Around the Globe: February
BY AsphaltPro Staff
Africa
Chak Architects in Abuja City, Nigeria, is on a mission to change Western perceptions of African business. “The Nigerian economy has a huge amount of potential,” Charbel Khouri, CEO at Chak Architects said.
Canada
The 2015 International Scrap Recycling Industry Exposition will be held in Vancouver April 21 through 25, 2015. Will you need to update your passport? Check the site at http://travel.state.gov for travel info and http://www.isriconvention.org/ for convention info.
China
Ashland Specialty Ingredients, a commercial unit of Ashland Inc., has signed an exclusive manufacturing agreement with Dairen Chemical Corporation (DCC) to produce AQUAPAS™ redispersible powder products as of Jan. 1, 2015.
Singapore
Singapore imported most of its bitumen from Australia, Belgium and Italy in the first three quarters of 2014, which is the same time India was importing its bitumen from Singapore, as well as Iran and the UAE. Singapore’s bulk bitumen prices have been declining in late 2014. Source: Petrosil’s Bitumart
United Arab Emirates
Attend the Fourth Middle East Base Oil and Lubricants Conference along with the 23rd Annual Middle East Petroleum & Gas Conference this April 22 through 24 in Abu Dhabi. Get all the info at http://www.baseoillubes.com/.
United States
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In good news, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) reported the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Dec. 19 decision not to regulate fly-ash as a “hazardous material” will save American taxpayers $105 billion over the next 20 years. ARTBA’s foundation found that amount would be the additional cost to build roads, bridges and airport runways if fly-ash, which is widely recycled as a pavement mix additive, was not available as a building material. The EPA’s rule will have new requirements for the storage of fly-ash.
Colorado
Get ready to celebrate quality at the 2014 “Best in Colorado” Asphalt Awards Dinner & Program Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Denver International Airport during the 42nd Annual Rocky Mountain Asphalt Conference and Equipment Show (RMACES), which will be held Feb. 25 through 27. Visit www.rmaces.org for registration information or contact Becky Roland at (303) 551-3066.
Illinois
Philippi-Hagenbuch, Inc., Peoria, Ill., celebrated its 45-year anniversary in 2014 and launched a new store called PHIL Gear with logo-decorated items at http://www.philgear.net.
Do you have a white paper or presentation that brings new light to asphalt shingle recycling? The 7th Shingle Recycling Forum takes place Oct. 29 through 30, 2015, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel just outside Chicago’s O’Hare airport. The CDRA has issued a call for papers to anyone who has an innovative and exciting idea for the use of recycled shingles, including beyond use in hot mix. Submit your abstract to CDRA headquarters via email at info@cdrecycling.org.
Iowa
The Asphalt Paving Association of Iowa (APAI), based in Ames, celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2015. Watch the events tab at www.APAI.net.
Louisiana
The 2015 NECA Labor Relations Conference will take place March 18 through 20 at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans. Visit http://www.necanet.org/news/ for more information.
Massachusetts
Brookfield Engineering of Middleboro, Mass., has new dates and locations for its Practical Course on Viscosity Measurements. Check the educational programs tab at www.brookfieldengineering.com.
New York
Members of the Association for the Improvement of American Infrastructure (AIAI) engaged the audience at the 18th Annual AGC CFMA Conference in Las Vegas in early November. The panel topic of Public Private Partnerships (P3) shared the opportunities P3 presents for contractors of all sizes. The major takeaway from the session was the call for P3 education at state and local levels. Phillip A. Washington, the CEO for Denver’s Regional Transportation District, said, “It becomes a challenge when one legislator can take down a whole P3 project. More often than not, this is due to misunderstanding and misinformation.” Source: AIAI
Pennsylvania
Meeker Equipment Co., Inc., has opened a 65,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Belleville, Pa., as of Jan. 1, 2015.
Texas
The Transtec Group, Inc., is a pavement engineering firm based in Austin, which maintains IntelligentCompaction.com. In November 2014, the Intelligent Compaction (IC) concept received a NOVA award from the Construction Innovation Forum (CIF).
HCSS Software hosts its 2015 User’s Group Meeting at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Houston Feb. 19 through 21.
Washington, D.C.
The U.S. transportation construction market will grow 3.1 percent from $185.9 billion in 2014 to $191.7 billion in 2015, according to a forecast released Dec. 3 by American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Chief Economist Dr. Alison Premo Black. This is slightly above anticipated growth in the overall economy. See related article on page 36.