Swedish companies Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) and Skanska are turning the quarrying industry upside down in a groundbreaking study to create the world’s first ‘emission-free’ quarry. Drawing on the electromobility and automation expertise of the Volvo Group, the research project, dubbed Electric Site, aims to electrify each transport stage in a quarry – from excavation to primary crushing, and transport to secondary crushing – although a negligible amount of diesel power will still be used. The system’s efficiency, safety and environmental benefits are set to impact both customers and society at large.

Alberta Sand & Gravel Association Rocky View Committee chair Travis Coates and executive director John Ashton reports back from their meeting with Alberta Infrastructure Minister Sandra Jansen.

Volvo Construction Equipment and Swedish-based project development and construction group Skanska Sweden are getting closer to making a green quarry a reality.

Workers expect to come home safely from their jobs. What happens when they don’t? How does society move forward from workplace fatalities? Are fines enough? Are any lessons learned when a company is convicted, pays a fine and carries on with its work in silence?

At LafargeHolcim, sustainability is a serious issue. The global building materials manufacturing giant created the LafargeHolcim 2030 Sustainability Plan in support of UN “Sustainable Development Goals” for the planet. The company aims to use more than 60 million tonnes/year of waste-derived fuels by 2020.

Walker Industries has a long tradition of giving back to the communities in which we live and work. We have recently committed $75,000 over the next five years to two important community projects in Niagara.

Washington State University researchers have created a sustainable alternative to traditional concrete using coal fly ash, a waste product of coal-based electricity generation.

Cornerstone Standards Council auditors have conducted an audit of the open non-conformances at Miller Paving Ltd.'s Carden Quarry and is pleased to announce that the site has demonstrated conformance with all minor non-conformances identified in the July 3, 2017 assessment report. 

LafargeHolcim has acquired Tarrant Concrete, a leading provider of ready-mix concrete in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in Texas. This transaction will strengthen LafargeHolcim’s existing operations in one of the most attractive and biggest ready-mix concrete and aggregates markets in the U.S.

In labs across the world, cellulose nanocrystals are being tested as an additive to all types of things – inks, bioplastics and construction products, to name a few. 

June 15, 2018 - Matt McDonald has been appointed as the new OSSGA representative on the Mining Legislative Review Committee (MLRC). He succeeds Jim Clark who was the industry member for many years. 

Twenty-three kilometres of Highway 19 will be resurfaced using hot-in-place recycle paving to keep the route in top condition for people travelling on the Inland Island Highway between Parksville and Courtenay.

A high-friction surface treatment will be applied to 14 high-collision locations throughout the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island to help drivers stop faster, with the goal of reducing rear-end collisions.

A new maintenance contract has been awarded for the Lakes District service area to ensure better highway conditions during winter weather.

Well planned public infrastructure investments help build strong communities, create jobs and opportunities for the middle class, and support a high standard of living for Canadians and their families, while building a country ready to face the challenges and seize the opportunities of the next century.

New maintenance contracts have been awarded for two service areas to ensure better highway conditions for Vancouver Island drivers.

Depending on the size of your project, the amount of space onsite and your available manpower, there are advantages and disadvantages to using ready-mix concrete versus site-mix concrete. One new market report suggests there is growing favouritism for ready-mix concrete over site-mix concrete.

After a thorough request for proposals (RFP) and evaluation phase, the City of Kingston has selected Peter Kiewit Sons ULC (Kiewit), Hatch Ltd. (Hatch) and SYSTRA International Bridge Technologies (SYSTRA) as the preferred proponent for the detailed design and building of the Third Crossing project.

Safety and access improvements are being made to Central Street West and Highway 97, to provide better traffic flow for the local community.

Acrow Bridge, a leading international bridge engineering and supply company, has announced that it designed and provided a modular structure to Elgin County for use during the reconstruction of the Port Bruce Bridge on Imperial Road/County Road 73 in Port Bruce, Ont. The bridge will restore safe passage of traffic after the collapse of the existing bridge in February during heavy rains and flooding throughout Southwestern Ontario.

Aecon Group has announced that is has received approval to rejoin Bridging North America, the team chosen to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Gordie Howe International Bridge through a public-private partnership. The company will rejoin the members of the consortium: ACS Infrastructure Canada Inc., Dragados Canada Inc. and Fluor Canada.

As any driver can attest, Manitoba needs to invest billions of dollars in its provincial roads and bridges, just to bring them to good condition. How many billions? The Manitoba government knows, but is refusing to say. We know that, because we asked.

The Government of Alberta has announced that a new bidding evaluation process will be used when reviewing proposed bids.

EIW, LLC is excited to announce that Wheeler Machinery Co., has joined their dealer network focusing on the construction and industrial aggregates industry.

Kinshofer, a leading global manufacturer of high-quality excavator and loader crane attachments, offers its D-Series grapples with a new light, compact and flexible shell, ideal for sorting and demolition. The attachments feature 360-degree endless rotation for precise positioning to give construction, demolition and recycling contractors optimal control when grabbing materials. D-series grapples are available for 4,400-lb. (2-ton) to 176,000-lb. (80-ton) excavators.

Thunder Creek Equipment has expanded its multi-tank platform of diesel fuel hauling solutions to include a new medium-duty truck body — the Multi-Tank Upfit — that can haul bulk diesel on the road without requiring a CDL or HAZMAT endorsement (Title 49 (CFR49) – local regulations may apply). Each truck is outfitted with eight independent 115-gallon tanks (920-gallon total capacity) that are only connected when a common manifold is opened at the pumping station.

CASE Construction Equipment announced that its CASE SiteWatch telematics portal is now aligned with the new Association of Equipment Management Professionals (AEMP) 2.0/ISO-15143-3 standard. The AEMP-compatible portal is populated with data provided by equipment manufacturers in a standardized format to ensure a practical and intuitive user experience for the contractor/equipment owner.

Hiab, part of Cargotec, is launching its new building material crane models at the IAA exhibition, which will be held in Hannover, Germany from Sept. 20 to 27. The new HIAB building material cranes offer the most advanced remote control system in the industry, the HIAB HiPro, as well as Hiab's pioneering features, to ensure safe and fast crane operation.

Growing world population and increasing urbanization are leading to significant challenges to solve environmental issues such as congestion, pollution and noise. Rising consumption, the fast growth of e-commerce and the wide-spread shortage of drivers put higher demands on efficient transport solutions.

CM Labs Simulations has announced the release of a state-of-the-art Dozer Simulator Training Pack that allows trainees to experience the unique feel of pushing soil and aggregate material from the seat of a virtual dozer.

GSSI has hired Brett Caldwell as the company’s new technical applications specialist supporting the geophysical, geotechnical, environmental, and academic markets. Brett is a GPR technician with a diverse background in geosciences and construction.

As demand for John Deere construction equipment increases around the globe, the Moline-based manufacturer is entering into a strategic supplier agreement with Wacker Neuson to initially provide compact excavators in China, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. The models will range from 1.7-7.5 tons (1,700 to 7500 kg) and are specifically designed and manufactured for customers in the growing Asia-Pacific marketplace. The objective of the partnership is long-term collaboration in key growth markets.

Telsmith, Inc., a leading manufacturer of mineral processing equipment, announced its newly designed website at www.telsmith.com.

Kolberg Pioneer, Inc., Johnson Crushers International, Inc. and Astec Mobile Screens, Inc. are pleased to announce the promotion of Darren Kirby to North America Sales Director – East.

EIW, LLC, along with parent company McLanahan Corporation, is pleased to welcome Trevor Park to the company as regional sales manager.

SC&RA is seeking subject matter experts to speak at the 2019 Specialized Transportation Symposium, Feb. 19 to 22 in Houston, Texas. The annual event brings together specialized transportation professionals and government permitting officials to discuss a variety of topics, including permitting harmonization, safety, regulations, compliance, and the most pressing topics in the industry.

The National Pavement Expo & Conference (NPE) offers the best opportunity to connect and network with the top pavement maintenance and reconstruction professionals in the industry. We have over 55 sessions held by industry experts at NPE - so make sure to check us out as we head back to Nashville for the 2019 show.

Take the checkered flag to stay ahead of the competition: Attend the 2019 World of Asphalt Show & Conference in Indianapolis from Feb. 12 to 14 at the Indiana Convention Center.

On November 5, aggregates, construction, surveying and other professionals from around the world will converge on Las Vegas, Nev. for the Trimble Dimensions 2018 International User Conference. The bi-annual conference brings together Trimble users worldwide for three days of technology demonstrations and training, presentations from Trimble visionaries and customers, and a chance to see and try the latest solutions from the technology company.

This is the must attend conference for all equipment management professionals.

What is silica? When you consider the many hazards workers face on a construction site, you probably wouldn’t think that dust poses too much of a danger to health. Well, think again. Many workplace activities that create dust can expose workers to airborne silica.

The construction industry has seen steady growth over the past decade, fuelled by significant building and infrastructure projects. However, finding skilled crane and heavy equipment operators has proven to be increasingly difficult. For example, a 2017 poll indicated that over 75 per cent of construction firms were having trouble finding skilled equipment operators.

Registration is now open for Volvo’s 2018-19 Road Institute, the paving industry’s premier training program. Offering a mix of classroom and hands-on training on a variety of operations and maintenance topics, sessions start in late October 2018 and continue through May 2019.

The Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute announces the results of their biennial CRSI HONORS Design and Construction Awards program. Of the entries received, 19 projects were selected to receive recognition.

Astec, Inc., an Astec Industries company, recently announced the dates for the 2019 Customer Schools. Six weeks of schools are available. Attendees can choose to attend one of these sessions: January 7 to 10, January 14 to 17, January 21 to 24, January 28 to 31, February 4 to 7, or February 11 to 14, 2019.

In a recent Ontario case, a concrete subcontractor hired to form and pour a concrete slab drove stakes into to the aggregate base, below. The stakes punctured a storm water drainage pipe, which later backed up through the penetrations into the finished building.