Nestled In Limestone-Rich Indiana, A New Flagship Plant Leaves No Doubt That Heidelberg Materials North America Is All In On Negating Carbon Dioxide Emissions. By Don Marsh On a scale of new clinker capacity – and environmental metrics tuned to carbon-minded market and regulator sentiments – no North American and few cement plants globally will match Heidelberg Materials’ rebuilt Mitchell,…
Read MoreCategory: Features
Perfecting the Process
World’s Largest Calcined Clay Kiln Requires Precise Metering And Blending. By Ernesto Duran Argos Rio Claro, Colombia, owned and operated by its parent company Cementos Argos, wanted to achieve a higher clinker substitution rate for its portland cement, by blending alternative cementitious materials. This substitution is helping to advance the company’s sustainability drive to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050…
Read MoreSmart Kiln Maintenance
Refractory Maintenance Is Unavoidable, But An Experienced Crew With The Right Equipment Can Minimize Scheduled Downtime And Virtually Eliminate Installation Mistakes That Could Lead To Emergency Maintenance. By Heather Harding Time is money. No place is this adage more appropriate than the manufacturing industry. When even one piece of the system is down, whether for routine maintenance or an unexpected…
Read MoreSilo Inspections Can Save Lives
Though It’s Important To Inspect Silos Frequently, In-House Silo Inspections Carry Too Many Limitations And Safety Concerns To Warrant Skipping A Professional Assessment. By Dennis Blauser In the summer of 2022, a grain silo in Iowa had a catastrophic failure. Two workers were unloading grain into a holding shed onsite at the time of the silo failure. Though one worker…
Read More3 Key Allowances in Ceramic Refractory Anchoring Design
To Accommodate Expansion Movement Within Anchoring Systems, Vital Allowances Must Be Incorporated. Edited by Mark S. Kuhar Research shows that more than 40% of monolithic refractory failures are the result of improper anchor design and installation. Failures commonly attributed to the refractory component are instead often caused by shortcomings in the actual anchoring system. Like any material, refractories will expand…
Read MoreStriving for Net Zero
Heidelberg Materials’ Edmonton, Canada, Plant Works To Implement CCUS Technology. By Kristin Dispenza The concept of carbon capture has been around for decades. While it has been implemented more widely in other sectors, such as coal-fired power generation, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) has not historically been applied to a cement kiln. There are significant differences and complexities between…
Read MoreHere Comes the 2023 IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Conference
• The Conference will take place at the Dallas-Hilton Anatole, April 23-27. • To register, go to www.cementconference.org. The 2023 IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Conference will feature 750 attendees, 400 companies, 15 training modules and 30 sponsors. Brian Shul will be the keynote speaker. He is a Vietnam-era attack pilot and retired major in the United States Air Force. Shul completed a…
Read MoreA New Cement Plant In Yucatan
To Promote The Development Of Southern Mexico By Mauro Nogarin According to the United States Chamber of Commerce, Yucatán is the best state in Mexico to invest, because legal certainty, energy sustainability, security and investment in infrastructure are the key points to attracting foreign investors. The national GDP of Mexico at the end of 2021 registered a recovery of 4.6%,…
Read MoreIn Search of Electric Tech
New Electric Technology Hitting The Market Is Designed To Address The Sustainability Revolution In The Construction Materials Industry. By Mark S. Kuhar Cement producers seeking to develop the safe, productive, smart and clean workplaces of the future are looking hard at innovations in electric technology. There is no lack of innovations coming to market. For instance, Holcim US entered into…
Read MoreTeamwork Makes the Dream Work
Find Out How CalPortland Was Able To Receive A New Mill In The Middle Of A Supply Chain Crisis. Edited by Mark S. Kuhar When FLSmidth began negotiations with CalPortland for a new raw grinding circuit at CalPortland’s Mojave plant in California, the world was still relatively normal. And when contracts were signed in spring 2020, no one expected the…
Read More