit & Quarry articles from August 2003

Pit & Quarry archives from August 2003

NSSGA.(Top News)(National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association report)(aggregates industry contribution to economy)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * A new study released by NSSGA indicates that the aggregates industry directly contributes $14.59 billion and indirectly contributes $37.61 billion to the national economy.

Florida Rock Industries Inc. agrees to purchase the stock of Lafarge Florida Inc.(Top News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Florida Rock Industries Inc. agrees to purchase the stock of Lafarge Florida Inc., a subsidiary of Lafarge North America Inc.

Caterpillar Inc. and Terex Corp. reach a non-binding agreement in principle for Caterpillar to acquire Terex's worldwide electric drive mining truck business.(Top News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Caterpillar Inc. and Terex Corp. reach a non-binding agreement in principle for Caterpillar to acquire Terex's worldwide electric drive mining truck business, and for Terex to acquire Caterpillar's 5000-Series mining shovel intellectual...

Lafarge Aggregates Southeast Inc. purchases Birmingham Aggregates Inc.(Top News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Lafarge Aggregates Southeast Inc. purchases Birmingham Aggregates Inc. for an undisclosed sum.

Hanson Building Materials America Inc.(Top News)(employee Terry Tyson wins National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association award)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Terry Tyson, Hanson Building Materials America Inc., San Diego, is named the 2003 James M. Christie Safety and Health Professional of the Year by NSSGA.

IDOT.(Top News)(Illinois Department of Transportation budget reduced)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Representatives of the Illinois road-construction and design industry meet with IDOT Secretary Tim Martin to discuss the implications of Gov. Rod Blagoevich's proposed $1.7 billion FY 2004 capital budget for IDOT. This proposal represents a...

Washington wire.(Out in front: this month's critical trends and topics)(Diesel Particle Matter Compliance Guide)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * NSSGA says MSHA provided a briefing on its draft Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM) Compliance Guide, a document the agency put together to inform the underground metal/nonmetal mining community how it intends to enforce the interim permissible...

Red flags.(Out in front: this month's critical trends and topics)(reform introduced to Davis-Bacon Act)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.) introduced a bill in Congress to reform outdated and burdensome regulations from the Davis-Bacon Act. The bill has the support of some Transportation Committee members, such as Jim DeMint, Howard Coble, Richard...

Stock watch.(Out in front: this month's critical trends and topics)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... STOCK WATCH (at press time) THIS Month LAST Month Cemex SA d23.50 22.50 Centex Construction Prod. f39.70 41.14 Florida Rock...

Essential economics.(Out in front: this month's critical trends and topics)(construction contract value)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Essential Economics Monthly Construction Contract Value Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rates, in Millions May 2003 Apr. 2003 % Change Nonresidential Building $144,402 $149,080 ...

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.(Other Economic News ...)(crushed stone, sand and gravel)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The producer price index for aggregates increased 0.2 percent to 177.6 in June from 176.9 in May, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The index increased 2.2 percent between June 2002 and June 2003, indicating a higher price level...

Huge economic benefit.(Mark My Words)(aggregates industry)
August 1, 2003... Anew study just released by the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) gives the aggregates industry something it has never had before: formal statistical quantification of the contribution the industry makes to the national economy....

Bench drilling.(Brand new: just released to the market)(Sandvik Rock Tools Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Sandvik Rock Tools' new CAPP Black Label generation of threaded button-bits for bench drilling is designed to make it easier to achieve good hole quality, faster penetration rates and longer tool life. The button-bits come in 12 design...

Hydraulic hammer.(Brand new: just released to the market)(Caterpiller Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Caterpillar's H140D s hydraulic hammer is the first of a new generation of work tools for the construction, demolition, mining and aggregates industries. The new hammer is built on the strengths of its predecessor model, the H140C s, but...

Site monitoring.(Brand new: just released to the market)(Remote Monitoring Technologies )(Hoss Equipment Co.)(camera tower system)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Remote Monitoring Technologies and Hoss Equipment Co. jointly developed the SiteWatch camera tower system, which provides a long-range wireless network video surveillance umbrella for remote site monitoring and security surveillance at large...

Baltimore Dredges, Liquid Waste Technology acquired.(Stockpile: the latest industry news)(Baltimore Dredge Enterprises L.L.C.)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Baltimore Dredges LLC and Liquid Waste Technology have been acquired by a new company, Baltimore Dredge Enterprises LLC (BDE) funded by Urban Growth Partners for that purpose. Urban Growth Partners, a Philadelphia-based venture capital firm,...

Florida Rock Industries to purchase stock of Lafarge Florida Inc.(Stockpile: the latest industry news)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Florida Rock Industries Inc. announced that it has agreed to purchase the stock of Lafarge Florida Inc., a subsidiary of Lafarge North America Inc., which owns and operates a cement import terminal and grinding and processing facility in Tampa...

Events.(Calendar)
August 1, 2003... Aug. 24-26, 2003 NSSGA Aglime Seminar Urbana, Ill. 800-342-1415 Sept. 5-7, 2003 Historical Construction Equipment Assn. Convention and Old Equipment Expo Bowling Green, Ohio 419-352-5616 Sept. 7-11, 2003 ...

Hanson PLC changes operational management team.(Stockpile: the latest industry news)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... In line with its objective of simplifying Hanson's reporting structure and making the group more responsive to market conditions, the board of Hanson PLC announced changes to the management of some of its principal operating units. As a...

Caterpillar Inc., Terex Corp. agree to exchange business units.(A Closer Look)
August 1, 2003... Caterpillar Inc. and Terex Corp. announced that they have reached a non-binding agreement in principle for Caterpillar to acquire Terex's worldwide electric drive mining truck business, and for Terex to acquire Caterpillar's 5000-Series mining...

O'Brien joins Oglebay Norton board of directors.(Stockpile: the latest industry news)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Oglebay Norton Co. announced that John P. O'Brien has joined its board of directors. O'Brien currently serves as a managing director of Inglewood Associates Inc., a private investment and consulting firm specializing in turnarounds of...

Lafarge purchases Birmingham aggregates.(Stockpile: the latest industry news)(Lafarge Aggregates Southeast Inc.)(Birmingham Aggregates Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Georgia-based Lafarge Aggregates Southeast Inc. has purchased Birmingham Aggregates Inc. for an undisclosed sum and plans to soon open a quarry that could employ 25 people. The subsidiary of Lafarge SA says the 350-acre southwest...

Tyson named NSSGA Safety, Health Professional of the Year.(Association News)(Terry Tyson)(National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Terry Tyson, Hanson Building Materials America Inc., San Diego, has been named the 2003 James M. Christie Safety and Health Professional of the Year. The coveted award will be presented at the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association's (NSSGA)...

Barry K. Wendt Memorial Scholarship awarded to Arizona student.(Association News)(Bjorn L. Meyer)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Bjorn L. Meyer, a senior in the College of Engineering and Mines at the University of Arizona, has been selected to receive the sixth annual Barry K. Wendt Memorial Scholarship, administered by the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association. ...

Sweet victory: Pit & Quarry looks to Louisiana for its 2003 Producer of the Year winner--TXI's Honey Island operation.(Special Report)(Texas Industries Inc.)(related article: Pit & Quarry's fifth annual web site awards)
August 1, 2003... The environmentally friendly TXI Honey Island operation--located about 45 miles northeast of New Orleans and about 50 miles west of the Mississippi Gulf Coast--has been selected this year's Pit & Quarry Producer of the Year. TXI Honey Island...

Quick set up, high productivity.(TechWatch: cutting-edge solutions)(Cedarapids Inc.)(impact crushing plant)
August 1, 2003... Cedarapids Inc. has expanded its popular Cobra Series offerings with a new, open-circuit, highly portable horizontal shaft impact crushing plant. Designed with the portable aggregate and recycle contractor in mind, the CobraTrack 1300 is fully...

Belt selection: finding a good fit for your application.(E&T TechWatch: cutting-edge solutions)(conveyor belts)
August 1, 2003... Numerous considerations are in play when selecting the correct conveyor belt for a given application. A quick laundry list of parameters include: type of material conveyed, tons per hour, belt width, belt speed, drive selection, pulley...

Seismographs.(eBusiness)(Instantel Inc. web site)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Instantel, manufacturer of portable seismographs for mining, construction and geotechnical applications, has launched a new Web site at www.instantel.com. The site contains new product specification sheets, and a brief overview of applications...

Workbench.(Software Solutions)(MTL Open System Technologies)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Workbench from MTL Open System Technologies (www.mtl-most.com) provides a centralized project development environment for all control project engineering. Now, with the release of Workbench 7.3.1, it includes a fully integrated Universal OPC...

Fast forward: one year later, Oldcastle's United Companies Operation in Grand Junction, Colo., is still on the run with its fast-deployment portable crushing plant.(E&T Crushing)(related article: The genesis of FastPack)
August 1, 2003... A year ago this month, Pit & Quarry ran a story on a brand-new portable plant called the FastPack made by Kolberg-Pioneer. At that time the FastPack was being tested in the mountains of Colorado and was billed as the most mobile plant in the...

Taking charge: Buffalo Crushed Stone responds to community complaints with a blasting program featuring a user-friendly, high-accuracy system.(E&T Blasting)
August 1, 2003... Quarry operations that work near communities typically dread the next blast, bracing for yet another round of possible complaints from neighbors. But Buffalo Crushed Stone's Cheektowaga Stone Plant, Cheektowaga, N.Y., feels a lot better about...

Plugged in: the use of stemming plugs is examined at a Western Pennsylvania quarry to find out if they really work.(E&T Blasting)
August 1, 2003... Over the past 20 years, there have been quite a few products introduced to improve blasting effectiveness. Some have worked and some have not. One of the products that has drawn the most skepticism has been the stemming plug. Many people...

eBlast: with more to gain than reduced vibration, digital blasting using electronic detonators takes off in Wisconsin.(E&T Blasting)
August 1, 2003... There is no shortage of rock to quarry in Wisconsin. There are substantial accumulations of limestone in the south and, throughout the central and western areas of the state, there are significant deposits of granite. This abundance of mineable...

Lubrication procedures playbook.(E&T Maintenance)
August 1, 2003... Despite overwhelming evidence suggesting that poor equipment lubrication spells trouble for most construction, mining, quarry and other off-highway operations, many organizations lack clearly defined written procedures for performing basic...

Discovering the lost aggregate opportunity: research is showing that increased fines can play a beneficial role in the performance of concrete.(E&T Technical Session--Part Nine)
August 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...

Galvanized equipment.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Eagle Iron Works now offers the option of galvanizing for its line of fine material washers, coarse material washers, log washers, classifying tanks and structure components. Galvanized steel in industrial applications will reportedly last...

Weight lifter.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The Siemens-Milltronics Weight Lifter (MWL) mechanically raises and lowers the static weights used to calibrate the company's belt scales. It stores the weights securely above the belt scale calibration arms, and allows the operator to lower...

Idlers and pulleys.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The new Idler & Pulley Catalog from Superior Industries is an informative guide to the company's complete components line. This 150-page catalog supports the prompt delivery of all required components by allowing easy, accurate selection and...

Reclaimer.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Powerscreen's new Warrior 1400 reclaimer is designed and manufactured for high-capacity operation in crushed stone, sand and gravel, recycling, coal and topsoil. The unit sets up on site in about 20 minutes and screens up to 550 tons per hour....

Conveyor belt scales.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... All plants must be able to measure the material they are conveying for inventory and loading purposes. Both the ArchWeigh SC/HP belt scale and the ArchWeigh HP belt scale from Arch Environmental Equipment provide users with in-motion accuracy...

Crusher plant.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The Grasan KRH1620 horizontal-shaft primary impact crusher plant is available in pit-portable and stationary models for high volume aggregates and concrete/asphalt recycling operations. The crusher can reduce 24-in. limestone down to 6-in....

Ultrasonic level transmitter.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The KSonik III ultrasonic level transmitter from K-Tek Corp. is capable of continuously measuring the level of challenging liquid and solid applications over long spans of 197 ft. at a high degree of accuracy (0.25 percent at full span). Unique...

Histogram Combo.(Product Highlight)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... It is always hard to explain to residents and regulatory people that vibration levels were too low to trigger the seismograph. That's why Instantel has introduced Histogram Combo monitoring mode on all of its Blastmate III and Minimate Plus...

House Democrats introduce $50 billion infrastructure stimulus bill.(National affairs: key issues)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) and other committee Democrats introduced the Rebuild America Act of 2003 last week. The bill, similar to one Democrats sponsored in the last Congress, would...

Construction activity in May remains stable.(Economics)
August 1, 2003... The pace of new construction starts in May was essentially the same as April, according to McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. The stability for total construction, at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of...

Massachusetts.(Northeast)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Town officials hope Southeastern Concrete's decision to move its Kingston operation to Plympton's industrial park in the fall indicates that the impending expansion of Route 44 will attract business to the semi-rural community, which has about...

New York.(Northeast)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) says a controversial mine proposal could threaten the aquifer that supplies drinking water for thousands of southern Dutchess County residents. Part of the Montfort Group's 75-year-old...

Florida.(Southeast)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Two Florida conservation groups joined the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) in mounting a legal challenge aimed at forcing the federal government to protect a threatened Florida panther habitat, says the Gainesville Sun. One action, filed in...

Kentucky.(Southeast)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... An editorial in the Lexington Herald Leader lambasted Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health Dave Lauriski for what it calls "not just an example of a Bush appointee favoring industry, but of a Bush appointee favoring a narrow...

Virginia.(Southeast)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Douglas D. R. Palmore of Luck Stone Corp., Richmond, was named the 2003 National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association Environmental Professional of the Year. The award will be presented by NSSGA Chairman of the Board John E. Cramer, Casper Stolle...

Illinois.(North Central)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Representatives of the Illinois road-construction and design industry met with IDOT Secretary Tim Martin to discuss the implications of Gov. Rod Blagoevich's proposed $1.7 billion FY 2004 capital budget for IDOT, a massive reduction in the size...

Iowa.(North Central)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Iowa Limestone Producers Association President Mike Deutmeyer, Weber Stone Co., along with Mark Krause, Cedarapids Inc., Ken and Joyce McNichols, McNichols Aggregate Crushing and Bert Sewell, Hallett Materials, flew to Washington to lobby on...

Minnesota.(North Central)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Supporters of a new tax on gravel want to raise the profile of gravel, sand and rock taken from suburban quarries. They hope a tax--or what they call voluntary "host fees"--will make gravel quarries more attractive to suburbs that are rapidly...

Ohio.(North Central)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Burton residents are battling a proposed asphalt plant that trustees says will bring much-needed tax dollars to the community. Four sites are being considered for the plant, which was proposed three years ago by Shalersville Asphalt Co. The...

Wisconsin.(North Central)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... A quarry operator has bid on a major re-construction project at the Morey Airport north of Middleton, Wis., even though he won't be able to get a permit to open a new quarry in Springfield until mid-summer, according to a report in the Capital...

Texas.(South Central)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Centex Construction Products Inc. elected F. William Barnett to its board of directors. Barnett recently retired from his position as a director in the Dallas office of McKinsey & Company Inc. after 23 years with the firm. He has advised...

Arizona.(Mountain)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... A gravel mine that has been in operation for more than 50 years, now located in a north Phoenix neighborhood, has come under fire from local residents who claim that they were told four years ago the property would be turned into a city park....

Colorado.(Mountain)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The Colorado Rock Products Association reports that it will hold its Technical Education Committee meeting on September 4; its ACI Concrete Field Testing Technician seminar on September 10; a Regulatory Committee meeting on September 12; a...

Missouri.(Mountain)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... A legislative attempt to rein in Missouri's regulatory powers over polluters was drastically scaled back after lawmakers ran out of time to find a compromise. Democratic Gov. Bob Holden's office had hinted he might veto the bill in its original...

California.(Pacific)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Vulcan Materials Co. will ask the Escondido City Council to allow an asphalt plant on West Washington Ave., although the request was previously denied by the Planning Commission because of concerns about traffic and air pollution. If the...

Something for nothing--almost.(Safety: key issues)
August 1, 2003... On October 14-16 at the Mine Safety and Health Academy in Beckley, W.Va., the 2003 TRAM/National Mine Instructors Conference will be held. TRAM stands for Training Resources Applied to Mining. There is no charge for registration. Don't count on...

Repeat safety offenders.(Law: key issues)
August 1, 2003... David Jones, formerly counsel to the chairman of the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, heads the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) practice group of the Ogletree Deakins law firm. Recent developments...

Kiln operator wins case.(Legal highlights: key issues)
August 1, 2003... A miner who represented himself won his discrimination case against Graymont Western U.S. Inc. Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission Judge Jerold Feldman found that the operator's decision to terminate miner James Womack shortly...

New study quantifies industry impact.(Economics: key issues)
August 1, 2003... The crushed stone and sand and gravel industries are important to the economic health of the nation and constitute a major source of employment and income nationally and in the producing states, according to a new study just released by the...

Organic solutions: a Washington producer turns to organic water treatment at its sand and gravel operation.(Environment: key issues)
August 1, 2003... It should come as no surprise that, with today's environmental regulations, sand and gravel mining operations experience problems associated with storm-water contamination. Virtually all operations have outdoor staging and processing areas that...

Rebuilding Afghanistan: representatives meet to establish modern cement production.(Supply chain: news from affiliated industries)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Representatives from the U.S. company Box International Consulting LP recently met with representatives of the Afghanistan Government's Cement Task Force. The purpose of the meeting, arranged by Dr. Amin Farhang, minister of reconstruction, was...

PCA: economic indicators will remain mixed.(Cement Trends)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The Portland Cement Association (PCA) reports in The Monitor that the first stage of an economic recovery is in place, but data supporting evidence of secondary stages of recovery are not yet in place. The first stage reflects an improvement in...

New plant for St. Lawrence.(Cement Trends)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... St. Lawrence Cement Group will begin construction of a new plant in Greenport, N.Y., in 2005, President Phillipe Arto said at the company's annual meeting. St. Lawrence Cement already uses a plant in the Catskills area, located in New York's...

Holcim seals Cement Australia merger.(Cement Trends)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Swiss cement company Holcim Ltd. says it completed a merger of its operations in Australia with those of U.K. building materials company Hanson PLC, among others. Holcim's Australian unit Queensland Cement Ltd., or QCL, has been merged...

Cement event.(Calendar)
August 1, 2003... IEEE West Coast Cement Industry Conference & Plant Tour October 9-10, 2003 Hilton Sedona Resort & Spa, Sedona, Ariz. Featuring a Phoenix cement plant tour. For more information, contact Registration Chairman Andrew Robinson, AshGrove...

Rinker acquires Calloway.(Ready-Mix)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Rinker Materials Corp. has acquired Calloway Concrete in eastern Florida. Calloway operates one concrete plant and a concrete burial vault business in Lake Worth. Rinker Chief Executive David Clarke says, "The acquisition will enable Rinker...

NRMCA hires for promotion.(Ready-Mix)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) hired Michael E. Zaldo as director of concrete promotion. He will represent NRMCA throughout the eastern United States from his office in suburban Atlanta. With Zaldo's hiring, NRMCA...

WOA site now up.(Asphalt)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The World of Asphalt 2004 Show and Conference Web site, www.worldofasphalt.com, is now online. The Web site provides asphalt industry professionals with a comprehensive source for the latest information on the event's exhibits, educational...

Airport Pavement Workshop.(Asphalt)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... An Airport Pavement Workshop, sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration and The Asphalt Institute, will be held November 4-6, 2003 in Newport Beach, Calif. The goal of this workshop is to provide up-to-date information for those...

Coming in September.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... 2003 Pit & Quarry Buyer & Supplier Guide --Yellow Pages --Supplier Listings --Brand Name Index