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Atlas Copco surface drill designed to optimize efficiency
Atlas Copco’s SmartROC D60 surface drill was designed to increase productivity and consistency. According to the company, the SmartROC D60 drills accurate quarry, construction and surface mining blastholes from 4 1/2 to 7 in. in diameter. The SmartROC D60 is powered by a 475 hp Tier 4 Final Caterpillar C15 turbo-charged diesel engine. According to Atlas Copco, the estimated fuel savings can be as great as 15 percent over similar rigs. “The development of this rig is the latest in our drive to produce a wider range of surface drill rigs giving better results at a lower cost," says Mike Wentworth, product manager for Atlas Copco Surface Drilling Equipment in the United States. The surface drill rig’s increased automation capability optimizes efficiency for consistent productivity, reports Atlas Copco. The SmartROC D60 features a hole navigation system and auto positioning for improved fragmentation characteristics. Additionally, its standard feed eliminates the need for inductive sensors, which helps to ensure more reliable handling of 16 1/2-ft. drill steel from built-in sensors of its rod… Keep Reading
Caterpillar to withdraw from vocational truck market
Caterpillar will discontinue production of its on-highway vocational trucks. Cat chose to discontinue production because of the current business climate in that market, the company reports. Cat launched its first vocational truck in the North American market in 2011, and last year, the company announced its intention to begin independently designing and manufacturing its vocational truck products at the Caterpillar facility in Victoria, Texas. “Remaining a viable competitor in this market would require significant additional investment to develop and launch a complete portfolio of trucks, and upon an updated review, we determined there was not a sufficient market opportunity to justify the investment,” says Ramin Younessi, vice president with responsibility for Caterpillar’s Industrial Power Systems Division. “We have not yet started truck production in Victoria, and this decision allows us to exit this business before the transition occurs.” The discontinued production of on-highway vocational trucks will affect about 70 employees, the company reports. The reductions will begin in March. Keep Reading
P&Q Roundtable 2016: Sales growth strategies
North American Limestone's Dana Boyd and Trinity Industries' Cory Danner share their sales growth stratgies for 2016 at the annual Pit & Quarry Roundtable & Conference. Keep Reading
Government agencies expand definition of ‘critical habitat’
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and National Marine Fisheries Service expanded the definition of "critical habitat" from “an area occupied by species at the time it is listed” to include areas that a species may occupy in the future due to climate change or other factors. According to the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA), the final rules on Definition Destruction or Adverse Modification of Critical Habitat and Rule for Designating Critical Habitat are similar to draft rules released and commented by NSSGA in 2014. “Members should be aware that these changes could cause an increase in a habitat’s areal extent, necessitating stringent mitigation measures, should a habitat designation include their property,” says Emily Coyner, NSSGA environmental services director. NSSGA adds that it will closely monitor the implementation of these rules. Keep Reading
Martin Marietta acquires two Colorado-based companies
Martin Marietta Materials Inc. acquired two Colorado-based companies, growing its workforce by about 400 people, strengthening its long-term position in the state's southern market and complementing its presence in the metro Denver area. The larger of the two acquisitions, Colorado Springs-based Rocky Mountain Materials & Asphalt and Rocky Mountain Premix, was finalized Feb. 6. The acquisition added nearly 400 employees at Red Canyon Quarry, a granite and limestone quarry; Sokol and Penrose Ranch, two active sand-and-gravel operations; two ready-mix plants; two asphalt plants; and a recycling facility. Rocky Mountain Materials also sells decorative landscape stone and other landscaping materials. The smaller acquisition, that of Front Range Aggregates and its rock and rail subsidiary, was completed Nov. 13. This acquisition added about 25 employees at the Parkdale Quarry, an aggregates facility; Drennan Yard, a distribution facility; and Rock & Rail, a federally chartered short-line railroad that operates east and west between Pueblo and Parkdale, Colo. Combined, the acquisitions add nearly 1 billion tons of aggregates to Martin Marietta's reserves. The new… Keep Reading
January construction starts show improvement
New construction starts in January grew 2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $607.9 billion, raising the Dodge Index to 129, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. Residential building in January rose 5 percent to $294 billion. This increase is mainly due to a 6 percent gain in single-family housing. Multifamily housing also rose 2 percent, with nine multifamily projects valued at $100 million or more that reached the groundbreaking stage in January. Nonresidential building slipped 1 percent to $180.3 billion, with the institutional categories group decreasing 10 percent and healthcare facilities dropping 20 percent. The small institutional categories all registered weak activity, with public buildings down 5 percent, transportation terminals and religious buildings each down 35 percent, and amusement-related work down 49 percent. The commercial building categories as a group increased 3 percent in January, with office construction leading the gain with a 29 percent increase. Warehouse construction increased 17 percent, hotel construction grew 14 percent and the manufacturing plant category jumped 59 percent. Nonbuilding construction dropped… Keep Reading
NSSGA names its Safety & Health Professional of the Year
The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) named Matthew Bunner, safety manager for Mulzer Crushed Stone, its 2015 James M. Christie Safety & Health Professional of the Year. The award recognizes an individual for substantial contributions and commitment to safety and healthy operating practices. According to NSSGA, Bunner developed an aggressive safety audit program that enabled Mulzer Crushed Stone to reduce hazards, as well as training materials that increased the support for safety training among workers and management. Bunner is a Certified Mine Safety Professional and a member of NSSGA’s Safety and Health Committee, which develops and implements best practices for safety. He is a two-term chair of the Indiana Mineral Aggregate Association’s (IMAA) Safety Committee and has previously received the IMAA’s President’s Award, reports NSSGA. “Matt has made a substantial impact on safety and health throughout the entire United States,” says Mike Johnson, NSSGA president and CEO. “Advocacy is job No. 1 for NSSGA, but truly safety is job No. 1 for aggregates operations around the country. Matt’s… Keep Reading
P&Q Roundtable 2016: How to grow the aggregates industry
2016 Pit & Quarry Roundtable & Conference attendees, including Hal Williford of Memphis Stone and Gravel Co.; John Bennington of Superior Industries; and Dana Boyd of North American Limestone, share what they think are the best ways for the industry to grow. Keep Reading
ARTBA: 9.5 percent of U.S. bridges structurally deficient
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) 2015 National Bridge Inventory database indicates that there were 2,574 fewer structurally deficient bridges in 2015 than 2014, lowering the current number of structurally deficient bridges to 58,500. The American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) annual review of state bridge data says about 9.5 percent of the nation’s approximately 610,000 bridges are classified as structurally deficient. ARTBA’s report also explains that, if placed end-to-end, the deck surface of the nation’s structurally deficient bridges would stretch 1,340 miles. A bridge is defined as structurally deficient if it receives a rating of four or lower in its state inspection. The states with the most structurally deficient bridges, according to the report, are Iowa with 5,025; Pennsylvania with 4,783; Oklahoma with 3,776; Missouri with 3,222; Nebraska with 2,474; Kansas with 2,303; Illinois with 2,244; Mississippi with 2,184; North Carolina with 2,085; and California with 2,009 structurally deficient bridges. Almost all of the 250 most-heavily-crossed structurally deficient bridges are on urban highways, particularly in California, the report… Keep Reading
