Industry/business: Volvo opens parts distribution center in Canada

Volvo CE opens parts distribution center in Canada

Jan. 25, 2019—Volvo Construction Equipment has opened a new parts distribution center in Toronto, Canada, to better serve its customers in the country. The new facility is part of the company’s strategy to ensure the highest uptime in the industry, as it cuts delivery time and enables dealers to restock both common and business-critical components much faster. The Canadian distribution center increases Volvo CE’s distribution footprint and reinforces the company’s best-in-class customer experience initiative. With the new center, Volvo CE will be able to deliver critical parts the next day after an order is placed to dealers in most major markets across Canada. 

ACPA endorses Federal Highway Administration nominee

Jan. 24, 2019—The American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) announced its support for the nomination of Nicole R. Nason as the next Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Ms. Nason is the former National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator (NHTSA); previously served on the Board of Directors of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD); and has vast experience with both the Executive and Legislative branches of the Federal government. "ACPA has long advocated, for safe, efficient highways, and in that spirit, we support the nomination of Nicole Nason as the next FHWA Administrator,” said ACPA President & CEO Gerald F. Voigt, P.E. “Ms. Nason’s experience and accomplishments make her well-suited to lead the FHWA in its mission to reduce traffic fatalities on U.S. highways. Her experience also will prove valuable to the FHWA as it continues to usher in new technologies, including autonomous vehicles and other innovations that can improve the safety, functionality, and efficiency of the nation’s highways." 

Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute announces industry’s annual design awards

Jan. 17, 2019—The Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute recently announced the winning projects in the 2019 PCI Design Awards program. This year, a panel of judges awarded 17 projects and six honorable mentions across North America for excellence in design in transportation and building categories. Now in its 56th year, the PCI Design Awards showcase the creative and innovate uses of precast and prestressed concrete in a wide variety of structures. The program demonstrates how designers are continuing to use high-performance precast, prestressed concrete to achieve sustainable, more cost-effective, aesthetically pleasing, and quickly-constructed projects. The winners for the 2019 PCI Design Awards winning projects in the transportation category include:

• Main Span, 76-149 ft: Interstate 15 Brigham Road, St. George, Utah;
• Main Span, more than 150 ft: Northwest Corridor Express Lanes, Marietta, Ga.;
• Non-Highway Bridge: Mid Coast Corridor Retaining Walls, San Diego, Calif.; and
• Special Solution: New NY Bridge Project (Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge), Tarrytown and South Nyack, N.Y.