Second quarter results are in

The USGS has spoken. What did it say? It said second quarter, and first-half numbers are in. In a nutshell, total aggregates production was up, despite sand and gravel production lagging a bit behind. An estimated 793 million metric tons of aggregates were produced and shipped for consumption in the United States in the second quarter of 2005, an increase of 4 percent compared with the same period of 2004. The estimated output of total aggregates produced for consumption in the first 6 months of 2005 was 1.3 billion metric tons, a 4.1 percent increase compared with the same period of 2004. An estimated 457 million metric tons of crushed stone were produced and shipped for consumption in the United States in the second quarter of 2005, an increase of 6.5 percent compared with the same period of 2004. The estimated output of crushed stone produced for consumption in the first 6 months of 2005 was 755 million metric tons, a 6.2 percent increase compared with the same period of 2004. The estimated U.S. output of construction sand and gravel produced and shipped for consumption in the second quarter of 2005 was 332 million metric tons, a small decrease compared with the same period of 2004. The estimated output of construction sand and gravel produced for consumption in the first 6 months of 2005 was 536 million metric tons, a slight decrease compared with the same period of 2004. The estimated portland cement consumption increased by 7.2 percent in the second quarter of 2005, and by 7 percent in the first 6 months of 2005, compared with the same periods of 2004. Your comment?