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Martin Marietta has had a good first quarter with aggregate volumes up by more than 2%.

According to Ward Nye, president and CEO of Martin Marietta Materials: "We established a new first-quarter record for consolidated revenues, as product demand led to improved shipments and pricing across most of our building materials business.

The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has published guidelines aimed at further improving the biodiversity performance of the industry's quarries.

The GCCA says the guidelines support the Association’s Sustainability Charter implementation and represent a collaborative effort by association member companies to improve overall performance in biodiversity management and the rehabilitation of quarries.

Terex is resuming production at a reduced capacity at all its sites in Northern Ireland (Omagh, Dungannon, Campsie and Ballymoney) from Monday 18 May 2020.

European cement association CEMBUREAU has published its Carbon Neutrality Roadmap which sets out the industry's ambition to reach net-zero emissions along the cement and concrete value chain by 2050.

Ciments du Maroc has completed the acquisition of Morrocan building materials providers Atlantic Cement and Cimsud from the Anouar Invest Group following an agreement signed in July 2019.

A new report highlights how the market for compact wheeled loaders could grow to be worth US$6bn in 2030, once the current COVID-19 pandemic has passed.

Building materials supplier CEMEX has announced a proposed mothballing of one of its UK cement plants during the third quarter of 2020.

Drill rigs, hammers and breakers offer different means of gaining aggregates material in quarries. Guy Woodford looks at new products and hears how one Italian aggregates supplier is benefiting from one leading manufacturer’s proven breaker solutions

Vulcan Materials pushed up its first quarter sales from $996 million in 2019 to $1.05 billion this year with a strong performance in its aggregates division.

According to Vulcan chairman and chief executive officer Tom Hill: "Our first quarter earnings improved across all segments and were in line with our expectations, despite wet weather in certain key markets in the Southeast and Southwest.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has issued a fatality alert after a truck driver appeared to have fallen from his bulk trailer.

The MSHA says the driver underwent emergency surgery at hospital but passed away from his injuries.

This is the sixth quarry-related fatality reported in 2020 and the second fatality classified as 'slip or fall person', the administration adds.

Grundon Sand & Gravel has officially opened New Barn Farm Quarry in Oxfordshire, central England.

Metso has obtained new funding totalling €290mn to be prepared for the impacts of COVID-19 on its businesses.

Doosan Portable Power (DPP) has delivered 50 new portable compressors to Saudi Arabian rental company EJAR: Machinery Rental Alternatives. 

Strong construction investment in the first half of 2019 overcame a weaker investment performance in the second half of the year and helped drive demand for aggregates. However, the impact of COVID-19 has “pulverised” any future predictions on the health of Italian construction activity and aggregates consumption.

JCB today announced a partial re-starting of production at five of its UK factories as a full package of safety measures is rolled out to protect employees in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

Smiley Monroe, the Lisburn, Northern Ireland-based producer of endless conveyor belts and custom rubber parts for the materials processing equipment manufacturing sector, has made a video showcasing how it has prepared its HQ site to comply with UK government COVID-19 social distancing at work guidelines before its recent reopening.

Purdue University is researching a way to make offshore wind turbines out of 3D-printed concrete. The new technique will allow the use of a less expensive material that can be floated out to site from an onshore construction plant.

According to a statement out this week from the university: "Building (traditional steel) wind turbines offshore is expensive, requiring parts to be shipped at least 30 miles away from the coast.

Finnish aggregate equipment supplier Metso has obtained $313.5m (€290m) in "new funding" so that it can be "well prepared for the impacts of Covid-19 on its businesses." 

Metso said this week that: "The new funding consists of a EUR 100 million, two-year term loan from Nordea Bank, which is expected to be drawn soon.

"In addition, Metso signed four bilateral revolving credit facilities totaling EUR 190 million for one and two years with four banks.

Hanson UK is supporting groundworks contractor ENTEX to help fast-track the construction of the UK’s first Vaccine Manufacture and Innovation Centre (VMIC).