Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Quarries going green


Quarries all over the country are starting to embrace sustainable-development principles, environmental management and energy efficiency to a much greater degree than ever before. To a certain extent, this mindset is being driven by some of the major corporations serving the industry. Caterpillar was first on the bandwagon, but many other companies have followed suit. Komatsu just published its guidelines for biodiesel use, Volvo's hybrid loader was a big hit at ConExpo-Con/Agg, and the president of Baldor Electric Motors just announced the company's intention to reduce its environmental footprint. At its corporate press event at ConExpo-Con/Agg, a Caterpiller executive even proclaimed global warming "the key issue of our time." NSSGA has also developed guidelines for sustainability for its members. For quarries, going green is good business. There are important community relations and permitting implications to a green-quarry strategy. But I should also add that many quarries have quietly done much over the years in the name of protecting the environment, from providing a refuge for wildlife on their property to executing great reclamation plans. They just never talked about it much. Well, it's time to get talking. Pit & Quarry has started a monthly "Green" page in the magazine, and we will be featuring news about quarries operating in an environmentally proactive manner. You can send your items to me at mkuhar@questex.com. Your comment?

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Thursday, April 24, 2008

That sinking feeling


A huge sinkhole (left, photo from Baltimore Sun) in the highway has developed near Frederick, Md. The media is reporting that the hole on westbound Interstate 70 is 14 ft. wide and 20 ft. deep near the East South Street exit. Get ready for more and more stories like this one, as our highways continue to deteriorate from overuse, weather conditions and other acts of nature. All the more reason to begin work now on an adequately funded highway bill.Your comment?

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Monday, April 21, 2008

McCain gas tax idea shortsighted


The following editorial was published today in The Arizona Daily Star, in John McCain's home state of Arizona, regarding his plan to suspend the federal gas tax for the summer.

Sen. John McCain has famously remarked that economics is not his strong suit, and certainly he proved it last week with his proposal to suspend the 18.4 cent-per-gallon federal gas tax and 24.4 cent-per-gallon federal tax on diesel fuel from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Americans and the truckers who deliver goods and services to them do in fact need relief from rising gas prices, but McCain's proposal is not the answer. In fact, it fails to address the problems:
● Supply issues that are driving up the cost of fossil fuels.
● The need for Americans to become less dependent on fossil fuels.
A tax holiday would encourage more fuel use, exacerbating supply issues, and it would do nothing to encourage us to reduce our fuel dependency.
The tax holiday is part of McCain's new economic plan to provide relief to American families, which is itself a 180-degree turn from the senator's position of a few weeks ago. At that point he was insisting that no relief package was needed and that the markets should be left to sort themselves out.
Now his idea is to save summer drivers a few dollars per tank of gas. The tax suspension would also reduce costs for truckers, and thus could have a trickle-down effect of reducing food costs (or slowing their rise). McCain and Sen. Jon Kyl, who is co-sponsoring the bill, argue that the money consumers save on gas will provide an "immediate" economic stimulus.
But the gas and diesel tax dollars are dedicated directly to the federal Highway Trust Fund, which maintains and builds roads and highways; the loss of revenue would result in fewer road repairs and construction projects, and fewer jobs for those who do the work. This is a stimulus?
We called McCain's office seeking comment on Friday because we wanted to ask about the groundswell of opposition that the proposal has triggered. Our call was not returned.
● AAA of Arizona noted in an e-mail that "suspending federal fuel taxes for three months would result in an estimated $10 billion in lost revenue to the Highway Trust Fund at a time when we need more, not less, investment in our country's transportation network."
● The American Road & Transportation Builders Associations issued a release listing 10 reasons that "using the tax as a political expediency would be bad public policy." Among them: In Arizona alone $141.5 million in federal highway funds would be lost, putting at risk nearly 5,000 road- and highway-related jobs. Nationwide the number of jobs the tax holiday would put at risk is more than 310,000, the builders group said.
● McCain's fellow Republican senator, Kit Bond of Missouri, immediately dismissed the suspension plan, saying, "I don't see how cutting funds to fix bad roads and fight congestion helps families." Bond told the Kansas City Star that the answer to high gas prices is "tapping oil reserves just waiting ... on our own lands and off our own shores."
● Gov. Janet Napolitano dubbed McCain's gas tax suspension plan a "pander" and said it will only drive the federal government deeper into debt.
"I think the Straight Talk Express has had a total U-turn," she said Wednesday at her weekly press briefing. "I think that's a pander."
Given the titanic flaws in his tax holiday "economic stimulus" plan, it certainly does look like McCain is pandering to voters who'd like to take out the RV this summer or make a long road trip in the SUV — and like he is doing so instead of deliberating about our actual problems: rising fuel costs and a struggling economy.
The gas taxes have an elegant kind of logic: Those who drive on our roads a lot pay more in taxes that then are used to maintain the roads. The taxes aren't the problem, America's dependence on motor fuel is, and so is its rising price.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee should be working to identify long-term, strategic solutions to the nation's economic and energy problems — not dreaming up drive-to-the-lake-cheap cards for voters. Your comment?

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Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Were pyramids cast-in-place concrete?


According to a report, researchers are exploring a new controversial theory, which suggests that the great pyramids of Giza may have been cast in place of concrete, rather than quarried and moved into position. The theory is being tested by researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US.

Although the idea that the Egyptians may have used a kind of concrete in building the pyramids was first suggested in the 1930s, with a specific material that could have been used proposed in 1988, so far there has been no proof and the idea has remained mired in controversy. Now, in order to help identify blocks that were cast rather than quarried, MIT students are assembling a small pyramid using a combination of both kinds of material.

They will then use techniques such as microscopic imagery and chemical analysis to look for signs that might provide ways of telling the difference on samples from the Great Pyramid itself. According to Linn Hobbs, co teacher of the pyramid-building class at MIT, "The materials and know-how needed to cast the pyramids' giant 2-1/2 ton blocks in place, rather than quarrying and moving blocks of solid limestone, was definitely available to the Egyptians."

At least 90% of the material would have consisted of powdered limestone, and Egyptian limestone is especially fragile and can easily be reduced to finely divided sludge simply by soaking it in water. The rest — the binder or cement — could have been made from materials they were known to have had and used for other purposes.

The binder, known as a geopolymer, could have been made from lime, kaolinite (a kind of clay), a fine silica and natron (sodium carbonate), according to the research. The research also said that in building pyramids, especially the higher layers as the structure grew, casting blocks in place would have been a far easier task than carving them to precise sizes and shapes and then moving them up long earthen ramps into their final positions. Your comment?

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Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Cat raises prices


The price of just about everything is rising, due largely to world oil prices, and by extension, gas and diesel fuel. So it's no surprise that it is going to cost you more to own a Cat. Caterpillar Inc., the largest maker of construction and mining equipment in the world, announced in a regulatory filing, that it is adjusting product and merchandising prices up to 5 percent. The action "is a result of current general economic conditions and industry factors," and is driven by continuing their long-standing commitment of providing optimal value to customers and stockholders. Caterpillar said details by product will be released to dealers in the coming weeks, and will vary across geographic regions and products. Your comment?

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Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Our national face lift


The following op-ed was written by Glen E. Tellock, president and CEO, Manitowoc Co., and board chair of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.

"Crumbling bridges, overcrowded roadways, aging water and wastewater systems diminish our quality of life. The national focus has been on the need to invest public funds into these projects - both as a solution to our infrastructure woes and also as a stimulus to boost the sagging economy.

But the hidden problem of this infrastructure crisis is the lack of skilled workers we will need to solve all these problems. The current construction workforce is getting older and looking forward to retirement. At the same time, demand is growing for skilled labor, creative engineers and trusted safety inspectors. The construction industry expects to create 1 million new jobs over the next five years, and young people, their teachers and their families need to know more about this opportunity.

A new generation of workers is needed to help lead the building and repair of our nation's roads, bridges, schools and more. The machines that make us productive need qualified, educated people to design, manufacture, operate and repair them.

In January, the construction industry launched a student competition - the Construction Challenge. This event is not just about blue ribbons but focuses on introducing young people to challenging careers and connecting them with potential employers. The Construction Challenge aims to share that information, reward students and educate the public about the growing demand for skilled workers in the construction industry.

The Construction Challenge finale was held at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008. More than 50 teams competed for scholarships and prizes and the chance to learn new skills and network with leaders from the industry.

Whether they are building schools and skyscrapers, repairing thousands of miles of roads, constructing bridges, or manufacturing the equipment that makes all of this work happen, those working in the construction industry form the basic structures that allow our country - and the world - to work and thrive every day.

The Construction Challenge introduced students to the variety of career paths in the construction industry from manufacturing to in-the-field opportunities. For example, there is a growing demand for trained workers in the trades, such as equipment operators and machinists. These jobs require highly skilled people, some of whom may have to earn at least a two-year technical school degree. Another path is for college graduates looking for such managerial and professional jobs as industrial engineers, safety inspectors, IT managers and even sales professionals. Whatever the path, they all lead to rewarding, good-paying job opportunities for the next generation.

Our national face lift will keep the country moving ahead, create a million new jobs and will require highly skilled individuals to choose careers in the construction industry." Your comment?

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