Why go to the Chicago Auto Show? Because it could be renamed the Chicago Truck Show. You can find the latest concept cars and practical rides, but usually there is no shortage of construction trucks and other workhorses. Photo: Tudor Van Hampton / ENR Ford’s all-electric work van in Chicago. It promises a top speed of 75 mph and 80-mi range in part due to its li-ion battery pack (below). Related Links: Battle of the Vans Rages On As Truck Makers Redefine the Urban Contractor�s Rolling Office Photo: Tudor Van Hampton / ENR Oshkosh’s M-ATV at the U.S. Army’s recruiting
The wheels of justice may grind slowly, but the battle in the court of public opinion was joined in full force on Feb. 18, 10 days after a U.S. District Court unsealed a three-year-old whistleblower claim against a major manufacturer of PVC pipe for utilities. Related Links: PVC Pipe Firm�s False-Claims Suit Unsealed by District Court The claim alleges the company sold to municipal water districts substandard pipe that did not meet industry certifications stamped upon it, from 1997 to 2005, and that the pipe may be prone to breakage and premature failure. Attorneys for JM Eagle, Los Angeles, the
Thanks to an increasing national awareness of infrastructure maintenance issues and the environment, composite materials are gaining support. But acceptance will not occur until regulatory agencies set official standards, say engineers who work with alternatives to traditional materials such as concrete and steel. Habib Dagher, director of the Advanced Structures & Composites Center at the University of Maine, told the Composites 2010 convention on Feb. 9 that until the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials adds codes for bridges using fiber-reinforced polymer materials, they will never be mainstream. Without such a standard to back them up, engineers cannot
A three-year-old “whistle-blower” suit unsealed in a federal district court on Feb. 8 claims that a leading manufacturer of polyvinyl chloride pipe widely used for utility collection and transmission lines falsely claimed its products met the performance specifications of industry regulators. It asserts that up to 50% of the pipe produced between 1997 and late 2005 is susceptible to breakage and premature failure at pressure loads below the labeled rating. Photo: Nevada State Public Works Board Nevada water-main job suffered 10 breaks in one year. State officials had sections tested and reported deficiencies in tensile strength. The manufacturer blamed installation
Prices for Caterpillar construction equipment will rise by about 12% over the next four years as the company rolls out new and revised models that meet the next level of worldwide clean-air standards. Photo: Caterpillar Inc. The engine compartment of Cat’s Tier 4 excavator is about 12 in. taller than previous models to accommodate new tailpipe controls. About a third of the overall price increase will start next year, said Cat officials at the company’s Peoria, Ill., headquarters on Feb. 11. In 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier 4 Interim and European Union Stage IIIB standards take effect. The
The sinister effects of inhaling crystalline silica—which, like asbestos, slowly leads to lung disease and cancer—have been known for years. Only recently have tools that trap the deadly dust become widely available. Slide Show Photo: Tudor Van Hampton / ENR This year’s World of Concrete attracted many new options in dust control. DeWalt now offers cordless portability in dust control “There’s been a drumbeat,” says Matt Gillen, senior scientist at the Washington, D.C.-based National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Over the last decade, more suppliers have brought out controls designed to capture dust at the source: the business end
New Product Announcements: 02/10/2010 Electric Cutting Shears: Tackles Heavy Materials The SoniShear is a new attachment for the Rockwell SoniCrafter high-frequency oscillation power tool. It is able to quickly cut through a wide variety heavy materials, including corrugated board, carpet, canvas, netting, vinyl sheet and rubber matting. The hardened-steel blades operate at up to 20,000 strokes-per-minute and can cut materials up to 5⁄16 in. thick. The 2.3-amp corded SoniCrafter tool has a soft-grip handle and is available in fixed- and variable-speed versions. Rockwell Power Tools; 866-514-7625; www.rockwelltools.com Drinking-Water Pipe Fittings: Pressed Connection ProPress 316 Stainless Steel pipe fittings are NSF 61-approved
Has construction finally hit rock bottom? New projects are expected to swing up slightly this year, but the economic fog will not fully lift for another year or two, remarked attendees at this year’s World of Concrete. Photo: Tudor Van Hampton for ENR Fast-handed masons competed for more than $100,000 in cash and prizes in front of 4,000 spectators on Feb. 3 at the World of Concrete. > Photo: Tony Illia for ENR Booth spaces shrunk this year, allowing smaller exhibitors to become more visible. Related Links: Stimulus To Lift Cement in 2010 VIDEO: Masonry at Warp Speed Economy Is
Cement consumption will rise by 5.2% this year, aided by federal stimulus spending, according to Portland Cement Association’s chief economist, Ed Sullivan. He gave a 2010-14 forecast on Feb. 2 at the World of Concrete show in Las Vegas. Related Links: Moods and Masons Rise At Annual Concrete Show Last year’s administrative delays releasing American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds will result in a $22-billion federal spending surge this year, including more money for street and highway construction, which account for 30% of all cement consumption, Sullivan said. But the first half of 2010 will be “slow and tepid,” he
Garrett Hood, a 25-year-old construction worker from Monroe, N.C., just earned $5,000 in cold cash and a new Ford 4x4 truck. Oh yeah, he's also this year's World's Best Bricklayer. Slide Show Photo: Tudor Van Hampton Garrett Hood, 25, breaks new record for trowel time. Related Links: VIDEO: Masonry at Warp Speed "I'm tired, but I'm feeling great," said Hood, holding a shiny trophy in front of his new truck at the annual Spec Mix Bricklayer 500, held Feb. 3 at the World of Concrete in Las Vegas. Hood now becomes a two-time winner of the national masonry challenge and
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