High Speed Robotic Bag Palletizing
Columbia/Okura's robotic palletizers are capable of palletizing 60-lb.
bags of concrete products at a rate of up to 28 bags per minute. It
simultaneously stacks various bag sizes and types (including paper, poly
and woven-poly) from up to four production lines. This is a
cost-effective palletizing solution that utilizes minimal floor space.
Every system is factory tested, UL 1740 certified and backed by
U.S.-based parts and technical service support.
www.columbiaokura.com
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Welcome to CONCRETE CURRENTS, the electronic newsletter from
Concrete Products magazine.
For additional industry news, technology, and highlights from the latest
issue of Concrete Products, please visit www.concreteproducts.com
Submissions for upcoming issues of CONCRETE CURRENTS or Concrete
Products can be directed to Editor Don Marsh, don.marsh@penton.com or
312/840-8483.
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Martin Marietta tracks trickle of
transportation funds from Obama stimulus plan
Sources: Martin Marietta Materials Inc., Raleigh, N.C.; CP
staff
In his latest report to shareholders, Martin Marietta Chairman
Stephen Zelnak Jr. cites three factors behind lower projected per share
earnings for 2009: weaker and slower-than-expected economic recovery;
marked decrease in transportation infrastructure spending from a decline
in state revenues and a longer-than-expected delay in federal stimulus
projects; and, an adverse weather-affected first half of the year. Click
here for full story
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Pavement study shows concrete surpassing
asphalt in initial bid cost advantage
Sources: Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill.; CP
staff
In a report gauging the cost for one mile of standard two-lane
roadway, calculated with state department of transportation-adopted
software, PCA Chief Economist Ed Sullivan shows how concrete enjoys an
initial bid advantage of $82,000 compared to asphalt. “Update: Paving,
The New Realities” cites the current bid advantage against that of
2003, when asphalt held a $120,000 first-cost edge. Click
here for full story
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2009 global cement consumption stabilization
followed by 2010 recovery
Source: Portland Cement Association, Skokie,
Ill.
World cement consumption is expected to decline 1.7 percent in 2009,
a modest drop cushioned by a roughly 4.0 percent growth in utilization
by China and India. According to a recent PCA report, gains in those two
nations, which together account for 58 percent of the world’s cement
consumption, will mask harsh downturns predicted for many of the global
cement markets. Click
here for full story
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GOP attorney nominated to rank & file-leaning
Labor Board
Sources: National Labor Relations Board, Washington, D.C.;
CP staff
Often the final stop for National Labor Relations Act-rooted
workplace grievances, the NLRB is nearing return to a full bench,
perhaps poised for a philosophical shift more sympathetic to unions. The
White House has added to its Board Member nominees Brian Hayes,
Republican Labor Policy Director for the U.S. Senate Committee on
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Click
here for full story
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Hanson Pipe deal caps Contech’s corrugated
metal capacity ramp up
Sources: Contech Construction Products, West Chester, Ohio;
CP staff
Announcing the third deal of its kind in two weeks, Contech has
closed on the corrugated metal pipe assets tied to Hanson Pipe &
Precast’s Como, Miss., operation. The transaction signals the
seller’s exit from corrugated steel drainage product manufacturing,
although Hanson Pipe will serve as a Contech distributor. Click
here for full story
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Seismic testing results support seven-story
wood-frame construction
Sources: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo.;
C.P. staff
In NEESWood Capstone seismic testing--the culmination of a
four-year, $1.4 million National Science Foundation grant to develop a
new design approach for taller wood-frame buildings in earthquake-prone
areas--Colorado State University in collaboration with Simpson
Strong-Tie and other partners conducted a test on the world’s largest
earthquake shake-table near Kobe, Japan, on July 14. Though detailed
data analysis is not yet available, initial results indicate that
midrise wood-frame buildings can be built to withstand major
earthquakes. Click
here for full story
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Ubiquitous HardiePlank fiber-cement siding
reconfigured for climate zones
Sources: James Hardie Building Products, Mission Viejo,
Calif.; CP staff
The seventh generation of Jamie Hardie’s fiber-cement flagship
product, HardiePlank lap-style siding, includes versions featuring edge
details and surface treatment suited to Sunbelt and Northern climates.
The manufacturer, whose siding technology and marketing savvy during the
past two decades placed cement-based product in the residential cladding
mainstream, is promoting the HZ5 and HZ10 lines under the HardieZone
system banner. Click
here for full story
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G.I. Bill covers ACI Concrete Field Testing Tech I
exam
Source: American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills,
Mich.
The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’ recognition of the ACI
Concrete Field Testing Technician–Grade I program qualifies
certification-pursuing veterans for reimbursement of up to $500 in
related exam expenses. Over the next year, ACI will seek VA Department
approval covering other certification exams. Testing Tech–Grade I is
one of 17 Institute certification programs measuring personnel
qualifications for concrete construction and practice. Certification
programs and training are conducted through an international network of
100 Local Sponsoring Groups. ACI has current certifications for 96,000
individuals.
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Fabcon launches composite thin-brick wall
panel
Source: Fabcon LLC, Savage, Minn.
Through a partnership with Minneapolis-based VAST Enterprises, LLC, Fabcon is
producing the industry’s first structural precast wall panels with
embedded composite bricks. Containing up to 95 percent
post-consumer/post-industrial recycled material, the thin-brick veneer
units borrow from rubber and plastic processing methods VAST has applied
to brick pavers
now being promoted through masonry dealers. Click
here for full story
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