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Polaris Materials opens aggregates terminal in Long Beach
Polaris Materials Corp. opened an aggregates terminal in the Port of Long Beach in California. According to Polaris, the terminal took its first delivery July 19 from a self-discharging Panamax ship carrying 77,000 tons of agggregates from the company's Orca Quarry in Port McNeill, British Columbia. Products were offloaded using a computerized conveying and stacking system specifically designed to maintain the integrity of gravel products when stockpiled in large quantities, Polaris adds. "The large product inventory now available on the (port) site enables us to actively pursue supplying major projects and infrastructure," says Herb Wilson, president and CEO. Wilson adds that the San Francisco market remains strong and that the east Bay market is beginning to improve because of increased housing development. Keep Reading
Report: Senate, House Republicans torn on highway bill
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is in favor of passing a six-year highway bill, The Hill reports, but House Republicans want the Senate to pass a five-month highway patch. According to The Hill, which cites a Senate Republican leadership source, McConnell wants to pass a bill before Thursday, July 30 to give the House time to vote on it before the August recess. Still, it's unknown whether or not the House would even give the Senate transportation bill a vote, as House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) dismissed the Senate bill as not likely to get a House vote. McCarthy suggested merging Senate and House measures in a conference negotiation as an alternative. The Hill reports that McConnell will likely offer the six-year bill as a substitute amendment on the Senate floor Friday, July 24. The goal then would be to get it to the House by Wednesday, July 29. “This gives us the present reality of three years that we don’t have to deal with this," McConnell says.… Keep Reading
Case dealers to carry Thunder Creek trailers
Case Construction Equipment is now offering Thunder Creek Equipment’s new FST Series trailers through its nationwide dealer network. According to a press release, the trailers offer a shop for heavy equipment owners’ fuel and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) storage and handling needs. They also include light towers and a three-in-one welder/generator/air compressor. The FST trailers are available in 500-, 750- and 990-gallon diesel capacities with a 100-gallon DEF tank. Each trailer features Thunder Creek’s closed-loop DEF delivery system with a DEF pumping system to eliminate exposure to possible contaminants. Keep Reading
MSHA report offers details of year’s mining deaths
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) released a midyear report noting that 18 miners died in the first half of 2015. According to MSHA, eight miners died at surface metal and nonmetal mines and two died at underground metal and nonmetal mines. Two deaths occurred at surface coal mines while six occurred at underground coal mines. “Mining fatalities are preventable, and each of these deaths reminds us that much more needs to be done to protect the nation’s miners,” says Joe Main, assistant secretary of labor for MSHA. “Safe mine operation must be at the forefront at all times to avoid the pain and suffering the families of these miners now have to endure.” MSHA reports that five fewer miners died in metal and nonmetal miner by midyear this year versus midyear 2014. MSHA's report also provides trend details on the mining deaths. For example, machinery and powered haulage accidents were the most common cause of mining deaths. They accounted for eight fatalities – four in each category. Six… Keep Reading
June construction starts retreat 15 percent
New construction starts in June dropped 15 percent from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $620.2 billion, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. The decline followed an especially strong May, the company says. Nonbuilding construction in June fell sharply as the result of a steep pullback by Dodge Data & Analytics' electric utility and gas plant category, while nonresidential building experienced a less severe loss of momentum. Residential building in June was able to post a slight gain, helped by the continued strength for multifamily housing. During the first six months of 2015, total construction starts on an unadjusted basis were reported at $336 billion, up 23 percent from the same period a year ago. June’s data lowered the Dodge Index to 131. The index was at 154 in May. The Dodge Index averaged 144 through the first six months of 2015, helped by especially strong readings in February, April and May. “Notwithstanding the up-and-down pattern that’s been present on a monthly basis during the first half… Keep Reading
Former mining site takes on unique new life
Golf courses. Parks. Residential communities. These are a few of the things former aggregate sites and other mines have been restored to over the years. They're also among the more traditional uses of former mining sites. But there are non-traditional uses of sites, as well. A former coal mine in a small Scottish town took on a non-traditional new life this summer as land art. Crawick Multiverse, which the land restoration and art project is called, uses landscape art to transform a former open-cast coal mine into an outdoor space. Landscape artist Charles Jencks redesigned the site, linking space, astronomy and cosmology to create the unique Scottish landmark that recently opened to the public. Neville Hawcock, a writer at the Financial Times, describes the site as "a child's sandcastle complex scaled up to giant size." Crawick Multiverse truly is a sight to see. Check out a photo gallery of it here. Keep Reading
Safe and sound: Crusher safety
A rock the size of a dining room table is plugged in the jaw crusher. After assessing the situation, a few people decide to wrap a chain around the rock and lift it out with a wheel loader. After securing the chain around the rock in the crushing chamber, a man still in the chamber tells the loader operator to lift the rock. The operator lifts it about three feet into the air when, suddenly, the chain snaps. The rock plunges back into the crusher, missing the man’s leg by a matter of inches. Stories like these involving crusher blockages unfortunately still happen in the industry. Fortunately, this particular event unfolded without an injury. Still, an inch or two one way or another can often make the difference between a safe trip home from work and no trip home at all. “I’ve heard and read stories about guys getting killed,” says Paul Smith, international marketing manager for Astec’s Aggregate and Mining Group. “These machines can be deadly. After 20 years… Keep Reading
Hoyt Wire Cloth promotes two
Hoyt Wire Cloth promoted C. Matthew Hurd to director of dealer development and support. Hurd will oversee Hoyt’s dealer network in his new position. He'll coordinate technical assistance and product training for dealer sales and service staff. He's a graduate of Bowling Green State University and is in his 22nd year with Hoyt Wire Cloth. In addition, Hoyt Wire Cloth promoted Andrew Bartels to manager of the Mid-Atlantic region. Bartels was previously a Hoyt Wire Cloth sales engineer in the region. He is a graduate of Liberty University and has been with Hoyt Wire Cloth since 2014. Photos: Hoyt Wire Cloth Keep Reading
Construction, materials companies consolidate
Three Mid-Atlantic materials production and heavy civil construction management companies – American Infrastructure, Allan A. Myers and Independence Construction Materials – are consolidating under one name, Allan Myers. “We’re really just formalizing something that has already happened naturally through doing business,” says Ross Myers, CEO and chairman, who is also grandson of the company founder. “These three entities have been operating as one for some time now, gaining efficiencies to take on the most complex and challenging projects.” According to a press release, Allan Myers has been responsible for creating roads, bridges, treatment plants, residential and commercial developments and pipelines that connect communities to services, clean water and each other. Examples of the company's work are the Jersey Shore Pump Station; the Argonne Drive Bridge in Baltimore; I-95 paving in Virginia; the Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange in Philadelphia; the Brandywine water filtration plant in Wilmington, Del.; and the Montebello underground reservoir in Baltimore. The company says it will continue to employ more than 2,000 and will have projects in Delaware, Pennsylvania,… Keep Reading
