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Association & Industry News
The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) has named NRMCA Senior Vice President, Codes and Standards, Shamim Rashid-Sumar, PE, FSFPE, its president-elect. Rashid-Sumar is a fire protection engineer with over two decades of experience in the profession. In her current role at NRMCA, she works with national model building codes and standards organizations, advocating for resilient and sustainable construction, and provides technical support regarding codes, standards and regulations to legislators at the national, state and local levels.
The estimated ready mixed concrete produced in November is 28.6 million cubic yards, 12.3% lower than in November 2023. The estimated production in the U.S. through November is 352 million cubic yards, approximately 5.6% lower than that during the same period in 2023. Ready mixed concrete production is estimated from cement shipments reported by the U.S. Geological Survey. More detail is available here for NRMCA members under Production Statistics. CONCRETEPAC sponsorship opportunities will remain open for the fall event, but if you want to get the most bang for your buck, sign up by February 14. Sponsorship recognition materials for the Hollywood Under the Stars Dinner & Auction will be going to print on February 17.
CONCRETEPAC’s Hollywood Under the Stars Dinner & Auction will take place on Thursday, March 6, at the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass in conjunction with NRMCA’s Annual Convention. Please join us for a fun night as we pay tribute to the Golden Age of Hollywood while enjoying dinner and a couple of French 75’s. The night will feature an open bar, dinner, live entertainment by AZ Dueling Pianos, access to the live and silent auction and CONCRETEPAC’s annual door prize drawing where you will have the chance to win a 2025 Polaris Xpedition XP or $30,000 cash. Space is limited and this event WILL SELL OUT so don’t delay. For information on how to register, contact Heather Houck. 
Buildings
 On February 7, NRMCA Senior Director, Building Innovations, Frank Mruk promoted NRMCA/Build With Strength resources at the Buffalo/Western New York Architects Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) winter event held at the Holiday Valley Resort in Ellicottville, NY (seen here along with CSI Buffalo Board members, left to right, are Bill Ferguson, Simonswerk; Frank Mruk, Brad Vaillancourt, Trautman Associates; Deb Siener, Foit-Albert Associates; Bob Rumpl, Trautman Associates; Bob Kimmel, Pella; Dave Rood, WeatherPanel and Jim Bourgeois of Marino/Ware). The 7th annual CSI winter event drew more than 150 architects and 20 sponsors from throughout Western New York. Founded in 1958, the CSI Buffalo-Western New York Chapter enjoys a diverse background of over 65 architects and specifiers, and prides itself on maintaining the highest standards set by the Institute. For more information, contact Frank Mruk at fmruk@nrmca.org. Concrete professionals and enthusiasts from Mississippi and beyond gathered for an engaging and informative Day of Concrete hosted by the Mississippi Concrete Association (MCA). Held on January 30 at MCA’s Pearl office, the event proved to be a valuable resource for all attendees, reports NRMCA Vice President, Building Innovations, Michael Wymant.
 NRMCA Senior Director, Building Innovations, Brandon Wray recently presented to members of the American Society of Civil Engineers' (ASCE) Structural Engineering Institute's (SEI) North American Structural Engineering Sustainability Symposium where he discussed the foundational prospectus that we are 25 years away from the collective 2050 net zero targets set by various industry groups. That talking point then segued into actionable items that designers can implement to keep this process moving forward. Wray focused on the importance of designers working alongside producers and concrete industry experts to efficiently plan and execute low carbon concrete projects. Foundational talking points included collaboration around incorporating performance-based specifications and establishing holistic carbon budgets. Such actions ultimately result in projects that allow the concrete producers and contractors to strategically and surgically incorporate low carbon concrete in the most effective manner possible, stated Wray. For more information on the event or access to the recording and slides once available, contact Brandon Wray at bwray@nrmca.org. 
NRMCA leaders attended the 2025 ASHRAE Winter Conference held in Orlando, FL, earlier this month to advocate for concrete construction in upcoming building standards. Three key Association staff members participated: Darryl Dixon, AIA, senior director, energy codes and standards; Julian Mills-Beale, PhD, director of civil/structural codes and standards; and Tiffany Reed-Villarreal, PE, director of sustainability codes and standards.
Pavement
NRMCA Senior Director, Local Paving, Luke McHugh and Senior Vice President, Local Paving, Phil Kresge recently taught a full-day Concrete Parking Lot Boot Camp for Milis Flatwork in Kaukauna, WI. Boot Camp topics included an in-depth review of ACI 330, concrete overlays, NRMCA’s Design Assistance Program, using Pavementdesigner.org and pavement Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA). This is the third time in the last 12 years that Milis Flatwork has engaged NRMCA to train additional key staff. For more information, contact Luke McHugh at lmchugh@nrmca.org. Join Dr. Haoran Li and Dr. Hessam AzariJafari on Thursday, February 27, at 11 a.m. Eastern time as they share insights from the recently published streamlined life cycle assessment (LCA) tool for pavements. This tool helps optimize pavement design and improve long-term performance forecasting. The presentation will cover strategies for addressing LCA complexities and data uncertainty as well as demonstrate how sustainable solutions can be identified through case studies. Click here to register. This research was funded by the Concrete Advancement Foundation. To learn more about the Foundation’s work, visit www.concreteadvancement.org or contact Julia Garbini at jgarbini@concreteadvancement.org. For more information about the MIT CSHub, visit https://cshub.mit.edu. 
Learning & Development
NRMCA's Concrete Durability Course provides ready mix professionals with the critical knowledge and skills necessary to ensure that the industry produces high-quality and durable concrete products and structures. Learners enrolled in this course will gain insight into the mechanisms that impact concrete durability; learn to identify and evaluate the deterioration of concrete; and how to review methods to prevent and mitigate durability problems. Topics will cover the concrete microstructure, cracking, corrosion mechanisms, freeze-thaw resistance, sulfate resistance, alkali aggregate reactions (AAR) and other durability-related distress. Professionals enrolled in the course will benefit from the expert instruction of leading figures in the study of concrete durability. These experienced educators and researchers administering the course include Kevin Folliard, Ph.D., professor of civil engineering at the University of Texas at Austin; Anton Schindler, Ph.D., P.E., professor of civil engineering at Auburn University and Colin Lobo, Ph.D., P.E., NRMCA executive vice president of engineering. The Concrete Durability Course will be offered from May 5 - 7 in Fort Lauderdale, FL, as part of NRMCA’s Spring Semester Series. Click here to register for this course or other courses in the Spring Semester Series. Learners enrolling in more than one course in the semester will receive discounted registration fees. Click here to browse the complete list of 2025 NRMCA educational offerings. 
Calendar
*Please click here to access Your 2025 NRMCA Course Calendar March 4 - 7, Tucson, AZ October 10 - 14, Orlando, FL 
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