Three of six Cement and Concrete projects named as funding candidates in a $6 billion Energy Department Office of Clean Energy Demonstration (OCED) program entail production of calcined clay or limestone calcined clay (LC3) as an alternative to conventional portland cement clinker. Producers behind the Industrial Demonstrations Program-themed projects are positioned to negotiate with OCED officials awards where cost-sharing terms…
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PCA’s Sullivan Projects Repeat of 2023 Construction Market Force Duel
Following the Federal Reserve’s recent signaling of a single 2024 interest rate cut, Portland Cement Association (PCA) Chief Economist Ed Sullivan sees a return this year of two forces – one exposed to, the other mostly shielded from borrowing costs – that shaped 2023 private and public construction activity. High interest rates drove down residential and commercial building volume last…
Read MoreSustainability in Action: A Cement Industry Update
Research, Benchmarks and Plant Projects are Ongoing As The Industry Tackles Sustainability Challenges. By Mark S. Kuhar Whether it is Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage; Climate and Energy Benchmarking; or innovative developments at the plant level, the cement industry is continuously working to reduce its carbon footprint. Here are some of the latest developments. CCUS Opportunities in the Cement IndustryAccording…
Read More2024 Is Here, So What Will It Bring?
It is 2024, and another new year has us looking ahead at what might be in store for the construction materials and cement industries. If you gauge a year by production volume, you could say 2023 was a bit of a disappointment. A look at the latest cement production numbers from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reveals that shipments for…
Read MoreThe White House’s Infrastructure Goals Risk Disruption – By the White House
By Louis Baer For Americans to start seeing evidence of the Biden Administration’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) taking shape in their hometowns, the construction industry will need building materials to do the work. Should a newly proposed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) particulate matter (PM) standard take effect in the next few weeks, those materials might not be readily…
Read More2024 Economic Report
This Year Should Provide A Transition To Stronger Growth For Construction And Thus For Cement Production. By Mark S. Kuhar After a year in which the economy and starts slowed considerably, the coming year should provide a transition to stronger growth for construction, according to the Dodge Construction Network’s (DCN) Outlook 2024 economic report. But before we get to that,…
Read MoreFinding Value in Carbon
A Calgary-Based Company Is Turning CO2 Emissions And Industrial Byproducts Into High-Quality Supplementary Cementitious Materials. by Jonathan Rowland Carbon capture is recognized as a key element in most pathways to a decarbonized cement industry. As the Portland Cement Association (PCA) noted in its 2021 Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) “directly avoids a significant portion of…
Read MoreSustainability Spotlight: St. Marys Cement Charlevoix Plant
With the use of alternative fuels and lower-carbon clinker replacements, St Marys Cement is reducing carbon emissions while increasing energy efficiency at its Charlevoix, Mich., plant, according to the Portland Cement Association’s latest “Sustainability Spotlight.” To achieve carbon neutrality, cement plants are combining a variety of tactics to cut emissions and be responsible environmental stewards. St Marys Cement, part of…
Read MorePCA Elects New Board Leadership for 2024
The Portland Cement Association (PCA) announced new leadership for its board of directors after holding elections at its last meeting of 2023. President and CEO of Buzzi Unicem USA Massimo Toso was elected chair, while Monica Manolas, president of Ash Grove East, was elected vice chair. She is the first woman in the 21st century to be elected to the…
Read MorePCA’s Sullivan Refines Economic Forecast at WOC
Ed Sullivan, Portland Cement Association’s (PCA) chief economist and senior vice president of market intelligence, anticipates the U.S. economy will gradually weaken during the first half of 2024 but will likely slowly recover in the second half.
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