https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/048d9cc8-037e-4e40-a594-6f3af709265c Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCddem5RlB3bQe99wyY49g0g/join Want to learn more about Periscope Film and get access to exclusive swag? Join us on Patreon. Visit https://www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Visit our website www.PeriscopeFilm.com 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). This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZoETRDdLlQ Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm) Sat, 13 Jun 2026 13:20:56 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://peertube.dngr.us https://peertube.dngr.us/lazy-static/avatars/41a6fee9-7f57-42d0-a5fc-5db4f1af2e31.png https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/048d9cc8-037e-4e40-a594-6f3af709265c All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://peertube.dngr.us/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.