Sources: Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill.; National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md. Today’s bipartisan passage of “Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011” (H.R. 2681) by the U.S. House of Representatives was overwhelmingly called a triumph by construction industry leaders. A year-long effort to reform what they believed would be job-killing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations on the…
Read MoreYear: 2011
MIT researchers provide comprehensive LCA for buildings
Source: Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill. The need to decrease energy usage and subsequent emissions from the building sector has been at the forefront of U.S. green movement. To address this, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Concrete Sustainability Hub conducted a life-cycle assessment (LCA) study to evaluate and improve the environmental impact and study how the “dual…
Read MoreTXI reports lower quarterly results
Source: Texas Industries Inc., Dallas TXI reported financial results for the quarter ended Aug. 31, 2011. Results for the quarter indicated a net loss of $7.4 million or $.27 per share. Results for the quarter ended Aug. 31, 2010, were a loss of $23.7 million or $.85 per share and included an after-tax charge of $18.0 million or $.65 per…
Read MoreNew ASTM cement standard simulates shearing by cement paste
Source: ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pa. A new standard, ASTM C1738, Practice for High-Shear Mixing of Hydraulic Cement Pastes, provides for preparing a mixture of cement paste that will simulate the shearing experienced by the cement paste in concrete, and was developed by Subcommittee C01.22 on Workability, part of ASTM’s Committee C01 on Cement.
Read MoreLafarge marks Canada’s National Precast Day with Habitat home plan
Sources: Lafarge North America, Reston, Va.; Staff reports During an October 4 open house that drew 500 students, architects and engineers to its Edmonton precast plant, Lafarge announced participation in a local Habitat for Humanity NetZero energy duplex project.
Read MoreVibration technology improves material flow, safety in vacuum loader trucks
A leading manufacturer of industrial vacuum loaders, hydro excavators, and sewer cleaners is employing engineered vibration technology to improve off-loading of industrial waste, including difficult materials such as dry bulk powders, slurries and even thick sludge.
Read MoreLehigh Hanson chief to lawmakers: EPA regs could doom 18 cement plants
The recent passage of “Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011” (H.R. 2681) by the House Subcommittee on Energy and Power is being touted as a significant step toward regulations that protect American lives and American jobs.
Read MoreCement Totals
Total shipments of portland and blended cement in the United States and Puerto Rico were about 7.3 million mt in June 2011, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. This was 2.8% lower compared with shipments for June 2010. Total shipments for the year through June were approximately 32.1 million mt, slightly lower than the same period in 2010.
Read MoreHolcim’s Akermann to retire; Fontana named new CEO
Zurich, Switzerland-based Holcim’s long-serving Chief Executive Markus Akermann, who has been working for the company since 1978 and has been CEO since 2002, announced he would retire in early 2012, and while his retirement came as no surprise, the choice for his replacement was to many in the industry. The company named French stainless steel producer Aperam head Bernard Fontana…
Read MoreIEEE West Coast Cement Conference
The 2011 IEEE West Coast Cement Industry Conference, October 13–14 in Texarkana, Texas, will feature a Dust Collection workshop, technical program and tour of the Ash Grove Cement plant in Foreman, Ark. Scheduled technical presentations include: Bulk Solid Alternative Fuel Use in Cement Plants; Mining Efficiency in Cement Plants: Teamwork pays off; Principles in Compressed Air Improvement Projects–A CalPortland Case…
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