Roller-compacted concrete (RCC), followed by diamond grinding to smooth the surface, is the smart choice for rebuilding rural roads damaged by energy development truck traffic in Arkansas, according to new research presented at the 93rd annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board earlier this year in Washington, D.C.

A Canadian man used Passive House principles and universal design elements, not to mention the versatility of concrete, to build a zero energy home in British Columbia. He hasn’t lived in the house a full year yet, but so far, with the help of solar panels, he’s expecting his energy bill for the year to be $0.

Registration is open for NRMCA's new Designing Pervious Concrete Pavements for Municipal & Commercial Applications online course to be held June 11 - 12 from noon to 2 p.m. Eastern time. This course will provide technical and detailed instruction on how to design and implement pervious concrete pavements as a solution to reducing stormwater runoff. Along with understanding the benefits of pervious concrete, attendees will learn the details of hydrological and structural design, specifications, construction testing and placement techniques, and durability and maintenance.

This course is intended for civil engineers, architects, landscape architects, and public works officials and others who design or inspect pavements and stormwater management systems. Participants will receive 4 continuing education hours upon completion of the course and quizzes.

Howie Burns, the soon-to-be retiring executive director of the Massachusetts Concrete & Aggregate Producers Association (MaCAPA), recently invited NRMCA Senior Director, National Resources, Doug O’Neill to discuss the opportunities that exist for concrete overlays. "We wanted someone who has actually worked on these types of conversions before and Doug was able to provide that connection," Burns said.

In a marketplace like Massachusetts and Rhode Island where asphalt has been the only paving material considered by owners and designers, concrete overlays have somewhat of an identity problem, which is being addressed by the MaCAPA group. O’Neill was able to detail his experiences in New York with concrete overlays, showing that this type of application can be and has been used successfully in the Northeast (shown here), which is still a concern for those just now considering overlays as an option to promote. From bus lanes to intersections, to the NYS Thruway Authority’s use of overlays at most of its rest areas, concrete overlays have performed very well. Burns noted that MaCAPA Business Development Manager Michael Kane, P.E., has been contacting many local municipalities to discuss concrete options and overlays is now part of that discussion.

NRMCA's OES department will host five face-to-face classes in Fall 2014. With a clear understanding that operations people now multitask, these classes focus on giving participants immediate skills to help juggle all their balls within compliance parameters as well as learn efficiency processes and organizational methods. A registration fee discount is extended to those companies that send three or more people to one class title.

• Ready Mixed Concrete Safety Course – Ontario, CA (metro Los Angeles), August 6-8. Click here for information.
• Plant Manager Certification Course – Silver Spring, MD, August 9-12. Click here for more information.
• The Effective RMC Supervisor Certification – Silver Spring, MD, November 18-20. Click here for more information. 
• Environmental Professional Certification – Phoenix, December 3-5. Click here for more information.
• Plant Manager Certification Course – Orlando, FL, December 9-12. Click here for more information.

These classes are required to earn NRMCA's STEPS "Operations and Production" Track certification, CCPf. STEPS is the ready mixed concrete’s industry most prestigious employee professional development program, supporting career development and job retention/succession planning. (The Dispatcher class will run early in 2015, dates to be determined.) 

Last week's Webinar on how the ever-changing federal regulations on drivers' Hours of Service (HOS) affect mixer truck drivers had approximately 175 participants. The content focused on current HOS rules such as the mandatory 30-minute break, new weekly clock reset, egregious violations for both company and drivers, and much more. The Webinar also covered the specific provisions that directly affect the ready mixed concrete industry and how to avoid common out of compliance mistakes.

To obtain this information, along with frequently asked industry questions and the specific regulations for all 50 states, please click here to purchase NRMCA’s industry-specific 2014 HOS Guide. For more information, contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org or Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org.

A free NRMCA Webinar designed to help producers of ready mixed concrete significantly reduce the incident rate of mixer truck accidents attributed to backing will be held Wednesday, June 18, beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern time. This Webinar identifies the root causes of the problem and suggests tips that drivers can employ to reduce backing accidents. It can supplement a producer’s safety program and is a comprehensive look at the issues that are associated  with backing. It can be also be used as a cornerstone for driver safety to reduce overall accident rates and reduce and eliminate their harmful effects on the industry.

Click here to register and for more information please. For more information, contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org.

The proceedings of the 2014 International Concrete Sustainability Conference are now available online at 2014 ICSC -BOSTON. The conference featured over 60 world-renowned speakers on the latest developments on design, specifying, manufacturing, testing, construction, maintenance and research of concrete as they relate to sustainability. Life cycle assessment, environmental product declarations, health product declarations and responsible sourcing were just a few of the topics of high interest at the conference. As always, green concrete and innovative concrete technologies as ways to help reduce concrete’s environmental footprint were important topics.

In an open letter to the Green Building Initiative’s (GBI) Board of Directors, Greenwash Action, a joint initiative of Sierra Club and Greenpeace, calls into question the claims made by GBI regarding its green building rating system, Green Globes. Since 2006, when the Canadian-based Green Globes standard first launched in the U.S., the developers of the standard have been competing for market share against the popular U.S. Green Building Council’s counterpart, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Recently, there were major victories for Green Globes as the GSA recommended Green Globes as an alternative to LEED, for federal buildings outside the Government Services Administration (GSA) portfolio, and the U.S. Department of Defense decided to allow its facilities to use the Green Globes certification program.

However, according to the letter signed by several environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council and product manufacturers, the Green Globes rating system is "greenwash". The letter describes Green Globes as "less stringent than LEED in important ways" and "while it is true that Green Globes is more flexible than LEED, avoiding prerequisites and granting significant discretion to auditors in granting points for projects, it is not at all clear that these differences translate into better buildings."

While the various stakeholders debate the merits of the green building rating systems, it is clear as previously reported that green buildings are a growth sector and the concrete industry needs to be engaged. NRMCA has a number of sustainability initiatives (click here to learn more) that will assist producer members to meet the requirements in the various standards. 

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 May 27 - 30, please click here.

If you would like to receive this weekly updated link in a separate e-mail, or if you have questions or comments about the roundup, contact NRMCA’s Elizabeth Fox at efox@nrmca.org.

NRMCA’s Rally for Roads, the nation's largest transportation funding advocacy rally, is being held next week beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 11. The Rally Web site has been updated with information about how best to get to the Rally site in front of the Capitol reflecting pool on 3rd Street between Pennsylvania and Maryland avenues. We also have a great program lined up, including Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senate Environment and Public Works Ranking Member David Vitter (R-LA), House Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Nick Rahall (D-03-WV), Rep. Lou Barletta (R-11-PA), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Rep. Rodney Davis (R-13-IL), Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-04-OR) and Rep. Tom Petri (R-06-WI). Please register for the Rally for Roads now at www.RallyforRoads.org (registration is free).

Can’t attend the Rally, but still want your voice heard? Click here to tell your congressman and senators it’s time to fix the Highway Trust Fund.

June 10-11 is also the Transportation Construction Coalition's 2014 Legislative Fly-In. Registration for the TCC Fly-In must now be done in person at the Mayflower Renaissance Washington Hotel. As in the past, a legislative briefing is scheduled to update you on the latest congressional events and educational briefing packets will be prepared for you to deliver to your congressional delegation. Buses will take you from the hotel to the U.S. Capitol for the rally on June 11.

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) will help to send you to Washington. It will cover $500 for the travel expenses associated with your fly-in. Don’t want the reimbursement? It will contribute $500 on your behalf to benefit wounded warriors. To be eligible you must have: attended CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2014, participated in one of the above events and did not register for the 2013 TCC Fly-In, 2012 Rally for Roads, 2013 NAPA or NSSGA Fly-In, and reported back on your experience on the Hill. Click here to find out more.

Last week, the House Small Business Committee held a hearing on EPA’s proposed Waters of the U.S. Rulemaking to discuss how small businesses would be affected. The Washington Post’s headline captured the hearing’s theme perfectly: "Small business owners: New water rules will drown my company in regulations." Both members of the committee and witnesses voiced their concerns that the EPA and Corps of Engineers did not adequately assess the impact of their proposed rule on small businesses, as required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act. While the EPA and Corps have certified that their proposed rule would not have a significant economic impact on small entities, they did not provide any justification for this conclusion.

Chairman Sam Graves (R- MO-06) said, "This rule will impose significant additional costs and burdens on small businesses to comply with Clean Water Act requirements for thousands of small streams, ditches, ponds, and other isolated waters, some of which may have little or no connection to traditionally navigable waters that the Act was designed to protect. This is a power grab that cannot be justified." Ranking Member Nydia Velázquez, who emphasized the economic benefits to having safe and clean water, noted that some small businesses, especially those in construction and agriculture, would be subject to greater regulatory costs as a result of this rule.

Witnesses on behalf of the National Stone Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) and the National Association of Home Builders both voiced significant concerns about running their businesses under the proposed rule. Alan Parks, on behalf of NSSGA, stated that the proposed rule change will likely make the initial undertaking of site permitting significantly more complex and costly. One NSSGA member estimated that additional mitigation under the rule would be more than $100,000 under this rule, which is far more than EPA has estimated. More water features requiring permits are likely to increase the time and costs of permits, which will make starting new construction projects more difficult and more risky for builders. 

NRMCA is working on comments on behalf of the industry.

The NRMCA June Internet Spotlight is the Hot Weather Concrete Package. This package includes the driver training DVD "How to Keep it Cool", which discusses tips for placing concrete during hot weather, and the Concrete In Practice topic (CIP12) "Hot 'Weather Concreting" - pkg. of 50. Order online today and receive 20% off. Regular member price for this package is $90, Internet Special is $72, plus shipping. Discount Code: HWC

June 5, Free Webinar

Overlays for Streets & Local Roads

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

 

June 10, Free Webinar

Roller Compacted Concrete for Streets & Local Roads

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

 

June 11-12, Online Course

Designing Pervious Concrete Pavement for Municipal & Commercial Applications

Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382

 

June 13, Free Webinar

Winning Initial Streets & Roads Projects in Counties & Municipalities

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

 

June 17, Webinar

Concrete Pavement Jointing Plans

Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382

 

June 17, Webinar

Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete Part 1 (Part 2 is June 24)

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

 

June 18, Free Webinar

Backing Accident Prevention Program

Email: Karen Bean, 240-485-1168

 

June 19, Free Webinar

Utilizing MIT Research Results

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

 

June 23-26, Online Course

Concrete's Role in Sustainable Development

Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535

 

June 26, Free Webinar

SLR Concrete Construction & Repair Basics

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

 

July 1, Webinar

Roller Compacted Concrete: Another Choice for Pavement

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

 

July 7-10, Online Course

Building Green with Concrete

Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535

 

July 8, Webinar

Understanding Asphalt

Email: Brian Killingsworth, 830-438-2690

 

July 11, Webinar

Designing Concrete Parking Lots the Right Way!

Email: Amy Miller, 904-264-8850

 

July 15, Free Webinar

Streets & Roads Elected Official Advocacy

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

 

July 29-30, Online Course

Designing Jointed Concrete Pavement for Streets and Parking Areas

Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382

 

August 4-7, Online Course

Life Cycle Assessment of Concrete Structures

Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535

 

August 5, Free Webinar

Roller Compacted Concrete for Streets & Local Roads

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

 

August 6, Free Webinar

Streets & Roads Promotion & Advocacy Overview

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

 

August 6, Webinar

Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Program

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

 

August 6, Webinar

Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete Part 1 (Part 2 is August 13)

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

 

August 6-8, Ontario, CA

Ready Mixed Concrete Safety Course

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

 

August 12-15, Silver Spring, MD

Plant Manager Certification Course

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

 

August 14, Free Webinar

Streets & Roads Team Building & Situation Analysis

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

 

August 19, Webinar

Roller Compacted Concrete: Another Choice for Pavement

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

 

August 20, Webinar

Recruiting & Hiring Top Performing Ready Mix Sales Reps

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

 

August 21, Free Webinar

Streets & Roads Promotion for DOTs, Counties & Municipalities

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

 

September 8-10, Silver Spring, MD

Concrete Durability Course

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

 

September 9, Webinar

Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete Part 1 (Part 2 is September 16)

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

 

September 10, Webinar

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

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

 

September 12, Free Webinar

Winning Initial Streets & Roads Projects in Counties & Municipalities

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

 

September 12, Webinar

Designing Concrete Parking Lots the Right Way!

Email: Amy Miller, 904-264-8850

 

September 30, Webinar

Roller Compacted Concrete: Another Choice for Pavement

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

 

September 30, Webinar

Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Program

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

 

October 7-10, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP Module I, "Concrete 101" - Technical/Product Knowledge

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

 

October 14, Free Webinar

Streets & Roads Elected Official Advocacy

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

 

November 3-7, Silver Spring, MD

Annual Concrete Technologist Training and Certification Course "Short Course"

Email: Karen Bean, 240-485-1168

 

November 7, Webinar

Designing Concrete Parking Lots the Right Way!

Email: Amy Miller, 904-264-8850

 

November 18-20, Silver Spring, MD

The Effective RMC Supervisor - Silver Spring, MD

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

 

December 16-18, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP Module II: Customer Business Knowledge - Understanding the Concrete Contractor's Business

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