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Association & Industry News
NRMCA is accepting nominations for the the annual Concrete Cares Award, established by the Manufacturers, Products & Services (MPS) Division to recognize outstanding contributions in community service by an NRMCA producer member company, through this Friday, February 2. With ready mixed concrete plants in almost every community in America, NRMCA member companies are making a real difference. From Earth Day celebrations to organized volunteering for Boys & Girls Clubs, local schools and recreation departments, to raising awareness for breast cancer screenings, ready mixed producers are at work every day in their communities. In today’s competitive marketplace, even a small investment can lead to a big return through NRMCA’s targeted sponsorship program. Whether you want to spend $500 or $5,000, NRMCA’s sponsorship program increases exposure and puts you and your products in front of ready mixed concrete producers. With over 6,000 members and partners in the ready mixed concrete industry who rely on NRMCA for training and information, NRMCA is a powerful force in the ready mixed concrete industry around the globe. Click here to examine the numerous opportunities in the NRMCA Sponsorship Program to reach key buying influencers in the industry. Regardless of your budget, you’ll find opportunities that can deliver to a powerful, receptive audience at an affordable cost. Sponsorship opportunities are limited and sold on a first-come, first-serve basis, so act fast to ensure your company can take advantage of this offer. Custom packages are also available by contacting Kathleen Carr-Smith at 240-485-1145 or kcarrsmith@nrmca.org. 
Engineering
NRMCA is offering its information-packed, one-day course, Handling Concrete Specifications, Low Strength Problems and Mixture Submittals, intended for concrete producers, contractors, engineers and testing labs on Wednesday, May 23, in Bozeman, MT, in association with the Montana Contractors Association. This one-day course will discuss the latest changes to the code and specification requirements (ACI 318, 301, ASTM C94) governing ready mixed concrete. The Transportation Research Board (TRB) will conduct a Webinar on Wednesday, February 14, from 2 - 3:30 p.m. Eastern time that will provide an overview about the state-of-the-practice for roller-compacted concrete (RCC) pavements. RCC is placed with conventional or high-density asphalt paving equipment and then compacted with rollers. This Webinar will focus on information in Technical Brief FHWA-HIF-16-003. It will illustrate the uses for RCC, as well as materials, mixtures, construction and design approaches of RCC pavements. Presenters will discuss lessons learned and discuss a case study from a state that used RCC. This Webinar was organized by the TRB Standing Committees on Design and Rehabilitation of Concrete Pavements, and Concrete Pavement Construction and Rehabilitation. Click here for more information. For registration questions, contact Reggie Gillum at RGillum@nas.edu. SEO
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that challenges to the controversial 2015 Waters of the United States Rule (WOTUS) belong in federal district courts and not in federal appellate courts. This development will likely lift the current nationwide stay on the rule, allowing it to go into effect in certain states. However, the Trump Administration is currently working on a rewrite of the 2015 WOTUS rule and has proposed a delay in the effective date of the rule until 2020; NRMCA has supported the rewrite and provided public comments. This timeframe will allow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ample time to finalize a new WOTUS rule more suitable to ready mixed concrete operations. NRMCA will communicate any new WOTUS compliance dates and guidance should an effective date arrive before EPA finalizes its new rule. Click here to review the court’s decision and here for more information on EPA’s 2015 WOTUS Rule. You may also contact Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org. Remember, staring February 1, all employers need to display their OSHA 300A log where all employees have access to it. The summary log needs to stay posted until April 30, 2018. Click here for more information on OSHA recordkeeping requirements. click here to access OSHA 300A forms and instructions. For more information, contact Gary Mullings or Kevin Walgenbach. The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) put into law in 1986 requires industries to report on the “storage, use and releases of hazardous chemicals (and materials) to federal, state, and local governments.” This specific reporting requirement under EPCRA is commonly referred to as Community Right-to-Know (CRTK) reporting, Tier II reporting, and/or Section 311/312 reporting. The reporting deadline is Thursday, March 1. Click here to learn more about EPCRA, chemical/material thresholds and how to report. For more information, contact Gary Mullings or Kevin Walgenbach. It’s hard to believe that half the Winter/early Spring 2018 classes have been completed. The good news is that three vital classes remain. Use the slower winter months to increase your staff’s skills! • Plant Manager Certification Course, February 20-23, Albuquerque, NM (10 sets left) • Plant Manager Certification Course, March 27-30, Louisville, KY (14 seats left) • NRMCA Safety Course, April 10-12, Orlando, FL For further information, contact Meghan Callahan at mcallahan@nrmca.org or 240-485-1135. 
Buildings
NRMCA and Build With Strength just released a new video illustrating how and why unsafe, light-framed, combustible construction became such a dangerous issue facing our communities. If you find yourself asking, “If these buildings are so dangerous, why are they permitted?” you aren’t alone. Thanks to changes made to the International Building Code since 2000 (and in subsequent editions), most states allow buildings to be constructed with five wood-framed stories on top of a concrete podium. The thought was that by building atop non-combustible concrete, these fires could be limited and/or mitigated. Yet regardless of the presence of a concrete podium, over the last several weeks and months there have been a number of large, devastating wood-frame apartment complex fires. In fact, there have been dozens over the last few years. Last year's weather caused more property damage -- $306 billion – than any prior year. Industry proponents of building safer, more resilient infrastructure often state the 2005 Multihazard Mitigation Council finding that each dollar spent on mitigation saves an average of four dollars. Now, more than a decade after releasing its original report, a new report by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) titled Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2017 Interim Report, reiterates the benefits of investing in mitigation.
Pavement
NRMCA Pavement Engineer Amanda Hult and Florida Concrete & Products Association’s Director of Concrete Pavements Santiago Rodriguez recently met with engineering firms Chen-Moore and CES Consultants out of south Florida to discuss pervious concrete design. Both firms agreed that pervious concrete is necessary for many land development projects in the state. “With high land costs and robust stormwater requirements, pervious concrete seems like a no brainer for new developments,“ one engineer stated. Maintenance was a topic of discussion, with both firms citing it as a potential concern for local municipalities. Hult shared the Pervious Concrete Pavement Maintenance and Operations Guide with the group and encouraged attendees to use the guide as a talking point with municipal officials. Attendees were also provided information on the new Pavementdesigner.org site. The design engineers liked the ability to use one software for several types of pavement design. For more information, contact Amanda Hult at ahult@nrmca.org. 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 January 22 - 26, 2018, 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 Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org. 
March 27 – 29, Silver Spring, MD March 27 – 30, Louisville, KY April 10 – 12, Orlando, FL May 23, Bozeman, MT December 11 – 14, Austin, TX Calendar
*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site. February 5 – 9, Dallas *Sold Out Tuesday, February 13, Webinar February 13, Nashville, TN Tuesday, February 20, Webinar February 20 – 22, Nashville, TN February 20 – 23, Albuquerque, NM March 3 - 5, Houston March 15, Atlanta 
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