John Steinbeck and Graniterock
Posted by Rose Ann Woolpert on Mar 18, 2015
California’s Salinas Valley is famous as the “Salad Bowl of the Nation” and also as the birthplace of John Steinbeck, who was born in Salinas in 1902. He spent his childhood and adolescence there, and as a teenager took on a variety of summer jobs. One of these was with Graniterock, where he worked as a part of the paving crew that built “Cauliflower Boulevard”, the highway from Salinas to Castroville . Although Steinbeck’s employment with Graniterock didn’t last long, he did go on to find success as a writer, earning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.
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Rail Transportation - Protecting Our Environment Now and for the Future
Posted by Graniterock on Mar 18, 2015
Trains are one of the nation's most environmentally friendly modes of moving freight, generating a carbon footprint that is 75 percent less than trucks. In recent decades, the railroad industry has developed new “green” technologies and environmentally responsible operating practices which have led to improved fuel efficiency. Since 1980, railroad fuel efficiency has increased 99 percent. In fact, today’s railcars can move a ton of freight 469 miles on a single gallon of fuel.
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Carbon Tax Would Wallop Our Economy
Posted by Graniterock on Mar 18, 2015
Posted this week by Manufacturers.net:
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Hearing Highlights Federal Role in Infrastructure and Economic Importance of Transportation System
Posted by Graniterock on Mar 18, 2015
On Febraury 13, 2013, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure began hearings. For more please go to http://transportation.house.gov/press-release/hearing-highlights-federal-role-infrastructure-and-economic-importance-transportation
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Graniterock Celebrates 113 Years of Business with New Children's Book
Posted by Rose Ann Woolpert on Mar 18, 2015
On February 14, Graniterock will celebrate its 113th birthday, and this year’s celebration is highlighted by the publication of a new children’s picture book, Engine Number Ten, A Nearly True Tale Told by Rose Ann Woolpert. Kick-off events are being held at the Corporate Office in Watsonville on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, and in Cupertino on Friday.
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Calculating the True Cost of a Workplace Accident
Posted by Graniterock on Mar 18, 2015
Facility managers everywhere are concerned about keeping employees and customers safe in their facilities. The direct costs of injuries and illnesses are pretty clear: those claimed under worker's compensation insurance and/or disability insurance. But did you know that the indirect costs - those not directly related to the injury but occurring as a result of the injury — can be even greater? Because there is no such thing as a "typical" injury, indirect costs can be difficult to compute. Experts put the ratio of indirect to direct costs anywhere from 1:1 to 20:1.* Add Up All Of The Indirect Costs
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Performance Grade Systems for Asphalt Binders
Posted by Graniterock on Mar 18, 2015
Background
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Willows for Soil Stabilization
Posted by Alex Simons on Mar 18, 2015
With winter comes the cool crisp air and the occasional unexpected erosion problem from heavy rains. Repairing an erosion gully or streambed can seem like a headache, however there is a natural remedy that requires little to no machinery to install: Willows.
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An Overview of Asphalt Sealer Systems
Posted by Graniterock on Mar 18, 2015
Asphalt sealers are not slurry seals (Caltrans section 37.2 specifications) but a lot of people refer to asphalt sealers as slurry seals. Asphalt sealers have been in use for over 40 years and today there are basically three different sealer systems: Asphalt emulsion based sealers, clay emulsion based sealers and coal tar based sealers.
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