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IN THIS ISSUE:
NEWS LINKS
PROMOTIONS
ASSOCIATION & INDUSTRY NEWS
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
EDUCATION &TRAINING
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
CALENDAR
NEWS LINKS
Housing prices have now risen for the last year in more than half of major U.S. cities, marking a milestone in the historic housing collapse that set off the 2007-2009 recession and now may be nearing an end. The S&P/Case-Shiller home price index rose 2.2% in May, beating economists' forecasts, as all 20 of the nation's largest metropolitan areas posted gains from April. More important, 12 of the 20 cities now have higher prices than they did a year ago, suggesting that the improvement is durable, the report said.
Source: July 31 posting by USA Today. Read more.
The mixer trucks owned by Smith Concrete in Poca, WV, often display decals from a variety of worthy causes which have a connection to the struggles of some of the company's employees. Employees and area residents are pleased with the trucks and displays of more causes will be shown in the future.
Source: July 28 edition of The Charleston Gazette. Read more.
Patience and the ability to deal with stress are key virtues when it comes to being a mixer driver, says Fernando Pereira, a driver with Lafarge North America who operates from the company's Milton, Ontario, plant. He cited the sometimes frustrating traffic conditions and long waits at job sites as two prime concerns. And though there's physical demands, the job is more mentally draining, says Pereira.
Source: August 7 posting by the Daily Commercial News and Construction Record. Read more.
When we think of wine, we imagine underground cellars filled with wooden barrels. But that could change thanks to the growing popularity of "concrete eggs." E-NEWS has featured links on this topic before; this latest one comes from a July 23 posting on The Huffington Post. Although concrete has been used in winemaking since the 19th century, the new egg shape's lack of dead corners provides better uniformity of the liquid's composition and helps it maintain a more constant temperature. Read more.
PROMOTIONS
As reported in late May by NRMCA Senior National Resource Director Jon Hansen, a number of school districts were looking at concrete options for replacing their existing asphalt parking lots. One of the recently completed projects is the Monache High School located in Porterville, CA. "NRMCA’s involvement began in April 2012 when I received a call from the facilities director for the school district asking about our Design Assistance Program (DAP) that he learned about from our Web site," Hansen said. "My colleauge Amanda Hult prepared a jointing plan and confirmed the concrete thickness determined locally. The DAP then became part of the bid documents."
During the design and material selection phase of the project, solar reflectance was a priority of the facilities director for reason revealed below, but not for the school's Board of Directors. Subsequently, Board members have commented about how they are surprised that the concrete parking lot is so much cooler than the old asphalt.
The project was constructed by the Toneman Concrete Corporation which has done work for many NRMCA national clients. The school district gave Toneman a fairly short schedule for rebuilding the parking lot because a system of solar panels is being installed on the new lot and the project needs to be completed before the start of school on Monday, August 13.
You can learn more about the Porterville School solar commitment here. For more information, contact Jon Hansen at jhansen@nrmca.org or Tom Tietz with the California Nevada Cement Association at tom.tietz@cncement.org.
Tilt-up construction recently allowed the Schuyler Community Schools in Schuyler, NE, to meet the rural Nebraska school district’s budgetary and schedule requirements for its new elementary school. Construction of the new school involved erection of approximately 50 tilt-up concrete panels, just under 16 feet tall, and needed to be completed in less than a year. During the pre-construction phase, the designer and general contractor worked closely with the school district to significantly reduce the cost of the project and make it more appealing to taxpayers who would need to approve the bond. Thus, the team turned to tilt-up concrete panels for the building envelope to offer economic and energy conservation benefits.
The end result was a 57,000 square foot building that met the district’s $95 per square foot budget and time line requirements. In fact, the final costs of $30-$40 per square foot was under typical pricing for new elementary schools. In addition to the building, a new 40,000 square foot concrete parking lot was also installed. Since project completion this spring, Schuyler Community Schools has received a government bond to expand classroom space for 4th and 5th grades. The current school houses grades K-3. The new addition will also be tilt-up concrete construction.
Source: Portland Cement Association Executive Report e-newsletter for August 6. For more information, contact Doug Burns at dburns@cement.org.
NRMCA's national resource directors have two Webinars set for the next couple of weeks, one on streets and local roads promotion and the other on Concrete Pavement Analyst software. Click on the links below to learn more or contact NRMCA's Jessica Walgenbach at jwalgenbach@nrmca.org.
ASSOCIATION & INDUSTRY NEWS
NRMCA is proud to recognize the Association’s newest members who joined after January 2012. This addendum also highlights member updates since the original directory’s publication.
The addendum is available to download from NRMCA’s Web site.
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
A host of publications have reported on presidential politics, transportation, infrastructure, regulation, heath care, taxes and other subjects, each of which relate to the ready mixed concrete industry. To access these articles for the week of July 30 - August 3, 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.
EDUCATION &TRAINING
Educational Activities Committee (EAC) Chair Patsy Bergquist extends a warm invitation to all attendees at NRMCA's ConcreteWorks Conference & Expo to attend the 2012 Fall EAC Meeting, Saturday, September 15, from 1-2:30 p.m., at the Gaylord Hotel, National Harbor, MD.
These tough times make it a challenge for industry staff to participate in training. Nevertheless, EAC continues to offer vital insight about what short- and long-term preparations are needed that positively impact the professionalism and growth of staff. Please join us for a frank discussion about what your company could use to keep employees performing at a national standard. That includes foreseeable publications, classes, Webinars and out-of-box ideas: creative input is most welcome.
For more information, contact staff EAC liaison Eileen Dickson at edickson@nrmca.org or 240-485-1164.
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
NRMCA's August Internet Spotlight, good through Tuesday, September 4, are the Concrete In Practice topics (single set). Available in English and Spanish, Concrete In Practice is a series of 42 one-page information sheets on important technical topics, written in a non-technical "What, Why and How?" format. Give them to contractors and they'll know that you deliver quality and value and make them a part of your promotion and education program.
Order online (or here for Spanish) today and receive 25% off. Regular member price is $27, Internet Special $20.25, plus shipping. Please use Discount Code ISAUG12 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.
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 21, Webinar (Part 2)
Designing & Specifying Pervious Concrete
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
August 21, Webinar
Green Star Auditor Certification
Email: Gary Mullings, 888-84-NRMCA, x1161
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 5-7, Silver Spring, MD
NRMCA Concrete Durability Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
September 7, Glen Allen, VA
Adopting Disaster Resilient Construction at the Local Level
Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535
September 11, Webinar
The Quantifiable Advantages of Concrete Parking Lots
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
September 11, Webinar (Part 2)
Designing & Specifying Pervious Concrete
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
September, 27, Cambridge, MA
Annual MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub Research Progress Update
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
October 23-25, Silver Spring, MD
Effective RMC Supervisor Course
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
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, CO
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
December 12-13, Doha, Qatar
International Concrete Technology Forum
Email: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101
2013
February 19-21, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module III: General Business Knowledge
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
March 3-5, San Antonio, TX
NRMCA Annual Convention
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
March 19-21, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module IV: Sales Fundamentals
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
May 6-8, San Francisco, CA
International Concrete Sustainability Conference
Email: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101
May 12-15, Chicago, IL
Fifth North American Conference on Design and Use of Self-Consolidating Concrete
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August 8, 2012
 
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