Aggregates Manager

August 2013

Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine

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by Therese Dunphy, Editor-in-Chief tdunphy@randallreilly.com August 2013 Vol. 18, No. 8 aggman.com /AggregatesManager @AggMan_editor Editorial Editor-in-Chief: Therese Dunphy Editorial Director: Marcia Gruver Doyle Online Editor: Wayne Grayson Online Managing Editor: Amanda Bayhi editorial@aggman.com Design & Production Art Director: Sandy Turner, Jr. Graphic Designer: Kristen Chapman Advertising Production Manager: Linda Hapner production@aggman.com Construction Media Senior VP, Construction Media: Dan Tidwell VP of Sales, Construction Media: Joe Donald sales@randallreillyconstruction.com 3200 Rice Mine Rd NE Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 800-633-5953 randallreilly.com Corporate Chairman/CEO: Mike Reilly President: Brent Reilly Chief Process Officer: Shane Elmore Chief Administration Officer: David Wright Senior Vice President, Sales: Scott Miller Senior Vice President, Editorial and Research: Linda Longton Vice President of Events: Alan Sims Vice President, Audience Development: Stacy McCants Vice President, Digital Services: Nick Reid Director of Marketing: Julie Arsenault For change of address and other subscription inquiries, please contact: aggregatesmanager@halldata.com. Aggregates Manager TM magazine (ISSN 1552-3071) is published monthly by Randall-Reilly Publishing Company copyright 2013. Executive and Administrative offices, 3200 Rice Mine Rd. N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Subscription rates: $24 annually, Non-domestic $125 annually. Single copies: $7. We assume no responsibility for the validity of claims of manufacturers in any advertisement or editorial product information or literature offered by them. Publisher reserves the right to refuse non-qualified subscriptions. Periodical circulation postage paid at Tuscaloosa, Alabama and additional entries. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Aggregates Manager, 3200 Rice Mine Road N.E.,  Tuscaloosa, AL  35406. Editorial_AGRM0813.indd 5 MAKING THE GRADE A ggregate producers know a significant investment is needed to improve the nation's transportation systems. Whether to alleviate congestion or to improve the safety and capacity of the nation's bridges and roads, the United States continues to underinvest in infrastructure. For those who haven't noticed the state of disrepair, however, two organizations — the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) — are drawing attention to the problem. According to the ASCE's 2013 Report Card for America's Infrastructure, the nation's cumulative grade point average increased slightly from its 2009 grade. It now rates a D+. By sector, Roads earned a D, as the group noted that 42 percent of the nation's major urban highways remain congested, at an estimated annual cost of $101 billion in wasted time and fuel. Bridges earned a C, but one in nine is rated as structurally deficient, and the average age of the nation's bridges is 42 years. The report notes, "We know that investing in infrastructure is essential to support healthy, vibrant communities. Infrastructure is also critical for long-term economic growth, increasing Gross Domestic Product, employment, household income, and exports. The reverse is also true — without prioritizing our nation's infrastructure needs, deteriorating conditions can become a drag on the economy." SME also issued a technical briefing paper that calls for full funding of the nation's surface transportation programs. "Infrastructure improvements will require easy access to large quantities of quality aggregates," says SME Executive Director David L. Kanagy. Keying into the importance of permitted reserves, he adds, "crushed stone, sand and gravel provide the basic building blocks for the economy and are essential to support healthy, vibrant communities…" Both reports note that $170 billion in annual investment is necessary in order to improve the nation's roads. An additional annual investment of $20.5 billion, nearly $8 billion more than currently being spent, is necessary to eliminate the backlog of bridge work in the United States. As the economy begins to recover, it's time to once again make this issue a national priority. Be sure to share the results of the ASCE Report Card with your representatives and remind them of SME's guidance: every dollar invested in the highway system yields $5.20 in economic benefits to the nation. 3 things I learned from this issue: 1 Nearly 40 percent of aggregates injuries involve material handling, page 13. 2 Telematics can be used to demonstrate on-time deliveries, page 19. 3 The simple step of pressure washing the cooler on your drill can help prevent breakdowns, page 24. AGGREGATES MANAGER August 2013 5 7/12/13 9:46 AM

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