A family from Toowoomba, Australia, has worked eight years to develop a concrete mix that doesn't include portland cement. The recipe, which they now plan to export to regions such as the Middle East and other markets that have corrosive soils, has been used in portions of precast tunnels in Malaysia and Qatar. The Earth Friendly Concrete incorporates slag and fly ash reclaimed from steel manufacturing operations and coal-fired power stations. One of the most visible uses of the concrete is found in a Brisbane airport's aprons and taxiway pavements.

E-NEWS now takes you to The United Kingdom where local officials in one town noticed that whenever one of their trolleybuses (yes, that's what they're called) stopped frequently in one place, say a bus stop, road repairs frequently became necessary. It seems that the "fierce acceleration and braking" of these trolleybuses resulted in a series of ripples being formed on the road surface. You just know what the solution was...

The Oklahoma/Arkansas chapter of the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) held its 2014 concrete pavement conference titled "Building Pavements for the 21st Century" in Oklahoma City earlier this month. The program included a variety of educational and technical presentations, including one by NRMCA’s Brian Killingsworth who spoke on life-cycle cost analysis. Specifically, Killingsworth provided an update on the activities of the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHub) and addressed utilizing data input variability for assessing risk associated with economic decisions for concrete pavements. The Federal Highway Administration's RealCost LCCA software was also discussed and, in particular, how agencies can change their processes to address variable inflation rates between competing building materials.

Earlier this year, Vee-Jay Cement Contracting, Inc. of St. Louis was named Specialty Contractor of the Year 2013 by the AGC of St Louis, reports NRMCA Vice President, National Resources, Jon Hansen. Last month, Vee-Jay hosted a dinner celebration for its employees, and invited and recognized the organizations and companies it felt helped win the award. NRMCA was recognized, along with industry partners Missouri/Kansas ACPA and the St. Louis-based American Society of Concrete Contractor (ASCC) for their efforts. A plaque recognizing NRMCA's efforts presented to Hansen at the dinner was inscribed, "Presented to National Ready Mixed Concrete Association. In recognition of your many years of continued support and the tremendous impact that your association has on the construction industry. We appreciate your hard work, loyalty, and dedication. All of us at Vee-Jay are very proud to be part of your team."

NRMCA’s promotion strategy of reaching those who are directly influential in selecting paving materials is effective, but there is a large, mostly untapped opportunity to win the support of organizations for concrete that generally deal with issues that supersede paving considerations. There are hundreds of groups that address issues such as sustainability, infrastructure improvement, quality of life, government efficiency, transportation cost reduction and many other such topics. Because the promotion staff does not have the resources to expand outreach to most of these groups, the NRMCA Promotion Committee is looking for member volunteers to help "Jump the fence" into this new promotion territory.

 

Volunteers will be asked to select one or more targets in their market area to attempt to create an understanding of why concrete’s benefits are advantageous to the organization. The objective will be to get a hearing with organization leaders and ultimately gain valuable support for concrete. NRMCA staff can help select targets, assist in refining the promotional message, supply support materials, and provide direct  technical and promotional support if promising opportunities are developed. Please consider this opportunity to help move concrete ahead on behalf of the entire industry! 

 

The newly created NRMCA State Affiliate Promoter of the Year Award was presented to Finley Messick, executive director of the Kentucky Ready-Mixed Concrete Association (KRMCA), during the recent  NRMCA Convention in Las Vegas. As an outstanding concrete promoter within his state and an excellent collaborator with other concrete organizations, Finley is a great example of concrete promotion leadership in action. A key to Finley’s success is that he sees promotion not as marketing, but education, based on his expectation that if decision-makers and designers have the right tools and knowledge, you can expect favorable results in the long run.

Under Finley’s leadership, KRMCA has made remarkable strides in recent years by integrating itself into the sustainable construction movement in Kentucky, including very active participation in the state chapter of USGBC and in promotion of ICFs. Among many notable achievements,  the majority of Kentucky’s schools are now using ICF wall systems. In another investment of effort that will return great dividends in the long run, KRMCA is now assisting in teaching engineering classes at the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville, Western Kentucky University and also a course at the University of Kentucky ‘s School of Landscape Architecture.

Finley’s selfless leadership, passion for concrete and affinity for working with partners has enabled KRMCA to become a model for state ready mixed concrete association promotion. As such, Finley Messick is an ideal recipient for NRMCA’s first State Affiliate Promoter of the Year Award.

For more information, contact Glenn Ochsenreiter at glenn@nrmca.org.

The Spring 2014 edition of NRMCA's quarterly magazine, Concrete InFocus, is now available online. This latest issue includes a number of timely and informative articles available only online, among them Pavement Roughness and Fuel Consumption - the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub Executive Summary that analyzes how roughness levels evolve on a given road segment over time.

Click here for more information on Concrete InFocus, including staff contact and how to advertise.

NRMCA will offer the Concrete Durability Course from June 3-5 at the RMC Foundation Education Center in Silver Spring, MD (next to NRMCA headquarters). The course is taught by Michael Thomas, U of New Brunswick and Kevin Folliard, U of Texas at Austin and NRMCA Engineering Department staff. The course provides a fundamental understanding of the nature of cement and concrete as they relate to durability of concrete. Topics will cover cracking, alkali aggregate reactions, sulfate attack, corrosion of reinforcing steel, freeze-thaw durability and other aspects. A group exercise will be facilitated to walk attendees through ConcreteWorks software that can be used to develop concrete mixtures for durability.

The course also discusses the durability provisions in the Building Code - ACI 318-11 and how specifications can be structured to address durability. Attendees at previous courses have given this program rave reviews. This course also offers those with the NRMCA Level 3 Certification the opportunity to obtain the NRMCA Concrete Technologist Level 4 Certification. It also provides required learning units toward the technical track of the NRMCA STEPS certification program.

Please register early if you wish to attend. Click here for registration and hotel information.

Organized by the Maryland Ready Mix Concrete Association (MRMCA) and partners, the conference drew 300 attendees. The following summarizes the highlights:

• The deputy state highway administrator indicated that the transportation funding was well supported in the state budget after a long dry spell and encourage participants to lobby for federal funding.

• Tom Evans, MRMCA, discussed a new state highway specification for pervious concrete, developed after considerable partnership between the agency and industry. Pervious concrete will be used in at least two park-and-ride projects.

• Chris Roumie, Essroc Cement, discussed the history of development and applications of photocatalytic cement that reduces pollution in the environment of the concrete structure.

• Colin Lobo, NRMCA, discussed the use of crushed concrete as aggregate in concrete. He discussed the evolution of AASHTO provisional standard MP-16, NRMCA research on use of crushed concrete aggregate from returned concrete, and some national (FHWA) and international initiatives to increase reuse of crushed concrete.

• Henry Prenger, Lafarge, provided a global perspective on the use of concrete pavements. He emphasized that good practices in various countries provide valuable information on successful practice.

• Gina Ahlstrom, FHWA discussed FHWA position on alternate bids considering life cycle cost analysis. Reference was made to NCHRP report 703 on current practice in states and issues to consider in alternate bids of different pavement types. 

• Bill Heape, Conewago, discussed successes with roller compacted concrete in Maryland.

• Shekhar Murkute, MD SHA, discussed a success story with concrete overlay on ramps at the intersection of MD 301 and Route 50. The overlays were generally completed with a weekend closure – 6 inch milled asphalt with 6 inch concrete overlay.

• James Cable, Cable Consultation, discussed paving in traffic situations in Iowa – suggesting that rapid concrete pavement construction is very feasible.

The Maryland Concrete Conference is an annual event that draws material suppliers, contractors, concrete producers, state, county, municipality and several other interested parties.

For more information, contact Colin Lobo at clobo@nrmca.org.

The California Division of State Architect have drafted an administrative interpretation of regulation (IR) to provide direction on the use of non-potable water sources for use as mixing water in concrete. The proposal is to permit the use of non-potable water that has been qualified to be acceptable by ASTM C1602, Specification for Mixing Water Used in the Production of Hydraulic Cement Concrete. Projects within the jurisdiction of DSA includes State of California public elementary and secondary schools (grades K-12 and community colleges), and state-owned or state-leased essential services buildings.

Industry, including NRMCA, was provided an opportunity to comment on the draft IR 19.5. With the critical drought conditions in many parts of California, this initiative is important to support sustainable construction and conserve valuable water resources in the state. ASTM C1602 is referenced in ACI 318 that has been adopted for reference in building codes in most jurisdictions.

For more information, contact Colin Lobo at clobo@nrmca.org.

The CP Road Map E-News is the newsletter of the Long-Term Plan for Concrete Pavement Research and Technology (CP Road Map), a national research plan developed and jointly implemented by the concrete pavement stakeholder community.

Moving Advancements into Practice (MAP) Brief

• The March 2014 MAP brief discusses mixture design and proportioning for concrete pavements.

News from the Road

• A recent FHWA report identified slab size as a key element in thin overlay failures.
• In a recent project, Minnesota researchers developed an improved design process for unbonded concrete overlays.
• A recent project funded by FHWA investigated accelerated test methods for determining alkalai-silica reaction.
• The US DOT recently completed a research project that evaluated high-volume fly ash concrete.
• Researchers in Texas recently investigated the use of manufactured sand in concrete pavements.

Updates from the States: Michigan

• Ongoing and completed research in Michigan is addressing research needs outlined by the CP Road Map.

NRMCA Vice President of Sustainability Tien Peng recently gave a presentation at the AIA-CSI (American Institute of Architects and Construction Specifications Institute, respectively) joint Trade Fair in Louisville, KY. The Disaster Resilient Construction presentation was directed at design and construction professionals from the commonwealth concerned with the growth threat of natural disasters. Approximately 30 design, construction and insurance professionals attend the session. Peng was invited to speak at the event by Brett Ruffing, technology & education specialist for the Kentucky Ready-Mixed Concrete Association. Ruffing’s strong involvement in the local chapter of the US Green Building Council allowed him to offer topics relevant to the conference and the industry.

NRMCA encourages its members to participate in their local professional efforts and offer topics and speakers for education programs. 

The trend toward transparency of reporting through Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), Corporate Sustainability Reports (CSRs) and Health Product Declarations (HPDs) will be featured at the 2014 International Concrete Sustainability Conference, scheduled for May 12-15 just outside Boston in Cambridge, MA. Several of the 60 presentations will focus on EPDs, CSRs and HPDs during the 3-day conference.

Examples of transparency topics include:

• John L. Knott, Jr., executive director, Health Product Declaration Collaborative, United States, will present A Collaborative Global Leader for Ingredient and Hazard Disclosure for the Built Environment during the opening general session. 

• Cesar Constantino, Titan America, United States, will present A Journey "Under the Hood" of an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)...The Meaning Behind the Label.

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

• Frances Yang, Arup, United States, will present LEEDv4: Sorting out HPDs vs EPDs. 

• The conference will end with a panel discussion to answer the question: Does Transparent Reporting Add Value to Green Buildings? This session will feature expert panelists who will discuss the merits of the new transparency requirements in LEED v4 and other green building standards including EPDs, CSRs and HPDs.

In total, over 60 world renowned speakers from 10 different countries will present during the conference. 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 NRMCA, the RMC Research & Education Foundation and the Portland Cement Association. The MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub Showcase will feature key researchers who will present research on concrete science, buildings and pavements using poster sessions, plenary presentations and interactive workshops.

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 March 17 - 21 please click here.

Mark your calendars and start planning your trip to Washington, DC, for the Transportation Construction Coalition’s Fly-In and the third RALLY for ROADS on June 10-11. Federal transportation programs are facing a crisis. With MAP-21 set to expire September 30 and the Department of Transportation estimating that the Highway Trust Fund will run out of money as soon as July, there has never been a greater need for Congress to act.

This is the year to come to DC! Join your industry allies in Washington - your congressional delegation needs to hear from you about the importance of continued investment in transportation infrastructure to the nation's economy - creating jobs while building the future. As in the past, a legislative briefing is scheduled to update you on the latest congressional events; educational briefing packets will be prepared for you to deliver to your congressional delegation. In addition, this year's NRMCA RALLY for ROADS, the nation's largest transportation funding advocacy rally, will be held at 8 a.m. on June 11 so that you can attend. The rally will be held at Union Square on U.S. Capitol Grounds, Permit Area #15. Buses will take you from the hotel to the U.S. Capitol for the rally.

This year's meeting will be held at the Mayflower Renaissance Washington Hotel at 1127 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20036. Make your reservations directly with the Mayflower Renaissance Washington Hotel by calling 1-877-212-5752 or 1-202-347-3000. Please mention the group name TCC Fly-In for the discounted room rate of $309 per night which is guaranteed through the rooms cut-off date of Friday, May 9.

The transportation construction industry cannot afford to sit back and wait for Washington to act. Now is the time to demand action. New representatives and senators are unfamiliar with how these programs operate and the benefits they bring not only to their states and districts, but also the incredible contribution they make to the national economy. The Highway Trust Fund cannot support current road construction projects through this summer work season. Congress needs to understand that failure to address the Highway Trust Fund crisis and ensure sustainable funding undermines the construction industry sector - materials producers, contractors, equipment manufacturers, labor - builders of the America's surface transportation network essential to economic growth and prosperity.

Keep watching your inboxes and E-NEWS for more details and how to register for both events in the coming weeks. We hope to see you there - in hard hats and your usual work clothes. Thank you for your past support and we look forward to seeing you in June!

The second annual Cement & Concrete Day on the Hill, April 29 - 30, brings together representatives from more than a dozen construction industry associations. The goal is to promote the expanded use of cement and concrete in federal infrastructure projects, from highways and bridges to dams and mass transit. The primary advocacy Issues for this year’s Day on the Hill include a fully funded, multi- year Highway Bill Reauthorization, with reforms to maximize impact of each dollar spent, promoting a Federal Resilience Tax Credit and enactment of a new Federal Water Resources (WRDA) Bill.

Sponsored and hosted by Portland Cement Association, the event is open to all member company executives and staff of concrete- and masonry-related associations. In addition to NRMCA, 2014 sponsors include the American Coal Ash Association, American Concrete Pavement Association, American Concrete Pressure Pipe Association, Concrete Reinforcing Steel Association, Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association, Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute, National Concrete Masonry Association, Slag Cement Association and National Precast Concrete Association.

A Webinar scheduled for Wednesday, April 16, is for ready mixed concrete sales representatives. The topic is Building the Customer Relationship...in the Post-Recession Economy. Much has changed in the post-recession economy, especially with our customers. Many of the companies we did business with pre-recession have changed dramatically - new contacts, new business strategies, new operations, new buying criteria. Do we really know our most important customers as well as we need to? Enough to be sure of getting and keeping their ready mix business as the economy improves?

In this Webinar, sales reps will learn how to reassess their relationship with key customers and how to ask the right "20 Questions" to help build a business plan to "Get, Keep and Grow" sales.

Later this year, NRMCA will host four more Webinars specifically for sales reps and sales managers. Watch for  announcements. Click here for registration options, more information and staff contact.

NRMCA is conducting its spring Plant Manager Certification course in Oklahoma City this  week; the next two classes will be held August 12-15 in Silver Spring, MD (metro Washington, DC), and December 9-12 in Phoenix. This course establishes basic industry standards, measured through certification. Please note that batchmen are required to pass this class's exams by the Army Corps of Engineers for federally awarded projects BEFORE work commences.

Plant managers serve a vital function, with responsibilities that affect issues from regulatory compliance to product quality, safety and profitability. NRMCA’s certification program helps them make sure that they are up to speed on product knowledge, plant safety, environmental regulations, plant operations and ready mixed concrete industry business principles. 

March 27, Nashville, TN

Tennessee Concrete Association Pervious Concrete Contractor Certification Program

Email: Darla Sparkman, dsparkman@tnconcrete.org

 

April 1, Webinar

Streets & Roads Elected Official Advocacy

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

 

April 3, Webinar

Overlays for Streets & Local Roads

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

 

April 7, Webinar 

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

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

 

April 8, Webinar

Roller Compacted Concrete for Streets & Local Roads

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

 

April 10, Webinar

SLR Concrete Construction & Repair Basics

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

 

April 15, Free Webinar

New Radical Material and Resources Reporting Criteria in LEEDv4

Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535

 

April 16, Webinar

Streets & Roads Promotion & Advocacy Overview

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 8, Webinar

Streets & Roads Team Building & Situation Analysis

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

 

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

 

May 29, Webinar

Streets & Roads Promotion for DOTs, Counties & Municipalities

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

 

June 3-5, Silver Spring, MD

Concrete Durability Course

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

 

June 5, Webinar

Overlays for Streets & Local Roads

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

 

June 10, Webinar

Roller Compacted Concrete for Streets & Local Roads

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

 

June 13, Webinar

Winning Initial Streets & Roads Projects in Counties & Municipalities

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

 

June 17, Webinar

Concrete Pavement Jointing Plans

Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382

 

June 19, Webinar

Utilizing MIT Research Results

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

 

June 26, Webinar

SLR Concrete Construction & Repair Basics

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

 

July 8, Webinar

Understanding Asphalt

Email: Brian Killingsworth, 830-438-2690

 

July 15, Webinar

Streets & Roads Elected Official Advocacy

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

 

July 30, Webinar

Streets & Roads Promotion & Advocacy Overview

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

 

August 12-15, Silver Spring, MD

Plant Manager Certification Course

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

 

August 14, Webinar

Streets & Roads Team Building & Situation Analysis

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

 

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

 

August 21, Webinar

Streets & Roads Promotion for DOTs, Counties & Municipalities

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

 

September 12, Webinar

Winning Initial Streets & Roads Projects in Counties & Municipalities

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

 

October 14, Webinar

Streets & Roads Elected Official Advocacy

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

 

December 3-5, Phoenix

Environmental Professional Certification Course

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

 

December 9-12, Phoenix

Plant Manager Certification Course

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