May/June 2025 News

Newly imposed tariffs on imports from the current White House administration have prompted concern regarding the pricing impact they might bring upon the manufacturing industries. While the availability and price of lumber have already begun to experience fluctuations based on these factors, BuildBlock is currently examining the financial impact these tariffs might have; however, because BuildBlock manufactures all of its products inside the U.S., manufacturing timelines and pricing are expected to remain relatively consistent. BuildBlock ICFs are proudly made in America at 14 locations across the country. BuildBlock is equipped and poised to manufacture at higher volumes to meet market demand and ensure materials arrive at the jobsite on time. Wood is becoming less viable as a building material and ICFs are proving to be a greater solution as a cost-effective material with far more benefits. By utilizing reinforced concrete, ICFs build structures with walls that are stronger than those made of wood and offer greater disaster resiliency while providing high-performance insulation to deliver a safe, comfortable environment, while saving money each month. “BuildBlock prides itself on providing customers with high-quality products, service, and support. Though market pricing is currently in fluctuation, we’re committed to making sure our products stay affordable while still delivering the same high quality BuildBlock standard,” said Brian Corder, CEO BuildBlock Building Systems, the manufacturer of BuildBlock Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs), headquartered in Oklahoma City. BuildBlock serves North America through its 14 manufacturing facilities serving customers in Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, and around the world.

https://buildblock.com

Build With Strength, an initiative of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA), announced the recipients of the 2025 Concrete Innovation Awards. This annual program highlights outstanding achievements in the design and construction of concrete structures where NRMCA member companies played a significant role in supplying products or services. Winners represent exemplary projects that leverage innovative concrete technologies to enhance sustainability, reduce embodied carbon and improve performance. In this judging cycle, 11 winners were selected including:

• AWS Data Center (New Carlisle, IN) – Innovative use of low-carbon concrete.
• Central City Parallel Tunnel – (Minneapolis, MN) – Pioneering use of eco-friendly concrete technologies in a large-scale water management infrastructure project.
• Intuit Dome (Inglewood, CA) – Cutting-edge concrete applications to minimize carbon emissions while maximizing structural resilience.
• Lane Construction I-40/I-77 Concrete Paving Project (Iredell County, NC) – First project in North Carolina to utilize Type IL cement; a major step toward reducing the carbon footprint of infrastructure projects.
• Lower Carbon Content Concrete Pavements – MnROAD (Albertville, MN) – Scalable solutions for sustainable road construction.
• New York State Department of Transportation Southern Tier Bridge Replacement and Safety Project (Whitney Point, NY) – Low-carbon concrete.

www.buildwithstrength.com
www.concreteinnovations.com/2025winners
www.nrmca.org