NRMCA Senior Director, National Resources, Doug O'Neill recently attended the Northeastern States Materials Engineers Association (NESMEA) annual meeting in Portsmouth, NH, along with promotion partner Jonathan Kuell with the Northern New England Concrete Promotion Association. NESMEA member states include Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hamphsire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. O'Neill and Kuell were invited  to attend the event by the Materials & Research Division of the NH DOT, which had hosted them in a meeting several weeks prior. The topic of discussion was why DOT officials have never considered using concrete for intersections, round-a-bouts and parking lots.

The answer to the question of "why" was met with "we really don't know, other than asphalt is all we've ever used," O'Neill related. He and Kuell then introduced their hosts to the concrete industry's design resources and provided them with evidence of what other cold weather states are doing, prompting a return visit in late November that will include members of the construction, bridge and highway design sectors along with a representative of the Commissioner's Office. Several other valuable contacts were made at this event; O'Neill said he will follow-up with each of them.

For more information, contact Doug O'Neill at doneill@nrmca.org.