2024 Economic Report

This Year Should Provide A Transition To Stronger Growth For Construction And Thus For Cement Production. By Mark S. Kuhar After a year in which the economy and starts slowed considerably, the coming year should provide a transition to stronger growth for construction, according to the Dodge Construction Network’s (DCN) Outlook 2024 economic report. But before we get to that,…

Read More

Handling Challenges WithWaste-Derived Materials

What Are Some Of The Problems Experienced In The Cement Industry And How Can They Be Overcome? By Alan Highton Spiraling energy costs, pressures on extractive resources and the drive to reduce carbon emissions are prompting more and more heavy industry sectors to switch to waste-derived fuels and raw materials. Operators already using such alternatives know that handling them can…

Read More

Finding Value in Carbon

A Calgary-Based Company Is Turning CO2 Emissions And Industrial Byproducts Into High-Quality Supplementary Cementitious Materials. by Jonathan Rowland Carbon capture is recognized as a key element in most pathways to a decarbonized cement industry. As the Portland Cement Association (PCA) noted in its 2021 Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) “directly avoids a significant portion of…

Read More

Silo Cleaning: The Path to Cost Savings

This Routine Maintenance Can Be Done Quickly And Efficiently Without Creating Unsafe Conditions Or Contributing To Unplanned Downtime. By Dennis Blauser Concrete silos are used to store a variety of materials in aggregate, industrial, energy and agricultural industries. Concrete silo design offers numerous advantages over steel. Concrete silos provide better structural stability than steel or aluminum and better resistance to…

Read More

Better Bulk Handling 

New, Efficient Solutions Can Help Cement Producers Adapt To Ever-Changing Circumstances. Edited by Mark S. Kuhar Dry bulk ports and terminals, such as those used by cement producers, are in a state of constant change. The materials they handle change and so, too, do the quantities.  Operators are constantly having to adapt to new requirements. They want to automate their…

Read More

Cracking the Code

Anti-Aging Solutions For Cement Plants And Tackling New Challenges Due To Refuse Derived Fuel. Edited by Mark S. Kuhar Fulfilling a large order may mean that a cement plant needs to keep running at full capacity over extended periods. This creates risk as major cracks and wear can develop in equipment.  Vladimir Filipov, key customer manager at repair specialist Remoterm,…

Read More

The Raw Truth

New Raw Mill Increases Productivity And Efficiency At CalPortland’s Mojave Plant. Edited by Mark S. Kuhar At CalPortland Co.’s Mojave plant, kiln production was being limited by the raw mill, which couldn’t cope with the increasing demand of a hot market. The company made the decision to invest in a new mill, and settled on an OK raw mill 48-4…

Read More

The Economics of Workplace Safety

Justifying Safety Investments Is Greatly Enhanced By Quantifying What Most Financial Managers Refer To As ‘Intangible Costs.’  By Dennis Blauser Conveyor safety is not a modern trend bred by government regulation; it’s a common-sense idea as old as the first conveyor design. In the modern age, safety is a key factor in worker protection, reduced insurance rates and a lower…

Read More

Unlocking Your Silos’ Full Potential

A Lack Of Regular Cleanings Can Lead To Reduced Storage Capacity, Lost Material, Blockages And Even Structural Damage.  By Dennis Blauser Silo cleaning is a critical part of any facility’s maintenance schedule. Without regular cleanings, stored material can become compacted, leading to reduced storage capacity, lost material, blockages and even structural damage.  This can have a serious impact on a…

Read More

Time for AI?

Artificial Intelligence Is Changing The World, And The Cement Industry Is No Exception. Should We Be Worried, Or Is It The Time To Embrace The Revolution?  By Jonathan Rowland We need to talk about how good AI is getting. So read a headline from the New York Times in August 2022. Since then, public interest in artificial intelligence (AI) has…

Read More
1 2 3 20