Concrete Products covers the issues that attract producers of ready mixed and manufactured concrete focusing on equipment and material technology, market development and management topics.
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20 • March 2017 www.concreteproducts.com NEWS SCOPE MANUFACTURERS Fiber distribution gauge brings 'Internet of Things' to mixer chutes Sensors on the Dramix eyeD device generate readily charted fiber distribution characteristics (right) at each point of a mixer truck's discharge cycle. Steel reinforcing fiber leader Bekaert Corp. premiered at World of Concrete 2017 a laser-enabled device measuring concrete mixes' homogeneity and fiber distribution profile. Mounted at the end of a mixer truck chute, the Dramix eyeD generates graphs and limited dashboards that attest targeted reinforcement uniformity. Free of calibration requirements, device sensors continuously analyze the passing mix. After each concrete load, a quality control manager or technician can access a report on any Wi-Fi-powered mobile device, allowing immediate intervention and correction in case of inadequate mix cycle or load inconsistency. Report accuracy eliminates the need for other time-consuming, labor-intensive steel fiber mix quality control measures, chiefly washout tests, Bekaert engineers contend. The first Dramix eyeD field demonstration is scheduled this spring as part of a steel fiber mix slab placement in the United Kingdom. — Bekaert Corp., Marietta, Ga., 770/421-8520; www.bekaert.com COMMERCE DEPARTMENT EYES IoT A recent report proposes steps the U.S. Department of Commerce can take to advance the Internet of Things (IoT). It examines the benefits and challenges of the evolving IoT landscape; suggests that the U.S. government should continue to foster an enabling environment for innovative technology to grow and thrive; and, identifies four broad areas of engagement: • Enabling Infrastructure Availability and Access. Fostering the physical and spectrum-related assets needed to support IoT growth and advancement. • Crafting Balanced Policy and Building Coalitions. Removing barriers and encouraging coordination and collaboration; influ- encing, analyzing, devising, and promoting norms and practices that will protect IoT users while encouraging growth, advance- ment and applicability of IoT technologies. • Promoting Standards and Technology Advancement. Ensuring necessary technical standards are developed and in place to support global IoT interoperability and that the technical appli- cations and devices to support IoT continue to advance. • Encouraging Markets. Promoting the advancement of IoT through Department usage, application, and novel usage of the technol- ogies; and, translating the economic benefits and opportunities of IoT to foreign partners. "The Internet of Things promises to revolutionize our world from increasing efficiency and convenience for industry, consumers, and government to improving safety," said outgoing Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker. "[The] report affirms the Department's commitment to creating the conditions for emerging technologies to thrive, and it identifies future actions necessary to support the evolution and expansion of the IoT."