Gerry Mulhern, vice president of technical resources for Hanson Pipe & Precast’s Northeast region, led a series of seminars in South Africa on infrastructural piping for civil and municipal engineers and contractors in October 2006. Recognized as a leading authority on gravity pipe products and active in the concrete industry both in his work with the Ontario Concrete Pipe Association marketing committee and as an associate member of the Canadian Standards Association, Mulhern led these seminars at the invitation of the Concrete Manufacturers Association, a national organization that represents manufacturers of precast concrete masonry and floor slabs and concrete block paving, roof tiles, retaining blocks, pipes and culverts.
The seminars centered on the suitability of concrete piping across various applications and covered the latest U.S. developments in piping technology. “I brought a global outlook to the seminars with my experience in North America,” said Mulhern, who is responsible for technical marketing and promotion in the Northeast U.S. and Ontario, Canada. “The more that South African engineers and contractors know about the technical and performance related differences between rigid concrete piping and flexible plastic piping, the more they will be able to make informed decisions on pipe selection and protect themselves against future litigation.”
During his stay, Mulhern also presented a paper, Protecting Yourself as a Gravity Pipe Municipal Engineer, at the Institution of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa conference. The paper earned an award as the best non-member paper at the conference.
This is not the first time Mulhern has made the trip from Hanson’s offices in Columbus to Africa. He conducted a similar series of seminars exploring many of the issues facing the South African piping industry, especially the performance of concrete piping versus high density polyethylene piping in 2004.
Columbus, Ohio is home to Hanson Pipe & Precast’s Northeast regional office, which serves Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Virginia and Ontario, Canada. The region’s 26 facilities produce several products, including those used for community and roadway development such as reinforced concrete pipe, drainage structures, noise barriers and precast vaults.
About Hanson Pipe & Precast North America
Founded in 1931, Hanson Pipe & Precast, a division of Hanson PLC, has become North America’s largest manufacturer of concrete pipe and precast concrete products, including residential and commercial building components, bridges, manholes and retaining walls; as well as being a premier producer of steel and pressurized pipe.
Originally founded to provide manufactured concrete pipe for sewer and culvert construction, Hanson Pipe & Precast North America has grown and prospered into an organization of more than 7,800 employees and 150 facilities with products available throughout the U.S. and Canada. To learn more about Hanson’s quality products, services and building technology, please visit www.hansonpipeandprecast.com.
About Hanson PLC
Hanson is one of the world's largest suppliers of heavy building materials to the construction industry, with turnover in 2005 of £3.7bn. Our products fall into two categories: "aggregates" (crushed rock, sand and gravel, ready-mixed concrete, asphalt- and cement-related products), and "building products" (concrete pipes, precast products, concrete pavers, tiles and clay bricks). We employ over 27,000 people, operating primarily in North America, the UK and Australia, with further operations in Asia Pacific and continental Europe.
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