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Roads score poorly in ASCE’s infrastructure report card
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave U.S. bridges a C+ and roads around the country a D in its "Report Card for America's Infrastructure." ASCE releases the report once every four years using an A to F school report card format. The society gave the country's overall infrastructure a D+. According to ASCE, one in nine bridges are rated as structurally deficient. The Federal Highway Administration estimates that to eliminate the nation’s bridge backlog by 2028, the U.S. would need to invest $20.5 billion annually. Only $12.8 billion is being spent currently. The challenge for federal, state, and local governments, ASCE says, is to increase bridge investments by $8 billion annually to address the identified $76 billion in needs for deficient bridges across the United States. But with the overall number of structurally deficient bridges continuing to trend downward, ASCE's grade on bridges is a C+. Regarding roads, targeted efforts to improve conditions and significant reductions in highway fatalities resulted in a slight improvement in the grade to… Keep Reading
NSSGA names North Carolina director Executive of the Year
Jay Stem Jr., executive director of the North Carolina Aggregates Association, was recently named NSSGA's State Aggregates Association Executive of the Year. "NSSGA values what Jay is doing in the state of North Carolina and nationally by contributing to the development of industry positions with valuable insights from the North Carolina aggregates producers," says Gus Edwards, NSSGA president and CEO. "We have long been impressed with Jay as a partner in grassroots activism by his support of NSSGA's government affairs in helping to advocate worker safety issues, transportation priorities and regulatory concerns, in addition to his active participation on NSSGA's Environmental Committee. According to Edwards, Stem was particularly helpful this past year in recognizing a problem with a pavement design software program that dramatically underestimated the structural value of aggregates. Stem's foresight resulted in alerts being sent to state Department of Transportation secretaries. Edwards also points to Stem's leadership on state highway issues in North Carolina, noting that he works successfully with a national transportation research group to provide important information… Keep Reading
Timken acquires Interlube Systems
Interlube Systems Ltd., which makes automated lubrication delivery systems and related components for use in commercial vehicles, has been acquired by The Timken Co. The purchase includes MSP Distributors Ltd., which Interlube acquired in 2007. “Their expertise and quality product line, coupled with our global reach and market access, will allow us to grow market share for Interlube products,” says Michael J. Connors, Timken vice president of distribution. Keep Reading
Truck QR codes to improve uptime
All new Mack trucks will feature a unique QR code to speed service response times and improve customer uptime, the company says. Starting in April, Mack will install QR codes on vehicle doorframes during the manufacturing process. When a vehicle arrives at a dealership, service advisors scan the vehicle's unique code, allowing the service advisor to rapidly access the truck's VIN, owner information and dealer service history. This automatically launches Mack's service management system. According to Mack, the electronic process eliminates the potential for errors that can occur with paper-based service write-ups. Keep Reading
Vortex planning major expansion
Vortex is planning to increase its plant size by about 50 percent this year. The expansion, which will be about 64,000 sq. ft., will make the company's headquarters in Salina, Kan., about 185,000 total sq. ft. Salina President and CEO Jeff Thompson says he expects construction to begin in April and to be completed by the end of the year. The expansion will add about 48,000 sq. ft. of production space and 16,000 sq. ft. for offices and conference rooms. Vortex built and occupied its existing headquarters at the end of 2006. Keep Reading
IMT names new customer support manager
Iowa Mold Tooling Co. Inc. has promoted Laurie Johnson to customer support manager. Johnson has served as the company’s manager of global procurement and supply chain and has worked at IMT for more than 13 years. In her new role, Johnson will be responsible for overseeing the company’s customer support team, which will comprise of customer service, order entry and master scheduling. Keep Reading
Report: Aggregates production up slightly in 2012
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has released its final 2012 statistics related to aggregates production, noting that the estimated annual output of crushed stone produced for consumption in 2012 was 1.16 billion metric tons (Gt) – a slight increase compared with that of 2011. An estimated 282 million metric tons (Mt) of crushed stone were produced and shipped for consumption in the U.S. in the fourth quarter of 2012 alone – a slight decrease compared with that of the same 2011 period. Also, the estimated production for consumption of crushed stone in the fourth quarter of 2012 increased over the fourth quarter of 2011 in four of the nine geographic divisions USGS measures. Pit & Quarry published USGS's preliminary 2012 estimates in late January for the full year and final quarter. The estimated annual output of construction sand and gravel produced for consumption in 2012, meanwhile, was 823 Mt. That is a slight increase compared with 2011. The estimated output of construction sand and gravel produced and shipped for consumption… Keep Reading
Vulcan economist offers forecast at GCAA event
Baron Worthington, manager of economic analysis at Vulcan Materials Co., shared his outlook on the various construction sectors Feb. 27 during a short session at the Georgia Construction Aggregate Association's 2013 Management Workshop in Atlanta. According to Worthington, housing starts is the category providing the biggest reason for optimism among Georgia aggregate producers. "We're coming off some really low numbers," he says. "Still, this is a great sign. Housing tends to lead construction. In Georgia, this is happening all over the state." Worthington is also optimistic about Georgia highway awards. Short-term growth is somewhat negative, he says, but his long-term forecast is positive. Georgia infrastructure awards, meanwhile, are negative for both the short and long term. The nonresidential building trend Worthington sees developing in Georgia is another concern. "The short-term momentum has dropped off," he says. Construction of schools in Georgia has declined 59 percent since 2008, Worthington adds, but he sees growth in this area because the demographics within the state dictate a need for new facilities. "Demand is… Keep Reading
Holcim, Aggregate Industries mark centennial with service
Holcim U.S. and Aggregate Industries U.S. launched an employee volunteer initiative to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its parent company, Holcim Ltd. To mark the milestone, the company launched Together for Communities, an initiative in which employees led local volunteer projects. Over the course of a year, employees contributed more than 34,600 volunteer hours through a variety of projects. A combined 4,194 employees completed 263 projects. Holcim U.S. employees volunteered more than 17,800 hours of time and participated in 134 projects. Many projects focused on needs specific to the plants' locations, such as the United Way Day of Caring, Washington County's Homeless Resource Day and work at local food pantries. Other activities focused on the environment, including work with the Pathfinder Regional Park, the Mississippi River Clean Up, Antietam Creek Rubbish Roundup and the Million Trees project. Aggregate Industries U.S. employees contributed more than 16,800 hours of service to 129 projects. Many projects focused on education within the community like Touch-a-Truck events, quarry tours and an ongoing relationship forged with… Keep Reading
