Pit & Quarry articles from June 2003

Pit & Quarry archives from June 2003

President Bush releases the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003. (Top News).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... President Bush releases the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003 (SAFETEA), a $247-billion, six-year transportation-funding package.

Vulcan Materials Co. (Top News).(profits down)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Vulcan Materials Co. earns approximately $19 million on sales of $392 million in the first quarter of 2003, 2 percent lower than last year's record first-quarter sales.

Martin Marietta Materials Inc. (Top News).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Martin Marietta Materials Inc. reports net sales for the first quarter 2003 of $283.3 million compared with $289.9 million for the first quarter 2002.

Lafarge North America Inc. purchases all of the shares of Whitestone Supply Co. (Top News).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Lafarge North America Inc. purchases all of the shares of Whitestone Supply Co., a privately owned business based in Cleveland.

Dyno Nobel Holding AS and The Ensign-Bickford Co. (Top News).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Dyno Nobel Holding AS and The Ensign-Bickford Co. finalize the transaction combining their commercial explosives businesses.

ChevronTexaco Global Lubricants earns both the lubricants and coolants business. (Top News).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... ChevronTexaco Global Lubricants earns both the lubricants and coolants business for Hanson Building Materials America.

Metso Minerals. (Top News).(equipment and technology open house)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... More than 100 people representing distributorships from all over North and Central America are on hand for Metso Minerals' first-ever Gastonia Days, an equipment and technology open house held in April near Charlotte, N.C.

Stock watch. (Out in front: this month's critical trends and topics).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... STOCK WATCH (at press time) THIS Month LAST Month Cemex SA d 21.39 20.20 Centex Construction Prod. d 38.90 37.03 Florida Rock Industries ...

Washington wire. (Out in front: this month's critical trends and topics).(Hours of Service Rule for truck drivers)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The U.S. Department of Transportation's final Hours of Service Rule, issued April 24 for truck drivers in the aggregates industry, extends drive time--time a driver spends in a running vehicle--by one hour and the rest time by two hours. A...

Red flags. (Out in front: this month's critical trends and topics).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * On April 15, EPA proposed that the sulfur content of diesel fuel be phased down from its current uncontrolled level of 3,400 parts per million to 500 parts per million beginning in 2007, and then to 15 parts per million in 2010.

Essential economics. (Out in front: this month's critical trends and topics).(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
June 1, 2003... Monthly Construction Contract Value Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rates, in Millions Mar. 2003 Feb. 2003 % Change Nonresidential Building $140,761 $142,144 -1 Residential Building ...

Construction put in place during March 2003 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $868.5 billion. (Other Economic News ...).(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
June 1, 2003... * Construction put in place during March 2003 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $868.5 billion, 1.0 percent below the revised February estimate of $877.4 billion, according to the U.S. Commerce Department's Census Bureau....

Not nearly enough. (Mark My Words).(Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003 )
June 1, 2003... President Bush has released the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003 (SAFETEA), a $247-billion, six-year transportation-funding package that, in total, represents an increase over TEA-21. That's the good...

Flagship excavator. (Brand new: just released to the market).(Komatsu America Corp.)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... Komatsu America Corp.'s 651-hp, 251,000-lb. PC1250-7 hydraulic excavator is designed for increased power and performance in large quarry and heavy construction applications. The PC1250LC-7 replaces the company's P1100LC-6 as its flagship...

Video transmission. (Brand new: just released to the market).(Superior Signals Inc.)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... Superior Signals Inc. has introduced the SuperSight power-line-carrier (PLC), cable-free, video-transmission system for mobile vehicles. The SuperSight system enables the transmission of video signals through a mobile vehicle's existing l2Vdc...

Laser precision. (Brand new: just released to the market).(Laser Tools Co. Inc.)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... Laser Tools Co. Inc. offers a new laser positioning system that includes an adjustable platform for both horizontal and vertical movement. This means that diamond and production drilling can be done faster and more accurately than before. The...

Producers report first quarter results. (Stockpile: the latest producer news).
June 1, 2003... Martin Marietta Materials Inc. reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2003. Net sales for the quarter were $283.3 million compared with $289.9 million for the first quarter 2002. The company posted a loss from...

Lafarge acquires Whitestone Supply Co. (Stockpile: the latest producer news).(Lafarge North America Inc. )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Lafarge North America Inc. has purchased all of the shares of Whitestone Supply Co., a privately owned business based in Cleveland. Whitestone comprises three rail-based resale yards in Northeastern Ohio, servicing the Cleveland and Youngstown...

Dyno Nobel, Ensign-Bickford combine explosives capabilities. (Stockpile: the latest producer news).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Dyno Nobel Holding AS and The Ensign-Bickford Co. finalized the transaction combining their commercial explosives businesses. The new Dyno Nobel unites two organizations and utilizes available technology and integrated logistical capabilities....

Stropki appointed COO at Lincoln Electric. (Stockpile: the latest producer news).(John M. Stropki Jr. )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc. announced that John M. Stropki Jr. has been appointed executive vice president and COO of the company. As part of his new position, Stropki will retain responsibility for the company's North American subsidiary,...

Volvo Construction Equipment acquires distribution businesses. (Stockpile: the latest producer news).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Volvo Construction Equipment, Volvo CE, has acquired the Volvo equipment distribution businesses from the company's largest North American dealer, L.B. Smith Inc., Mechanicsburg, Pa. A subsidiary of Volvo CE North America has been formed to...

ChevronTexaco wins contract with Hanson. (Stockpile: the latest producer news).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... ChevronTexaco Global Lubricants has earned both the lubricants and coolants business for Hanson Building Materials America (HBMA). The multi-year agreement encompasses all divisions within HBMA including aggregates, concrete pipe, brick,...

Buffalo Wire Works partners with Kemper Equipment. (Stockpile: the latest producer news).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Buffalo, N.Y.-based Buffalo Wire Works and Honeybrook, Pa.-based Kemper Equipment announced a new partnership designed to service the needs of the aggregate, mining and industrial markets in the New Jersey, Delaware and eastern Pennsylvania...

NSSGA moves offices. (Stockpile: the latest producer news).(National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association has moved its offices. The new address is: 1605 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. The association's phone number remain unchanged: phone: 800-342-1415, fax: 703-525-7782.

Kentucky. (Southeast).(Kentucky Crushed Stone Association Scholarship Committee awards)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The Kentucky Crushed Stone Association Scholarship Committee, co-chaired by Chad Swallows, Rinker Materials Inc., and Art Walker III, The Walker Co. of Kentucky, announced the 2003 scholarship award recipients. The 14 winners will each receive...

North Carolina. (Southeast).(North Carolina Aggregates Association convention)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The North Carolina Aggregates Association is holding its 38th Annual convention June 11-13 at the Grove Park Inn Resort in Asheville. The Convention schedule of events includes a spa aromatherapy demonstration; dinner and a tour of Biltmore...

South Carolina. (Southeast).(Florida Rock Industries uses Datastream Systems Inc. Datastream 7i Enterprise Asset Management)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Florida Rock Industries is deploying Datastream Systems Inc.'s Datastream 7i Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) solution across 150 locations in North America. Florida Rock's 150 facilities rely on a large number of fixed and mobile assets to...

Illinois. (North Central).(Vulcan Materials Co. plant closed for environmental violations)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... A Cook County lime plant that has irritated neighbors' eyes and noses with gritty pollution is shut down for environmental violations. Vulcan Materials Co.'s McCook lime plant closed and the Birmingham, Ala.-based company agreed to a court...

Ohio. (North Central).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The Ohio Aggregates & Industrial Minerals Association (OAIMA) reports that House Bill 87 has passed. OAIMA and its members actively supported House Bill 87, which provided for a six-cent state gas tax/user fee increase, and worked closely with...

Texas. (South Central).(Centex Corp. )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Centex Corp. announced the highest earnings for any quarter in its history for the quarter ended March 31, the fourth quarter of fiscal 2003, as well as record results for the seventh consecutive fiscal year. For this year's fourth quarter,...

California. (Pacific).(Graniterock managers become Certified Mine Safety Professionals)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Graniterock's safety training manager, Mike Leuck, and construction safety manager, Bill Guillen, completed the course work and examination to become Certified Mine Safety Professionals (CMSP). Certification requires extensive knowledge of...

Washington. (Pacific).(lawsuit over rock quarry)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... A Yacolt resident who plans to open a rock quarry on Yacolt Mountain filed suit in Clark County Superior Court seeking to clarify some of the terms set by county commissioners when they approved his proposal. "The appeal doesn't mean a whole...

Metso Minerals open house: a massive launch of new equipment. (TechWatch: cutting-edge solutions).
June 1, 2003... More than 100 people representing distributorships from all over North and Central America were on hand for Metso Minerals' first-ever Gastonia Days, an open house held in April near Charlotte, N.C. Pit & Quarry covered the event, which the...

Conveyor belt mistracking: basic causes and cures. (TechWatch: cutting-edge solutions).
June 1, 2003... Any effective cure requires a proper diagnosis followed by the correct remedy. Such is the case in conveyor belt mistracking--find the cause before you grab for the cure. There's no need for a complete system overhaul if a simple tweak will...

Volvo digs in. (TechWatch: cutting-edge solutions).
June 1, 2003... The new Volvo EC160B excavator features a multitude of standard features and options, such as state-of-the-art hydraulics, operator cab enhancements including automatic temperature control, improved visibility, air-suspension heated seating,...

Bidding higher. (eBusiness: update for the wired world).(IronPlanet used equipment auctions)
June 1, 2003... The popularity of eBay has grown considerably, and the same seems to be holding true for online used equipment sites such as www.IronPlanet.com. As reported previously in Pit & Quarry, IronPlanet reached a milestone in December 2002--surpassing...

All you can crush: a Phoenix-area producer shares key strategies on meeting demand in a mega-growth market. (E&T Crushing).(New West Materials L.L.C.)
June 1, 2003... Record years of construction activity in the central portion of Arizona--specifically the capital city of Phoenix and all of Maricopa County--has more than bolstered the region's aggregate manufacturing sector in the recent past. And now, even...

Bourbon on the rocks: when a Kentucky operation needed to excavate its underground mine site, it turned to Volvo articulated haulers. (E&T Articulated Haulers).(Bourbon Limestone Co.)
June 1, 2003... "Versatility" is synonymous with "articulated truck" at the Bourbon Limestone Co. It also can stand for "Volvo," the quarry company's brand-choice for articulated trucks. Bourbon Limestone is a quarry operation in Paris, Ky., about 20...

Triple threat: a New England producer relies on Hitachi excavators for its dimensional stone, crushed stone, and sand and gravel operations. (E&T Excavating).(J.F. Price Co.)
June 1, 2003... J.F. Price Co. of Weymouth, Mass., traces its foundations to a rock and granite quarry operation established in the 1920s by the Bates Brothers. Jim Bristol Jr., current owner of J.F. Price Co., started working in the quarry in the 1950s when...

World-class maintenance: Ash Grove Cement enhances productivity using an Avantis computer maintenance management system to streamline plant maintenance. (E&T Maintenance).
June 1, 2003... The cement industry is one of those unusual markets in which supplier companies can never quite make as much product as they can sell. That's not a bad situation, except that it means companies must figure out ingenious ways to cost-effectively...

Discovering the lost aggregate opportunity: the aggregate industry needs to understand how its own product works if it is to have it used in concrete. (E&T Technical Session--Part Seven).
June 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...

Diaphragm pumps. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Polaris Industries' Professional Series pumps are a new line of commercial-grade pumps. The Professional Series diaphragm pumps feature a cast iron casing and a stainless steel liner. Additionally, an air-cushion chamber reduces pulsation in...

Modular feed system. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
June 1, 2003... A new modular feed system, offered by Superior Industries, is engineered with three 9-ft. x 14-ft. hoppers that can be separated for different applications. Its removable axle assembly and removable fifth wheel hitch are interchangeable,...

Vibration monitor. (Product Highlight).
June 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...

Conveyor belts. (Product Highlight).
June 1, 2003... With its unique, patented Triple-Warp center ply plus two rugged outer plies, Goodyear Conquest conveyor belts are engineered to be a leap forward over traditional multi-ply and straight-warp belt constructions. Designed for the most torturous...

Rear vision. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
June 1, 2003... The Safety Vision 5000 Series is the newest addition to the company's line of rear vision products. The Safety Vision rear-vision system is designed to withstand the harsh conditions of any environment. They are used not only to see what is...

Peristaltic pumps. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
June 1, 2003... Watson Marlow Bredel, manufacturer of peristaltic pumps, offers the heavy-duty SPX series. Designed for challenging mining applications, the SPX series handles a variety of harsh materials, such as abrasive lead slurries. Peristaltic hose pumps...

Single-idler belt scale. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
June 1, 2003... The Milltronics single-idler belt scale (MSI) provides continuous in-line weighing of a variety of products in primary and secondary industries. It is designed for a wide range of tough applications from extraction--in mines, pits and...

Converging/diverging bin. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
June 1, 2003... Individual converging/diverging mass flow modules are stacked together to form a gravity flow storage bin to reduce bridging (no-flow) of bulk solids. Design is covered by U.S. patent, which has been assigned to Jenike & Johanson Inc. Bulk...

Process control. (Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace).
June 1, 2003... MTL Open System Technologies (MOST), MTL's newly created business unit, has produced a brochure detailing the benefits that an open, hybrid control approach can bring to process industries. The brochure describes MOST's approach to better...

Classifying and blending. (Product Highlight).
June 1, 2003... Kolman's expanding line of wash equipment now includes sand classifying and blending systems. With portable, semi-portable and stationary designs, these systems are capable of blending up to three sand products simultaneously to yield two...

Asphalt tops list of most recycled materials. (National affairs: key issues).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... A report from the Federal Highway Administration shows that 80 percent of the asphalt pavement that's removed each year during widening and resurfacing projects is reused. That is substantially higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection...

Final Hours of Service Rule issued. (National affairs: key issues).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The U.S. Department of Transportation's final Hours of Service Rule was issued April 24. For truck drivers in the aggregates industry, the new rule extends drive time--time a driver spends in a running vehicle--by one hour and the rest time by...

EPA proposes low sulfur fuel for off-road diesel engines. (National affairs: key issues).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... On April 15, EPA proposed to require the sulfur content of diesel fuel be phased down from its current uncontrolled level of 3,400 parts per million to 500 parts per million beginning in 2007, and then to 15 parts per million in 2010--a 99...

A 'partly' good video. (Safety: key issues).
June 1, 2003... "Aggregate Training for the Safety Impaired" is the title of a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) video from the Spokane Research Lab. The video is 35 minutes long and was developed for new miner training in sand and...

Foundations 3.
June 1, 2003... In last month's Pit & Quarry Safety column (May, p. 56) Carl Metzgar detailed a book entitled "Foundations 3: The Practical Resource to Control Dust and Spillage from Belt Conveyors." A hardbound volume of 216 pages, "Foundations 3" is now...

Video inspection.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The new WalkAbout Starter Kit from Zistos Corp. provides a complete turnkey solution for remote video inspection. The kit consists of a portable video display device and battery pack, a 2-ft. pole (1 ft. rigid/1 ft. flexible) with a...

Reusable earplugs.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... With its newest earplug, Fusion, Howard Leight says it is the first manufacturer to fuse an earplug's rigid core and soft flange materials into one solid piece. Fusion is designed to provide the ideal balance of all-day comfort, easy insertion,...

Air monitor.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Draeger Safety Inc.'s Pac Ex 2 is a compact, rugged, hand-held, combustible gas and oxygen monitoring device. The company says the instrument is simple to operate. The Pac Ex 2 also features a clear, fully functional LCD concentration display...

The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has formed a safety and health alliance with the Industrial Minerals Association--North America (IMA-NA). (Safety news).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has formed a safety and health alliance with the Industrial Minerals Association--North America (IMA-NA), a trade association representing North American companies...

A group of Waukesha County, Wis., businesses held a special seminar aimed at improving safety in the transportation of local aggregate products. (Safety news).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * A group of Waukesha County, Wis., businesses held a special seminar aimed at improving safety in the transportation of local aggregate products. The seminar, "Getting It There Safely," included representatives of law enforcement and the...

The National Energy Foundation, in collaboration with MSHA, has created a new mine safety education poster entitled Act Responsibly: Stay Out--Stay Alive. (Safety news).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * The National Energy Foundation, in collaboration with MSHA, has created a new mine safety education poster entitled Act Responsibly: Stay Out--Stay Alive. The design makes this a valuable resource for teachers and students, grades 5-12. The...

MSHA: Where is it now? Part 2. (Law: key issues).
June 1, 2003... The current administration has established a goal of providing assistance to stone, sand and gravel producers and other mine operators in the form of instructions and written materials aimed at achieving complete regulatory compliance. Caution...

Mechanic's family awarded record damages. (Legal highlights: key issues).
June 1, 2003... A Beaumont, Texas, jury set actual damages at $163.8 million for the widow and children of a 35-year-old mechanic who died from injuries he suffered in 1999 when a 500-lb. tire exploded on a truck on which he was trying to repair the brakes....

Highway starts jump 26 percent. (Economics: key issues).
June 1, 2003... New construction starts in March slipped 1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $475.2 billion, it was reported by McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. Both nonresidential building and housing fell...

PCA forecasts decline this year. (CemenTrends: news from the cement industry).
June 1, 2003... This is the second article in a two-part series in Pit & Quarry-Ed. Public construction spending accounts for roughly 22 percent of total construction activity. It is important to keep in mind that public construction is primarily...