Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/908212
AGGREGATES MANAGER / December 2017 9 a lot of lessons over the years, mining along these rivers." Three of Hanson's Houston operations are dredging sites. They prepare for high water by ensur- ing that there is plenty of slack in the swing lines and spuds don't have a pin at the top to allow the dredge to fl oat higher, if necessary. "It's better to lose a spud than an entire dredge," Lindsey explains. The plants are built to ensure their boosters are either on high ground and well out of the fl ood plain or on pontoons so they can fl oat if the river swells. "We did have some components that got a little water in them, but we should be okay," he adds, noting that electricians assessed the plant after they could regain access. "Most of our sites are used to water getting high," Leftwich says. "We got all of our equipment to high ground, but one of our sites does sit on a bayou, so it had some damage to pumps and motors." River Aggregates had a similar scenario. Mobile equipment was moved to high ground, Van Til says, but his control rooms were under water, creat- ing a number of electrical projects with issues such as load cells on the scale, motors on conveyor belts, and cards for classifying tanks. Beyond equipment recovery, labor is another challenge facing many op- erators. "One of the big problems now is that all the work we had is delayed because contractors are delayed and a lot of subcontractors have left and are not coming back," Leftwich explains. A portion of the subcontractor labor force was comprised of migrant workers who either relocated or found that they can earn more money with cleanup efforts than construction projects. While recovery — both personally and professionally — is a slow process, the people of Houston are working together to make it happen. "What I'm most proud of is the community's response. It's not about cars or build- ings or equipment. It's about people," Van Til says. "Houston is nothing if not resilient." AM Cemex steps up to help employees Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. made a $500,000 donation for employee and community relief efforts follow- ing Hurricane Harvey. The compa- ny, whose Cemex USA subsidiary is based in Houston, also set up a fund for voluntary donations from its personnel worldwide and pledged to match those contributions. "Our top priority is the safety of our employees. We will continue to assist our colleagues and their families affected by this devastating storm," Fernando Gonzalez, Cemex CEO, said in a press release. "We trust their re- silience and solidarity will help them overcome this tragedy." For more than 140 years, our family-owned company has been helping customers solve problems and meet demand. We are proud to be working alongside customers on some of the hardest jobs around. Rock is hard work, and we are up to the challenge. Unified's Board of Directors Anne Marie Peltier Bob Kleason Debbie Lentsch Tom Lentsch Andrew Lentsch Our name is behind every product. info@unifiedscreening.com www.unifiedscreening.com 866.968.3697 1221-BG-UnifiedScreeningAd-Dec2017-AggManager-7x4.5.indd 1 11/7/17 10:30 AM Untitled-26 1 11/14/17 2:37 PM