Photo Courtesy of Portadam LAST LINE OF DEFENSE Flood control products such as Portadam were deployed on short notice at the Fitzgerald Casino in Tunica, Miss., to provide protection from the rising waters of the Mississippi River. As cities and municipalities in the Midwest deal with seasonal floods, a new crop of flood barrier products have emerged in recent years.When Mark Bittner, city engineer for Fargo, N.D., planned for this year's floods, he had a budget in hand. While many towns and cities must wait for federal and state aid, Fargo has a dedicated half-cent sales tax for flood control.When
High-strength rebar reduces overall building costs compared to traditional steel reinforcement, according to a new study from the Construction Industry Institute.
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton Building a cement plant is key to survival, local firm says. Rendering courtesy Ozinga Bros. Inc. Ozinga filed an Illinois permit application for its proposed plant under a new business unit, Universal Cement, in December 2008. It expects a decision later this year. Related Links: U.S. Cement Production Flat Following 2009's Big Decline A fourth-generation, family-owned concrete company in Chicago wants to build its own cement plant so it can become more vertically integrated.Ozinga Bros Inc., founded in 1928, has proposed building the 1-million-ton-per-year plant on a 50-acre parcel it owns on Chicago's South Side.
Photo courtesy of Blue World Crete Green concrete startup has developed a cement that forms at low temperatures. MaterialsA Florida company's new geopolymer binder, which promises to enable eco-friendly materials that compete with portland cement, is undergoing testing in the U.S. and the Middle East.Blue World Crete, whose eponymously named firm is based in Pompano Beach, Fla., is one of many ongoing efforts to lower concrete's carbon footprint. Even so, experts are skeptical it can offer an alternative to the world's most popular building material: portland cement.The startup claims to have developed a synthetic alternative to traditional cement. Inorganic chemicals
Photo: Cary Kopczynski & Co High-strength rebar is costly but cuts down weight, reducing overall costs, a new study says. Related Links: High-Strength Rebar Market Is Heating Up New materials and methods available to concrete construction crews in the past decade present a financial dilemma:A flashy material may offer advantages despite its upfront cost, but how do you know you aren’t sending your overall project into the red?A research team took a stab at this problem and released their findings this morning to the Construction Industry Institute’s annual conference in Chicago. In some cases, the team found overall cost savings.
Photo By Tudor Van Hampton/ENR Related Links: Rebuilding Chicago's Wacker Drive: Giant concrete pour meets milestone The rebuild of Chicago’s historic Wacker Drive—this time, the double-decker road’s nearly 60-year-old north-south section—is in full swing. On May 10, Chicago-based contractor James McHugh Construction Co. reached a major milestone on the $300-million project when it poured 1,500 cu yd of concrete over a 10-hour period to complete a section of mainline deck. Composed of 13 in. of reinforced post-tensioned, high-performance concrete with a 2-in. latex overlay, the deck sits on a rebuilt concrete structure that is designed to last 100 years. Local
As an expected 120,000 visitors began packing into the Las Vegas Convention Center, this year’s CONEXPO-CON/AGG exhibition kicked off with a universal question in mind: Will the current economic recovery stick? Photo By Tom Sawyer Construction industry attendees expressed hope that the recession is fading. Photo Courtesy Of Tony Illia Caterpillar’s new truck model was unveiled at the opening of the 2011 CONEXPO in Las Vegas “All the focus is on CONEXPO as investors look to see whether the pending recovery on the U.S. construction equipment is real,” said Credit Suisse analyst Jamie Cook in an investor note. Machinery manufacturers
Uncertainty over reauthorization of a federal transportation bill could curtail future concrete consumption, said attendees at the World of Concrete show held last month in Las Vegas. A protracted wait time for a new bill creates long-term budgeting uncertainty for municipalities that could result in smaller, less ambitious projects. Photo: Tudor Van Hampton For ENR Vendors showed wares in Las Vegas, as experts noted that renewal of the highway bill is needed to bring back the lagging cement market. Photo: Tudor Van Hampton For ENR Related Links: World of Concrete 2011: Around the Exhibit Hall “We’re hearing that we could
A long-running trade dispute between the U.S. and Canada over lumber pricing has flared up again. U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said on Jan. 18 that he is seeking binding arbitration to settle a disagreement between the two countries over the pricing of British Columbia timber. Lumber produced from that timber is a key component in the construction of single-family housing. To try to resolve lumber-pricing disagreements that stretched back 20 years, the U.S. and Canada in 2006 signed a Softwood Lumber Agreement (SLA). The pact set a price threshold at which limits would cease on Canadian lumber exports. A
A somber but resilient mood permeated this year’s World of Concrete expo, held on Jan. 18-21 in Las Vegas, where thin crowds circulated amid a kiosk-filled convention floor. Contractors looked for innovative ways to prepare for an economic recovery, while budget-conscious construction solutions dominated exhibitor offerings. “We’re focusing on our ability to reuse equipment in different applications, rather than buying anew from job to job,” said Andrew Mair, chief executive officer of Doka USA Ltd., a Little Ferry, N.J.-based concrete formwork provider. “We’re also showcasing our Frami Xlife product, which is light enough to be [handled] without a crane, saving