Chalk up another success story for the versatility of concrete. The East Wetlands multiuse pathway that opened to recreationists last spring in Yuma, AZ, has received high marks for its "incredibly smooth surface," a description used by one bicyclist. The reason for the praise is the application of roller compacted concrete by NRMCA Producer member CEMEX. 

Hale Ritchie, former CEO of the Ritchie Corp., member of the NRMCA Board of Directors and longtime industry leader, started in his family’s company driving concrete trucks during summers in high school. Ritchie, was just nine credit hours shy of graduating from the University of Kansas when his father asked him to return home to join the business following the departure of the manager of one of its divisions, Allen’s Concrete. Now retired, Ritchie was recently interviewed by a local newspaper on his career in the ready mix business along with his charitable activities.

The trend report titled "Green Concrete" announced by Global Industry Analysts Inc., is a focused research paper which provides cursory insights into the product, its applications, regulatory overview, future prospects and corporate initiatives of key companies worldwide. The report also provides market estimates and projections for Green Concrete in the United States in U.S. dollars for years 2010 through 2018. 

NRMCA has developed model legislation for use by state, city and county officials with the purpose of encouraging Life-Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) for pavement type selection. NRMCA supports a balanced and competitive transportation infrastructure investment program - a mix of concrete and asphalt pavements - so that citizens receive increased value, safety and sustainability for fewer tax dollars. For transportation infrastructure projects, transportation and public works agencies should select pavements based on data-driven design and cost considerations utilizing life-cycle costing methodologies.

The model legislation also includes introductory discussion points on pertinent details so that advocates and promoters can effectively communicate with government officials. At the local level, the legislation language may be modified for use in code or as an ordinance.

The model legislation may be downloaded from the Concrete Promoters’ Resource Center Web page. For more information regarding Concrete Street and Local Road Pavement Design and Construction Assistance, contact NRMCA’s Brian Killingsworth at bkillingsworth@nrmca.org.

NRMCA’s Amanda Hult, Amy Miller and Brian Killingsworth will host a free one-hour Webinar on Monday, February 17, beginning at noon Eastern time to discuss the Design Assistance Program (DAP) and the Jointing Plan Assistance Program (JPAP) for Parking Lots and Streets and Local Roads. This Webinar will detail the free services provided to the industry through the Design Assistance Programs. NRMCA engineers will discuss in detail the information provided in the deliverables as well as how to use this information as a part of the promotional effort. Case studies  and testimonials of successful projects will be showcased.

This Webinar is ideal for individuals and companies involved in the promotion or looking for assistance in gaining market share in concrete parking lots and streets and local roads.

Cape Cod Ready Mix Sales Manager Peter Zoni continues to be an instrumental part of how and why the industry education process has worked so well when it comes to its success with pervious concrete, reports NRMCA Senior Director, National Resources, Doug O'Neill.

"We are true believers that education works," Zoni said. "We took what NRMCA and our state association (Massachusetts Concrete & Aggregate Producers Association - MACAPA) offered us to educate ourselves on pervious concrete and its applications. Then we took the next step, which was getting sections of pervious down on the ground for people to see, touch, smell. We not only installed

sections of pervious in our own parking lot, but also reached out to local towns and offered up 'free of charge' small sections of pervious that they could then watch to see how they performed. The process allowed us to 'practice' getting our mix right, it allowed our contractors to 'practice' working with the material and it allowed the towns to become personally invested in the success of the sections without having the financial pressures of trying something new."

"We are now inviting neighboring towns to come see these test sections," Zoni continued. "We are working with NRMCA and MACAPA to further educate the designers and town officials and we are continuing our efforts to educate more contractors."

Just recently, Cape Cod Ready Mix in conjunction with Howie Burns and Michael Kane with MACAPA conducted an NRMCA pervious contractor certification course attended by 25 new installers. This certification course (see photo above) included a hands-on section where attendees could help place pervious despite the winter weather. The placement was held inside a truck maintenance bay of a building adjacent to one of Cape Cod RM’s plants.

Burns also commented on how pervious helped them move into other aspects of concrete promotion. "We at MACAPA have observed during our pervious concrete promotion process just how easy it becomes to roll into discussions on the benefits of conventional concrete paving," he said. "Pervious is opening doors today that have been difficult for us to enter in the past."

Cape Cod RM has also realized the importance of marketing pervious concrete. "Those of us in the concrete industry know that pervious is a TRUE solution to stormwater issues, but Cape Cod RM, is bringing that information or 'education' to the people who need to know - the designers and potential owners," O'Neill said. "It is now taking the next step with another round of educational meetings aimed at contractors to introduce them to the marketing aspect of pervious concrete."

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

An Eastern U.S. NRMCA Producer member is targeting auto dealership as one area to expand its paving market business, reports NRMCA Vice President, National Resources, Jon Hansen. Located in a large metropolitan area, the producer has witnessed the surge in auto dealerships' rebuilding and upgrading, and the new "green and sustainable" focus mandated by many car manufacturers for their facilities. The producer has utilized the services of NRMCA national resource directors in coordinating a marketing approach with decision makers that include the dealership management, the architect involved in the project and general contractor. An NRMCA Design Assistance Program was prepared for a specific project to assist the producer sales team efforts.

"This is another great example of full loop promotion at work, with NRMCA bringing services to our producer members that enhance their local efforts," Hansen added.

NRMCA Senior National Resource Director Phil Kresge recently met with the Minnesota Concrete Council’s (MCC) Owners’ Circle. His presentation focused on the benefits of Roller-Compacted Concrete (RCC) and explained the best applications for the pavement. There was great interest from several of the attendees and, following the meeting, Kresge took the opportunity to meet independently with them to answer specific questions.

The Owners’ Circle is an assembly of representatives from active and engaged corporations within the membership of MCC that have knowledge and experience in selecting and maintaining construction materials in their capital investment projects. As a result, they are committed to advancing the knowledge and effectiveness of cast-in-place concrete construction. Members of the Owners’ Circle include Cargill, 3M, Target, St. Jude Medical and Holiday Stationstores.

The invitation to meet with the prestigious group came in conjunction with Kresge’s scheduled presentation at the MN Concrete Council’s general membership breakfast meeting. While the topic at the MCC meeting was also RCC, the focus was on helping ready mix producers better understand the material and the opportunities it presents.

The preliminary estimate of ready mixed concrete production in November 2013 is 24.1 million cubic yards, 1% less than that in November 2012. The estimated production through November is 283 million cubic yards, 3.7% higher than during the same period in 2012.

The Winter edition of NRMCA's quarterly magazine, Concrete InFocus, is now available online, including a number of timely and informative articles available only online, including an analysis of the results of the 2012 NRMCA Quality Benchmarking Survey. Look for more highlights of online articles in upcoming editions of E-NEWS.

The 93rd annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board meeting was held earlier this month in Washington, DC. Nearly 1,2000 transportation professionals were in attendance; NRMCA Vice President, Technical Services, Karthik Obla provides an update on relevant sessions and meetings below.

• Many DOTs continue to look at the surface resistivity test method as an alternative to the RCPT test (ASTM C1202) due to its lower cost, ease and rapid use.
• AASHTO TP 95-11 is a provisional standard. A TRB workshop and a circular are planned by the next TRB meeting in 2015.
• Obla presented a paper/poster on the topic "Selection of Rapid Index tests and Criteria for Concrete Resistant to Chloride Penetration". The paper was based on a multi-year research project at the NRMCA Research Laboratory funded by the RMC Research & Education Foundation and the FHWA pooled fund states.
• At the Concrete Pavement Committee meeting, Professor Mike Bienvenu presented on the Pavement-Vehicle Interaction and Tim Kuebler presented on the legislative process for sustainable pavement.
• A paper was presented at the Properties of Concrete Committee meeting on the performance of pervious concrete at an MN road facility.
• At the Concrete Placement Committee meeting, the miniature concrete prism test (CPT) developed by Clemson University with FHWA funding was presented. The miniature CPT involves exposing 2x2x11.75 in. concrete prisms to 60°C and 1N NaOH for a period of 56 days as opposed to two years as in the C1293 test. A provisional AASHTO standard is likely this year. A circular on internal curing will be available by Spring.

Reminder: Comments on the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposal to overhaul the current permissible exposure limits (PELs) for "respirable" crystalline silica (silica) are due on Monday, January 27, by 11:59 p.m. The proposed rule, fact sheets, frequently asked questions and comment submission information can be found at: www.osha.gov/silica/. Click here to view the industry’s factsheet on the proposed rule. NRMCA will be submitting comments on the proposal.

For more information, contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org or Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org.

Architectural giant Perkins+Will recently surveyed its staff of 1,500 design professionals to forecast hot trends in the AEC (Architecture Engineering and Construction) field for 2014. The resulting Design + Insights Survey reflects a global perspective, influenced by the firm's active international projects. According to Building Design, Perkins + Will ranks as the 6th largest architecture firm in the world with 24 locations worldwide. The report characterizes material health as "the number one concern for 2014" among all sustainability issues. Perkins + Will happens to be the developer of the Precautionary List - an online database that highlights healthy alternatives to materials that may be harmful for humans and the environment. Its designers also predict that there will be a growing demand for resilient design given the accelerating rate of natural disasters, including earthquakes, tornados, flooding, and drought.

NRMCA has taken the lead in both concerns cited in the Design + Insights Survey. The RMC Research & Education Foundation recently approved a proposal to develop a guide that will help address the new Material Ingredients Requirement in the LEEDv4 rating system. The guide will address various material reporting protocols to help members when working on green building projects. In addition, NRMCA has been promoting resiliency planning that integrates disaster preparedness into communities as an important issue for the future design and our industry.

Speakers have been selected for NRMCA’s 9th annual International Concrete Sustainability Conference to be held May 12-14 just outside Boston in Cambridge, MA. Over 60 world-renowned experts will present the latest developments related to design, specifying, manufacturing, testing, construction, maintenance and research of concrete as they relate to sustainability. This year’s conference is being held in cooperation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Concrete Sustainability Hub Showcase scheduled for May 15. The conference is co-sponsored by the RMC Research & Education Foundation and the Portland Cement Association. Speakers include:

• Dr. Jeremy Gregory, PhD, executive director, Concrete Sustainability Hub and research director, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States

• John L. Knott, Jr., executive director, Health Product Declaration Collaborative, United States

• Phillip Williams, PE, LEED AP, vice president of sustainability and technical systems, Webcor Builders/Webcor Consulting, United States

• Michael Culp, team leader-sustainable transport and climate change at FHWA, United States

• Mehdi Akbarian, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States, The Impact of Pavement Properties on Vehicle Fuel Consumption within the Pavement Infrastructure

• Michael Bienvenu, Florida International University, United States, Comparison of Fuel Consumption on Rigid Versus Flexible Pavements in Florida

• Lisa Bradley, AECOM, United States, Hazard, Exposure, and Risk – Why All Three Are Important for Material Ingredients Decisions

• Francesco Di Maio, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands, Recycling End-of-life Concrete: The C2CA project

• Nicholas Santero, PE International, United States, Understanding Health Product Declarations and LEED

A new version of the Product Category Rules (PCR) for concrete, the document used for developing Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for concrete, was published this month by the Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF). The new PCR, Version 1.1, takes the original PCR published in November 2012 and makes improvements to the document based on input from key experts in the field of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and experience gained during the year-long period during which the original version was implemented. Both NRMCA and ASTM International have adopted the PCR for use in their respective EPD programs.

Version 1.0 of the PCR for concrete, initiated in May 2011 by CLF, went through two public comment periods where more than 500 comments were received and addressed before being published in November 2012. Several EPDs were verified using the standard and several items were identified that could help improve the PCR. As a result, CLF convened a committee of experts to revise it. The most significant change was the expansion of required environmental impacts that must be reported in the EPD. Additionally, the scope of the document was expanded from North American applications to include all countries that use similar standards referenced in the PCR for evaluating and producing concrete. The PCR underwent a second critical review by a panel of LCA experts and was confirmed that it meets the requirements of all pertinent international standards.

The House voted 359-67 on January 15 and the Senate voted 72-26 on January 16 to pass a $1.1 trillion spending measure that funds the entire government through September 30. The bill appropriates the full authorized MAP-21 $40.265 billion for highway programs. In the past, appropriators have taken it upon themselves to adjust spending to help prevent the Highway Trust Fund from running out of money before the end of the year; they did not do that this time. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) estimates that the Highway Trust Fund will be out of cash in early September, leaving it up to the authorizing (House Transportation and Infrastructure, Senate Environment and Public Works) and tax (House Ways & Means, Senate Finance) committees to enact a solution before the Trust Fund defaults.

USDOT recently started publishing a Highway Trust Fund Ticker on its Web site. NRMCA is meeting with members of the tax committees to educate staff about the Highway Trust Fund status and encourage them to start working on solutions to the funding issue before this becomes a crisis.

The National Labor Relation Board’s (NLRB) "poster" regulation – which would have required employers to post biased notices of employees’ rights to organize under the National Labor Relations Act – is dead. In August 2013, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit denied a rehearing of its decision that the NLRB lacked statutory authority to promulgate the regulation. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia then dismissed the Board’s petition to review its previous decision which held that the regulation violated employers’ free speech rights. After being rejected by two courts, the Board did not ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review either case before the January 2 deadline. This ends both the litigation over the rule and, ultimately, the rule itself.

Also, on January 13 the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in National Labor Relations Board v. Noel Canning. The case challenges the constitutionality of the president’s recess appointments to the Federal Labor Relations Board. In January 2012, the president appointed three NLRB members while the Senate was in a pro-forma session. NLRB needs a 3-member quorum to function and the three appointments were deemed unconstitutional by the D.C. Circuit. The decision in the case will be issued later this summer. NRMCA will continue to follow this as it develops and report on the impacts.

NLRB is issuing a final rule that overturns the "snap elections" rule which would have substantially shortened the time period between the filing of a petition for a union-representation election and when the election is held. The rule was challenged in Chamber of Commerce of the U.S. v. NLRB and struck down in May 2012 on the grounds that the Board lacked a quorum when it issued the final rule. The final rule, set to be published on January 22, reestablishes the previous regulatory language. Read the Federal Register Notice here.

Media articles on Congress, transportation infrastructure, regulation, taxes and other subjects, each of which relate to the ready mixed concrete industry, are updated each week by NRMCA's Government Affairs staff. To access the most recent compilation of articles for the Week of January 13 - 17, 2014, please click here.

NRMCA thanks the 22 amazingly talented artists who submitted their work for the first Kids Art Contest. NRMCA is overwhelmed at the artistic talent and creativity that went into these beautiful pieces. We are now preparing the artwork for judging and display at NRMCA’s Annual Convention in Las Vegas in March. In the meantime, you can sneak a peek at the entries here.

NRMCA's January Internet Spotlight, good through Tuesday, February 4, feature two timely and popular items from the publications catalog:

Cold Weather Concrete Driving Training Video - This short ready mixed concrete driver training DVD gives information on adjusting mixes for use in cold weather, provides drivers tips on how to properly deliver concrete in cold weather and offers suggestions that delivery professionals can make to customers with regard to placing concrete in cold weather. Include this video as part of your weekly driver meeting.

Guide to Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots - Save $100 by purchasing a 25-pack set of the Guide to Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots and receive a FREE copy of the Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots Flip Book. Normally a $179 value, now only $79 for a limited time.

• Guide to Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots - This 64-page book provides information for decision makers and practitioners about selecting, designing and constructing successful concrete overlays on existing asphalt parking lot pavements.

• Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots Flip Book – This flip book provides a primer to an industry promoter, concrete sales person and concrete contractor on the proven technology of using concrete to overlay and renew existing asphalt parking lots. Packed in 20 pages, in a popular flip book format, including presenter notes, this flip book touches on: "How and Why" concrete overlays work, "Rules of Thumb" for evaluating and exiting parking lot and determining concrete thickness, "Best Practices" for placing concrete overlays, and "Quick Case Studies" of successful projects.

January 27–31, Orlando, FL

Regional Concrete Technologist Training & Certification "Short Course"

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

January 28, Webinar

RCC: Intro to Design and Construction Webinar

Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382

 

January 29, Free Webinar

Winning Initial Streets & Roads Projects in Counties & Municipalities

Email: Glenn Ochsenreiter, 240-485-1140

 

February 6–7, Medellin, Colombia

International Concrete Sustainability Conference, Latin America

E-mail: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101

 

February 10, Webinar 

Designing & Specifying Pervious Concrete (Part 2 is February 17)

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

February 11, Free Webinar

Concrete Buildings Redefined

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

February 11, Free Webinar

New Radical Material and Resources Reporting Criteria in LEEDv4

Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535

 

February 11–12, Online Course

Designing Jointed Concrete Pavement for Streets and Parking Areas

Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382

 

February 11–13, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP III: General Business Knowledge

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

February 18, Webinar

Understanding Asphalt

Email: Brian Killingsworth, 830-438-2690

 

February 18–20, Silver Spring, MD

Dispatcher Training Forum

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

February 19, Webinar

Sales Management 101 for Ready Mix Sales Managers

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

February 24–27, Webinar

LCA of Concrete Structures

Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535

 

March 1–3, Las Vegas 

NRMCA Annual Convention

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

March 3, Webinar

The Quantifiable Advantages of Concrete Parking Lots

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

March 3, Webinar

Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Program

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

March 4–8, Las Vegas

CONEXPO-CON/AGG

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

March 12, Free Webinar

STEPS™ A Long Term Career Tool for the RMC Industry

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

March 17, Webinar

Roller Compacted Concrete: Another Choice for Pavement

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

March 18, Webinar

Controlling Moisture in Concrete Slabs

Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382

 

March 18–20, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP IV: Professional Sales Skills Workshop

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

March 25, Webinar

Concrete Overlays for Streets and Local Roads and Parking Lots

Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382

 

March 25–28, Oklahoma City, OK

Plant Manager Certification Course

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

April 7, Webinar 

Designing & Specifying Pervious Concrete (Part 2 is April 14)

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

April 16, Webinar

Building the Customer Relationship... in the Post-Recession Economy

Email: Eileen Dickson, 240-485-1164

 

May 6, Webinar

Soils 101

Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382

 

May 12–15, Boston

International Concrete Sustainability Conference

E-mail: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101

 

May 21, Webinar

Personal Leadership and Coaching

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

June 17, Webinar

Concrete Pavement Jointing Plans

Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382

 

July 8, Webinar

Understanding Asphalt

Email: Brian Killingsworth, 830-438-2690

 

August 19, Webinar

Controlling Moisture in Concrete Slabs

Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382

 

August 20, Webinar

Recruiting & Hiring Top Performing Ready Mix Sales Reps

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

September 10, Webinar

Re-Entrepreneuring: 7 Strategies for Rebuilding Your Business in the New Economy

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

November 19, Webinar

Sales Performance Assessments and Review for Ready Mix Sales Managers

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154