Population growth during the next 25 years will likely account for most of the gains in construction, according to Portland Cement Association’s Long-Term Cement Outlook. By 2035, the population of the United States will add 78 million people compared to 2010 levels.
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Ash Grove Midlothian earns Texas safety honor
Ash Grove Cement Co.’s cement plant in Midlothian, Texas, received a 2011-12 safety award recently from Texas Aggregate and Concrete Association (TACA) for its third-consecutive year of high safety ratings. In addition, the plant recently received a 2012 Chairman’s Safety Performance Award from the Portland Cement Association (PCA).
Read MoreEconomists differ on 2013 construction market outlook
During a June 20 national online news conference, American Institute of Architects Chief Economist Kermit Baker, National Association of Home Builders Chief Economist David Crowe and Associated Builders and Contractors Chief Economist Anirban Basu shared their thoughts on the 2013 construction market forecast. Baker began by reinforcing the market’s state: “Construction unfortunately is the last major sector in the economy…
Read MoreSt Marys Bowmanville celebrates North America’s first ISO 50001 certification
Politicians and community leaders were on hand recently to celebrate St Marys Cement Bowmanville plant having received North America’s first International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) 50001 certification, a framework for industrial facilities seeking to manage their energy use.
Read MoreAsh Grove upgrade amplifies EPA mercury rule’s high cost
Following board approval of a $125 million capital outlay, Overland Park, Kan.-based Ash Grove Cement will incorporate a new preheater, precalciner production system at its Midlothian mill outside the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex. The equipment will position the facility among Texas’ lowest emitting cement producers and become the biggest ticket investment to date tied to the Environmental Protection Agency’s portland cement…
Read MoreHolcim on track to achieve sustainability targets
The 2011 Holcim Corporate Sustainable Development Report shows that the Swiss construction materials giant Holcim Ltd. is on track to achieve its sustainability targets. The self-imposed targets for reducing dust and NOx emissions have been met, and Holcim remains a leader in the industry with the lowest CO2 emissions per metric ton of cement produced. For CEO Bernard Fontana, sustainable…
Read MoreNonresidential building index debuts
McGraw-Hill Construction’s Dodge Momentum Index, a 12-month leading indicator of nonresidential building spending, will be available monthly for material and product interests; architectural, engineering and construction professionals; and, economist and Wall Street analysts. Based on a 91% correlation between Dodge construction planning reports and the Commerce Department’s Put in Place spending over the past 10 years, the index is poised…
Read MoreFederal agency data shows fly ash far from hazardous
An American Coal Ash Association-sponsored report analyzing the most up-to-date U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) information available concerning coal ash constituents concludes that the concentrations of metals in the material, with few exceptions, are below environmental screening levels for residential soils and similar in concentration to common dirt.
Read MoreCement consumption forecast adjusted favorably for second time in 2012
Source: Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill. With the first half of 2012 experiencing favorable weather conditions, gains in residential and nonresidential construction activity and robust gains in cement intensities, the new PCA forecast nearly doubles the expected increase in cement consumption for the year. The association’s revised its spring forecast upward, anticipating a 6.9 percent increase in 2012 from 2011…
Read MoreEPA to hold NESHAP public meeting in Dallas
Source: Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill. Acting on a request from the Dallas-area environmental group Downwinders at Risk, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public hearing on its proposed rule, ‘‘National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for the Portland Cement Manufacturing Industry and Standards of Performance for Portland Cement Plants’’ (July 18, 2012 Federal Register), commonly known…
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