AMERICANS AT WORK - CONCRETE WORKERS

Creator: Arthur Lodge Productions Inc.

Description: Presented by the AFL-CIO “Americans at Work: Cement Workers” highlights union cement workers at Hercules Cement Company in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, a key region for Portland cement production since the 1830s. The film offers a detailed look at the cement-making process, from quarrying limestone to quality control tests, concluding with a montage linking cement to mid-century modern architecture. "Americans at Work" dates to 1959-1960. In 1958, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer, William F. Schnitzler, announced the production of 52 films to run weekly for one year. The popularity of the series persuaded the AFL-CIO to extend the project by an additional 52 films. The AFL-CIO Public Relations Department, primarily coordinated the production and distribution of the series. Production was contracted to Norwood Studios, Inc. of Washington, DC, which was founded and managed by Phillip M. Martin. 00:00 Slate quarry (0:10). Man wearing hardhat pushes down on "T-handle" plunger detonator to explode dynamite (0:13). Explosion causes limestone to fall into pit, cloud of smoke, birds quickly fly across screen (0:23). Opening credits (0:33). Concrete structural frame of high rise building in city, perhaps 1955 two-tone Ford Fairlane drives along road (1:12). Builders stand on top of concrete structural frame, crane transports ladles of mixed concrete up to top of high rise (1:20). Man operates levers from control room, rock dropped from quarry carts into crushers which reduce size of rocks (1:40). Hercules Cement Company plant, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (1:58). Aerial conveyor belts moving 600 ton of rocks per hour (2:03). Close-up rotating cylinder "ball mill" where concrete produced, clangs of steel ball moving throughout cylinder audible (2:11). Worker uses batch ball mill to quality control test pieces of ore, machine pulverizes samples into fine powder so he can carefully proportion materials for Portland cement mix (2:43). Man transfers rock powder to piece of paper, sifts sample around before separating some into mortar and pestle (3:53). Camera pans cement kiln to emphasize sheer size, “long as a city block” (5:08). View through inspection port of cement inside rotating cement kiln (5:38). Kiln operator uses kiln control panel to regulate and monitor kiln's temperature, speed, and other critical parameters; Close-up of various controls and dials (5:53). Workers pile fireproof bricks into wheelbarrow, used after each firing to prevent kiln from melting (6:23). Workers lay brick in interior lining of kiln (6:43). “Rhythm of the Mix,” camera traces structure of ball mill where steel ball pulsing throughout structure can be heard (7:15). Rigorous testing program: Man stands in laboratory and slowly pours cement mixture into bowl of standing mixer (commonly used for home cooking) (7:52). Once small batch of Portland cement mixed, man carefully shovels sample into molds; Cleans mold to ensure perfect square bricks will be formed (8:53). In another lab, man tests “high compressive strength” using hydraulic compression testing machine or universal testing machine (UTM); Controlled load applied to 2 inch cube mold of Portland cement (9:26). Close-up of cube as it begins to crack from pressure (10:06). Another briquette of cement placed into tensile testing machine (10:11). Man wearing hard hat sits at machine and loads Hercules-branded bags for packaging finished cement; Fast-paced work requiring concentration (filling 20 bags per minute) (10:50). Finished bags are offloaded conveyor belt and stacked onto hand trucks for delivery to shipping depot and train cars (11:14). Workers at mill stack bags inside freight car (11:46). Montage completed buildings featuring cement structures: Stanford Medical Center (12:06). Center atrium of McGregor Memorial Conference Center at Wayne State University (12:14). Wedgewood Village Amusement Park structure (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma b. 1960) (12:28). Zeckendorf Plaza Park, part of Hilton Hotel complex (Denver, Colorado b. 1960) (12:38). McGregor Memorial Court, Wayne State University (12:44). Temple Israel mid-century modern reform synagogue (West Palm Beach, Florida) (12:56). Milwaukee County War Memorial (Eero Saarinen, Wisconsin b. 1957) (13:01). Mural with classic characteristics of mid-20th-century American labor art, popular circa 1920-1950; Closing credits play over mural (13:04). Film ends (13:33).

Complete Record: Presented by the AFL-CIO “Americans at Work: Cement Workers” highlights union cement workers at Hercules Cement Company in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, a key region for Portland cement production since the 1830s. The film offers a detailed look at the cement-making process, from quarrying limestone to quality control tests, concluding with a montage linking cement to mid-century modern architecture. "Americans at Work" dates to 1959-1960. In 1958, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer, William F. Schnitzler, announced the production of 52 films to run weekly for one year. The popularity of the series persuaded the AFL-CIO to extend the project by an additional 52 films. The AFL-CIO Public Relations Department, primarily coordinated the production and distribution of the series. Production was contracted to Norwood Studios, Inc. of Washington, DC, which was founded and managed by Phillip M. Martin. 00:00 Slate quarry (0:10). Man wearing hardhat pushes down on "T-handle" plunger detonator to explode dynamite (0:13). Explosion causes limestone to fall into pit, cloud of smoke, birds quickly fly across screen (0:23). Opening credits (0:33). Concrete structural frame of high rise building in city, perhaps 1955 two-tone Ford Fairlane drives along road (1:12). Builders stand on top of concrete structural frame, crane transports ladles of mixed concrete up to top of high rise (1:20). Man operates levers from control room, rock dropped from quarry carts into crushers which reduce size of rocks (1:40). Hercules Cement Company plant, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (1:58). Aerial conveyor belts moving 600 ton of rocks per hour (2:03). Close-up rotating cylinder "ball mill" where concrete produced, clangs of steel ball moving throughout cylinder audible (2:11). Worker uses batch ball mill to quality control test pieces of ore, machine pulverizes samples into fine powder so he can carefully proportion materials for Portland cement mix (2:43). Man transfers rock powder to piece of paper, sifts sample around before separating some into mortar and pestle (3:53). Camera pans cement kiln to emphasize sheer size, “long as a city block” (5:08). View through inspection port of cement inside rotating cement kiln (5:38). Kiln operator uses kiln control panel to regulate and monitor kiln's temperature, speed, and other critical parameters; Close-up of various controls and dials (5:53). Workers pile fireproof bricks into wheelbarrow, used after each firing to prevent kiln from melting (6:23). Workers lay brick in interior lining of kiln (6:43). “Rhythm of the Mix,” camera traces structure of ball mill where steel ball pulsing throughout structure can be heard (7:15). Rigorous testing program: Man stands in laboratory and slowly pours cement mixture into bowl of standing mixer (commonly used for home cooking) (7:52). Once small batch of Portland cement mixed, man carefully shovels sample into molds; Cleans mold to ensure perfect square bricks will be formed (8:53). In another lab, man tests “high compressive strength” using hydraulic compression testing machine or universal testing machine (UTM); Controlled load applied to 2 inch cube mold of Portland cement (9:26). Close-up of cube as it begins to crack from pressure (10:06). Another briquette of cement placed into tensile testing machine (10:11). Man wearing hard hat sits at machine and loads Hercules-branded bags for packaging finished cement; Fast-paced work requiring concentration (filling 20 bags per minute) (10:50). Finished bags are offloaded conveyor belt and stacked onto hand trucks for delivery to shipping depot and train cars (11:14). Workers at mill stack bags inside freight car (11:46). Montage completed buildings featuring cement structures: Stanford Medical Center (12:06). Center atrium of McGregor Memorial Conference Center at Wayne State University (12:14). Wedgewood Village Amusement Park structure (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma b. 1960) (12:28). Zeckendorf Plaza Park, part of Hilton Hotel complex (Denver, Colorado b. 1960) (12:38). McGregor Memorial Court, Wayne State University (12:44). Temple Israel mid-century modern reform synagogue (West Palm Beach, Florida) (12:56). Milwaukee County War Memorial (Eero Saarinen, Wisconsin b. 1957) (13:01). Mural with classic characteristics of mid-20th-century American labor art, popular circa 1920-1950; Closing credits play over mural (13:04). Film ends (13:33).

Transcription

[Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] men blasting open the Hard Rock core of the [Music] earth men looking beneath the surface for what lies hidden below Americans at work resting from the Earth's unyielding Rock the primary materials on which to build a civilization [Music] from the rock is made cement add sand gravel and water and cement becomes concrete from this the builders erect giant skyscrapers construct Mighty dams lay down roads and build the Maze of interchanges that keep the stream of traffic flowing across a busy Nation the Builder knows that back of him stands the cement maker [Music] the rocks from the Quarry may be as large as oil drums Crushers reduce them to chunks less than an inch in diameter the raw materials of nature are shaped to the needs of the makers of cement [Music] conveyor belts some a quar of a mile long can move 600 tons of rock an [Music] hour the cement maker controls big forces 95 tons of steel balls tumble inside the huge rotating cylinder a 1250 horsepower motor carries the balls upward on plates of Steel in the side of the mill the steel balls Cascade down from the top to pulverize the raw [Music] materials the most important cementing material used in modern construction is Portland cement the minerals generally used to produce it are silica sand iron ore and limestone in combination with either Shale or [Music] clay careful proportioning of the raw materials is essential high standards for the quality of Portland cement have been set by the American Society for testing material [Music] thorough tests are made on the finished cement and at an earlier stage on the raw materials that will make cement Rock an important part of the mixture must be ground finely will it be too coarse or can it be ground to the degree of finess required D the answers are found before the ground rock goes to the kill quality control is the responsibility of both the management and of the Union of the cement makers the good union member understands the importance of making a good product for his own self-respect for the good of his company and for the benefit and protection of the ultimate user of what he produces he never knows what a given day's cement will be used for a backyard patio or a bridge to Le need a million cars safely over a mighty River an outdoor barbecue or an office building where a thousand Bread Winners can earn their livelihood a child's waiting pool or a dam to give us power and protection from flood a school where children's Minds can grow safe in a secure well- constructed building or a church where men may worship God nothing is left to chance careful analysis of raw materials is performed under controlled conditions a constant testing and retesting of the [Music] ingredients no larger piece of moving Machinery is used today than the cement kill long as a city block big enough for all but the largest of trucks to drive through [Music] the ancient Romans made cement of volcanic ash from the slopes of Mount basius inside the rotating kill of today a man-made volcano rages the man who tends the kill is dwarfed by its enormity but not AED by its Fury his job is to control this fiery force and control it he does raw materials now finally ground are fed into the Kill from from blending silos at the higher end of the slightly inclined Machinery at the lower end powdered coal burned under forced draft creates a roaring blast of flame in the burning Zone the temperature reaches 2800° [Music] F the heat is so intense it would melt the metal exterior of the kill without protection from fireproof bricks workers must replace these as soon as the need arises the kill is the heart of cement making what enters the operating kill are the raw materials of the earth what leaves the kill is a regrouping of elements that form red hot clinkers when the clinkers are ground finely and gypsum is added the mixture becomes Portland [Music] cement a recurring theme in the cement industry is the rhythm of the mix whether it be ball mill before clinkering ball mill after clinkering or that favorite of the sidewalk superintendent and of the world of popular song cement mixer Putty [Music] [Applause] Putty before shipping comes a rigorous testing program physical tests are made daily on each batch of finished cement some specialized checks take as long as 30 days to complete they are necessary because we expect cement to be strong we take its strength so much for granted that the word becomes a part of our language with such Expressions as cementing a relationship when we want to add solidity to our Viewpoint we give concrete examples in this same Vin the cement makers Union pays a tribute to the builders its products Serve by entitling one of its pamphlets the structure of our Union in another it calls its locals only as strong and effective as its members a reference to the importance of the parts that make up a structure whether it be a building or an organization because strength and solidity are essential to the structure of government as well their Union invests most of its Reserve funds in government savings bonds cement means strength the cement maker is proud of this tradition and he guards it [Music] well High compressive strength is one of the most important characteristics of Portland cement in testing for this quality 2 in cubes of cement are prepared in molds under carefully controlled conditions these are allowed to harden for varying periods before being tested this series of tests tells the cement maker if a batch measures up to the jobs it might be asked to do finer than women's face powder yet when hardened one of the strongest and most durable of building materials ideal for all structures where strength is of the utmost importance or in structures exposed to where or to the elements Portland cement must pass tests for tensil strength bricketts are made of mortar by weight one part cement and three parts of standard natural sand at 7 Days these mortar bricketts must show a pencil strength of 275 lb per square in at 28 days this must increase to 350 [Music] lb packaging is a fast moving operation each of the machines the cement maker tends can fill over 20 bags of cement a minute when they reach the required weight the bags are released and [Music] sealed the need for cement knows no geographical limitations these bags may be shipped north south east or west workers in a modern cement Mill must be prepar prepared to load their product into a variety of carriers some companies use trucks for bulk loading directly from [Music] silos other companies rely on the railroad Freight cars May load in bulk or they may carry the cement away in bags to the people who need it to build a poet years ago said when the materials are all prepared The Architects shall appear I swear to you the Architects shall appear without fail I announce them and lead them I swear to you they will understand you and justify you I swear to you the greatest among them shall be he who best knows you and endorses all and is faithful to all I swear to you he and the rest shall not forget you they shall perceive that you are not an i less than they I swear to you you shall be glorified in them the poet spoke Truth for the cement makers can travel the land with pride in their hearts the glory of their products is everywhere about them and about us for we too can share the glory of the cement makers the organized members of the United cement lime and gypsum Workers International Union AFL [Music] CIO Americans at work for [Music] you Americans at work presented as a public service by the AFL CIO next week another interesting story of Americans at work Americans whose skill and effort help keep our country great and strong [Music]

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