Placement Begins for One-Million Square Yard Intermodal Terminal

To support the continued growth in the rail and truck transport business throughout the region, Union Pacific recently began construction on the $370 million Joliet Intermodal Terminal located approximately 45 miles southwest of Chicago.

During the design stage both concrete and asphalt were considered. Although, the asphalt cost was slightly lower than concrete, Union Pacific recognized the long term performance and cost savings with concrete and selected it for the yard. Concrete will also provide better solar and light reflectance and minimize the impact of heat island effect.

Construction on the site began in August 2009 and the initial phase is scheduled for completion in June 2010. Concrete placement began in September with 1.043 million square yards or 215 acres of concrete to be placed - equivalent in area to 164 football fields.  The paver alignment and grade is being controlled using total station stringless technology which eliminates the traditional stringlines.

When completed next summer, this state-of-the art facility will increase annual freight capacity to 500,000 cargo-ship-sized containers and ease the current congestion for rail-truck traffic in the Chicago area.
Contact Wayne Adaska

Concrete Prices Remain Stable

Steel prices were up for the third consecutive month in September, increasing 3.0 percent from August levels, according to the Department of Labor’s monthly Producer Price Index (PPI). Asphalt prices decreased slightly, 0.6 percent from the previous month. 

Lumber prices were also down 1.2 percent from August to September. Concrete prices did not change.

Within the last year, steel prices have decreased 32.8 percent while asphalt prices have declined by 18.1 percent and lumber prices dropped by 8.8 percent.  Concrete prices are the same from a year ago.

Source: Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. PCA provides this information to aid in the promotion of concrete and cement-based products.
Contact Ninab Maradkel
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Webcast, White Paper Available on PCA High Performance Building Requirements

PCA’s latest webcast “Sustainability in High Performance Buildings” is now available at www.cement.org.  The webcast and accompanying white paper highlight  PCA’s efforts  to lead the way towards new standards in sustainability that promise safer, more secure, and more energy-efficient buildings for future generations.

During the webcast Steve Szoke, PCA's director codes and standards, discusses PCA’s High Performance Building Requirements for Sustainability.   Formatted as amendments to the 2009 International Building Code to facilitate adoption, the requirements go beyond energy performance to address saving taxpayer dollars, safety, property protection, security, aesthetics, and community issues.
Listen to webcast
Download white paper
Contact Steve Szoke

St Marys Plant Receives Certification in Energy Excellence

The St Marys Cement Company plant in Bowmanville, Ontario, has been honored as the first North American industrial organization to receive 360 Energy's Certification in Energy Excellence. After completing an in-depth, twelve month, third-party evaluation, St. Marys will be receiving the silver level award.

David Arkell, president and CEO of 360 Energy Inc. noted, "The Certification in Energy Excellence program was born out of the necessity for organizations to prove their energy and environmental leadership. Not only does it represent St. Marys' progress in energy reduction, but also outlines its strategic goals and initiatives to ensure these reductions continue well into the future."

360 Energy's Certification in Energy Excellence Program (CEE) identifies leaders in sustainable energy management. Companies who succeed in obtaining the CEE award have demonstrated energy performance improvements during the last three years, and have adopted a structure to continue to improve their energy management performance over the next three years. The CEE program creates a focus on controlling and reducing energy, which is beneficial for the environment.

By going through the Certification in Energy Excellent Program, St. Mary's Cement was able to save $550,000 annually.

Concrete Thinking Course Prepares Industry

This year, hundreds of cement and concrete industry personnel attended Concrete Thinking for a Sustainable World at several regional venues.

This course prepares cement and concrete professionals to understand the issues government officials, building owners, architects, and engineers are facing regarding sustainable development. It explores the sustainable initiatives our industry has already implemented and how to position and promote concrete to provide sustainable building solutions.

The final class for the year will be offered November 9 in Phoenix, immediately before the 2009 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo.
Register at www.cement.org
Contact David Shepherd

Integrated Concrete Pavement Solutions Presented in Alabama

Four sustainability seminars presented by the Alabama Technology Transfer program in October trained more than 100 pavement professionals on the integrated concrete pavement solutions concept and the sustainable attributes of concrete.

Participants learned about cement manufacturing, concrete pavements including roller-compacted concrete, full-depth reclamation, cement-treated bases, and pervious concrete.

In addition, the seminar included a one-hour presentation titled “Sustainable Development: Concrete and More,” which described sustainable attributes of concrete in general, focusing on paving products.

This seminar is one of the series of conferences and workshops being conducted through the Alabama Technology Transfer program, which is a part of the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) supported by the Federal Highway Administration, the Alabama Department of Transportation and Auburn University.
Contact Fares Abdo