News

Root vegetable fibres can be used to strengthen the concrete mixtures used in building construction, researchers claim. A team of engineers at Lancaster University and their industrial partner CelluComp are testing the addition of ‘nano platelets’ extracted from the fibres of root vegetables (such as sugar beet or carrots) to concrete. By increasing the performance of concrete, the researchers claim that smaller quantities will be needed in construction and buildings can be made more environmentally

US Concrete has reported an 18.6% increase in consolidated revenue for the second quarter of 2018, to a record quarterly high of US$404.2million. The company, which produces construction materials for major markets across the US, also saw aggregate products revenue rise by 113.1% to US$48.5mn compared with Q2 2017. Revenue from the ready-mixed concrete segment increased by US$39.9mn (12.9%) from Q2 last year, which US Concrete says was driven by 5% organic volume growth and contributions from its recent

CEMEX USA is supplying nearly 300,000 tonnes of aggregates for the new Carrie Meek Warehouse/Nebula complex near Miami, Florida.

The 274,320 square-metre complex, located in Opa-Locka, will house an online retailer and is expected to open by late 2018. CEMEX crews are supplying 80,000 tonnes of limerock base, 50,000 tonnes of fill screenings as well as 50,000 tonnes of ASTM 57 and ASTM 4 rock combined for the project. In addition, 100,000 tonnes of crushed concrete will be used to meet specifications. C

Two Volvo EC210D hydraulic excavators are being used to build a section of the Trans-Sumatra Toll Road in Lampung, Indonesia. The toll road project is part of a government initiative to boost Sumatra’s development, and is the first highway to be built in Lampung province. The Volvo excavators are being used on the 140.9km Bakauheni-Terbanggi Besar section of the toll toad. The full 2,800km-long Trans-Sumatra Toll Road will connect Lampung in the south to Aceh in the north, running along the east of

Austrian recycling business Halbeisen & Prast has bought its fourth crusher from Rubble Master.

The Vorarlberg-based company has acquired a Rubble Master RM 90GO! crusher, which will be used for functions such as processing natural stones in the mountains around the region and recycling in the valley areas.

Günter Prast, is MD of the Earthworks Team at Halbeisen & Prast. He started building up the recycling business in Dornbirn, Bregenz, Feldkirch and Bludenz in 1999 with a hook-lift RM 60, and the co

Turkey-based ELKON is providing the concrete batching plant for the huge Jannah Dam Biblos project in Lebanon.

Brazilian company Andrade Gutierrez, in cooperation longstanding partner ELKON, is constructing the huge dam which has 38million cubic metres (m3) of water storage capacity.

The Jannah Dam Biblos is located on the Nahr Ibrahim River, about 30km north of Beirut, and was designed as an arched gravity dam providing the supply of water supply in Beirut and surrounding areas.

The design and pro

ALLU will be focusing on its Transformer Series of materials processing equipment when it exhibits at the major NordBau and GaLaBau trade events in Germany next month. The series comprises an excavator/loader/tractor mounted processing bucket which screens, pulverises, aerates, blends, mixes, separates, even crushes, feeds and loads materials. The 63rd NordBau construction trade show will be held at the exhibition centre in the Holstenhallen in Neumünster from September 5-9. The event has an outside area

UK construction materials supplier Aggregate Industries has appointed Victoria Smith as general manager of its Express Asphalt team. Smith has worked within the Aggregate Industries business for over 16 years, having begun her career in internal sales. She previously worked for Express Asphalt as a business manager before moving on to Aggregate Industries’ ready mix concrete and screed offer. As part of her new role, she will be based at the Aggregate Industries office in Croft, Leicestershire and be

A new weighbridge operator apprenticeship has been launched for the UK quarrying, minerals and mining sectors.

Training and assessment provider MP Skills, which is organising the apprenticeship, says that weighbridge operating is often a traditional entry route to starting employment in the sectors.

The apprenticeship is designed to equip apprentices with the skills and knowledge required by employers, including working at a satellite weighbridge or as part of a 24/7 shift operation. It also delivers

The Institute of Quarrying (IQ) Academy is holding a webinar this month on empowering people through great leadership. The 30-minute 'Lunch and Learn' webinar will be presented by Julian Smallshaw, IQ head of educational development. It takes place from 12.30-13.00 on Thursday 30th August and is the eighth in this series of webinars organised by IQ Academy. “The UK quarrying industry is ahead of the game in many areas but over the years one segment of training has been neglected; we haven’t invested the

The international presidents of the Institute of Quarrying (IQ) have announced a fund to advance the industry on a global basis.

Clayton Hill, president of IQ Australia, says the International Presidents' Fund will support the IQ's core purpose of advancing the science and practice of quarrying internationally, in the interests of the public at large.

He added that the fund is specifically set up to support professional development opportunities and internationalisation of the quarrying industry.

The Gallagher Group is looking for a new chief executive officer after Nick Yandle announced his decision to step down from the role at the end of this year. Yandle is leaving after 13 successful years during which the county Kent, England-headquartered business has strengthened its presence across South-East England’s aggregates, building, property development and civil engineering sectors. “Nick has made an invaluable contribution, alongside the members of the Group’s Management Team, in building the