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IN THIS ISSUE:
NEWS LINKS
PROMOTIONS
ASSOCIATION & INDUSTRY NEWS
ENGINEERING
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
CALENDAR
NEWS LINKS
Transportation groups and lawmakers say signs are improving that a final transportation funding bill could be agreed on by June 30. "I feel like people are worn out on this issue and would like to get something done," said Jeff Shoaf with the AGC. "I think the prospects are good." (See related item under Government Affairs.)
Source: An April 30 article in The Hill newspaper, as included in the May 1 edition of the AGC SmartBrief e-newsletter. Read more.
The value of U.S. construction in March rose by 6% compared to March 2011 numbers. Building projects in the manufacturing and power industries contributed to an 11.5% rise in private construction. "While it is great to see private sector activity coming back to life, it is unfortunate to see declining public sector demand dampen the industry's overall growth," said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America.
Source: A May 3 report by International Construction, as included in the May 7 AGC Smart Brief e-newsletter. Read more.
It turns out that proton beam cancer therapy is very good for the ready mix business. Something really huge is happening at Mayo Clinic's newest venture - the largest continuous concrete pour in the history of Rochester. More than 5,000 cubic yards or 540 mixer trucks' worth of concrete was poured at the clinic's new Proton Beam Therapy building.
Source: A May 4 report by KTTC television, the NBC affiliate that covers the Rochester, MN, market. Click here to read more and access a video clip.
The aftermath of earthquakes, major storms, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions is beginning to make building-sustainability experts consider adding points for "resilience" to the LEED sustainability rating tool. Keeping buildings operational after disasters is a major benefit, avoiding new investments in "embodied energy"—an issue inherent in any construction job, from cradle to grave.
Source: A May 1 posting on the Web site Laboratory Design. Read more.
PROMOTIONS
With help from NRMCA member Mike Pepper of Bayou Concrete, NRMCA Southeast Senior National Resource Director Amy Miller recently discussed the correct design of concrete parking lots with Thompson Engineering of Pensacola, FL. Attendees consisted of not only staff engineers but also contractors and engineers from other companies. The presentation proved to be very timely as some engineers were making design decisions related to a concrete parking lot.
"We received great feedback from those present on utilizing ACI 330 as well as inquiries on use of our design assistance program, in particular the joint diagram we offer," Miller said.
For more information, contact Amy Miller at amiller@nrmca.org.
Walmart has made changes to its standards which require heavy duty concrete pavements on all "truck spin" areas, reports NRMCA South Central Senior National Resource Director Vance Pool. What is a truck spin area? At the loading docks behind the stores, some stores require large enough areas to turn around an 18 wheeler. This is not an alternate, this requires concrete. So make sure that you keep an eye out for them on future projects, Pool advised.
As noted previously in E-NEWS, there are enough projects in Walmart's pipeline that a few could slide through under the old standards in the next few months. On another note, Walmart's new Express Store format requires concrete in all loading dock areas. Keep an eye out in North Carolina, Chicago and any other markets where they may appear, Pool said. And, as always, please let your national resource director know of any parking lot wins at Walmart so that NRMCA can estimate concrete's market share. "Working together we can do mare than working alone!"
For more information, contact Vance Pool at 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.
ASSOCIATION & INDUSTRY NEWS
The 2013 NRMCA Board of Directors' nomination process is underway. The NRMCA Nominating Committee must select director candidates from regions, member companies and one state association executive director to be elected to the NRMCA Board for the 2013-2016 term commencing at the end of the annual convention in San Antonio, TX, in March 2013. Please submit your nominations as soon as possible. The deadline for nominations is Friday, July 20.
Click here or contact NRMCA’s Deana Angelastro at dangelastro@nrmca.org for a nomination form.
The members of NRMCA’s Materials Division are proud to present the first in a series of self-guided PowerPoint presentations designed to help producer members educate their workforce on everything In the Mix. Available now in the Members’ Only section of nrmca.org, In the Mix: Color explores the various color systems, the benefits of adding color to your product line and best practices for utilizing color in ready mixed concrete. In the Mix: Color contains four separate modules you can use to educate your dispatchers, drivers, operations personnel and management. Also included is a gallery of color concrete projects. Visit the Members’ Only section of nrmca.org to get started.
In addition to In the Mix: Color, the series will include modules on cement, admixtures, fly ash and fibers. Stay tuned to E-NEWS to find out when more In the Mix becomes available.
For more information on the In the Mix series please contact, Kathleen Carr-Smith, NRMCA’s senior vice president, membership & communications at kcarrsmith@nrmca.org. For information on how to log on to NRMCA’s Member’s Only site, including usernames and passwords, please contact Kimberly Pittmon at kpittmon@nrmca.org.
Friday, April 27, was declared by a proclamation from Colorado’s Governor Hickenlooper, as "Concrete Day at the Capital". Over 500 legislators and staff were fed a complete barbecue lunch grilled on site. While eating, diners (shown below) were provided with industry literature and information regarding the importance of the concrete industry to Colorado’s
 economy.Sponsored by the Colorado Ready Mixed Concrete Association (CRMCA), the American Concrete Paving Association – Colorado/Wyoming Chapter and the Portland Cement Association, the purpose of this event was to recognize the hard work of the Colorado legislature and staff during one of the most difficult economic periods in Colorado history. A secondary purpose was to raise the awareness of the importance of the concrete industry to the state of Colorado’s economic growth.
"Despite wind gusts of up to 35 miles per hour, we had an extremely successful event," said CRMCA Executive Director Bernie Cawley. "Many legislators took the time out of their busy schedule to sit down with us and discuss how we can work together to improve Colorado’s business climate. We were also excited to have so much industry participation and could not conduct this size of event without a large group of dedicated volunteers".
ENGINEERING
NRMCA will offer the Concrete Durability Course on June 6-8 at the offices of the Colorado Ready Mixed Concrete Association in Denver. At this point there are sufficient number of registrants to hold the course so interested persons are requested to register as soon as possible to ensure planning for the course goes ahead. The course is taught by Michael Thomas, University of New Brunswick, and Kevin Folliard, University of Texas at Austin, and the NRMCA Engineering Staff.
The course provides a fundamental understanding of the nature of cement and concrete as they relate to durability of concrete. Topics will cover cracking, alkali aggregate reactions, sulfate attack, corrosion of reinforcing steel, freeze-thaw durability and other aspects. A group exercise will be facilitated to walk attendees through NRMCA ConcreteWorks software that can be used to develop concrete mixtures for durability. The course also discusses the new provisions for durability in ACI 318-11 and how specifications can be structured to address durability. Attendees at previous courses have given this program rave reviews.
This course also offers those with the NRMCA Level 3 certification to obtain the NRMCA Concrete Technologist Level 4 certification. It also provides additional learning units toward the NRMCA STEPS program. Please register early if you wish to attend.
Registration information and staff contact information can be found on NRMCA's Web site.
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
In addition to the current lobbying and grassroots efforts of the Government Affairs team in favor of a new, multiyear, fully-funded transportation bill that would include the NRMCA-supported fly ash language, NRMCA is also now addressing a new issue in the transportation debate. Starting this week, the NRMCA Government Affairs team began lobbying to oppose including language in a final compromised transportation bill that would direct the Secretary of Transportation to "prescribe regulation" mandating that commercial motor vehicles engaged in interstate commerce purchase, install and use electronic on-board recorders (EOBRs), instead of the current handwritten logbooks, for compliance with Hours of Service (HOS) regulations.
This same type of regulation has already been proposed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). However, unlike the Senate’s version, FMCSA is currently abiding by a federal court order to redo erroneous portions of the rule before it can be ready for implementation. Also different from the Senate’s version, FMCSA included a provision in its proposed rule to exempt short-haul operators like ready mixed concrete truck drivers. The low-end side estimate of the cost to the industry, based on FMCSA data, would be roughly $60 million just to meet the implementation timeline. This number does not include the annual cost for maintenance or operations. Responding to a letter for regulatory information last April from Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-8-OH), President Obama listed the EOBR rule as one of seven rules currently being proposed that will cost upwards of $1 billion to implement.
Due to the harmful potential of the Senate’s language on EOBRs, our message will be that the industry is opposed to mandating EOBRs. In addition to the cost arguments, the industry also does not need this to be forcefully imposed due to the shorter driving times and distances of short-haul operators. In addition, certain exemptions have already been afforded to short-haul operators to lessen the reporting burden, showing that EOBRs are not necessary for concrete trucks. Lastly, since FMCSA has already proposed such a rule, Congress’ intervention is unnecessary.
For more information, contact NRMCA's Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org.
This week, the NRMCA Government Affairs team is joining forces with a large contingent of trade groups and companies to "Flood the Hill" as part of a campaign to lobby the Senate to hold a vote on flood insurance legislation before the end of the month. Last July, the House passed the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2011 (H.R. 1309) with overwhelming bipartisan support. H.R. 1309 aims to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which has been held afloat by extensions since its expiration in 2007. More importantly, however, the bill includes language crafted and requested by NRMCA which directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to study whether more robust building codes can be integrated into the NFIP as criteria for participation in the program.
The Senate concluded committee work last September to consider a similar draft bill, S. 1940, which includes identical building codes study language. However, the full Senate has yet to act and reauthorize the NFIP with the NRMCA-supported building codes study language.
In addition to direct lobbying on Capitol Hill, phone calls, snail-mail, social media and press releases, the various participating groups are also engaged in grassroots efforts. Earlier this week NRMCA alerted association membership, urging them to send letters to their senators that ask Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to schedule a vote on the NFIP before it expires on May 31.
Click here to send a letter. Thank you in advance for your support and participation. For more information, contact Kerri Leininger at kleininger@nrmca.org or Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org.
To read government affairs-related stories that relate to the ready mixed concrete industry for the week of April 30 - May 4, 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.
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 15-16, Online Course
Dispatch Management | Strategy & Support for Managing Dispatch in Tough Times
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
May 17, Louisville, KY
Implementing Disaster Resilient Construction In Your Community
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
May 17, Webinar
Streets and Local Roads
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
May 21-24, Online Course
Life Cycle Assessment of Concrete Structures
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
May 22, Webinar
Re-Entrepreneuring
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
May 23, Nashua, NH
Handling Concrete Specifications, Low Strength Problems and Mixture Submittals
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
May 29, Webinar
Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Software
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
May 29, Webinar (Part 2 on June 5)
Designing & Specifying Pervious Concrete
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
May 30, Portsmouth, NH
Implementing Disaster Resilient Construction In Your Community
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
June 5, Webinar
The Quantifiable Advantages of Concrete Parking Lots
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
June 6, Webinar
Effectively Communicating Sustainability
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
June 6-8, Denver
Concrete Durability Course
Email: Karen Bean, 888-84-NRMCA, x1168
June 7, Webinar
ACI 330 R-08 – The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
June 25-28, Online Course
Concrete's Role in Sustainable Development
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
June 28, Webinar
Streets and Local Roads
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
July 3, Webinar
Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Software
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
July 3, Webinar (Part 2 on July 10)
Designing & Specifying Pervious Concrete
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
July 10, Webinar
The Quantifiable Advantages of Concrete Parking Lots
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
July 16-19, Online Course
Building Green with Concrete
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
July 26, Webinar
ACI 330 R-08 – The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
July 26, Acme, MI
Slabs: We've Got You Covered
Contact: Concrete Foundations Association's Ed Sauter, esauter@cfawalls.org
August 6-9, Online Course
Pervious Concrete—A Stormwater Solution
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
August 9, Webinar
Streets and Local Roads
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
August 14, Webinar
Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Software
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
August 14, Webinar (Part 2 on August 21)
Designing & Specifying Pervious Concrete
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
August 14-17, Silver Spring, MD
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
August 21, Webinar
The Quantifiable Advantages of Concrete Parking Lots
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
August 27-30, Online Course
Design of Concrete Pavements
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
September 4, Webinar
Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Software
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
September 4, Webinar (Part 2 on September 11)
Designing & Specifying Pervious Concrete
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
September 11, Webinar
The Quantifiable Advantages of Concrete Parking Lots
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
September 16-19, Metro Washington, DC
2012 NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks & Board of Directors Meeting
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
September 20, Webinar
Streets and Local Roads
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
October 2-5, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module I: Concrete 101
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
November 1, Webinar
Streets and Local Roads
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
November 5-9, Silver Spring, MD
Technical Short Course
Email: Karen Bean, 888-84-NRMCA, x1168
November 13-15, Silver Spring, MD
Effective RMC Supervisor Certification
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
December 4-6, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module II: Customer Business Knowledge
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
December 4-6, Orlando, FL
Environmental Professional Certification Course for the Ready Mixed Concrete Industry
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
December 11-14, Denver
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
2013
February 19-21, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module III: General Business Knowledge
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
March 19-21, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module IV: Sales Fundamentals
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
May 12-15, Chicago
Fifth North American Conference on Design and Use of Self-Consolidating Concrete
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May 9, 2012
 
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