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www.rockproducts.com ROCK products • September 2015 • 29 Many operations began building small communities on land next to the quarry, where laborers were encouraged to live in hopes of developing a more stable work force. The Cement Industry The cement industry, which was much less affected by the railroad car shortage, prospered in the early 1920s and had record production growth between 1919 and 1923. With plants working at only 66 percent, production of portland cement in 1921 reached 100 million bbls for the first time. Production of portland cement in 1923 was 25.8 million tons, 10 million tons higher than production five years earlier. In the winter of 1923, Lehigh Valley cement plants worked through the entire season as a result of high demand, mild weather, and a surplus of fuel. Prosperity in this sector of the rock products industry was mainly attributed to the huge growth in residential construc- tion and road building, both of which were boosting the use of concrete. The PCA also played a role in unifying and edu- cating cement producers, who were recognized throughout the industry as having on one of the strongest associations. In 1921, the PCA made membership contingent upon mem- bers' ability to meet "Standard Specifications" for portland cement adopted that year by the federal government and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Research on new uses of lime increased in the early 1920s, and technical papers appeared frequently in Rock Products regarding the proper design and construction of lime kilns. Agricultural applications were explored and touted, as were tiles, blocks and quick-setting lime plasters. Lime was used in petroleum refining, the making of bleach, glass and lubri- cation grease, and in water treatment plants. Gypsum materials also prospered in the 1920s. Gypsum tile was used for non-bearing fireproof partitions, stairway and elevator enclosures, and the protection of steel columns, girders and beams. Plaster board using gypsum also gained popularity, and the ASTM set standards for use of the build- ing material. Crushing and Screening In the quarries, managers focused on improving methods of crushing and screening. Larger crushers were installed with the ever-increasing receiving opening sizes that had become popular in the previous decade. "Shaking" or vibrat- ing screens, which had previously been passed over by many operations, came into vogue for handling smaller sized, between 1 ½ and 4 mesh. In conveying, steel belt construc- tion was increasingly favored in the 1920s. In 1922, typical-shovel construction involved a 100-ton shovel, equipped with a 4- or 5-cu.-yd. capacity dipper. This type of shovel lifted from 5 to 7 tons per dip. Advancements in power shovels focused on the move to elec- tricity and away from steam. The cost and trouble of handling fuel for steam machines became prohibitive once electrical, gasoline and oil engines became available. Shovel construction advance into a new era in 1922 with the introduction of the three-motor drive. In this type of construction, each operating unit was independent, but the basic design was almost the same as that of steam, allowing an easy transition between the two types of shovel. Luck Stone Co., still in operation today, was established in 1923 in Richmond, Va. Their quarry was worked by seven employees, who broke stone with sledge hammers and load- ed it by hand into mule-driven carts. Awareness of safety issues continued to grow in the early 1920s. The Wisconsin Industrial Commission put new quar- ry safety rules in effect in that state in 1922 and arranged for the training of quarry personnel by the U.S. Bureau of Mines. The use of helmets during World War I had spurred an inter- est in using hard hats in quarries. Road construction in the early 1920s progressed at about the same rate as the late 1910s. States received war surplus trucks in 1920 to speed highway building. In 1921, Congress appropriated $75 million to be spent in one year as federal highway aid to states set up a system of roads correctly following state lines. In 1923, the Bureau of Public Roads offered that an annual sum of $40 million could be raised nationally for road build- ing and maintenance by taxing gasoline 1 cent per gallon. By the end of the year, 17 states had adopted this method of fund raising. In that same year, the Federal Aid System of Highways desig- nated that 34 states would have roads in a system that would connect every city with a population of more than 5,000. The completion of the project would place 90 percent of the pop- ulation of the United States within 10 miles of a highway. The National Crushed Stone Association (NCSA) passed a resolution in 1920 recommending a return to the macadam type of road, which used 12 in. of crushed stone, in view of the high cost of other, more permanent types of roads. Still, concrete paving continued to be the preferred method of road building. Calm Before the Storm In November, 1924, Rock Products purchased Cement & Engi- neering News, merging the two magazines into one and cre- ating the most comprehensive trade publication about the building materials industry. It was reported that, "the com- bined Rock Products and Cement & Engineering News will offer an opportunity to serve the portland cement and allied