Photo by Tudor Van Hampton Ford's EcoBoost light-duty pickup gets 22 mpg on the highway today. Increased fuel efficiency will come with a shortfall of highway construction work if tax revenues aren't bolstered. President Obama's proposal to boost automakers' Corporate Average Fuel Economy to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025 will take a significant bite out of fuel-tax receipts flowing into the Highway Trust Fund, say road builders, who are pushing for a funding revamp.The most recent CAFE standard, proposed July 29 for all light-duty vehicles, would cut $65 billion out of federal funding for state and local highway, bridge
Photo courtesy of Link-Belt Caterpillar engines go into a variety of heavy equipment, including cranes. Link-Belt is one user of Cat engines. Related Links: Caterpillar, EPA Clear the Air Over Diesel Engine Recall Caterpillar To Recall Engines, Pay $2.5M in EPA Penalties Caterpillar Inc. doesn't just build engines for its own machines; it also sells them to other heavy equipment makers.Yesterday's federal consent order involves nearly 600,000 Caterpillar diesel engines that were shipped to dozens of original-equipment manufacturers of trucks and heavy equipment, according to public records obtained by ENR.The complaint, filed July 28 in the U.S. District Court for
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton for ENR Between 2002 and 2006, Caterpillar allegedly shipped 590,000 diesel engines that were missing emission controls. It has agreed to pay $2.55 million and recall non-compliant engines, according to a federal consent order. Related Links: Caterpillar, EPA Clear the Air Over Diesel Engine Recall Caterpillar Settlement Touches Dozens of Heavy Equipment Brands Caterpillar Inc. is recalling diesel engines and will pay $2.55 million in civil penalties under a Clean Air Act federal consent decree made public today.The settlement, released on July 28, says that the Peoria, Ill.-based manufacturer shipped more than 590,000 on- and
Photo courtesy of Blue World Crete Green concrete startup has developed a cement that forms at low temperatures. MaterialsA Florida company's new geopolymer binder, which promises to enable eco-friendly materials that compete with portland cement, is undergoing testing in the U.S. and the Middle East.Blue World Crete, whose eponymously named firm is based in Pompano Beach, Fla., is one of many ongoing efforts to lower concrete's carbon footprint. Even so, experts are skeptical it can offer an alternative to the world's most popular building material: portland cement.The startup claims to have developed a synthetic alternative to traditional cement. Inorganic chemicals
Photo: Cary Kopczynski & Co High-strength rebar is costly but cuts down weight, reducing overall costs, a new study says. Related Links: High-Strength Rebar Market Is Heating Up New materials and methods available to concrete construction crews in the past decade present a financial dilemma:A flashy material may offer advantages despite its upfront cost, but how do you know you aren’t sending your overall project into the red?A research team took a stab at this problem and released their findings this morning to the Construction Industry Institute’s annual conference in Chicago. In some cases, the team found overall cost savings.
It may be a good time to revisit your jobsite security: More heavy equipment is stolen in July than any other month of the year, according to a new report from the National Equipment Register and National Insurance Crime Bureau. SXC/bradimarte The highest volumes of equipment theft typically occur during the peak construction months. Related Links: Highway Robbery: Thieves Target Surveying Gear National Crime Database Reaches Critical Mass Read NER's 2010 Theft Report The summer months, when construction activity is usually in high gear, collectively made up for about one-third of all heavy equipment thefts last year, says the July
ENR's weekly look at construction products and gadgets includes grooved pipe coupling, an abrasive cut-off machine and new John Deere engines. Click on the slide show for more details. Manufacturers can send information on new products to ENR_Products@mcgraw-hill.com.
ENR's weekly rundown of the latest construction products includes a luffing jib crane designed with long reaches in mind and a durable light tower able to withstand rough environments. Click the image for the full slide show.
ENR's weekly rundown of the latest construction products includes a hammer drill bit for getting through rebar-reinforced concrete, cut-resistant work gloves and an electronic torque wrench. Click the image for the full slide show.
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