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HeidelbergCement is turning its eyes to Washington in anticipation of an antitrust ruling, perhaps in as soon as two weeks, which is the German-based building materials giant’s next big hurdle in its ongoing effort to acquire Italcementi.

A compilation of key data from targeted segments of the industry

Using powerful nanotechnology tools, a research team led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has successfully modeled the complex structure of calcium silica hydrate (CSH), the main binding material in cement and concrete.

In a furious hourlong competition that set two dozen teams from around the world against each other in a test of masonry skills, Scott Tuttle of Quick Trowel Masonry in Clearfield, Utah, was crowned champion of Spec Mix Bricklayer 500 competition at World of Concrete in Las Vegas. Tuttle’s prizes included the keys to a brand new 2016 Ford F-250 XLT 4x4 pickup truck.

Citing pent-up demand, Portland Cement Association chief economist Edward Sullivan say he expects to see a 5% growth in portland cement consumption in 2016, with a further 5.7% growth of growth in 2017. This is an improvement over the growth rate from 2015, which was only 3.5%.