Tag: Construction Materials: Page 2

Roadbuilding

Graphene-infused concrete would be twice as strong, more water resistant than current mixes

Scientists at the University of Exeter in the U.K. are developing an environmentally friendly composite material by incorporating concrete with graphene to create a material that is more than twice as strong and four times more water resistant than existing concretes, and produces less greenhouse gas emissions, The Guardian reports. Graphene is made up of a single […]

May 10, 2018

Roadbuilding

American Concrete Institute announces new officers and directors

The American Concrete Institute (ACI) announced its 2018-2019 president, vice president, and four board members during its Concrete Convention and Exposition in Salt Lake City in March. David A. Lange was elected to serve as president for 2018-2019, Jeffrey W. Coleman was elected vice president for a two-year term, and Randall W. Poston was elected senior vice president for a two-year […]

April 25, 2018

Roadbuilding

Purdue researchers testing stronger cellulose-infused concrete on Calif. bridge

Researchers at Purdue University have found a way to make concrete stronger by infusing it with cellulose nanocrystals, byproducts generated from wood, and will test it on a bridge that will be built in California this spring, according to a news release from the Purdue Research Foundation. At press time, the exact bridge where the cellulose-infused […]

April 24, 2018

Roadbuilding

Fungus-powered, self-healing concrete could eliminate cracks in existing roads, bridges

Binghamton University researchers are working on perfecting a fungus that will heal the cracks that naturally form in concrete, pressconnects.com reports. To make the self-healing concrete, fungal spores and a nutrient-based medium would be added to the concrete during the mixing process or sprayed onto concrete structures already built. The fungus would naturally secrete minerals […]

April 19, 2018

Business

Dodge economist: Trump tariffs won’t halt construction growth

Though there are some concerning signs on the horizon, including President Donald Trump’s tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, they won’t stop the continued expansion of the overall construction industry through 2018 and into 2019, according to Bob Murray, chief economist for Dodge Data & Analytics. Murray said the industry was able to absorb the […]

April 6, 2018

Roadbuilding

The story of America’s first concrete street and the man who built it

The Columbus Neighborhoods video below tells the story of the first concrete street in America, which was built in Bellefontaine, Ohio, by George Wells Bartholomew Jr. in 1891. Susan B. Manecke, Bartholomew’s great-granddaughter, says, “I think that he had a big vision in terms of commerce in the United States, in the whole country, and if […]

February 28, 2018

Roadbuilding

Associated Asphalt to supply Fla. ports in Puma deal

Puma Energy and Associated Asphalt have signed agreements to supply asphalt to Florida port terminals. Associated Asphalt will take over retail asphalt marketing for Trafigura, Puma’s largest shareholder, at Jacksonville, Cape Canaveral and Port Everglades. Puma will handle the supply chain into those terminals. Associated Asphalt will also be responsible for supply and marketing at […]

January 24, 2018

Roadbuilding

ACI releases 2018 ACI Collection of Concrete Codes, Specifications, and Practices

The American Concrete Institute (ACI) announced the release of its 2018 ACI Collection of Concrete Codes, Specifications, and Practices, which was formerly known as the Manual of Concrete Practice. It contains information on concrete design, construction, and materials, with nearly 50 codes and specifications and more than 200 practices, including guides and reports. Categories covered in the […]

January 19, 2018

Roadbuilding

NRMCA to hold Improving Concrete Quality course Jan. 17

The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) is offering a new course, Improving Concrete Quality, on January 17 in Eagan, Minnesota. A book by the same name that was written by one of the instructors, as well as other NRMCA resources, will provide the basic content for the course, which will delve into quantifying tangible and intangible […]

January 9, 2018

Roadbuilding

Concrete burned in Calif. fires being recycled as road base

A steady stream of dump trucks has been delivering loads of burned concrete to the Stony Point Rock Quarry west of Cotati, California, The Press Democrat reports. The concrete, which comes from the foundations and driveways of homes that were destroyed by the fires in Sonoma County, will be crushed and recycled to build new […]

December 19, 2017

Roadbuilding

MIT students create stronger concrete using plastic bottles

Undergraduate students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) discovered a way to use plastic water and soda bottles with fly ash to make concrete stronger and more flexible. According to a school press release, the researchers say that exposing plastic flakes to small doses of gamma radiation, pulverizing the flakes into a fine powder, […]

November 6, 2017

Roadbuilding

NRMCA hires Luke McHugh as senior director Northeast Region paving

The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) announced the hiring of Luke McHugh as senior director, local paving, for the Northeast Region. In his new role, he will work with NRMCA partners and members to help deliver successful local concrete paving projects and implement strategies that increase the use of various forms of ready-mixed concrete […]

October 27, 2017