Pit & Quarry articles from September 2001

Pit & Quarry archives from September 2001

Salt Lake City completes Olympian project : Total reconstruction of 17-mile highway completed ahead of schedule and under budget.
September 1, 2001... "The I-15 Reconstruction Project is now substantially complete." That's the good news for drivers in Salt Lake City recently broadcast on the I-15 Web site (www.i-15.com). In advance of the October 15 contractual completion date -- and well...

Treading quietly.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... As reported previously in this column, complaints about highway noise has the concrete and asphalt industries locked in battle over which paving material provides the best overall value in terms of performance, cost and acceptable noise levels....

NRMCA adds focus on environment and safety.(National Ready Mixed Concrete Association )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... In recognition of the growing importance of environmental- and safety-related issues at ready-mix operations, the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) recently added a director of environmental and safety affairs. Ed Herbert, the...

State associations hold concrete expo.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... The Pennsylvania Concrete Promotion Council and the New Jersey Concrete Promotion Council are teaming up to teach engineers, architects, construction managers, DOT representatives and municipal officials about some of the newer applications of...

Denmark to host international asphalt pavement conference.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Copenhagen, Denmark will host the Ninth International Conference on Asphalt Pavements, August 17-22, 2002. Organized by the International Society for Asphalt Pavements (ISAP), the meeting is the ninth in the series of "Ann Arbor Conferences,"...

Density penalties, bonuses increase contractor QC.(the use of non-nuclear gauges)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Asphalt paving contractors are increasingly facing penalties or earning bonuses based on the quality of the finished pavement. In-place density, tested with cores, is one frequent quality indicator. For years, contractors and inspectors have...

READY MIX.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... World of Concrete 2002 is scheduled for January 8-12 in New Orleans. It will feature more than 1,600 exhibits, two days of demonstrations and 85 educational sessions. The show will run side-by-side with the World of Masonry. For more...

ASPHALT.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... The National Asphalt Pavement Association will hold its 47th Annual Convention March 3-7, 2002 in San Francisco. Scheduled workshop topics include perpetual pavements, business management, environmental issues, marketing and energy. For more...

ROAD BUILDING.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... The Associated General Contractors of Texas will hold its 18th Annual Trade & Equipment Show October 3-4 in Austin. Approximately 150 exhibitors will present asphalt and concrete products, auctioneer services, computer technology, safety...

Aggregates Industry Executive Report.
September 1, 2001... After setting a blistering pace for the past few years, the aggregates industry kicked off the beginning of the year face to face with the after-effects of a bitter presidential election, harsh weather conditions all over the country, a...

Part 3: ICAR addresses highway needs -- Alkali-silica reactivity of aggregates and use of recycled materials in highway construction filled out the agenda at ICAR's 9th Symposium.(International Center for Aggregates Research )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... With a few exceptions -- single presentations on high-fines concrete, roller-compacted concrete and manufactured sand in concrete -- alkali-silica reaction (ASR) dominated the concrete portion of the International Center for Aggregates Research...

Rocky Mountain report.(stone production statistics)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2001... Stone producers in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States report softening market conditions but say things could be far worse. Perhaps the biggest plus in the region is that industry forces have beaten back anti-growth initiatives in...

The unexpected.(planning for a training job)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... It was a good job. The president of the company helped plan the training. He had his secretary coordinate the details and there were no surprises. The invoice was paid promptly. Well, there was one surprise. On a training job, an early...

MSHA selects sites for diesel sampling.(Mine Safety and Health Administration)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Seven NSSGA member sites are among 31 metal/nonmetal mines that MSHA has selected for air monitoring to determine underground miners' exposure to diesel particulate matter (DPM). The seven are: Kaskaskia, Fort Dodge and Sully Mine Mill, Martin...

Martin Marietta Materials acquires quarries in Nev., Calif., Ark.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Martin Marietta Materials Inc. purchased the stock of Sha-Neva Inc. and related companies, Reno, Nev. Martin Marietta acquired two quarries and a sand operation from Sha-Neva in the Reno area and a quarry in Truckee, Calif., near Lake Tahoe....

CSR America changes name to Rinker Materials Corp.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... CSR America Inc. is changing its name to Rinker Materials Corp. in an effort to build strong national brand awareness, says the company's CEO David Clarke. There has been no change in ownership of the company. The company says that a...

Florida Rock elects new board member.(J. Dix Druce )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Florida Rock Industries Inc. announced that J. Dix Druce has been elected to its board of directors. Druce served as president and chairman of the board of Life Service Corp. Inc., a life insurance management company from 1988 through June of...

A Closer Look : Martin Marietta lowers 2001 expectations.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Wet weather, plant-upgrade project delays and a labor dispute in the first half of 2001 led Martin Marietta Materials to lower its earnings outlook for the entire year. Nevertheless, shipments of more than 56.2 million tons of aggregates in the...

Knife River Corp. acquires operation in Hawaii.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... MDU Resources Group Inc. announced that West Hawaii Concrete Ltd., a privately held ready-mix and construction materials company serving the western side of the island of Hawaii, has been acquired by Knife River Corp., the construction...

CRH makes acquisitions in North America, Middle East.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... CRH has announced two deals that extend the geographic reach of its North American and European Materials Divisions. In North America, the Oldcastle Materials Group has acquired Hallet Materials Inc. and Des Moines Asphalt & Paving Co. Inc. for...

Oglebay Norton appoints Lundin to lead Great Lakes Minerals.(Michael D. Lundin )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Oglebay Norton Co. announced that effective August 1, 2001, Michael D. Lundin becomes president of Oglebay Norton Great Lakes Minerals segment. Lundin has served as president of Michigan Limestone Operations Inc. (MLO) since it was acquired by...

Quarry blast damages California campus, producer says blasting to continue.(Hanson Aggregates)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Investigators are looking into a quarry accident that sent rocks raining down on the Cal State San Marcos campus in California. Big boulders, traveling at high-speed, dented the concrete buildings and rained down on cars in the parking lot,...

Fourth Barry K. Wendt Memorial Scholar named.(Michele Ann Butcher)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Michele Ann Butcher, a junior at Southern Illinois University - Carbondale, has been selected to receive the fourth annual Barry K. Wendt Memorial Scholarship from the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) in conjunction with the...

NSSGA announces winners of student landscape architecture competition.(National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Students at North Dakota State University's College of Engineering and Architecture in Fargo, N.D., captured the top prize in the 2001 Annual Student Competition in Landscape Architecture sponsored by the National Stone, Sand & Gravel...

NSSGA board approves bylaws, policy positions.(National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... NSSGA's first post-merger full board of directors meeting concluded in Marco Island, Fla., with unanimous approval of new, permanent bylaws for the association and a set of formal policy positions on issues ranging from environment, safety and...

Linatex Corp. of America.(sells technology product line)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... * Linatex Corp. of America has sold its process technology product line to McLanahan Corp. Linatex will continue to manufacture and distribute its signature product line, premium natural rubber sheet and fabricated products. The process...

The Illinois Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.(Caterpillar Inc.'s environmental contribution)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... * The Illinois Chapter of The Nature Conservancy is pleased to announce that Caterpillar Inc. is affirming its commitment to the environment with a $625,000 grant to the conservancy in support of its work along the Illinois River. The grant,...

Controlling tension.(mining vehicle track tension)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Tracked excavators, earthmovers and other heavy equipment are invaluable to industry. However, determining the proper amount of tension on a vehicle's track can be difficult. While a vehicle is at work, it is ideal to have higher tension on...

Still in a buying mood.(aggregates industry outlook)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2001... There has been a lot of talk about an aggregates industry slowdown, and perhaps a slowdown is to be expected after several very vibrant years. But just because production levels may drop a bit, it doesn't mean the market isn't performing well...

Martin Marietta Materials.(acquires stocks and quarries)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... * Martin Marietta Materials purchases the stock of Sha-Neva Inc. and related companies, Reno, Nev., acquiring two quarries and a sand operation in the Reno area; and a quarry in Truckee, Calif. The company produces about 1.3 million tons...

CRH and the Oldcastle Materials Group.(Hallet Materials Inc. and Des Moines Asphalt & Paving Co. acquired)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... * CRH and the Oldcastle Materials Group acquires Hallet Materials Inc. and Des Moines Asphalt & Paving Co. Inc. for a consideration of $74.9 million.

CSR America Inc.(changes name to Rinker Materials Corp.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... * CSR America Inc. changes its name to Rinker Materials Corp. in an effort to build strong national brand awareness, says the company's CEO David Clarke. There has been no change in ownership of the company.

NSSGA's first.(National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association's board of directors meeting)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... * NSSGA's first, post-merger, full board of directors meeting concludes in Marco Island, Fla., with unanimous approval of new, permanent bylaws for the association and a set of formal policy positions on issues ranging from environment, safety...

Investigators in California.(Tyson Aggregates' quarry accident)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... * Investigators in California are looking into a quarry accident that sent flyrock from a blast at a Tyson Aggregates plant raining down on the Cal State San Marcos campus in California, reportedly denting 70 cars.

Michele Ann Butcher.(Barry K. Wendt Memorial Scholarship winner)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... * Michele Ann Butcher, a junior at Southern Illinois University - Carbondale, is to receive the fourth annual Barry K. Wendt Memorial Scholarship given by NSSGA and AFTRE.

STOCK WATCH.(securities prices for stone companies)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2001... STOCK WATCH (AT PRESS TIME) THIS MONTH LAST MONTH Centex Construction Prod. f 31.50 32.85 Florida Rock Industries f 52.78 53.16 Hanson Plc d 38.65...

WASHINGTON WIRE.(EPA and National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... NSSGA has filed extensive technical and legal comments on the EPA's criteria document and staff paper that the agency uses as the scientific basis to justify revisions to the proposed PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard. NSSGA's...

Essential Economics.(building and nonbuilding construction statistics)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2001... Essential Economics Monthly Construction Contract Value Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rates, in Millions June 2001 May 2001 % Change Nonresidential Building $165,808 $148,782 +11...

RED FLAGS.(stone industry health violations in the U.S.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... * South Elgin, Ill., residents have complained to town trustees about dust from nearby Fox River Stone. They want an ordinance that requires trucks hauling gravel to be covered with a tarp, and the company to install better dust-control...

Construction put in place during June 2001.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2001... * Construction put in place during June 2001 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $861.6 billion, 1 percent (+/-5 percent) below the revised May estimate of $867.3 billion, according to the U.S. Commerce Department's Census...

Portland cement consumption in April rose 10.2 percent.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... * Portland cement consumption in April rose 10.2 percent on a year-over-year basis, a 110.8 million metric ton annual rate, according to the Portland Cement Association.