Aug. 26, 2019 – You don’t expect highway and bridge construction to dip during the summer construction season, but that is exactly what happened in June. Fortunately, July was a different story. Highway and bridge construction in July improved 9%, rebounding after a 5% decline in June, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. Large highway and bridge projects entered as July construction starts were the $238 million project to repair the…
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Globally Speaking
Aug. 21, 2019 – The global aggregates market is expected to reach $671.1 billion by 2025, escalating at a CAGR of 6.5% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research Inc. Aging of infrastructure and expanding construction sector are anticipated to drive the growth of the construction aggregates market over the forecast period. The crushed stone segment is anticipated to…
Read MoreTsunami Impact on Infrastructure
Tsunami damage in Fukushima, Japan. Aug. 20, 2019 – New research from Oregon State University takes steps toward understanding how tsunamis destabilize soil, which is key to building and retrofitting infrastructure that can withstand a disaster, according to an article in the Daily Astorian. “Traditionally, in the past, the structural engineers have only thought about what happens at the soil level and…
Read MoreEPA Comes Down on Producer
Aug. 15, 2019 – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an agreement with Whitaker Aggregates Inc. of Humboldt, Kan., to pay a civil penalty for failing to respond to an information request in violation of the Clean Water Act Section 308. Whitaker Aggregates will pay a penalty of $7,500. “EPA relies on information requests to successfully ensure regulated facilities are…
Read MoreAnd the Weather Makes it Worse
Aug. 14, 2019 – As if the condition of our roads and bridges is not bad enough. Storms and flooding have caused significant damage throughout the United States during the first half of 2019. The Associated Press tallied about $1.2 billion of damage in 24 states based on preliminary assessments of public infrastructure categories established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency…
Read MoreStates the Truth
Aug. 9, 2019 – The nation’s governors are taking matters into their own hands. “On behalf of the nation’s governors, we applaud the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee for taking this first step,” the National Governors Association (NGA) said in a statement about the recent America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act. “The bill’s emphasis on formula funding, safety and resiliency comes at…
Read MoreTeachers Rock IAAP Workshop
Aug. 6, 2019 – Education is of critical importance. So teachers from across the state gathered for the Illinois Teachers Workshop: Rocks, Minerals & Mining in Today’s Society, presented by the Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers (IAAP) at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill. Everyone present refreshed their knowledge of earth science and learned so much more about the importance of…
Read MoreHighways on the Hot Seat
August 1, 2019 – According to the latest construction spending report from the U.S. Census Bureau, highway construction in June was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $101.9 billion, 6.4% (±5.4%) below the revised May estimate of $108.9 billion. But spending in the first half of 2019 was up sharply for most public infrastructure, with year-to-date increases of 14.5% for highway and street construction spending, 7.1% for transportation…
Read MoreMartin Marietta: Inside the Report
July 30, 2019 – Martin Marietta Materials just reported record second-quarter profit of $189.5 million on revenue of $1.28 billion. In its quarterly report, the company looked ahead, stating, “Infrastructure construction, particularly for aggregates-intensive highways and streets, should benefit from recent accelerations in state lettings and contract awards in key Martin Marietta states, continued FAST Act funding, and regulatory reform that allows…
Read MoreNew Transportation Bill Falls Short
July 29, 2019 – A bipartisan group of U.S. senators is going to introduce the $287 billion America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act of 2019. The bill is the largest highway legislation in history. And it is nowhere near enough. Ninety percent of that money would automatically go to states, so every community can have its needs met in red states and blue…
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