Pit & Quarry articles from February 2003

Pit & Quarry archives from February 2003

MSHA. (Top News).(Mine Safety and Health Administration)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... * For the second year running, fatalities in the mining industry decline to a historic new low, according to preliminary data from MSHA. The good news is dampened by preliminary figures that reveal deaths in the aggregates sector increased 32...

Oglebay Norton Co. (Top News).(elects Michael D. Lundin)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... * Oglebay Norton Co. announces that its board of directors has elected Michael D. Lundin to succeed John N. Lauer as the company's CEO.

Vulcan Materials Co. (Top News).(wildlife habitat certification)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... * Vulcan Materials Co. says that a wildlife habitat at its Spicewood Quarry in Spicewood, Texas, west of Austin, has received certification from the Wildlife Habitat Council.

Florida Rock Industries Inc. (Top News).(elects Scott L. McCaleb)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... * Florida Rock Industries Inc. announces the election by its board of directors of Scott L. McCaleb as vice president, corporate development.

Fred Weber Inc. (Top News).(buys plant from Mississippi Lime Co.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... * Fred Weber Inc., Maryland Hts., Mo., buys Bluff City Minerals quarry and sand plant in Alton, Mo., from Mississippi Lime Co.

Texas Industries. (Top News).(explosion and fire)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... * One person was killed and three were injured when an explosion and fire erupts at a Texas Industries cement plant in Midlothian, Texas.

Hanson PLC. (Top News).(sells interest in North Texas Cement Co.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... * Hanson PLC agrees to the sale of its 50 percent interest in North Texas Cement Co.

Washington wire. (Out in front: this month's critical trends and topics).(highways and wetlands)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Don Young (R-Alaska) called for a TEA-21 reauthorization bill that would increase funding for the federal-aid highway program from the current $32 billion per year to $50 billion by 2009. EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers issued a new...

Red flags. (Out in front: this month's critical trends and topics).(construction industry growth)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... * FMI released its 2002-2003 U.S. Markets Construction Overview report, and the group predicts U.S. infrastructure construction to grow about 3 percent, to $150 billion in 2003. The distribution of aggregates will become increasingly important...

Essential economics. (Out in front: this month's critical trends and topics).(construction industry)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
February 1, 2003... Monthly Construction Contract Value Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rates, in Millions Nov. 2002 Oct. 2002 % Change Nonresidential Building $143,122 $145,614 -2 Residential Building ...

Construction put in place for October 2002. (Other Economic News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... * Construction put in place for October 2002 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted rate of $834.3 billion, 4.8 percent above the revised estimate for the month previous, and 0.2 percent below October 2001, says the U.S. Census Bureau. During...

The Portland Cement Association predicts the nonresidential sector. (Other Economic News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... * The Portland Cement Association predicts the nonresidential sector will act as a drag on 2003 construction.

Stock watch. (Out in front: this month's critical trends and topics).(construction materials industry)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
February 1, 2003... STOCK WATCH (AT PRESS TIME) THIS MONTH LAST MONTH Centex Construction Prod. f 35.77 35.94 Florida Rock Industries f 34.85 38.91 Hanson Plc d 22.91 21.87...

Association celebration. (Mark My Words).(Editorial)
February 1, 2003... When you're the editor of a venerable trade magazine like Pit & Quarry, it's always an honor to have the opportunity to mark major industry milestones. This is one of those rare opportunities. With this issue, we celebrate the 100th anniversary...

High mobility. (Brand new: just released to the market).
February 1, 2003... Finlay Hydrascreens' all-new 653 ultra-compact, direct-feed screen offers small contractors an extremely mobile, highly maneuverable plant that sets up quickly and can function as a primary unit or be fed from a portable crushing plant. Typical...

More power. (Brand new: just released to the market).
February 1, 2003... For increased power and performance in large quarry and heavy construction applications, Komatsu America Corp. introduced the 651-hp, 251,000-lb. PC1250-7 hydraulic excavator. The PC1250LC-7 replaces the company's P1100LC-6 as its flagship...

Crushing plant. (Brand new: just released to the market).
February 1, 2003... Bohringer Inc.'s new Champ 140 CR crawler crushing plant features a 54-in. x 20-ft. Deister vibrating grizzly feeder; Bohringer RC-14NG impact crusher with large, 70-in. x 57-in. feed opening; 54-in. discharge belt conveyor; Caterpillar C15,...

Luck Stone Corp. supports USO of Hampton Roads in Virginia. (Stockpile: the latest producer news).
February 1, 2003... First Lady Laura Bush, speaking on NBC's Meet the Press, remarked, "It's really important that we give the military the respect they deserve for defending us." But even before the first lady's comments in December of last year, Luck Stone...

Connecticut. (Northeast).(consultant says applicants for sand and gravel operation have not provided enough information)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... A consultant retained to review a controversial sand and gravel operation proposal says the applicants have not provided town planners with enough information to make their decision. In its report, HRP Associates states that the Millane family...

New York. (Northeast).(Associate Members of New York Construction Materials Association recently held first-ever Profitability Workshop)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Associate Members of the New York Construction Materials Association recently held its first-ever Profitability Workshop. The workshop consisted of 13 programs aimed at improving the bottom line of construction materials producers. About...

Alabama. (Southeast).(Public awareness has increased about environmental threats from quarries around Alabama)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Public awareness has increased about the environmental threats from quarries around Alabama and conservationists say it's time for more regulatory control over them. Although they don't need zoning approval, quarry operators do need water...

Florida. (Southeast).(Scott L. McCaleb is new vice president for corporate development at Florida Rock Industries)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Florida Rock Industries Inc. announced the election by its board of directors of Scott L. McCaleb as vice president, corporate development. McCaleb joined Florida Rock in June 1994. He has served as president of the Arundel Corp. in Baltimore,...

Kentucky. (Southeast).(James Codell III becomes president of American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Kentucky Crushed Stone Association reports that James Codell III, secretary of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, was handed the gravel in a special ceremony recently, marking his ascension to the presidency of the American Association of...

North Carolina. (Southeast).(Vulcan Materials gets Globe Award from American Road & Transportation Builders Association for its Cabarrus Quarry)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... * Vulcan Materials Co.'s Cabarrus Quarry in Concord received a Globe Award from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association at a recent ceremony in New York City. The annual award honors transportation projects and material...

Virginia. (Southeast).(Tidewater Quarries wants to operate granite quarry, asphalt plant and concrete plant in Dinwiddie County)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Dinwiddie County Planning Commission will take a look at a zoning-change application for Tidewater Quarries Inc. Tidewater wants to operate a granite quarry, an asphalt plant and a concrete plant on a 353-acre site near U.S. 1 and...

Illinois. (North Central).(Unimin employees get national recognition for their contributions to wildlife habitat conservation)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Employees at the Tamms/Elco Plant operated by Unimin Corp., an Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers member, received national recognition for their contributions to wildlife habitat conservation at the Wildlife Habitat Council's 14th...

Ohio. (North Central).(quarry industry news)
February 1, 2003... Oglebay Norton Co. announced that its board of directors has elected Michael D. Lundin to succeed John N. Lauer as the company's CEO. Lauer will continue to serve as chairman of the board of directors. Lundin joined Oglebay Norton in April 2000...

Missouri. (South Central).(Fred Weber purchases Bluff City Minerals quarry and sand plant in Alton, Missouri, from Mississippi Lime)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Fred Weber Inc. has bought Bluff City Minerals quarry and sand plant in Alton, Mo., from Mississippi Lime Co. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Thomas Dunne Sr., chairman and CEO of Fred Weber Inc., says the company plans to continue the...

New Mexico. (South Central).(Waycor seeks nonconforming use certificate to continue digging gravel from pit in Torrance County)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The fate of a contentious gravel pit off N.M. 217 is still up in the air. About 85 people attended an evidentiary hearing in Torrance County to decide if the pit should get a nonconforming use certificate. Everett and Alma Loyd and their son,...

Oklahoma. (South Central).(Sand Springs City Council to consider possible commercial plans for about 1,500 acres of land)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Sand Springs City Council has scheduled a public hearing to consider possible commercial plans for about 1,500 acres of land. The land is from a planned unit development (PUD) owned by Jack Brotton. In November, the city council tabled...

Texas. (South Central).(accident at Texas Industries Midlothian cement plant)
February 1, 2003... The original quarry for the stone used to build the Courthouse on the Square has been found, thanks to some astute detective work by a county employee. Now the county hopes the owners of the land will donate the stone for the restoration...

Colorado. (Mountain).(Colorado Rock Products Association elects officers for 2003)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... At its recent annual meeting, The Colorado Rock Products Association elected its new officers for 2003. They are: President Greg Lindsay, Lafarge West Inc.; Vice President Tom Maul, Aggregate Industries; Secretary Pete Siegmund, United...

Pit & Quarry's Third Annual Aggregate Producers Forum. (Special Report).
February 1, 2003... Aggregate producers and association representatives met in a desert setting to discuss the economy, MSHA, community relations and other topics affecting the industry. The Phoenix event took place in the fall. Read the full transcript on the Web...

The overland option. (TechWatch: cutting-edge solutions).(quarrying companies are studying feasibility of using overland conveyors for long-distance transport)
February 1, 2003... When transporting bulk materials to distant processing plants or loading facilities, the traditional truck haulage method has long been the standard. And, while haul trucks bring flexibility to transport applications, the short- and long-term...

Less truck traffic. (Tech Extra).(Superior Industries says 2-mile-long conveyor at Texas operation eliminates over 140,000 truck trips/year)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... According to Superior Industries, a 2-mile-long conveyor at a Texas operation eliminates more than 140,000 truck trips and 570,000 vehicle miles on an annual basis.

Side-eject trailer. (TechWatch: cutting-edge solutions).
February 1, 2003... Designed for the construction, demolition and mining industries, the 20-ton-capacity (15.4-cu.-yd.), off-road, side-eject trailer from Icon Industries Inc. can be used as a single or tandem operation. Features include single valve side eject,...

Galvanized bins. (TechWatch: cutting-edge solutions).
February 1, 2003... Cemen Tech Inc. has introduced galvanizing to the volumetric mixing market by giving customers the option of having their aggregate bin galvanized. The Cemen Tech aggregate bin is completely immersed into a molten zinc bath. The steel of...

How it works. (Tech Extra).
February 1, 2003... The aggregate bin is immersed into a molten zinc bath. The steel of the bin bonds with the zinc, creating zinc iron alloy layers.

Future watch. (eBusiness: update for the wired world).(Column)
February 1, 2003... If I didn't know better, I'd think that the photo on this page is from the 1970s of some geek showing off his new digital watch. (No, not that picture--the bottom one.) Actually, it's a recent picture of Bill Gates. OK, so it is some geek...

A century of service: a tribute to the associations that have provided 100 years of service and representation to the U.S. aggregates industry. (E&T NSSGA).
February 1, 2003... On March 19, 1903, the U.S. aggregates industry marked a major milestone in its evolvement. On that day, The National Quarry Owners Association (NQOA) was organized to serve the owners of crushed stone operations. For the first time, quarry...

A favorable impact: an Illinois producer chooses an impact crusher over a jaw for primary crushing. And also reaps the benefit of portability. (E&T Crushing).
February 1, 2003... Jaw crushers are typically used for primary crushing in most quarries, but there are many applications or crushing conditions where a primary impact crusher is preferable. Rockford Sand & Gravel, Loves Park, Ill., recently bought a new...

A load of success: a new Komatsu wheel loader plays its part in keeping Peckham Industries thriving in the competitive Upstate New York market. (E&T Loading).(Company Profile)
February 1, 2003... If the average person changes jobs 13 times in his or her life, how can it be that at Peckham Industries Inc., Catskill, N.Y., the average time of employment is 12 years? A logical question for a company that, by all measures, has beaten the...

Discovering the lost aggregate opportunity: you must take into consideration how aggregates affect concrete when assessing the value of your products. (E&T Technical Session--Part Three).
February 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...

Wheel dozer. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
February 1, 2003... The 844 wheel dozer from Caterpillar has been updated to meet Tier 2 emissions requirements, improve efficiency and lower operating costs. The machine features improved engine management, new air-to-air aftercooling for intake air, extended...

Anti-chip compound. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Yokohama Tire Corp.'s new MY507A offers concrete mixers and haul trucks exceptional tire life and durability, helping these trucks endure puncture-prone environments off-road, as well as highway wear and tear. The MY507A uses an anti-chip...

Durable electrodes. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Stoody 160-E coated electrodes are designed to deliver superior toughness and increased abrasion and corrosion resistance in slurry-type applications. The 160-E electrodes consist of tungsten carbide particles in a nickel silicon boron matrix,...

Portable scale. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
February 1, 2003... The portable Survivor ATV-SR from Rice Lake Weighing Systems is an extreme-duty contractor's scale for weighing tri-and quad-axle dump trucks in pits and quarries. Survivor scales feature the patented G-Force self-checking mounting system....

Portable plants. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Performance and feature upgrades to the Vibroscreen line of heavy-duty portable screening plants have been introduced by Vibrotech Inc. Vibroscreen models SCM-75 and SCM-55 now have a vibrating grizzly option in addition to an optional fixed...

Hydraulic filtration. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Schroeder Industries' Filtration Station is a fully automated flushing and filling unit with particle monitoring and the ability to print ISO cleanliness reports. Through the use of an interactive touch screen, this patent-pending,...

Side discharge. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Utilizing a vibratory feeder, Grasan rubble plants discharge crushed materials directly out the side of the impact crusher onto the side discharge conveyor in a short, straight line for a smooth flow to maximize production and minimize...

Fall protection. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
February 1, 2003... The new Miller Scorpion SRL personal fall limiter from Bacou-Dalloz Fall Protection is a lightweight alternative to shock-absorbing lanyards. The company says that in a head-to-head comparison, the Scorpion SRL requires less fall clearance,...

Wear protection. (Product Highlight).
February 1, 2003... Rhino Linings USA Inc.'s proprietary, high-performance polyurethane formulations extend the life of conveyors, chutes, slurry tanks, crushers, material handling systems and other surfaces. Rhino Linings says it has saved companies millions of...

Aggregates fatalities rise 32 percent in 2002. (National affairs: key issues).
February 1, 2003... For the second year running, fatalities in the mining industry declined to a historic new low, according to preliminary data from MSHA. The good news is dampened by preliminary figures that reveal deaths in the aggregates sector increased by 32...

House Transportation Committee chairman calls for increased funding.
February 1, 2003... House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young (R-Alaska) publicly called for a TEA-21 reauthorization bill that would increase funding for the federal-aid highway program from the current $32 billion to $50 billion by...

Line of fire. (Safety: key issues).(in stone, sand and gravel industries)
February 1, 2003... Mechanical energy transferred to people beyond the ability of their bodies to resist is the culprit in most injuries. "Most" gets all the way to 88 percent in the stone, sand and gravel industry. In the November 2002 issue of Pit & Quarry,...

Highest jury verdicts in 2002. (Law: key issues).
February 1, 2003... Every business has to be concerned about civil liability. Every business owes a duty of care to persons who come on the business property. The burden is especially high for mine operators because there are so many contractors and customer...

Judge says contractor's failure to pay for training time discriminatory. (Law: key issues).
February 1, 2003... A heavy industrial contractor's refusal to pay an equipment operator for his time spent in MSHA refresher training was discriminatory under the Mine Act, a Review Commission judge ruled. Judge Michael Zielinski also found that Lakehead...

ALJ orders reinstatement of miner accused of sleeping on job. (Legal highlights: key issues).
February 1, 2003... Review Commission Judge Michael Zielinski ordered 3M Co. to reinstate a miner who was discharged after two managers found him sleeping in his haul truck. In his November 25, 2002 decision, ALJ Zielinski found "reasonable cause to believe"...

Third quarter aggregate shipments drop. (Economics: key issues).
February 1, 2003... The estimated output of crushed stone produced and shipped for consumption in the third quarter of 2002 was 461 million metric tons, a decrease of 1.2 percent compared with the same period of 2001. The estimated output of construction sand and...

New construction starts in November rise 4 percent. (Economics: key issues).
February 1, 2003... The value of new construction starts in November advanced 4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $509.6 billion, according to McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. The total construction gain...

Hanson sells 50 percent interest in North Texas Cement. (CementTrends: news from the cement industry).(multiple records)
February 1, 2003... Hanson PLC, the international building materials company, has agreed to the sale of its 50 percent interest in North Texas Cement Co. (NTCC) to its joint venture partner, Ash Grove Cement Co., for $125.4 million in cash, subject to final...

The Portland Cement Association offers "Admixtures for use in Concrete," part of a series of interactive, distance-learning CD programs.
February 1, 2003... The Portland Cement Association offers "Admixtures for use in Concrete," part of a series of interactive, distance-learning CD programs. The CD teaches the fundamentals for designing the proper concrete mix to satisfy performance requirements....

The U.S. Department of Commerce has determined that cement imports from Mexico represented a dumping margin of 73.74 percent for the period from August 2000 to July 2001.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The U.S. Department of Commerce has determined that cement imports from Mexico represented a dumping margin of 73.74 percent for the period from August 2000 to July 2001. If that margin is upheld on appeal, Cemex will be required to pay an...

The Fairfield Group offers its U.S. Cement & Ready Mix Directory in print and CD-ROM formats.
February 1, 2003... The Fairfield Group offers its U.S. Cement & Ready Mix Directory in print and CD-ROM formats. For more information, go to www.thefairfieldgroup.com, or call 203-259-7989.

Coming in March.
February 1, 2003... * Science & Technology * Oils & Lubes * Manufactured Sand * CemenTrends

Letters to the editor.
February 1, 2003... Have something you'd like to say? Write to: Letters to the Editor Pit & Quarry 7500 Old Oak Blvd Cleveland, OH 44130 Or, you can e-mail us at: pitquar@advanstar.com