The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI), issued by Dodge Construction Network, fell 8.4% in January to 201.5 (2000=100) from the revised December reading of 220.0. In January, the commercial component of the DMI fell 10.0%, and the institutional component receded 4.7%. “The Dodge Momentum Index weakened in January, after 10 consecutive months of gains. While planning activity slowed, the Index remains…
Read MoreConstruction Spending Up 10.2% in 2022
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, construction spending during December 2022 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,809.8 billion, 0.4% (± 0.8%) below the revised November estimate. The December figure is 7.7% (±1.2%) above the December 2021 estimate. The value of construction in 2022 was $1,792.9 billion, 10.2% (±0.8%) above the $1,626.4 billion spent in 2021. In…
Read MoreOxyfuel Makes the Cement Industry Greener
It’s no secret that the cement industry is a large CO2 emitter. Nevertheless, it is impossible to imagine our everyday lives without cement. A switch to more sustainable processes is essential to protect the climate and remain competitive. One solution, from the experts at thyssenkrupp Polysius, is called Oxyfuel. Understanding OxyfuelLarge quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) are released during cement…
Read MoreThe Variability Challenge
As The Use Of Alternative Fuels Grows, So Too The Challenges They Pose To Equipment And Process. by Jonathan Rowland Fossil fuels are often maligned for their carbon emissions. Yet they are not the world’s most successful energy source without reason. Fossil fuels pack a punch when it comes to calorific value and offer consistent chemical composition, moisture content and…
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 MoreEconomic Strength in Construction Shows No End in Sight
A couple of issues ago, I wrote in Concrete Products, sister publication of Cement Products, about how we are willing ourselves into a recession even as the economic indicators point in a different direction. Like so many periods in the past, this is an anxious time in the economy as we try to understand its direction, and despite the positive…
Read MoreQuarterly Reports a Mixed Bag
Publicly traded U.S. cement producers just reported results, and those results are a mixed bag. At Summit Materials, Cement Segment net revenues increased 23.6% to $97.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2022. Cement Segment adjusted cash gross profit margin increased to 47.1% in the fourth quarter, compared to 42.7% in the prior-year period as strong pricing gains more than…
Read MoreHeidelberg Materials Touts Quarterly, Yearly Results
Heidelberg Materials, in its latest quarterly report, noted that group revenue in 2022 grew by 3% to an all-time high of €21.1 billion. North American revenue was up 17.6% for the quarter and 7.8% for 2022, although aggregates sales volume was off 5.7% for the quarter and 5.0% for the year; and cement and clinker sales volumes were off 8.2 %…
Read More