Back to Main Page

Advertising Contacts

Aggregates Manager e-News
Click here to subscribe!

Anglo American CEO Cynthia Carroll is considering a £3 billion auction of Tarmac, its building-materials division, this summer.

It is thought that Lafarge, the French building-materials giant, has already expressed an interest in buying the business. CRH, the Irish company, is also watching events closely as are a number of private-equity groups.

But before Tarmac is put up for sale, Carroll is keen to push through cost cuts at the subsidiary to ensure it fetches the maximum price. Anglo has admitted that it is evaluating Tarmac’s future within its global mining business. It is seen as non-core.

Analysts say the sale is just one of a number of strategic decisions that will be made by Carroll, who has recently taken over as chief executive. Last week she impressed the City with her first detailed briefing. Those who were present said she was keen to shed the group’s conservative image and appeared willing to consider large deals and raise the company’s risk profile.

The decision-making process is being speeded up and central overheads are being cut. Analysts said that in taking this more aggressive approach Anglo is no longer being seen as a passive player in the industry’s consolidation. As a result the company is now viewed as a consolidator rather than a target for rivals such as BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, or Xstrata.

Tarmac is a profitable business generating annual earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of $600 million (£300 million). The high price recently offered for Hanson, a rival aggregates group, highlighted the appetite for these types of companies.

Anglo bought Tarmac just more than seven years ago in a deal that valued the equity at just over £1 billion. The division has operations across Europe.

Lafarge is seen as a natural buyer. It is also no stranger to buying British companies, having already snapped up Blue Circle and Redland. It had been seen as a buyer for Hanson, but never made a bid and instead watched Heidelberg Cement, the German company, launch a knockout £8 billion offer last month. This created the world’s second-largest company in construction materials.

(Source: The Sunday Times online edition, London, June 3, 2007. By John Waples)

Lafarge SA workers demanding 20 percent pay increase

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Monday [June 4, 2007] demanded wage increase of 20 percent for employees of cement-producer Lafarge South Africa.

The NUM demanded a 40-hour working week, a contribution to a housing subsidy on a 70 percent/30 percent basis, a 10 percent performance bonus, and a long-service award of R700 for five years of service.

The union demanded R600 wage increase for Lafarge’s cement business unit and 20% from its aggregate business unit.

The Num expected that as its demands were “reasonable,” there would be an amicable resolution.

(Source: Creamer Media’s Engineering News, published June 4, 2007. By Nelendhre Moodley, Edited by Liezel Hill.)

Wisconsin contractor jailed for false statements on highway contracts

On May 23, Darrell Kasner, owner of Kasner's Transportation, Inc., Aprin, Wisconsin, was ordered by a U.S. District Court judge in Madison, Wisconsin, to pay a $1,000 fine for making false statements to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) on payroll reports totaling $22,000 that he submitted for hauling services performed on a Federally-funded highway project near Winchester, Wisconsin.

Kasner was also ordered to serve three months in jail and two years supervised release. He pleaded guilty on March 14 to charges of failing to pay two dump truck drivers local prevailing wages in 2002 and 2003 as required under Federal law.

Kasner and his company were suspended by WisDOT after his October 2006 indictment. Federal suspension and debarment action is pending. This investigation was conducted with assistance from WisDOT.

(Source: Aggregate Research Industries, June 3, 2007)

International Erosion Control Association unveiling new magazine

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo.—The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) has developed a new quarterly member publication, Environmental Connection. The magazine will be distributed to IECA’s 3,500 members beginning in October 2007, the association announced.

Environmental Connection will deliver more news, technical and product information than its predecessor, News To Use, according to IECA. The new magazine will include regular feature columns, industry news, and case studies. All technical information will be peer-reviewed by a select group of IECA members to ensure quality and accuracy, the association says.

Industrial Minerals Association announces safety awards

The Industrial Minerals Association-North America (IMA-NA) has announced the winners of its safety recognition awards. This organization has its own safety awards recognition program and co-sponsors a joint recognition program with MSHA.

Winners in both programs were announced at the IMA-NA spring meeting. IMA-NA and MSHA jointly recognized 13 IMA-NA member U.S. operations that worked 200,000 hours without a reportable injury. IAAP Member U.S. Silica Co., Ottawa Plant, Ottawa, Ill. was recognized as a first-time honoree. 

In addition, six operations were recognized with Safety Achievement Awards for having the best reportable injury rates by an IMA-NA member in 2006. Five of these operations went without injury last year, including IAAP Member Manley Brothers, Inc., Troy Grove, Ill.

(Source: Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers (IAAP) Update)

House approvals ‘watered-down’ rail safety bill

A House subcommittee recently approved a slightly watered-down version of a labor-backed rail safety bill that calls for relaxing the work schedules of employees to prevent fatigue, and requires railroads to upgrade safety equipment with new technology.

The Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2007 (H.R. 2095) cleared the House Transportation and Infrastructure Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee on a voice vote after Democrats agreed to soften its requirements, including one mandating the elimination of limbo time, during which off duty rail workers have to remain as a reserve in the workplace.

The new version of the bill would permit limbo time in periods of crisis, such as such as during accidents and natural disasters. 

(Source: National Minerals Association e-newsletter)

Management

Treading Carefully

With the global shortage of off-the-road (OTR) tires continuing to bite more people are looking at tire retreading as a solution to the problem.

by Tim Prest

Editor’s note: Many aggregate producers throughout the United States and around the globe have felt the pinch of the off-road-tire (OTR) shortage. This article, which first appeared in Quarry (the official journal of the Institute of Quarrying Australia), describes the process of retreading tires. It appears with permission from the publisher.

The first element of tire retreading involves the casing preparation and the first element of this involves an inspection of the tires.

Initial inspection of tires is carried out visually with the aid of high-intensity lights magnifying any shadows caused by irregularities. All significant cuts are assessed for severity, and — where necessary — non-destructive testing (NDT) is carried out. Any major repairs required, separations, run-flat injuries, or exposed areas of cord will most likely cause the tire to be rejected at this point.

Any remaining tread is then removed in the buffing stage, and the tire is profiled to standard crown radius. In a three-stage process, the tire is brought back to a clean, smooth buffed surface.

The side-rasping or skiving process basically is hand buffing all the areas that the larger machine is not capable of reaching without removing large sections of the tire. It is at this stage that all stone penetrations, cuts, and minor belt abrasions are cut out. It is often where the real damage to a tire is found and where the decision to retread or reject a tire is finalized. Once past this point, the tire will not touch the ground until it is finished.

Any exposed steel is then cleaned and treated to prevent oxidization and to allow a bond between the steel and the fresh rubber.

All cracks, cut outs, and voids in the shoulder area are filled with rubber in preparation for building. Once this is completed, the tire is wrapped in cushion gum, which is basically a highly adhesive natural rubber compound. This creates a very strong bond between the casing and the new rubber on the retread.

Once the tire has gone through the casing preparation, it is ready for retreading. There are many different types of retread processes available, including the following:

Pre-cure

This is also known as the cold cap process. After casing preparation, the tire is wrapped with a single layer of pre-cured rubber with the tread pattern stamped into it prior to going on the tire. The tire is then inserted in a vacuum-sealed tube and cured in an autoclave.

Advantages

• Colder curing temperature required;
• Simple to create complex tread patterns; and
• Reduced labor content.

Disadvantages

• Single seam in tread creates weak point at join;
• Limited tread depth possibilities;
• Limited compounding options;
• High rubber cost; and
• High operating temperatures may affect materials required for bonding at lower temperatures.

Strip wind extruder

In this retreading process, rubber is “spun” onto the tire in a continuous thin strip producing a slick finish. The tire is then grooved to the desired tread pattern then cured in an autoclave.

Advantages

• Is not affected by casing variation;
• Rubber is applied continuously — there is no weak point in the tread;
• Tread patterns can be easily customized;
• Labor efficient process; and
• Cheapest form of OTR retreading.

Disadvantages

• Limited compounding options, machinery involved can only use softer compound of rubber;
• Heat stresses applied to casing during curing will further develop flaws in older tires; and
• Worst wearing retread.

Remold

In this process, rubber is applied to tire using a strip wind extruder, then placed in a mold, inflated, and cured. The rubber virtually liquefies during this process to flow into the mold and to produce the tread pattern.

Advantages

• These retreads appear as a new tire;
• No seam to the tread;
• Minimal risk of lamination; and
• Labor-efficient retread process.

Disadvantages

• High stresses applied to casing during curing will further develop flaws in older tires;
• Casing variation requires different rubber thickness to be applied to different brands of tire, can cause excessive heat build up, or alternatively bead crimping;
• Limited compounding and tread options; and
• High cost.

Slab build

In this process, rubber is applied hot to the tire in layers the full width of the tire, creating a slick. Seams are staggered around the tire to prevent weak points in the tread. The tire is grooved to the desired tread pattern, and then cured in an autoclave.

Advantages

• Multiple compounds can be put into one tire;
• Best wearing retread;
• Is not affected by casing variation;
• Tread patterns can be easily customized; and
• Staggered seam creates no weak points.

Disadvantages

• Heat stresses applied to casing during curing will further develop flaws in older tires;
• High labor content in process; and
• Cosmetic regroover.

All systems of retreading — except remolding — are cured in autoclaves.

Curing/vulcanizing

Once built and grooved, the tire is ready for curing. All systems of retreading with the exception of remolding are cured in open steam chambers (autoclaves). The temperature, pressure, and time are precisely calculated for the size, type, and thickness of the carcass and tread. The rubber also shrinks slightly during this process helping increase the durability of the bond.

Australian OTR retreaders currently use the “slab build slick and groove” process for its versatility and hard-wearing tendencies.

The rough side of a loader tire can be “scuffed” during the process, giving a fresh sidewall with restored impact protection. This process is generally not done to truck tires.

Tread patterns and compounds can be varied easily.

There are tread designs to suit applications from heavy-duty underground loaders to high-speed long haul trucks.

With a retread, you can confidently predict to get at least 70 to 110 percent of your average new tire life again (dependent on process used and application).

Retreads are recommended for use on the rear of machines only. This is primarily because of the age of the tire and the likelihood that, at some stage in its life, the tire has sustained some damage.

Retreads have been tested successfully in a wide range of operations, from high speed, long haul to severe hard rock. A retread can be produced to suit almost any application.

Retreading is not isolated to truck tires. Retreaded loader tires have been successfully used for many years in a wide variety of applications.

When starting to use retreads, talk to your retreader before the tires are sent. In the same way there is more than one type of tire from your new tire supplier, retreaders are able to offer a variety of tread patterns and compounds for most applications.

Retreading has been proven both locally and overseas to give the lowest operating cost per hour, dependent on process used and application.

During normal usage, the only part of the tire to wear is the tread. Retreading simply replaces this worn rubber leaving the structure of the casing intact. Most tires are manufactured for the casing life to exceed the tread life allowing for this process to be viable. Because the structure of the tire is not altered in the process tire mile per hour is not generally affected by retreading a tire.

When considering retreading tires, it is important to consider the worn out tire (casing) as an asset. Stock availability from retreaders is very low and, as with new tires, supply cannot be guaranteed. Generating casings from your own sites is the best option for machinery operators, giving the benefits of predicting supply and knowing the history of the tire. While all care is taken during the retreading process, it is not able to tell what sort of damage lies behind a seemingly solid patch, or how many hours a tire has done at what speeds or loads.

The most common cause of premature failure in a retreaded tire is due to casing damage. A retread is dependent on the casing provided to last the distance. Apart from minimizing sidewall damage, monitoring tire pressures, and using tire management systems the other important consideration is removing the tire with some tread remaining to protect the underlying belts from stone penetration.

Consider a casing as you would the motor in a large machine. It is an asset, which at a scheduled point in its life you will rebuild to get extended life.

The depth that needs to remain will vary from site to site, with some being able to wear tires to 5 mm, others needing to remove at around 20 mm to ensure casing viability. This may seem excessive, but when considering that a retread can outperform a new tire in terms of tread wear, it still makes economic sense. If a tire is suffering significant belt damage below 20 mm you are sacrificing maybe 200 to 300 hours of useable tread before the tire starts to expose steel and fail. To get the best results from retreading, operators need to establish their critical wear point — the point at which maximum utilization of initial tread is counterbalanced by the likelihood of belt damage if worn further. This can be done either as a blanket rule for the tires on site based on tread depth and machine hours or can be done on an individual tire basis.

With the global shortage of off-the-road tires, more people are looking at tire retreading as a potential solution.

What is retreadable?

The new tread of a retreaded tire should confidently be expected to last a considerable number of hours. To ensure that the full benefit of retreading is realized, the casing needs to be in good condition before retreading. A tire that has been run flat, had multiple major repairs, or has suffered considerable belt damage is not going to give the best possible result.

Retreaders need to be able to bond to rubber. The bond between rubber and steel is one of the most complex and difficult to achieve. In new tire manufacturing, this is overcome by brass coating the steel, a coating that is removed very quickly once the belts are exposed; 80 percent of tires that are rejected for retreading are rejected due to belt damage.

Consider a retread as ideally performing as a new tire. A maximum of three major repairs is acceptable in a casing depending on size and location. A major repair to the shoulder section of a tire, where the stress points are highest, will most likely cause the tire to be rejected for retreading, or, depending on condition, to be done without warranty. More than one major repair in any quarter of the tire will also cause concerns about the long-term viability of the casing, as will more than two sidewall repairs.

The age of the tire needs to be taken into consideration as well. The curing process of rubber is continuous throughout the life of the tire and is accelerated by heat and, in the case of older tires, sunlight. Modern tires have UV protection built into the compound to reduce the effects of this. Tires that are starting to perish or become brittle will have difficulty in achieving maximum wear before failure.

With the outlook of the world tire shortage predicted to continuing for several more years, retreading is a proven and cost effective solution to ensure your equipment stays operational.

Tim Prest is a director of Flextred International, a Queensland, Australia-based privately owned group of companies specializing in retreading and repair of industrial and earthmoving tires, new tire sales, and onsite consultancy.

Crushing and screening acquisition

Sandvik is purchasing two European manufacturers of mobile crushing and screening equipment, Extec Screens and Crushers near Birmingham, England, and Fintec Crushing and Screening Ltd. near Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Sandvik described both firms as leaders in the mobile crushing and screening field, with strong R&D and modern manufacturing facilities. Their products, described as mid-size and light crushing and screening equipment, will help Sandvik extend its product offerings, according to Lars Josefsson, president of Sandvik Mining and Construction.

Two new production excavators

Terex O&K introduced two new production excavator models at Europe's BAUMA trade show in April. The 122-ton RH 70 is designed to work with 50- to 120-ton trucks and features a 10.5 cubic yard bucket, electric-over-hydraulic controls, and the largest cab in its class.

Also debuting was the B-series version of the company’s 500-ton shovel, the RH340-B. Two 3,000-horsepower engines power the leviathan machine, and the new series features a more powerful hydraulic system with higher-capacity pumps.

New scalping/screening plant

Powerscreen says its new highly mobile Horizon 5163 precision scalping and screening plant is essentially as smaller, more economical version of the job-proven 800-tph Horizon 6203. The new plant is deigned to handle material up to 10 inches and can produce up to 600 tons per hour of high-specification products (such a for concrete and roadbuilding or paving) with materials such as natural and crushed aggregates, crushed and recycled concrete, and asphalt, coal and iron ore.

Powerscreen also recommends the plant for closed-circuit primary, secondary, and tertiary crushing setups to achieve high tonnages of fine-sized product meeting strict specifications.

For more new products for the industry, check out the RollOuts section
in each month’s print edition of Aggregates Manager.
 

Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Astec Industries, Inc. announced ton June 12 that it plans to wholly acquire Eugene, Ore.-based Peterson, Inc. located in Eugene, Oregon.

The company will continue to operate from its Eugene headquarters under the name Peterson Pacific Corp. The transaction is expected to close during the third calendar quarter.

The total purchase price for the acquisition is approximately $34 million, according to an Astec press release about the acquisition. The purchase price includes $7 million to payoff outstanding Peterson debt and $7 million to purchase the real estate currently used by Peterson in a separate transaction — however, it excludes a $3 million potential earn-out payment.

Liebherr won the German construction industry’s Bauma Innovation Prize in the design category for its 6th generation wheel-loader design. The award ceremony was held during Bauma 2007, at the Allerheiligen-Hofkirche (Court Church of All Saints) in Munich’s Residenz.

In his speech, Professor Wolfgang Poppy underlined the reasons for the jury’s decision, namely the machine’s shapely design, ease of operation and ergonomics. The product design of the 6th generation wheel loaders brings out the powerful nature of the machines, makes their technical merits apparent and clearly distinguishes the series from its competition. What’s more, its design ensures even greater efficiency in terms of maintenance and cleaning.

The 6th generation comprises six models with tipping loads ranging from 11,650 kg to 20,430 kg and bucket capacities of between 3.2 m³ and 5.5 m³. These wheel loaders, renowned for their outstanding fuel efficiency, are powered by the latest 130- to 250-kW Liebherr diesel engines which, comply with the statutory Stage IIIa / Tier 3 exhaust and noise emissions for construction-machinery engines.

Brunner & Lay, Inc. is celebrating 125 of continuous operations under the ownership and control of the founding family. The original products manufactured by this enterprise were those used in the sculpturing of stone, production of monuments, building stones, and “objects d’ art.”

From a very inauspicious beginning in small blacksmith shop originally started in 1882 by Edward Brunner and Severin Lay, Brunner & Lay, Inc. and its affiliated companies have become recognized as the quality leaders, as well as the world’s largest manufacturer of paving breaker tools. Today, using the latest state of the art equipment in its facilities throughout the world, Brunner & Lay, Inc.’s entire output is devoted to the manufacture of pneumatic and hydraulic tool accessories for the construction, mining, and demolition industries.

The worldwide operations encompass manufacturing plants and warehouses on three different continents. These include seven facilities in the United States, three in Canada, three in Great Britain, one in Germany, and two in Australia, including the latest, an opening in 2004 of a warehouse in Kalgoorlie. The corporation is currently Chaired by Fred J. Brunner, and managed by F. Michael Brunner, president, the fourth generation of the Brunner Family to oversee operations.

Brunner & Lay products are divided into three major categories: tools used for the demolition or cutting of concrete and stone, drill steels and carbide tipped bits which are used to drill blast holes in quarries, mines, and construction projects, and small chipping and electric hammer tools which are used by the general construction trade.

Phoenix Process Equipment Co. shows its auto/CHEM Polymer Systems in a new brochure. 

The Phoenix Model D auto/CHEM Dry Polymer System meters and mixes dry chemicals with water and delivers the slurry to thickening and/or dewatering equipment.  Compact, skid-mounted packages including dry polymer storage, wetting hopper, pumps, piping train, and controls simplify installation and start-up.  Automatic (PLC) controls are available for maximum operational flexibility.

Phoenix Model E auto/CHEM Emulsion Polymer Systems include pre-piped water supply components; a skid-mounted neat polymer pump with valves and piping; the solution mix tank/mixing unit, a solution floc delivery pump with the required valves and accessories; and system controls. 

The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) has hired Diego Saltes as senior economist. Saltes brings to ARTBA more than a decade of economic analysis and research expertise gained with top industry groups and trade associations. Saltes’s previous research has focused on the transportation, energy and construction markets, and macroeconomic analysis and forecasting. 

As a member of the ARTBA Economics & Research team, he will help develop analyses and reports for industry professionals, members of Congress and their staffs, and federal agency officials that detail the impacts of transportation investment on the U.S. economy.

Saltes joined ARTBA from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he served as an economist providing macroeconomic research, analysis and forecasting. He contributed to key congressional testimony on economic trends and also supported legislative proposals dealing with immigration and labor through extensive research on wages and employment. He was a regular contributor to the monthly U.S. Chamber publication, “Economics 101.”

Previously, Saltes directed market research and economic analysis for the American Institute of Architects. He developed economic models for establishing statistical relationships differentiating architecture services from overall construction spending. Saltes began his career with the American Trucking Associations, where he performed extensive research on trucking industry indicators and became a key spokesperson and lead analyst on energy market issues.

Saltes graduated cum laude with a B.A. in economics and obtained an M.S. in international economics, both from Radford University. He is currently completing a master’s degree in International Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C. 

Saltes, a native of Caracas, Venezuela, is fluent in Spanish and English and is conversational in French. He resides in Arlington, Va.

Liebherr Construction Equipment Co. has added Edward (Ed) Nittinger to its sales team. He has assumed the position of district sales manager.

Edward (Ed) Nittinger

Nittinger has an extensive background in heavy equipment sales at both the manufacturing and dealership level, most recently employed as a district manager, Mid-Atlantic for Dynapac, USA.

He will develop sales objectives, provide training on Liebherr products, coordinate marketing strategies, and provide general dealer support. Nittinger resides in Chesapeake, Va., and will be based at the company’s headquarters in Newport News, Va.

Jeffrey “Shad” Shadowens

Liebherr Construction Equipment Co. has appointed Jeffrey “Shad” Shadowens, formerly with Liebherr Mining, to the product team where he will assume the responsibility of product specialist – loaders and dozers. Shadowens has an extensive military background in quality assurance, supervision and training. Shadowens will be responsible for training and product support and will be based in Newport News, Va.

Portable rental pump manufacturer Godwin Pumps has named Howard B. Slaff as director of marketing. In this position, Slaff will be responsible for Godwin’s integrated marketing campaign to increase rentals and sales, and enhance brand presence worldwide.

Before joining Godwin Pumps, Slaff held various sales and marketing positions throughout his 23 year career with Baker Hughes (Baker Petrolite Polymers Division), which provides chemical, engineering and technological solutions to the hydrocarbon recovery and processing industries.

Slaff holds a bachelor of science/bachelor of arts degree in marketing and finance from Oklahoma State University and has completed various courses in product development, pricing and strategic development from institutions including the MIT Sloan School of Management and The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

President Bush plans to nominate James L. Caswell, a veteran public land ecosystem manager, as the next Director of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management.

Grace Construction Products has appointed Michael D. Ragan as vice president and business director for the company’s Americas Concrete and Cement business unit. 

Michael D. Ragan

In this position, Ragan will directly manage the sales, product management and technical services functions and will have P&L responsibility for the North and South American Cement and Concrete business units.

Ragan joined the Grace Construction Products division in 1982 and has held a succession of marketing, general management and sales management positions. He was promoted to VP of sales in 2000 and has been responsible for the coordination of Grace products and services with large global cement and concrete customers, as well as direct sales organization responsibility for North and South America.

Ragan is a 1976 graduate of Loyola College in Baltimore. He is an advisory board member of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association Research Foundation, the National Concrete Industry Management Steering Committee and the Western Construction Group of St. Louis, Mo. He resides in southern New Hampshire with his wife, Beth, and their four children.

Compiled by Tina Grady Barbaccia, Aggregates Manager Senior Editor.
To contact Tina about the newsletter content, send e-mail to e-news@aggman.com or call (630) 364-2306.

Interested in being a sponsor of our newsletter?  Contact your sales representative for more information.  Click here for list of contacts.
 

Aggregates Manager e-News	Aggregates Manager magazine
Click here for your FREE subscription!	Click here for your FREE subscription!

 

Go to AggMan.com