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Pavement
NRMCA has partnered with the Oregon Concrete and Aggregate Association (OCAPA) and the Northwest Cement Council (NCC) to conduct promotional programs throughout Oregon, including Wilsonville, Roseburg and a presentation at the Oregon APWA Chapter Conference in Bend.
Association & Industry News
The preliminary estimate of ready mixed concrete produced in August 2016 is 34.5 million cubic yards, 3% higher than that in August 2015. The estimated production through August is 226 million cubic yards, 3.6% higher than that during the same period in 2015.
Ready mixed concrete production is estimated from cement shipments reported by the U.S. Geological Survey. Additional details, including quarterly production by state, is available for NRMCA members here.
Government Affairs
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 October 17-21, 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.
Buildings
Michael Wymant, NRMCA Senior Director of Building Innovation Michael Wymant traveled to Springfield, MO, last week to present the Build with Strength program to the Concrete Promotion Council of the Ozarks. The event had over 20 members attend, including several structural engineers. "This area of the country is very strong for our industry." said Wymant. "There is a great deal of opportunity here to convert low/mid-rise wood projects to concrete."
The presentation explored emerging trends in housing and development, innovations in concrete construction, case studies that showcase building value generation, economical design of concrete wall and floor systems and how to utilize free resources to design structures. NRMCA’s Design Assistance Program, part of the Build with Strength Concrete Design Center, was well received by attendees, with the opportunity to assist many local projects.
Build with Strength is a first-of-its-kind program for the concrete industry, designed not only to support NRMCA members, their businesses, and the hard-working men and women of the concrete industry, but also to change the way people think about concrete construction versus direct competitors like soft-wood lumber.
Click here to learn more about the Build with Strength Concrete Design Center. For more information, visit www.buildwithstrength.com or contact Michael Wymant at mwymant@nrmca.org.
OES
A Texas judge issued a preliminary injunction on Monday against new regulations that require companies disclose labor law violations they committed in the past three years whenever they bid for a federal contract worth at least $500,000.
In mid-May, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) finalized a rule to change the process and timeline for record keeping and reporting of annual injuries and illnesses at the workplace.
Last week, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the preliminary Top 10 most cited workplace violations of FY2015 at the 2016 National Safety Council Congress & Expo in Anaheim, CA.
Engineering
The next NRMCA Regional Concrete Technology Training and Certification Program (Regional Short Course) is scheduled for February 6-10, 2017, in Salt Lake City at the offices of AGC of Utah. The course is co-sponsored by ACI of Utah and the ACI Intermountain Chapter. NRMCA is now accepting registrations for the Salt Lake City course.
The short course provides a fundamental understanding of concrete, aggregates and concrete making materials; requirements in industry codes and standards and proportioning concrete mixtures. Attendees have the opportunity to obtain industry-recognized NRMCA certifications: NRMCA Level 2 and 3 Concrete Technologist certification and an optional NRMCA Grade II Field Testing Technician certification. These industry certifications are essential for technical service personnel with suppliers of materials to the concrete industry and with concrete producers.
Interested persons should register early. Click here for more information, registration links and staff contact.
Education & Training
An NRMCA Webinar, Are You Aware How the Labor Employment Workplace Recently Changed and Its Possible Impact on Your Company? will be held Tuesday, November 15, from 1 to 2 p.m. Eastern time. Conducted by labor attorney Jeff Thompson, a partner with Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP, this Webinar will update the ready mixed concrete industry about recent, critical federal employment and labor law changes. It will focus on the new Fair Labor Standards Act White Collar Exemptions regulations. Mr. Thompson will explain the what the new regulations are, how they will impact your business and give you an action plan for implementing them by the December 1 deadline. Mr. Thompson will also review what is considered compensable time under the Fair Labor Standards Act and how you should calculate work time. Finally, one week after the Presidential election, he will discuss what can industry expect.
The Webinar is free to NRMCA members. Click here for more information and to register. For more information, contact Eileen Dickson at edickson@nrmca.org.
Calendar
*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site.
November 3, Oklahoma City
Regional ConcreteWorks South Central Region
Email: Tamara Waugh, (240) 485-1132
November 7 - 11, Linthicum, MD *Sold Out
Annual "Short Course"
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
November 29 - December 1, Orlando, FL
Environmental Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
December 6, Webinar
Sales Performance Assessments and Reviews...for Ready Mix Sales Managers
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
December 6 - 8, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module II: Customer Business Knowledge
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
December 13 - 16, Anaheim, CA *Sold Out
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
Sustainability
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has unanimously adopted the Envision rating system as a standard for infrastructure improvement for the county. The system, developed by the non-profit Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI), has been used by municipal agencies and private companies across the nation. The infrastructure rating system has many features which benefit concrete construction, including these categories:
• Assess Climate Threat
• Prepare for Long-Term Adaptability
• Prepare for Short-Term Hazards
• Manage Heat Island Effects
• Manage Stormwater
• Reduce net embodied energy (over project life)
• Support Sustainable Procurement Practices
• Reduce Energy Consumption
• Divert Waste from Landfills
• Extend Useful Life
Build with Strength is a coalition led by NRMCA that promotes concrete building systems through communications, project promotion, education and advocacy and can help leverage sustainable standards to help place more concrete.
To learn more about these programs, or for more information on the Envision Rating System, contact Tien Peng at tpeng@nrmca.org or 206-913-8535.
News Links
That's the title of an article by writer, physicist Lauire Winkless that appeared on the Web site of Forbes magazine. She attributes the move to timber as a move toward sustainability, stating that steel and concrete are two building materials "that could never be accused of being environmentally-friendly." But she also notes that deforestation is threatening our ecology too, so that if wood is really the answer it needs to be sourced from regulated, certified forests.
Maryland officials have long been protective of one of the nation's largest watersheds, in this case one created by the Chesapeake Bay. Part of the solution of the problem of urban and suburban runoff is pervious concrete. An article posted by the Bay Journal examines the efforts underway by communities looking for ways to absorb the cost of installing runoff-reducing infrastructure.
Say what? Well, a recent article in The Wall Street Journal reports on a 1957 Cadillac has been encased in 27,780 pounds of concrete as part of an art project suggested by the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. Christine Mehring, an art historian at the University of Chicago, came across it in 2011 and was impressed. "People are surprised at how beautiful concrete can look," she said. Here, here
2017
January 10 - 12, Orlando, FL
NRMCA Dispatcher Training Forum
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
January 17-19, Kissimmee (Metro Orlando), FL
Effective RMC Supervisor Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
January 18, Sacramento, CA
Improving Concrete Quality
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
January 19, Ontario, CA
Improving Concrete Quality
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
January 24 - 26, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module III: General Business Knowledge
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
January 24 - 27, Kansas City, MO
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
February 6-10, Salt Lake City
Regional "Short Course"
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
February 21 - 24, Atlanta
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
March 4 - 6, Las Vegas, NV
Annual Convention
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
March 20 - 22, Atlanta
NRMCA Safety Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
March 21 - 23, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module IV: Professional Sales Skills
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
April 25 - 28, Seattle
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
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