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No highway bill coming?
In his Innovation NewsBriefs e-newsletter, Ken Orski reports some sobering news in regards to efforts by Congress to get a long-term highway bill passed. Orski says that yesterday at the annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board in Washington, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood "stunned the audience by stating he thinks it very unlikely that a reauthorization bill will pass during the current session of Congress. In his view," Orski continues, "the differences between the House and the Senate are too great to be resolved in the polarized pre-election climate of the next 10 months." Orski adds that the differences LaHood is referring to include the fact that the House is proposing a five-year bill while the Senate is equally determined to proceed with a two-year plan. Other differences include the funding mechanisms of the bills. Orski says, "The Secretary’s overtly expressed pessimism took many people by surprise, especially since in recent days there have been some encouraging signs of progress coming from Capitol Hill." Keep Reading
Web Exclusive: Conveyor belt repair
A large longitudinal rip and grooving was noticed in the center section of a long overland steel cable conveyor belt at a cement and aggregates operation. This was caused by a faulty bearing on a belt turnover pulley that allowed the top cover to be grooved by the conveyor structure and other mechanical components. The severity of the rip and damage was alarming to the plant personnel as this conveyor belt has an extremely high replacement cost. ASGCO Fourthane was used to repair the rip. It is a synthetic rubber/urethane composite that is designed to provide strong adhesion to the original conveyor belt cover. The manufacturer says the product also has high tensile strength, elasticity and impact resistance, and is formulated to be applied on conveyors that work under high impact and abrasion conditions. The product allows rubber conveyor belt covers to be repaired in the field with few tools and maintenance personnel required. An additional benefit is that the product dries within 15 minutes after being applied and only needs one… Keep Reading
In my backyard
On paper and on ExxonMobil television commercials, hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is a safe process for extracting oil and natural gas from deep below the surface of the earth. In practice, the safety of the process is yet to be determined. Proponents cite the great economic potential for the United States in terms of job creation and domestic development of an abundant energy source. Opponents point to the potential for groundwater contamination, among other concerns. The debate has implications for the aggregates industry, because a certain specification of sand high in silica content (frac sand) is used in the fracking process. The issue concerns me, because fracking is coming to my state of Ohio, and in a big way. Marcellus and Utica Shale deposits reach west from Pennsylvania into the eastern half of Ohio. The promise of much-needed jobs for our economically depressed state has many seeing green. I listened to Ohio Gov. John Kasich speak at a meeting of the Ohio Aggregates & Industrial Minerals Association last November. Kasich says… Keep Reading
Optimizing the ‘rock factory’
Optimizing the “rock factory” was the common thread running throughout the 2011 Quarry Academy in San Antonio. The three-day program, operated by Sandvik Mining and Construction and Dyno Nobel, brought the latest concepts and technologies of each phase of quarry operations into an interactive series of more than 30 classes. More than 100 people attended sessions covering the blasting, crushing and material handling functions within a modern operation. This year’s program included hands-on sessions with simulators for Sandvik’s drills and Volvo’s wheel loaders. Cemex’s New Braunfels Texas operation opened its Balcones Quarry for a tour and several demonstrations by the Sandvik and Dyno Nobel teams. The theme of this year’s program was “Lighten Your Energy Footprint.” In line with that theme, a presentation on lean process set the tone for many of the programs’ sessions, which demonstrated how quarry processes can be analyzed, providing the raw information needed to make improvements. The issue of safety was touched on throughout the event and was capped by a presentation by former astronaut… Keep Reading
Disaster dollars
Money for highways means money for aggregate producers, and 2012 brings hope of a new highway-funding bill. For the first time since the previous bill expired in 2009, I’m optimistic that a reauthorization will finally get passed. But in a presidential election year, anything can happen. Given the proposals currently on the table in the Senate and House, the funding levels in a new bill will likely be similar to those of the last bill and its numerous extensions. Compared to short-term extensions, the benefit of a multiyear bill would be the security it brings. Aggregate producers would be more likely to hire workers and invest in capital purchases if they know the money is going to be there for the long term. In the meantime, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation will provide more than $215 million to states across the nation to cover the costs of repairing roads and bridges damaged by a variety of natural disasters. The Federal Highway Administration will… Keep Reading
Construction challenges
FMI, provider of management consulting and investment banking to the engineering and construction industry, released its 2012 U.S. Markets Construction Overview, offering insight into some of the engineering and construction industry’s most complex business challenges. The publication focuses primarily on the U.S. domestic construction market, which is also a lagging reflection of the country’s economic health. The broad picture is not dramatically different from last year, FMI notes. A few highlights include: • The move to a greater use of P3 (public-private partnerships) project funding will be slow, but will begin to gain traction in the United States. • Demographics continue to drive demand for healthcare, education and improving infrastructure. • Spending for government construction is expected to decline as budget battles continue to rage in Washington and spill over to every state in the nation. • Sustainable or green construction will drive demand for LEED-certified buildings. • Innovation is driving efficiencies in multi-trade prefabrication and modularization construction. • As the baby boomers age out of the work force, many… Keep Reading
Taking inventory
It's that time of year when we take a look at where we are, and prepare for the year ahead. In the December issue of Pit & Quarry, which will be available in the coming days, we do that in two ways: our annual State of the Industry report and the transcript from our industry roundtable and conference. In State of the Industry, we deliver construction forecasts from McGraw-Hill Construction and FMI. We also examine the outlooks given by Vulcan Materials and Martin Marietta Materials as part of their latest quarterly reports. For the aggregates industry, it seems the worst of the economic woes are behind us, but the road ahead looks to be only a gradual climb. A reauthorization of the highway bill would help, and prospects for that appear to be upbeat, as both the House and Senate have proposals on the table. The year ahead also offers the hope of two potentially successful trade shows for the industry – AGG1 and MINExpo. Exhibit sales for the March… Keep Reading
Web Exclusive: Oil analysis made easy
The Shell LubeAnalyst oil analysis program from Shell Lubricants is designed to help customers improve equipment and vehicle reliability and reduce maintenance costs. The program provides an online user interface that offers a worldwide sample history and failure trends on various types of equipment and engine types. The program offers a scientific approach to preventive maintenance. Oil analysis is one of the most effective ways to monitor the condition of equipment and lubricants. Taking a proactive approach to preventive maintenance helps assess whether fluids and equipment are performing as intended, helping determine the appropriate change intervals for lubricants. A regular oil analysis program helps customers build a historic database, allowing them to watch for trends in a variety of areas. The Shell LubeAnalyst program offers easy-to-use software that allows customers to view and track test results and view offline management information. “Analyzing used engine oil after every oil change provides an early warning system that may ultimately help lower customers’ total cost of operations,” says Walt Silviera, North American Technical Manager, Shell… Keep Reading
Web Exclusive: Front lines
Screen Machine Industries, manufacturer of portable crushing and screening equipment, is supplying a complete system to the U.S. Air Force at Kandahar Air Field in Afghanistan. As with many military contracts, this journey was one that took months to complete and saw the company's equipment and personnel travel 7,000 miles to potentially hostile territory. The equipment is being used at multiple locations in Afghanistan within U.S./NATO military installations. Kandahar Air Field lies about 10 miles outside of the provincial capital of Kandahar City. An $850 million expansion was begun in 2009 in order to accommodate President Obama’s troop surge that would nearly double the size of the base. The 2009 surge in NATO operations in southern Afghanistan pushed the number of aircraft operations at the base from 1,700 to 5,000 flights per week. These numbers meant that Kandahar had become the busiest one-runway airport in the world. The expansion would also make it the largest NATO base anywhere. Nearly 30,000 personnel from 40 nations now live and work within… Keep Reading
