Precast and prestressed concrete producers are embracing RFID tracking for the productivity it provides them with paperless quality control, inventory management, GPS tracking and production management. The added advantage is that they are well poised to serve as preferred vendors for state ...

We were pleased to be asked by the Architectural Precast Association to lead a discussion about RFID tracking at their annual Spring workshop in late April, so we gladly accepted! This was part of a broader conference theme they titled: "Problem Solve. Innovate. Produce." It was a great workshop ...

At its essence, a lean manufacturing practice is the continual pursuit of more efficient ways to operate. Ideas are contributed by all involved in any process; they are tested for effectiveness; and the winners become standardized in the workflow. These standardized practices are reduced to their ...

Having spoken to a number of producers at The Precast Show earlier this month, we got a good chance to learn what the industry wants from technology. We are impressed by how much is understood about the potential for using an RFID tracking system to remove paper from QC practices and create a ...

Earlier this month, the American Society of Civil Engineers reported that the US will require $4.6 Trillion of investment in its infrastructure over the next 10 years. This would seem to be an opportunity of a generation for the construction industry but it remains to be seen if it is actually ...

There has been a lot of talk over the past year about the importance of rebuilding America's infrastructure. Now there is more evidence supporting the claim. Every four years the American Society of Civil Engineers prepares a report card on the state of our infrastructure; its 2017 report was ...

We just finished packing up our booth following the conclusion of The Precast Show 2017. (Once again, the NPCA team did a fabulous job!) Going into the show we were excited to meet precast producers and talk about their interests in using technology to improve productivity. We came away impressed ...

Precast concrete products date back to the Roman times when molds were used to produce concrete aqueducts and culverts. The process was applied to modern manufacturing starting in 1905 when a Liverpool, England engineer, John Alexander Brodie, began producing building panels out of precast ...

One of the best parts of our business is that we get to spend a lot of time on the road visiting precast concrete manufacturers. (Okay, to be more precise, it's like Dan Fogelberg's assessment of being a musician: "The audience is heavenly but the traveling is hell".) Nevertheless, the ends justify ...