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ConcreteWorks
POLITICO Bureau Chief and Senior Political Columnist Jonathan Martin is set to speak at the General Session at NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks 2024. With a career spanning top roles at The New York Times and POLITICO, the highly regarded Martin brings unparalleled expertise in American politics, fueled by deep connections and an extensive network of sources across both parties. Known for his insightful analysis and compelling storytelling, he offers a unique perspective on the latest political developments and their broader implications. Martin's ConcreteWorks session, Making Sense of Today’s Politics, promises a rich exploration of current political trends discussed in his acclaimed book, This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America’s Future. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from a journalist who bridges the gap between Washington insiders and the wider public with unmatched clarity and depth. For more information, contact Senior Director of Meetings Jessica Walgenbach at jwalgenbach@nrmca.org. Click here to access registration, the exhibitor prospectus and more.
Last week, Build With Strength Director, Building Innovations, Justin McCain presented An Elemental Approach to Decarbonizing Concrete at the Texas Lone Star Sustainability Forum in San Antonio. The forum, hosted by the Institute for Leadership in Capital Projects, had a focused theme this year of "Elemental" – Making an Impact Through the Built Environment. The event was attended by over 150 key decision makers, including project owners, architects, general contractors and engineers.
McCain’s presentation provided four key takeaways: 1) A review of NRMCA’s sustainability goals and initiatives working toward carbon neutrality; 2) A look at the materials and strategies that are available today to reduce concrete’s embodied carbon; 3) A glance to the future to explore innovations that are in the works to reduce emissions and 4) Addressing the sustainability-resilience relationship to quantify long term value.
Engineering
The AASHTO Committee on Materials and Pavements (COMP) met during the week of August 4 in Madison, WI, with representatives from most state highway agencies in attendance. A new compilation of AASHTO full and provisional standards was published on July 31. Technical subcommittees 3a on cementitious materials, 3b on fresh concrete and 3c on hardened concrete are working on revisions to several standards. Many of these revisions are for consistency with current versions of ASTM standards, if there are equivalent versions.
SEO
The SEO Committee is now soliciting NRMCA members for Carpenter-Mullings Award nominations. Carpenter-Mullings Award recipients are singled out for their outstanding lifetime contribution to the ready mixed concrete industry in the field of operations, safety or environmental. Nominees may be ready mixed concrete company employees, manufacturers or suppliers to the industry or association staff members. They can be active, retired or deceased. Nominations are tendered and reviewed annually; however, awards are only given when deemed appropriate by the SEO Committee. Nominations for the award are solicited annually from the members of the SEO Committee. A task group of active past winners will review the submissions and present their nominee for approval of the full committee at the fall SEO Committee meeting. Results will be announced immediately. The award will be presented at the 2025 NRMCA Annual Convention. The nominations deadline is Friday, September 13. Click here for more information and to review the nomination form. The staff contact is Kevin Walgenbach. 
NRMCA's Ready Mixed Concrete Delivery Professional Driver of the Year Award, now in its 29th year and sponsored by the Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau (TMMB), acknowledges the significant contribution of ready mixed concrete truck drivers to the growth and success of individual companies and the ready mixed concrete industry. As a salute to these key members of the concrete production and delivery team, the award recognizes the driver’s career achievement, safety, professionalism, competence and customer service skills in a manner that will enhance the industry and public image of the career of Ready Mixed Concrete Delivery Professional. The award winner will be honored at a presentation ceremony at NRMCA’s Annual Convention in Tucson, AZ, in March 2025. Applications must be e-mailed to DOY@nrmca.org by by November 30. Click here for more information and to review the entry form. The staff contact is Kevin Walgenbach. Buildings
The next Concrete Innovations session, titled Measuring Performance, will be held online Wednesday, August 21, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern time. This session will explore how the concrete industry is measuring its progress to carbon neutrality while maintaining high in-place performance and constructability. The first presentation discusses low carbon solutions implemented at the San Francisco International Airport. The second addresses how admixtures can provide solutions for pumping, placing, consolidation and finishing challenges with innovative materials. The third will present a responsible sourcing certification that provides assurance that concrete production meets stringent environmental, social, management and economic sustainability criteria. The final presentation will discuss the concrete industry’s journey toward carbon neutrality and future plans to accelerate the drive to carbon neutrality.
Build With Strength recently participated in a two-day conference held by a Colorado-based laboratory centered on how to accelerate the transition to low carbon cement and concrete solutions. NRMCA Senior Director, Building Innovations, Patrick Matsche attended the event hosted by the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) in Golden. "The meeting focused on emerging technologies and how those solutions can be merged with current and future industry needs," said Matsche who was joined by his NRMCA colleague Tiffany Reed-Villareal, Todd Ohlheiser of the Colorado Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Portland Cement Association's Michelle Wilson and several NRMCA member companies. (Shown here are, from left to right, Ana Aday, PhD, NREL; Dorian Krause, PE, Pathways/CLF; Reed-Villarreal, Mikaela DeRousseau, Building Transparency/CLF; Hailey Goodale, EIT, Colorado DOT and Matsche.)
Last week, NRMCA Senior Director, Building Innovations, and Northeast Region Construction Specification Institute (CSI) Vice President Frank Mruk participated in the institute’s Northeast Region Summer Board Meeting, an event that included leadership and chapter presidents from the region's 14 chapters: Boston, Buffalo, Eastern NY, Hartford, Housatonic, Long Island, Metro NY, New Jersey, Northern New England, Rhode Island, Rochester, Syracuse, Vermont and Worcester. Among the items discussed was the Northeast Region CSI 2025 Conference scheduled for May 2025 in Plymouth, MA. CSI is a national association of more than 6,000 construction industry professionals, many of whom are experts in building construction and the materials used therein and are dedicated to improving the communication of construction information. The Build With Strength program is a leader in supporting architects and specifiers in the specification of high-performance, energy-efficient concrete buildings. For more information, contact Frank Mruk at fmruk@nrmca.org.
Pavement
NRMCA Senior Directors Greg Halsted (Local Paving) and Patrick Matsche (Building Innovations) along with Diane Warner, executive director of the Northwest Cement Council (NCC), recently met with members of the leadership team for the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program (IBRP) to discuss how cement and concrete applications could meet the longevity, durability and sustainability targets for the Columbia River bridge replacement project. Assistance was offered to IBRP, including concrete mix design review, guide specification assistance and CO2 reduction calculations. The meeting was an excellent first step to ensure that all participants were on the same page to have a successful project completion, Halsted said. The IBRP will replace the aging Interstate 5 bridge that connects Portland, OR, and Vancouver, WA, with aims to improve safety, reduce congestion and enhance mobility for vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and public transit users. Slated to break ground in late 2025, the IBRP is a $6 billion, 10- to 15-year project that will include new roadways and interchanges, light rail expansion, and shared use paths in addition to a new earthquake-resilient, multimodal Interstate 5 bridge. Greg Johnson, the program administrator for IBRP, called the meeting “timely” and looked forward to continued discussions. Halsted, Matsche and Warner assured IBRP staff that they would be with them every step of the way on their project while also emphasizing the assistance available through NRMCA's Pave Ahead and Build With Strength programs and the NCC. For more information on the IBRP, contact Greg Halsted at ghalsted@nrmca.org or Patrick Matsche at pmatsche@nrmca.org. 
Learning & Development
As part of NRMCA’s ongoing overhaul of its curriculum, the STEPS program will be put on hold while it is being tailored to the association’s new and improved learning and development plan. The Association is proud of the comprehensive options for professional development it has long provided members through the program and it is determined to continue offering ready mix professionals the agency to determine their own career paths while acquiring the necessary skills and knowledge to do so with confidence. Each stage of NRMCA’s education overhaul will be influenced by input from members and the STEPS program is no exception. Beginning this week, members will have the opportunity to respond to a brief member insight survey which will greatly help the Association to design educational content according to their needs and desires. Additionally, members are invited to speak directly with Senior Vice President, Learning and Development, Jeannette Munroe by phone or email to contribute their ideas and suggestions regarding the future of the STEPS program. For more information, contact Jeannette Munroe at jmunroe@nrmca.org or 703-706-4864. As NRMCA’s Learning and Development team designs the Association’s new educational programs, member insight is valued above all else. Accordingly, members are encouraged to respond to the 2024 Education Member Insight Survey. The survey should take roughly six minutes to complete and will be available to members for a period of two weeks, from August 14 to August 28. This is an opportunity for members to help guide the future of the Association’s learning and professional development content, ensuring that it will be effectively adapted to their needs and interests. NRMCA greatly appreciates responses to this survey which will significantly inform the Association’s process of redesigning its educational offerings. For more information, contact Jeannette Munroe at jmunroe@nrmca.org or 703-706-4864. Calendar
Please note that links for more information and registration for each entry can be accessed here. August 27, Los Angeles September 9 - 13, Baltimore *Sold Out September 10 - 12, Sacramento, CA *Limited Seating September 25, Metro Kansas City October 10 - 14, Denver October 15 - 18, Denver November 20 - 22, Oklahoma City December 3 - 5, Orlando, FL December 10 - 12, Denver 2025 January 28 - 31, Albuquerque, NM February 11 - 13, Antioch, TN *Limited Seating March 4 - 7, Tucson, AZ March 18 - 20, Denver March 18 - 21, Oklahoma City April 8 - 11, Orlando, FL October 10 - 14, Orlando, FL 
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