NRMCA Advocates for Resilience at Virginia Future Schools Summit

Last week, NRMCA participated in the Future Schools Summit as part of the Virginia Ready Mixed Concrete Association’s 2024 Spring Convention held in Virginia Beach. NRMCA Vice President, Building Innovations,  Michael Wymant and Senior Vice President, Codes and Standards, Shamim Rashid-Sumar (seen here at podium), joined industry leaders to present on resilience related topics. Wymant discussed Resiliency and Sustainability for Concrete Structures, highlighting the importance of incorporating resilient standards in construction and the contribution of concrete construction to building resilience. Shamim presented Fire Safety and Coastal Resiliency for Buildings, outlining the impact of fires and coastal storm events and providing updates on new prerequisites for resilience in LEED version 5 and developments in fire testing of ICF walls.

The event also showcased the extraordinary work of architect Kenny Stansfield of Sherman Carter Barnhart Architects of Lexington, KY. School board members in attendance learned about the dozens of schools the firm has designed utilizing ICF as a pathway to the most efficient and safe schools in the nation. Build Blocks Vice President of Development Frank Gordon also shared the stage. Lastly, Maurice Gaskins, director of construction with Baltimore City Schools, discussed ICF school construction in Baltimore. He shared the school’s adoption of poured walls as a pathway to safer and better environments for education, highlighting fewer sick days and better student engagement due to the quiet and resilient nature of the structures.

Many NRMCA members attended the event which took place just prior to VRMCA’s spring convention. Don Ingrassano, senior vice president with Producer member Titan America stated, "There were excellent presentations at the Future Schools Summit on building sustainable schools that are not only net zero but also resilient. Thanks to the all-star speakers."

The Build With Strength program is a leader in supporting innovators discovering new pathways for high-performance concrete. For more information on our buildings promotion activities, contact Michael Wymant at mwymant@nrmca.org. For more information on our codes and standards advocacy activities, contact Shamim Rashid-Sumar at ssumar@nrmca.org.