With the first half of 2012 experiencing favorable weather conditions, gains in residential and nonresidential construction activity, and robust gains in cement intensities, the new Portland Cement Association forecast nearly doubles the expected increase in cement consumption for the year. PCA revised its spring forecast upward, anticipating a 6.9 percent increase in 2012 from 2011 levels, followed by a 5.8 percent gain in 2013, and a double-digit increase of 10.9 percent in 2014.

The forecast points to both changes in construction activity and cement intensity as the key contributors to cement consumption growth. Cement intensity is the amount of cement used per real dollar of construction activity. Because cement usage is greatest at the early stages of a construction project, PCA estimates the drop in construction starts were responsible for roughly 75 percent of the cement declines during the recession. However, the report does caution that uncertainty will characterize the near-term economic outlook and inhibit stronger growth conditions from materializing.

In an effort to increase the awareness of certification opportunities for concrete professionals while promoting the advantages of such programs, eight concrete associations have joined forces to form the Concrete Industry Certification Consortium (CICC). Comprised of the American Concrete Pumping Association (ACPA), Architectural Precast Association (APA), Concrete Foundations Association (CFA), Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association (CSDA), International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI), National Precast Concrete Association (NPCA), Post-Tensioning Institute (PTI) and the Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA), the Concrete Industry Certification Consortium is a non-profit clearinghouse dedicated to serving those interested in improving the quality and safety of concrete construction and renovation.

If only Honest Abe could manage a smile as he gazes from his perch at his memorial in Washington, DC. Why would Mr. Lincoln be pleased? Because 7 1/2 acres of specially tinted concrete were poured to form the new Reflecting Pool which lies between the Lincoln and World War II memorials in our nation's capital. The new pool replaces the old, cracked and polluted pool which had become both an eyesore and health hazard for the legions of tourists who visit the area each year. Park Service officials also noted that with its new tinted bottom, the pool will be more reflective - another bow to concrete's superior versatility.

National retail chain Target Corp. has filed a federal racketeering lawsuit in Minneapolis, alleging that it has been systematically defrauded by a contractor it hired in 2009 to oversee about $100 million in repairs and maintenance on its parking lots around the country. The company alleges that LCH Pavement Consultants of Pearland, TX, conspired with paving contractors in California, Wisconsin, Texas and Illinois to inflate prices, rig bids, fix prices, misrepresent work being done and distribute kickbacks.

As reported by NRMCA Senior National Resource Director Jon Hansen in late May, a number of school districts were looking at concrete options for replacing their existing asphalt parking lots. One of the recently completed projects is a high school parking lot in Tyler, MN, for the Russell-Tyler-Ruthton (RTR) public school district (shown here at right).

The 56,000 square foot project was bid in early May as an asphalt mill and overlay, but due to efforts of NRMCA producer member Buffalo Ridge Concrete and the North Central Portland Cement Association’s pavement engineer April Stier, the project was rebid in June as a concrete overlay, Hansen reports. A history of ongoing maintenance and repair cost associated with owning the asphalt parking lot, along with the safety of better lighting with long lasting concrete were benefits the business manager and school board considered when switching to concrete.

The parking lot was paved with 3.5 inches of concrete after sweeping and air blasting the existing asphalt. Joint spacing was 6 foot o.c. cut with early entry saws. The mix included 1.5 pounds of polypropylene fiber per cubic yard. The project was constructed by Carstensen Contracting of Pipestone, MN, and will be ready for the first day of class on Monday, August 20.

NRMCA Senior National Resources Director Phil Kresge recently joined Greg Smith of the Kentucky Concrete Pavement Association and Jim Render from NRMCA Producer Member Essroc - Italcementi Group in a presentation in Louisville, KY, on roller compacted concrete (RCC) to representatives from the Facility and Logistics Engineering Group at Kroger Company. Render gave an overview presentation focusing on the benefits of RCC, including competitive cost, speed of construction and durability. Kresge and Smith joined in the Q&A session that followed.

"There were several questions regarding design, reinforcement and load transfer, freeze-thaw durability," reports Kresge. "I encouraged them not to think of RCC in terms of concrete or asphalt, but rather as a third type of pavement. I think this helped them to better understand the concept of RCC."

Several existing RCC projects were identified; the engineers and project managers were then invited to visit the sites for a first-hand look. Kresge introduced the group to NRMCA’s Design Assistance Program and encouraged them to submit a project for design comparison.

Based in Cincinnati, Kroger Co. is the country's largest grocery store chain and the second-largest general retailer by revenue. Additionally, Kroger operates 40 manufacturing plants, and packages and sells items for other retailers under the Inter-American Products Company name. The Facility and Logistics Engineering Group is responsible for design, construction and maintenance of Kroger distribution centers across the country. Additionally, it is involved in design of all Kroger capital projects over $1 million. The group had expressed an interest in RCC as a cost-effective alternative to rising asphalt prices.

NRMCA's national resource directors have a Webinar scheduled next week entitled The Quantifiable Advantages of Concrete Parking Lots. This offering provides an introduction to concrete parking lots and is targeted toward owners, designers, specifiers and other decision-makers. Attendees will learn the benefits of using concrete for parking lots, including design, low maintenance and safety. Click on the link below to learn more or contact NRMCA's Jessica Walgenbach at jwalgenbach@nrmca.org.

• Tuesday, August 21 - The Quantifiable Advantages of Concrete Parking Lots

The hotel reservation deadline for NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks & Board of Directors Meeting is Friday, August 17. To make your hotel reservations, please contact the Gaylord National Resort at 301-965-4000 and state that you are with "NRMCA" or use code "A-NRM12" to receive the discounted room rate of $219/per night plus applicable taxes (if you make your hotel reservations after the cutoff date, the hotel will only accept reservations on a space-available basis and likely at a higher rate). Note that the event's early bird registration deadline is also this Friday, August 17: register by Friday to save over $100 on your registration fees! 

Please help NRMCA to meet its hotel room requirements by making your reservations now. Hotel contracts require the association to be financially liable for unused sleeping rooms. The sleeping room rate covers the cost of meeting space, upkeep and utilities of the hotel. Staying at the convention hotel also provides you with the benefit of after-hours networking and easy accessibility to meetings and sessions. Please help NRMCA avoid these unnecessary penalties and keep registration fees low by booking your sleeping room at the Gaylord National Resort.

Please join us on the morning of Tuesday, September 18, for a Walk for Wellness to benefit the RMC Research & Education Foundation. The event will be held in conjunction with NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks Conference & Expo and the Fall Board of Directors meeting. Please join us in spreading awareness of how wellness is an important element of daily life, including at the workplace. Your participation is a tremendous opportunity to also support this initiative and the Foundation at the same time. Registration is $25 per walker and is complimentary for drivers (and their families) participating in the 7th Annual Truck Mixer Driver Championship.

For more information and to register for the Walk, please click here. Sponsorship opportunities are also available for this event. Please click here to access the sponsorship form.

Because it is critical, every ready mix employee must understand the essence of the technical and operations aspects of the ready mixed concrete business, NRMCA’s top executive engineering team annually offers its expertise to non QC/QA technicians. From October 2-5 in Silver Spring, MD, (metro Washington, DC), people in your administrative office, your sales reps, your entry level operations people will have the opportunity to learn from the concrete industry's leading authorities exactly what this industry is about day-to-day.

At this level, your staff will have a full, usable understanding of how to answer questions from customers and work better with your experienced staff, while adding depth to their job. Past attendees have ranged from CFOs to new order takers. With today’s continual  challenges, can your company afford to have anybody not understand what a ready mixed concrete company does?

NRMCA is seeking abstracts for the 2013 International Concrete Sustainability Conference, scheduled for May 6-8 just outside San Francisco at the Hotel Sofitel San Francisco Bay (Redwood City, CA). The 8th annual conference will provide learning and networking opportunities on the latest advances, technical knowledge, continuing research, tools and solutions for sustainable concrete manufacturing and construction. The conference is being conducted in cooperation with the Stanford University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Researchers, academics, students, engineers, architects, contractors, concrete producers, public works officials, material suppliers and concrete industry professionals are invited to present and attend the conference. Suggested topics include the latest developments related to design, specifying, manufacturing, testing, construction, maintenance and research of concrete as they relate to sustainability:

• Life Cycle Assessment – Assessing carbon footprint, embodied energy and other environmental impacts for buildings, infrastructure, and cement and concrete manufacturing.

• Low Impact Development – Pervious pavements and erosion control structures. Urban heat island reduction, light colored pavements, green roofs and cool communities.

• Green Concrete – Recycled and alternative materials, including aggregates, water, cementitious materials and fuels. Beneficial use of byproducts for cement and concrete production.

• New Concrete Technology – Durability, extended service life models and validation, performance-based specifications to foster sustainability. Innovative concrete production methods.

• Sustainability Initiatives – Green building codes and standards adopted by building owners, designers, contractors and product manufacturers. Economic incentives and legislation.

• Functional Resilience – High performance concrete applications in buildings and infrastructure, fortified building codes and community initiatives focusing on disaster resistance and adaptive reuse.

 

Policymakers across the country continue to adopt incentives to encourage green building practices. Starting in 2013, owners and developers in New York State could receive up to 10 years of property tax exemptions for construction and improvements exceeding $10,000 in value. Under the new law, New York municipalities may pass legislation authorizing the property tax exemptions for green buildings, renovations, improvements and other projects.

The legislation provides that the project must meet corresponding levels in LEED requirements (or those of other substantially equivalent green building certification systems) to be eligible for a tax exemption. This benefits the industry as concrete is the only material that can contribute to all categories in LEED. 

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 August 6 - 10, please click here.

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. 

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