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IN THIS ISSUE:
NEWS LINKS
PROMOTIONS
ENGINEERING
SUSTAINABILITY
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
CALENDAR
NEWS LINKS
Stronger than expected job creation and the beginning of a construction industry recovery means gains in real construction spending will materialize this year, according to a new forecast from the Portland Cement Association (PCA). PCA revised its fall forecast upward, anticipating a modest 3.7 percent increase in 2012, followed by a 7.6 percent jump in 2013 and a 14.1 percent increase in 2014. The forecast includes marginal improvements to nonresidential construction, an upward revision to housing starts and an aggressive cement intensity gain, which is the amount of cement used per real dollar of construction activity. Source: An April 30 PCA news release. Read more. ‘Self-healing’ concrete is being developed by researchers at Northumbria University in the United Kingdom which could see cracks in concrete buildings become a thing of the past. Dr. Alan Richardson, a senior lecturer in construction, is using a ground-borne bacteria – bacilli megaterium – to create calcite, a crystalline form of natural calcium carbonate. This can then be used to block the concrete’s pores, keeping out water and other damaging substances to prolong the life of the concrete.
Source: April 26 report in Science Daily. Read more. To cross country drivers who drive through South Dakota, the business known as Wall Drug needs no introduction. It's a landmark right off the interstate (do they still over free ice water?) that gets more than its fair share of vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Well, now that foot and wheel traffic will be treading on concrete. The road project began last fall, right after the Sturgis motorycle rally, and should be ready by mid-May. Source: Rapid City (SD) Journal for April 29. Read more. PROMOTIONS
In an effort to provide promotional support to its members, NRMCA is continually developing new collateral material focusing on specific benefits of concrete. One example is the recently released "Shedding Light on Concrete’s Reflectivity," a two-page handout that explains concrete’s role in reducing lighting requirements for parking lots. Following the format of that publication and building on recent promotion successes, NRMCA is now developing materials targeting auto dealerships. "Car dealerships have always been a great potential market for concrete parking lots," said NRMCA Senior National Resource Director Phil Kresge. "And with such a strong focus on sustainability, concrete pavements in these applications make more sense than ever. Concrete’s reflectivity not only allows significant savings in lighting, but also plays an important role in heat island mitigation. When you have acres of pavement on site, reducing the ambient air temperature is not only good for the environment, it’s also a welcome relief to your customers. And the added benefit of pervious concrete for stormwater management completes the picture." NRMCA is looking for your help to move this project forward. "We are looking for quality photographs of concrete pavement at auto dealers from all regions of the country," Kresge explained." Whether it’s new or 20 years old, the message is the same: concrete pavement delivers." A database of projects will be also developed, to be hosted on NRMCA’s www.ConcreteParking.com Web site for specifiers. If you have photos, project success stories or personal contacts with auto dealers from your region that you would be willing to share, please contact Phil Kresge at pkresge@nrmca.org. NRMCA South Central Senior National Resource Director Vance Pool reports that NRMCA, working with its local members, have secured the first known Walmart concrete parking lot in Nevada. "NRMCA is not aware of our industry ever winning a Walmart in Nevada; for that matter it is by far the westernmost penetration ever reported to us," Pool said. "We have seen wins in two or more new states for a number of years while working with Walmart. This is just one of many metrics that shows progress at this account, with new states projected to be added at an accelerated pace in the next few years." The 8,000 cubic yards of concrete paving won head-to-head on first cost against asphalt, despite an estimated $200,000 in unneeded rock in the concrete design, Pool said. With the 2,000 cubic yards of concrete in the slab that makes the project total 10,000 CY. "Don’t forget ALL Walmart stores have a concrete alternate, so please make sure and bid them with your best paving partners," Pool said. For more information contact vpool@nrmca.org. NRMCA's national resource directors have one upcoming Webinar scheduled, so be sure to click on the link below for more information or contact NRMCA's Jessica Walgenbach at jwalgenbach@nrmca.org.
ENGINEERING
The 23rd National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Computer Modeling Workshop will be held from July 16–18, 2012 at the NIST headquarters in Gaithersburg, MD. The workshop focuses primarily on the use of computer models for understanding and predicting the properties of concrete materials. A consistent theme is how experimental materials science data can combine synergistically with computational materials science results to help solve the complex problems of concrete. The workshop is tutorial in nature and is intended to be useful both to those who would like to learn how computer models can contribute to their experimental work and to those who themselves perform computer modeling research. Lectures will be given by NIST personnel and by distinguished researchers in academia and government. In addition, each attendee is encouraged to give a 15-minute presentation on his or her technical interests. For registration and more information, please visit the workshop’s Web site or contact workshop coordinator Jeff Bullard at bullard@nist.gov or 301-975-5725. 
SUSTAINABILITY
This is the final week to pre-register for NRMCA’s International Concrete Sustainability Conference which is being held May 7-10 at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel. The 7th annual conference will provide attendees with the latest developments related to design, specifying, manufacturing, testing, construction, maintenance and research of concrete as they relate to sustainability. LEED 2012, Architecture 2030, the International Green Construction Code, Envision, Greenroads, Life Cycle Assessment and Environment Product Declarations are just a few of the topics that will be presented by over 60 world renowned experts. Researchers, academics, students, engineers, architects, contractors, concrete producers, public works officials, material suppliers and concrete industry professionals are invited attend the conference. Visit www.concretesustainabilityconference.org to register and make hotel reservations. GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
To read government affairs-related stories that relate to the ready mixed concrete industry for the week of April 23 - 27, 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 Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org. NRMCA encourages you to join our industry allies on Capitol Hill on May 30-31 for the Transportation Construction Coalition’s (TCC) 2012 Legislative Fly-in and make the case to "Make Transportation Job #1". Despite the clear interest from bipartisan leaders in the House and Senate, long-term transportation reauthorization legislation remains elusive in the 112th Congress. The highway and transit program authorization expired on September 30, 2009, and these programs have been operating on short-term extensions ever since. Congress needs to understand the impact this inaction has on state transportation programs and the transportation construction industry. With the construction industry’s unemployment rate over 17 percent, the highest of any industry and nearly double the all-industry rate, inaction is not an option. Come to Washington, DC, and tell your elected officials there is no one piece of legislation now before Congress that could do more to immediately create jobs and boost U.S. competitiveness than the transportation bill. Now is the time to demand action. Reduced federal investment undermines state and local transportation programs and hurts the construction industry: contractors, material suppliers, designers, equipment manufacturers and labor. More than that it threatens the nation’s global competitiveness, economic growth and the freedom of mobility that Americans treasure. This year’s meeting will be held at the Marriott Metro Center, 775 12th Street, NW, Washington, DC. To make your reservation call reservations at 1-800-228-9290. Click here to register for the event. For more information, contact NRMCA’s Kerri Leininger at kleininger@nrmca.org. PRODUCTS & SERVICES
The NRMCA May Internet Spotlight, good through Tuesday, June 5, is the Environmental Management for the RMC Industry manual. This document outlines best industry practices for water management, air quality management, admixture, chemical and fuel storage issues, noise management, hazardous waste management, best management practice for fleet maintenance shops, plant aesthetics, plant closures, environmental security and sustainability issues. The publication also describes the organizational makeup of regulatory bodies (Environmental Protection Agency and state and local environmental departments) that govern the ready mixed concrete industry and describes agency inspection and tips for preparation of EPA audits. Order online today and receive 20% off. Regular member price is $75, Internet Special is $60, plus shipping. Please use Discount Code ISMAY12 to receive the online discount. CALENDAR
*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site. May 15, Pewaukee, WI |
May 2, 2012
 
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