New product announcements: 04/29/2009 Handheld Concrete Smoothing: Vibrating Screed The Stone Screed Bull is a handheld vibrating concrete screed line. It is available in two versions, with the 32-lb VSB80 able to handle boards up to 16 ft, and the 25-lb VSB70 able to use 12-ft boards. The screeds are able to handle 2-in. to 9-in. slumps. The aluminum screed boards are available in sizes starting at 4-ft, and are triangularly shaped for stability. Boards are held in place by two screws and can be changed quickly. The vibration system is fully enclosed for lower maintenance. Stone Construction Equipment Inc.; 585-229-5141;
New product announcements: 04/22/2009 Capture Every Detail: Robotic Total Station The TS30 Robotic Total Station is the latest update to Leica’s line of surveying devices, and boasts ½-in. angle accuracy and 0.6-mm distance accuracy using prisms. It can achieve a distance accuracy of 2 mm at 1 km using only natural surfaces. The station can be fitted with a global-positioning antenna for logging exact coordinates during surveying. Its new Piezo technology allows uninterrupted surveying in changing environments with only one operator. A low-power mode during non use provides longer service intervals. Leica Geosystems; 770-326-9500; www.leica-geosystems.us Faster Pipe Connections: No Loose Parts
Amid a growing chorus of complaints, two U.S. Senators have introduced legislation to recall Chinese-made drywall and to ban further imports until federal safety standards are developed. Meanwhile, Florida’s governor has asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help the state develop and implement chemical-testing strategies. Slide Show Photo: Florida Dept. of Health Chinese-made drywall could be the cause of household corrosion and sulfur smells. Senators Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Mary L. Landrieu (D-La.) introduced legislation on Mar 30 pressing the Consumer Product Safety Commission to recall Chinese-made drywall and work with federal testing labs to determine the exact level
New product announcements: 04/15/2009 Three-Bag Mortar Mixer: No Wasted Material The 955Pm Stone Champion mortar mixer has a 9-cu-ft capacity, and is able to mix three bags at a time. The mixer’s quadruple seal and drum bearing system is in a removable housing for cleaning or replacement. The extendable axle can be adjusted to fit through doorways, and broader engine cover increases airflow. It is available with six engine options, and standard features include a lift-away safety guard, convenient front post clutch and drum release and a heavy-duty tow pole with safety chain. Stone Construction Equipment Inc.; 800-888-9926; www.stone-equip.com Triangular Geogrid
More than 2,000 craft workers are buzzing like bees inside a new 1,600-MW powerplant under construction near Franklin, Texas. Supplying the trades with forklifts, grinders, welding machines, safety glasses—even ice for water coolers—normally would be a logistical nightmare for all the contractors involved in the $2-billion project. But AMECO, the chief supplier on the job, has been handling these services for over 60 years. At Luminant’s Oak Grove Steam Electric Station, due to supply power to about one million homes by mid-2010, AMECO is supplying $1.4 million in small tools along with more than 580 other larger items, like pickup
New product announcements: 04/08/2009 Fall Protection: Modular Weight System Allows For Easy Relocation The Weightanka is a modular deadweight fall-protection system. The non-penetrating system is designed for roofs with less than a five-degree pitch where installation of temporary guardrails or permanent anchors is not an option. Attachments are made to a central pedestal, with the basic system weighing 550 lb. The system can be disassembled into components weighing less than 55 lb for easy relocation. Kee Safety, Inc.; 800-851-5181; www.keesafety.com Curb Machine: Tighter Turns The Power Curber 5700-C is the latest update to the 5700 series of curb machines. It is
New product announcements: 04/01/2009 45-Tonne City Mobile Crane: Compact Size Manitowoc Cranes is launching a new mobile crane under its Grove brand that is designed especially for use on tight urban jobsites. The GCK3045 has a 45-tonne capacity with a 34-meter boom and optional 6.3-m twist jib. The crane is 9.07 m long and 3 m high and offers a choice of five outrigger locations. It has a three-axle configuration with electronic rear-wheel steering to minimize tire wear and has a boom-down design. Manitowoc Cranes; 920-684-6621; www.manitowoc.com Advanced Insulation For Pipe: Small Diameter The new Aquatherm Advanced pipe-wrap insulation, when used
On Nov. 12, 2008, a new auction occurred. Cold, wet and windy, the day was not helped by the fall financial meltdown or the dreary mood at the site of the lead consignor: Midwest contractor McAninch Corp.’s maintenance yard in Des Moines. Prices matched the mood and were down by double digits compared to prior months. Photo: CAT Auction Services Cat’s first auction’s timing was bad, but firm says it was successful. Related Links: As the Economy Worsens, Machinery Auctions Are Swamped Fast-Moving Auctions Attract Buyers Despite the economy, the unreserved sale still generated $8.8 million on 275 pieces of
From the vantage point of a helicopter hovering 1,000 ft above an ocean of heavy equipment, the Ritchie Bros. yard in Davenport, Fla., looks like a giant sandbox flooded with construction toys. In between the neatly arranged rows of excavators, loaders, dump trucks and cranes are colorful dots—men, women and children—weaving in and out of aisles in search of a bargain. In the center of the action is a white building where buyers are sitting comfortably in jeans Slide Show Photo: Tudor Van Hampton / ENR Auction in Orlando was stuffed with thousands of pieces of yellow iron. Related Links:
New product announcements: 03/25/2009 Medium-Duty Truck: Crew Option Available in the fall, Dodge offers its second-generation, restyled chassis cabs for the first time with a crew-cab option. The 3500 comes with a new 5.7L HEMI V-8 engine, while the 4500/5500 comes standard with a 6.7L Cummins turbodiesel packing 610 lb-ft of torque and equipped with all-new selective-catalytic reduction for 50-state emission compliance. An 8-gallon urea tank will need to be refilled for about every 400 gallons of fuel used, at least once for every 7,500-mile oil-change interval, Dodge says. Inside, a new, optional center console stores and powers a laptop computer.
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