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Build with Strength Continues Rollout with Launch of Social Media Platforms

The Build with Strength campaign continues to grow across the country with an emphasis in July on the Seattle market. Over the next several months, Build with Strength will focus attention on leading construction markets throughout the U.S., including New York, Dallas, Chicago and Los Angeles. As part of this effort, NRMCA is proud to announce the launch of Build with Strength on several leading social media platforms. We invite you to connect with Build with Strength on these popular platforms and share these links with all of your concrete connections!

For more information about the Build with Strength campaign, visit www.buildwithstrength.com.

Pavement

ASCC Parking Lot Boot Camp in September to Feature Retail Chain's Commitment to Concrete Paving

NRMCA Senior Vice President, Local Paving, Jon Hansen and Senior Director, Local Paving, Phil Kresge will conduct a one-day version of the popular Parking Lot Boot Camp at the American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC) annual convention in Minneapolis on Friday, September 16. A new segment will be added to this special edition.

"We are fortunate, with the help of a state partner, to have secured a convenience store executive to speak during the ASCC Parking Lot Boot Camp. He will tell the attendees why his company now uses concrete paving when adding new stores and renovating existing stores, which currently number over 400 locations," Hansen said. "He has shared with concrete industry people that his decision to switch to concrete from asphalt paving a few years back now saves his company millions of dollars each year in parking lot maintenance, savings that go directly toward the company's bottom line. Never in my career have we been able to find an owner who monitors his yearly ownership cost like this and, on top of all this, be able to have him share it with our industry."

"A plus to this date and the ASCC Parking Lot Boot Camp is that it occurs on the Friday before NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks in Nashville, TN. We will be able to share in great detail the owner’s story and cost saving during the What Works in Concrete Promotion session on Monday, September 19," Hansen noted.

For more information, contact Jon Hansen at jhansen@nrmca.org.

Association & Industry News

Developing Industry Leaders Program Nomination Deadline is This Friday, July 15

NRMCA’s annual Developing Industry Leaders (DIL) program will accept nominations through Friday, July 15. The goal of the program is to broaden participants’ understanding of the ready mixed concrete industry at a more strategic, long-term level while giving them the opportunity to also work on a team with a diverse group of peers from across the country. This career enhancement program, with its accompanying industry mentorship, allows participants to not only make lifelong, industry friends, but to also gain insight into a specific national challenge.

The group will meet face-to-face in September in Nashville, TN, at ConcreteWorks, where DILs attend all NRMCA committee meetings to gain insight from senior managers on a wide range of pressing issues. The DILs then return home to continue their work via conference calls, e-mails and Webinars with their team. The DILs reconvene in March at NRMCA's Annual Convention where individual teams formally present their findings and recommendations during NRMCA’s semi-annual membership meeting. After that, the DILs are expected to join an NRMCA committee and attend the meetings. This enables them to learn how to move their team’s recommendations forward while also engaging with an ever-widening group of the industry’s senior level industry management.

There is no participation fee for the DIL program. Additionally, the DILs attend ConcreteWorks and the Annual Convention at a 50% discount registration fee their first two years in the program.

Click here for the DIL application. Click here for more information or contact Eileen Dickson at edickson@nrmca.org.

Government Affairs

NRMCA Advocacy News Roundup Updated Through July 8

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 July 5 - 8, 2016, 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 Jill Landry at jlandry@nrmca.org.

House Sends Aviation Reauthorization to Senate

On July 11, the House approved by voice vote an extension of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization (HR 636). The extension runs until September 2017 and continues the current levels of funding for FAA programs. The bill does not contain the controversial provision to privatize the operation of air traffic control. The Senate must now act quickly since the current authorization expires Friday, July 15. It is uncertain at this point if all 100 Senators support moving the legislation forward.

For more information, please contact Jill Landry at jlandry@nrmca.org.

Buildings

Important Publication on ICFs from ACI is Now Available

The American Concrete Institute (ACI) has introduced an important new publication for concrete industry professionals - ACI 560R-16 Report on Design and Construction with Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs). This new document is a comprehensive introduction to the design and construction of reinforced concrete structures with insulating concrete forms focusing on ICFs for walls. NRMCA’s Lionel Lemay is on the committee and participated in developing the document.

ICFs first gained acceptance in the early 1990s for residential basements and above-grade walls. But since then, they’ve evolved with changes in technology to be ideal for commercial and multi-family residential applications. From apartment buildings and hotels to warehouses and retail building, ICFs have gained a foothold as ideal alternates to steel and wood construction. Benefits of ICFs include strength and safety – there is a 22-story dormitory in Waterloo, Ontario – along with energy efficiency and competitive cost.

As part of the Build with Strength campaign, NRMCA offers design assistance as a way to provide concrete alternates for buildings. Most of the projects converted from steel and wood to concrete have been trending toward ICF construction.

To learn about the NRMCA building promotion program visit www.nrmca.org/promotion or contact Lionel Lemay at LLemay@nrmca.org or 847-918-7101.

NRMCA Discusses Build with Strength Campaign to USGBC Chapter in Florida

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) is widely recognized as the leader in addressing sustainability in buildings, aka – green building through its LEED certification. Organizations such as NRMCA have become members through the USGBC's national organization. However, it is at the state level, in chapters, where the "recycled rubber" meets the "concrete road". State chapters are where individuals become members. This is where local designers, engineers, consultants, developers and owners attend a variety of education and networking events regularly. As a result, NRMCA’s Michael Wymant last Friday presented the Build with Strength campaign to promote our design assistance program to the North Florida chapter at its monthly lunch and learn in Pensacola, FL, to more than 25 local builders, sustainability specialists, consultants and engineers entrenched in projects along with advocates of building with concrete, including a developer and an ICF installer who shared the success of their buildings.

"It was a great conversation among the group, with many strong feelings about first cost vs. long term investments and ROI," Wymant said. "It was a representation of the emotions and perspectives of those building mid-rise construction right now in this region."

Framing the conversation around the goal of USGBC’s market transformation and the Build with Strength campaign is quite compelling, he added. "Many USGBC members, LEED AP’s in particular, understand the issues and they need help convincing their clients to also get past first cost. Our Build with Strength campaign advocates Integrated Project Delivery and stopping the regular design protocol to look at better options – concrete options. That’s how we get the market transformation we need."

Wymant left the event with requests for assistance on two local projects. NRMCA members who work with developers in their markets will soon have these projects and others to use as examples to help them promote building with concrete to their contacts. NRMCA staff can support these efforts in a variety of ways, including offering our free design assistance services to help developers move toward building better with concrete.

NRMCA has a Concrete Design Center that can work with developers to provide concrete solutions to building projects. Visit www.BuildWithStrength.com or contact Michael Wymant at mwymant@nrmca.org.

Architectural Designer Tool Quickly Determines Transparency Credentials

As LEED v4 and credits that are driving product transparency become a reality, tools to assist architects and specifiers select transparent products are being developed. Mindful Materials is one example that is promoting efficient methods to select products disclosing environmental impacts or material ingredients, reports NRMCA Senior Director, Sustainability Initiatives, James Bogdan. Mindful Materials is an initiative developed within the design industry to provide a common way for manufacturers to clearly communicate transparency for their building products. Over 18 architectural firms collaborated to develop a tool for making transparency and optimization information easily accessible within material binders.

Mindful Materials is a directory of products with various transparency credentials and an actual label that is a visual cue within material libraries that help designers identify manufacturers' products with disclosed and/or optimized content. Reported as an effective way to simplify manufacturers' communication management approaches, it recognizes and rewards efforts in the disclosure of transparent product information.

As part of NRMCA’s Build with Strength campaign, the concrete industry is leading the way in providing product transparency reporting to meet new green building requirements. To that end, NRMCA has facilitated Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) and published a material ingredient disclosure guidance document to prepare our members with evolving green building trends.

To assist you in preparing for LEED v4 and future requests for product transparency credits like EPDs, material ingredient disclosure or responsible sourcing, contact James Bogdan at jbogdan@nrmca.org or 412-420-4138.

OES

NRMCA Seeks Entries for Mixer Driver Championship

This year’s NRMCA National Mixer Driver Championship will take place on Sunday, September 18, during NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks being held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, TN. The registration form for entering drivers into the championship is now available. Please note that registration forms and payment are due Monday, August 1.

Click here for a registration form. For more information, contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org.

Environmental Excellence Awards Program Has New Format; Entry Forms Available

NRMCA’s Commitment to Environmental Excellence Awards competition offers producers national recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment and maintaining sound management practice in their operations. The program salutes companies that have not only met, but surpassed governmental compliance measures and demonstrated a commitment to environmental excellence through plant and staff investment. Any NRMCA member company producing ready mixed concrete from a fixed plant location in the U.S., its territories or Canada is eligible to enter. Awards will be determined upon individual plant merits; companies may choose to enter plants from each of the five production volume categories.

This year’s program features a more picture-oriented focus with minimal text, versus the focus from years past that centered on lengthy descriptions of a plant’s environmental management systems. Winning entrants will be honored at the Awards Luncheon at NRMCA‘s ConcreteWorks this September in Nashville, TN. Winners will also be featured in a 2016 edition of NRMCA’s Concrete InFocus magazine as well as Concrete Products magazine.

Entries and photos must be e-mailed to Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org by Friday, July 29. Click here for more information and to download the entry form. You may also contact Gary Mullings or Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org.

Engineering

NRMCA Staff Reports on Key ASTM Meeting Developments

NRMCA Engineering Staff attended the ASTM meeting in Chicago held earlier this month of Committees C09 on Concrete and C01 on Cement. Following is the report of key developments:

C09.20 Concrete Aggregates - A new specification for mineral fillers for use in concrete was approved. The specification was developed to permit the use of finely ground materials originating from aggregates to be used in applications such as self-consolidating concrete and other uses. Mineral fillers include finely ground calcium carbonate or other crushed fines from aggregate, referred to as Aggregate Mineral Filler (AMF). Three types of mineral filler are recognized with differences in the minimum requirements to qualify for use. The subcommittee is developing a revision to delete the appendix to C33 that provides guidance on alkali aggregate reaction and refer to practice ASTM C1778 on alkali aggregate reactions. Revisions are in progress for ASTM C29 on bulk density of aggregates, splitting samples and some other quality tests.

C09.24 Supplementary Cementitious Materials - The subcommittee has drafted a new specification on colloidal silica. These are nano-sized silica particles in a liquid suspension. Specifications are being drafted for natural pozzolans and ground glass for use as supplementary cementitious materials. The specification for fly ash, C618, is considering a clause that recognizes the use of ponded ash. A proposal will revise the strength activity index using volume replacements of fly ash as opposed to weight. Changing the classification criteria for fly ash on the basis of calcium oxide content is also being considered, as this will line up better with alkali silica standards. The mission of the subcommittee is being revised to allow it to develop standards for other types of supplementary cementitious materials. A revision will remove testing provisions for alkali silica reactions in the fly ash specification and include an appendix that refers to C1778.

C09.26 Chemical Reactions - A ballot will be developed to remove guidance in the appendices of the ASR test methods and refer to ASTM C1778. A ballot will propose removing the older mortar bar test, C227, as it does not provide reliable results. Subcommittee will consider developing guidance for testing mineral fillers for potential for alkali silica reactivity.

C09.40 Ready Mixed Concrete - The new specification on reusing returned concrete is now available – ASTM C1798-16. There were no revisions approved to C94; the current version is dated 2016. Several revisions are working through the process:

• A reference in C94 to the new specification C1798 that would permit the use of returned concrete with the approval of the purchaser;

• Eliminating time limits to delivery (90 minute);

• Addressing the use of admixtures at the job site for mixture adjustments;

• Clarifying language for batching tolerances for aggregates;

• Requiring a retest on a separate sample when failing slump and air content;

• Enhancing the Annex and associated clauses related to mixing uniformity evaluation;

• Defining mixing water and batch water;

• Revising notes related to process of low strength evaluation;

• Revising section related to technician certification – to refer to ASTM C1077; and

• Indicating that job site water adjustment should be permitted when a max slump is specified.

C09.50 Risk Management for Alkali Aggregate Reactions (AAR) - The subcommittee is working with initiatives to remove recommendations on AAR in various standards and to refer to ASTM C1778. The Cement and Concrete Reference Laboratory (CCRL) has started a proficiency sample program for ASTM C1260 – the accelerated mortar bar test. The subcommittee is collecting data that compares ASTM C1260 and C1293 data for alkali silica reactivity. Aggregate mineralogy might impact the results in these different methods.

C09.60 Fresh Concrete Tests - Revisions are in process for the method to measure density or unit weight of fresh concrete (C138). Included is a sample calculation on yield, gravimetric air content and other factors that can be determined in this method. A precision statement based on a recently completed interlaboratory study is being proposed for the pressure air method (C231).

A new practice on measurement of electrical resistivity of fresh concrete was balloted; a revised version will be proposed based on comments from previous ballots.

C09.61 Strength - A proposed revision was to require the method of curing and the max-min temperatures during initial curing in the field on the ASTM C39 strength test report (this info is in the reporting section of ASTM C31). The proposed revision did not pass. The subcommittee approved a revision to C39 that defines the specimen age from the time it is cast and revisions have been proposed to define time tolerances to different test ages for strength measurements. Several other revisions are in the works for the standards on strength.

C01.10 Hydraulic cement - Revision to cement standards are coordinated with the ASTM AASHTO harmonization task group to ensure the requirements in the equivalent ASTM and AASHTO specifications are consistent.

For ASTM C150, a revised note was approved that clarifies limestone additions. A revision on reporting total chlorides is being finalized. For ASTM C595, revisions approved include a removal on a restriction to use portland-limestone cements (Type IL) for sulfate resistance when appropriately qualified by test; revision of the minimum strength levels that are similar to those in C150 and adding reporting requirements for blended cements that are needed for developing mixtures for alkali silica reactivity (ASR) in accordance with ASTM C1778. The subcommittee will propose removing the optional limit that characterizes a low-alkali cement as the alkali loading of concrete is more relevant to ASR. Heat of hydration limits based on isothermal calorimetry will be incorporated in the cement standards to supplement and eventually replace limits based on the heat of solution method, C186.

For more information, contact Karthik Obla at kobla@nrmca.org or Colin Lobo, clobo@nrmca.org.

Calendar

A Look Ahead

*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site.

August 3, Sioux Falls, SD

NRMCA North Central Regional ConcreteWorks

Email: twaugh@nrmca.org, 240-485-1132

September 18 - 20, Nashville, TN

NRMCA's ConcreteWorks 2016