Portland concrete has been the guy forever, but a new alpha is sniffing around. ConFlexPave, developed by scientists at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, is a concrete that's mixed with polymer microfibers to make it bendable and less prone to cracks. The claim is it will reduce construction time and increase worker safety at the jobsite. So far testing has been done only on tablet-sized slabs; road-sized experiments will be conducted over the next three years.

IronPlanet loves a good road with all of its big yellow heart. The September 1 auction features a 2013 Komatsu D155AX-7 Crawler Tractor, a 2016 John Deere 470G LC track excavator, and a 2014 Komatsu D61PX-23 crawler tractor, ready to go wherever your project is located.

Take a look at our selection of trucks: We've got a 2012 Kenworth W900 T/A Conventional Day Cab, a 2005 Mack CXN613 T/A Conventional Day Cab, a 2012 Kenworth T370 Cargo Truck, a 2010 Freightliner M2 106 Refrigerated Truck, and many more.

Understandable that Labor Day is IronPlanet's favorite holiday. But while the staff strings colored lights on a forklift while singing "Gramma Got Run Over By a John Deere" and buys gifts at this week's auction, a whole subsection of people are celebrating Labor Day in a spectacular - some might say insane - way.

At this very moment about 70,000 artists, builders, and innovators are making their way to the bolt of sun and hardpan that is Black Rock Playa in Nevada. Burning Man, the annual art laboratory and pop-up metropolis that will completely ghost by this time next week, is taking place as we speak.

Cities don't just happen no matter how fabulous the art is, and that's where Stinky Pirate, Chaos, and the Heavy Machinery camp comes in. Situated right on the main drag, it's a working crew and a theme camp with reach forks, boom lifts, and skid steers; the flame throwers are purely for atmoshpere. 

Here's a great story about Rick Rea, the "mechanical Confucius of the desert" (insert Kung Fu-style bamboo flute sound) who goes to Burning Man every year to make sure the heavy equipment from United Rentals runs smoothly in the harsh, gritty playa. His understanding of machines and their "fixes" is almost mystical. Ether, for example. That's all I'm sayin'.

Ritchie Bros. to acquire IronPlanet to accelerate its customer centric multi-channel diversification strategy

 

• Increases customer choice; enhances online offerings; provides penetration into large, additional segments
• Business combination expected to significantly increase growth in revenue and earnings; effectively uses strength of Ritchie Bros.’ balance sheet
• Transaction expected to be accretive to earnings within first year (excluding acquisition-related costs)
• Long-term alliance reached with Caterpillar
• With more than $US3 billion in annual online equipment sales, the combined company will rank among the world’s top 50 B2B e-commerce companies

VANCOUVER and PLEASANTON, CA, August 29, 2016 – Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated, the world’s largest industrial auctioneer and a leading equipment distributor (NYSE & TSX: RBA, “Ritchie Bros.”), and IronPlanet®, a leading online marketplace for used heavy equipment and other durable asset sales, today jointly announced that they have entered into an agreement under which Ritchie Bros. will acquire IronPlanet for approximately US$758.5 million, subject to customary closing adjustments.

Founded in 1999, IronPlanet complements Ritchie Bros.’ primarily end-user customer base, as it focuses largely on the needs of corporate accounts, equipment manufacturers, dealers and government entities in equipment disposition solutions.  It conducts its sales primarily through online-only platforms, with weekly online auctions and in other equipment marketplaces.  IronPlanet, a private company based in the United States, sold approximately US$787 million of Gross Merchandise Value (GMV)^[1] through their sales channels during 2015, and has achieved a 25.2% compounded growth rate in assets sold from 2013 through 2015.  This growth momentum has continued, with a 41% increase in GMV during the first half of 2016 relative to the same period in 2015. 

Well . . .*sigh* . . . it's here. Summer's unofficial last week is upon us. Labor Day is next Monday and before you know it, the holidays will be ringing our doorbells needing lots of attention and . . .

. . .  let's not go there. Instead, let's give deserved props to under-appreciated Labor Day. In 1885, the labor movement lobbied for the first Monday in September to be designated as Labor Day. The holiday was "dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers who have contributed to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country" 

But like ranchers vs. cowboys, Deere vs. Cat, plain vs. peanut, who originally came up with the idea of Labor Day is a matter of dispute. 

Yosemite, have you been working out? You've never looked better.  Holy smokes Great Smokies, it's been too long since we've gone on a hike. And Badlands, you are bad as you want to be, and I mean that in the nicest possible way.

Today marks the National Parks' official 100th birthday, which, in our humble opinion, deserves a shout out. Our 405 National Parks have been inspiring, teaching, and challenging visitors every day. The Grand Canyon, Florida Everglades, and Yosemite get a lot of play, but significant historical sites like the Rosie the Riveter museum in Richmond, CA, and the Civil War battleground of Shiloh, TN are National Parks, too.

You don't get to be 100 and playing host to 753,022 visitors a day (give or take) without needing a little work. Tucks here and there are done with pulaskis and chainsaws, but major work happens under the skilled hands of  heavy equipment operators. Projects using construction equipment rehabilitate natural resources, maintain roads and buildings, and move debris from fires and other disasters, among other jobs. Trails projects clear trees and underbrush to make hiking safer.

The National Parks, along with the posse of people who care about its buildings and landscapes, will wow visitors for generations to come. 

In the "Better Late Than Never" file, the Tennessee Department of Transportation has been waiting since 1944 to complete a 16-mile section of the Foothills Parkway road, a scenic highway that feeds into Great Smoky Mountain National Park. News broke earlier this month that the Tennessee DOT will receive a $10 million grant from the US DOT to finish the project. Looks like the 72-year coffee break is over for the road crew. 

IronPlanet has plenty of yellow iron to get the job completed, as well as hundreds of truck and trailers. Preview the items now, and make your bid during the Thursday, August 25 auction. 

Can Telematics Data Impact Construction Equipment's Resale Value?

 BY CURT BENNINK

Quick now, what do these things have in common: Caterpillars. Excavators. Wasps. Wheel loaders. Crawler tractors.

In addition to being charismatic and really fun to watch, each of these items are yellow. Not for nothing, either - many insects and animals with yellow markings have evolved that way as a signal for others to pay attention to them.

Take this opportunity to preview the hundreds of truck and trailers in  IronPlanet's inventory, then make your bid during theThursday, August 25 auction. Volvos and Kenworths and Peterbilts - oh my!  Check them out:

2011 Freightliner Cascadia 125 T/A Conventional w/ Sleeper

Detroit DD15 14.8L Diesel Engine, 455 Adv Horsepower, Engine Brake, Eaton Fuller 10 Speed Manual Transmission, 228" Wheel Base, 12,000 lb. Front Axle, 35,132 lb. Rears, 72" Raised Roof Sleeper, Air Ride Cab, Air Ride Suspension, Sliding 5th Wheel, Cab Extenders, Side Fairings, Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Power Windows, Power Locks, Power Mirrors, Heated Mirrors, Dual High Back Seats, Multifunction Steering Wheel, Tilt Steering Wheel, Telescopic Steering Wheel, Sleeper Workstation, Dual Bunks, Sleeper Climate Controls, Auxiliary Power Unit, Power Inverter.

Frac Spreads, Well Service Rigs, Pick-up Trucks and 1, 2, and 3-Shank Rippers all selling at Auction

August is a heavy-duty month of activity for Kruse Energy with three sales in the oil field. August 9^th – 10^th drew 350+ people on-site to a successful end-of-summer sale in Midland-Odessa, Texas. With many more online, two frac spreads brought more than $4.5 million, combined. Bidders came from as far away as Russia, Europe, Venezuela, and as close as next door. What moved most? Kruse President, David Long, noted that the heavy sellers were frac spreads, oilfield service trucks, and well service rigs.