Author
Another state pursuing road-use highway funding system
The state of Oregon passed the first bill in the United States establishing a road use charge system for transportation funding last year. Now, the state of Washington is attempting to follow in its neighbor's footsteps. According to KING 5 News, the Washington State Transportation Commission is expected to approve a pilot project that's designed to charge drivers for every mile they travel on public roads. A road use charge would eventually replace the Washington state gas tax that has reportedly been bringing in less revenue in recent years because of the increase in electric and hybrid vehicles on the road. GPS devices would track miles driven, and charges would be delivered based on that data. The pilot project is expected to begin in 2016. Full implementation would not begin until 2018, King 5 News reports. In addition, four options would be available to Washington drivers. Drivers could be charged a flat fee that gives them limitless miles on the road. They could also have a GPS installed in their… Keep Reading
Proposed bill would fund Highway Trust Fund for six years
Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.) filed legislation that would both rebuild U.S. infrastructure and reform the corporate tax code. Delaney's plan, the Infrastructure and Global Tax Competitiveness Act, uses repatriated revenue to increase infrastructure investment by imposing a mandatory deemed repatriation tax on corporate earnings currently held overseas. This revenue would fund a six-year re-authorization of the Highway Trust Fund at increased levels and create a new resource, the American Infrastructure Fund (AIF). In addition, the bill establishes a commission to create permanent solvency for the Highway Trust Fund. "The rising threat of corporate inversions, the looming insolvency of the Highway Trust Fund, and the daily problems caused by inadequate infrastructure all mean that we shouldn’t delay," Delaney says in a statement. "It’s time for a new solution.” According to Delaney, state and local governments will receive financing from the AIF for transportation, water, energy, education and communications projects. Keep Reading
Builders association expects further economic growth in 2015
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) forecasts a steady and ongoing economic recovery for the U.S. commercial and industrial construction industries in 2015. The industry recovery that took place this year should continue in 2015, ABC says, with momentum growing in segments related to the energy and industrial production resurgence. “ABC forecasts nonresidential construction spending will expand by roughly 7.5 percent next year,” says Anirban Basu, ABC chief economist. “The segments that will experience the largest growth in construction spending in 2015 include power, lodging, office space and manufacturing." The public sector will see far more sluggish growth in construction spending, Basu added. “However, this fits a multi-year pattern with private nonresidential spending exceeding public nonresidential spending by 28 percent in 2014, up from 15.6 percent in 2013," Basu says. In addition, while material price inflation has been suppressed, it may accelerate in 2015, according to Basu. Last year, prices were suppressed due to a combination of factors, such as softer growth in most of Europe and Asia, rising energy production… Keep Reading
Superior names GM of construction management division
Superior Industries Inc. hired Jason Adams, a 20-year industry veteran, as the general manager of its construction management division. Adams will lead the division, which is made up of a group of project managers, engineers and installation crews who plan, coordinate and control projects from start to finish. Adams spent the last seven years as operations manager and later as vice president of operations at Continental Equipment Co., a construction aggregates equipment distributor located in Fenton, Mo. Keep Reading
Congresswoman confident long-term infrastructure bill will be passed
A Republican congresswoman stressed on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" show that passage of a long-term transportation infrastructure bill will be a priority when the next Congress takes office in January. "As you think about building a healthy economy, we have a long list of important infrastructure needs in this country," said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.). "That is a priority." McMorris Rodgers added that she's confident Democrats and Republicans can unite to pass a long-term transportation infrastructure bill. "There's already been an outline put together between the House and the Senate that I think is a good foundation for that," she said. "That is a priority for us. It's long overdue. Both parties recognize it. This is something we can come together on, which I’m excited about. I think we all recognize this is one where we should be able to get it done." Keep Reading
Equipment focus: Talking tread
A conversation with mining tire experts on tire performance, technology advancements and safety developments. Tire pressure monitoring. Durability. Selection. Safety. These are just a few topics Pit & Quarry recently discussed with Roger P. Best, manager of Bridgestone Commercial Solutions’ off-the-road OEM engineering, and Hugo Morales, marketing product manager at Michelin North America Earthmover Tires, in separate Q&As. We’ve combined the two Q&As here for your readability. Read on for their unique perspectives into the world of mining tires. PQ: Mining tires today are arguably more durable than ever. What factors have driven tire durability to this point, and what else can be done from a manufacturer level to further tire durability even more? Best: As tires evolve with new designs and optimal patterns that last longer, casing design has had to keep up. If a tread is designed to wear slower than the previous design but the casing will not last, then a new problem is created. In addition, as new machines come to market with advanced drivetrains that… Keep Reading
NSSGA voices opposition to civil penalties proposal at hearing
The first of several U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) hearings on proposed civil penalty changes was held Dec. 4 near Washington, D.C. The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) voiced opposition to a number of provisions in the proposal, which calls for increased federal penalties for alleged mine safety violations and limits an operator’s ability to contest such fines. “The good work done by both operators and MSHA to boost compliance and enforcement consistency demonstrates that changes in the proposed rule run counter to the agency’s stated goals and are unnecessary,” says Joe Casper, NSSGA’s vice president of safety services. “Arbitrarily increasing fines and eliminating a producer’s due process to respond to these citations will not create safer quarries.” According to NSSGA, which plans to call on its members to submit comments of their own following the hearings, the rule seeks to reduce operators’ incentives and options to contest, settle and litigate citations. The rule also reduces the range of inspector choices in evaluating mine conditions, says… Keep Reading
Vulcan receives Wildlife Habitat Council award
Vulcan Materials Co. was awarded the Conservation Education Award at the Wildlife Habitat Council's (WHC) 26th annual symposium. According to a press release, the Conservation Education Award recognizes a corporation that has a history of striving for excellence in conservation education and outreach. Nominees for the Conservation Education Award are selected from member corporations that submit applications for Corporate Lands for Learning certification or re-certification in a given year. "We applaud Vulcan Materials Co. for its outstanding commitment to establishing site-based education programs, linked soundly to habitat enhancement projects," says Margaret O'Gorman, president of the Wildlife Habitat Council. "This award is not for one specific program at one specific site. Rather, it honors the entire company for its collective efforts in providing quality and accessible education experiences and opportunities in the communities where Vulcan operates throughout the country." In addition to receiving the Conservation Education Award at the Wildlife Habitat Council Symposium, Vulcan's Liberty Quarry in South Carolina was a finalist for the Upland Wildlife Management Award. It was also a Duck's Unlimited 2014… Keep Reading
Solving the worker shortage problem
Where are aggregate producers to turn for their next generation of employees? Producers, manufacturers and allied trade representatives discussed the hiring challenge the industry is currently facing at the Pit & Quarry Roundtable & Conference in Cleveland. Those who participated in the discussion didn't come to a singular solution, but the conversation shed light on the issue and explored potential solutions to a problem that may grow in the years to come. "If people were aware of the work we had to do in our country, people would be attracted to the industry," said Fred Gross, vice president at FLSmidth Excel. "My kids are all out of school. You talk to them and meet their friends, and no one talks about going into the aggregate industry, the construction industry, the mining industry." The industry must do a better job reaching out to kids directly and promoting itself, said Jeff Heinemann, vice president of construction at Sandvik Mining & Construction. "We have to develop very robust co-op programs to bring them… Keep Reading
