NRMCA e-news

The current short-term funding patch for surface transportation programs is set to expire on Friday, July 31. With the deadline fast approaching, Congress must act immediately to provide a long-term funding solution and pass a multi-year transportation bill to keep these programs running and the ready mixed concrete pouring in the construction and transportation industries. To keep Congress on the right path, your Senators need to hear from you: tell Congress to FIX the HIGHWAY TRUST FUND NOW! Without congressional action, bridges won’t be built, interchanges won’t be expanded, contracts won’t be signed and America’s roads will fall further into disrepair, costing time and productivity to Americans from coast to coast.

Click here to tell your Senators that now is the time to fix our highways!

The Department of Transportation has warned that failure to fix the current funding problem before the end of July will result in states cancelling or deferring projects due to the lack of funding predictability. Further, DOT Secretary Foxx said that if a bill isn’t passed by the end of July, the U.S. Department of Transportation is planning on notifying states that the agency could begin rationing funds as early as July. This rationing would result in delayed payments to contractors. The Time to Act is Now!

PROMOTIONS

Concrete Friendly Grocery Chain Plans Major National Expansion

The Aldi grocery chain is planning to open an additional 650 supermarkets nationwide by the end of 2018, a move that means concrete paving opportunities throughout the U.S., reports NRMCA Senior Vice President, Local Paving, Jon Hansen.

"The work of a number of industry partners in the past years has resulted in concrete parking lot paving for many new Aldi stores," he said. "We have come a long way from eight years ago when Aldi would only do asphalt paving to where it now readily seek a concrete paving alternate for new construction stores."

Aldi (see newly built unit below) currently operates more than 1,400 grocery stores throughout 32 states in the Midwest and along the East Coast.

For more information, contact Jon Hansen at jhansen@nrmca.org.

NRMCA, Navy Discuss Designing, Specifying Pervious Concrete

NRMCA Senior Director, Local Paving, Phil Kresge recently met with civil and geotechnical engineers from the Atlantic Division of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) in Norfolk, VA. Kresge spoke to the group about designing and specifying pervious concrete. He also took the time to review the Unified Facilities Guide Specifications' (UFGS) pervious concrete pavement specification that is currently in place. The meeting was organized by the Hampton Roads Regional Council of the Virginia Ready-Mixed Concrete Association (VRMCA) and was facilitated by Jim Simons, vice president of sales for NRMCA Producer member Capital Concrete.

The UFGS pervious concrete specification was developed by NAVFAC, with assistance from NRMCA, for use in specifying construction for the military services. The unified spec eliminates the redundancy of multiple specifications from different branches of the Department of Defense. The UFGS pervious specification is currently used by NAVFAC, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

For more information, contact Phil Kresge at pkresge@nrmca.org.

ASSOCIATION & INDUSTRY NEWS

Ready Mixed Concrete Production Statistics Updated Through May 2015

The preliminary estimate of ready mixed concrete produced in May 2015 is 28.6 million cubic yards, 4.5% lower than that in May 2014. The estimated production for this year through May 2015 is 117 million cubic yards, 2.6% higher than that during the same period in 2014.

Ready mixed concrete production is estimated from cement shipments reported by the U.S. Geological Survey. Details can be viewed by NRMCA members here.

Maryland-Based NRMCA Producer Member Earns Workplace Award

For the seventh year in a row, NRMCA Producer member Chaney Enterprises has been noted for its "outstanding commitment to workplace quality." The award, announced earlier this month, was given by the an Alliance for Workplace Excellence, which recognizes policies and best practices for companies employing a significant number of Charles County residents that lead to outstanding service for its customers. Chaney Enterprises is based in Charles County, which is generally considered part of the Washington, DC, metropolitan region. Judges noted Chaney’s supportive corporate culture and management practices, family and employee-friendly policies and practices, strong employee health and wellness initiatives, comprehensive growth and learning opportunities, and demonstrating corporate social responsibility benefiting many organizations in Charles County and for its employee volunteerism.

Source: A July 9 article posted by BayNet.com. Read more.

Concrete, Cement Industries Notes Death of Hamlin M. Jennings

Hamlin M. Jennings, adjunct professor in the MIT Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and principal investigator in the Concrete Sustainability Hub, died from cancer on July 8 at his home in Cambridge, MA. Jennings joined the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub in 2010 as its inaugural executive director, leading a multi-disciplinary team of physicists, materials sciences, engineers and architects, and pushing them to new frontiers of science-based engineering.

Sources: Portland Cement Association's Executive Report e-newsletter for July 20 (read more) and an MIT press release (read more).

ENGINEERING

Next NRMCA Concrete Durability Course Set for September in California

The next NRMCA Concrete Durability Course is scheduled for September 28-30 at the Holliday Rock office in Ontario, CA. The course is taught by Michael Thomas of the University of New Brunswick, Kevin Folliard, University of Texas at Austin and 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 ConcreteWorks software that can be used to develop concrete mixtures for durability and to evaluate the potential for temperature-related cracking.

The course also discusses the durability provisions in the Building Code - ACI 318-14 and how specifications can be structured to address durability. Comprehensive reference material is provided as course notes that is an excellent resource to concrete producers and associated technical personnel. The course concludes with a comprehensive exam on the subject matter covered. Those with NRMCA Level 3 Certification obtain the NRMCA Concrete Technologist Level 4 Certification when passing this exam. However, it is not essential to have attended the NRMCA Technical Short Course to attend the Durability Course. The course provides required learning units toward the technical track of the NRMCA STEPS certification program. Please register early if you wish to attend.

Click here for registration options, more information and staff contact.

OPERATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY & HR

Entries Still Being Accepted for Environmental Excellence Awards

NRMCA’s Commitment to Environmental Excellence Awards competition offers producers national recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment and maintaining sound management practice in their operations. The program salutes companies that have not only met, but surpassed, governmental compliance measures and demonstrated a commitment to environmental excellence through plant and staff investment. Any NRMCA member company producing ready mixed concrete from a fixed plant location in the U.S., its territories or Canada is eligible to enter. Awards will be determined upon individual plant merits; companies may choose to enter plants from any or all the five production volume categories.

Entries and photos must be received by e-mail via email to Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org by Friday, July 31. Click here for more information, including staff contact.

Deadline Extended to Submit Entry Forms for 2015 Mixer Driver Championship

The deadline for submitting entries for the 2015 NRMCA National Mixer Driver Championship to be held at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country on Sunday, September 20, has been extended to Friday, July 31. As with previous years, this year’s NRMCA National Mixer Driver Championship will be held during the 2015 NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks & Board of Directors’ Meeting, this year being held from September 20 - 22. Accepted applicants will be notified shortly thereafter and official registration forms will be sent by e-mail. Applicants must complete the registration form and return it to NRMCA, along with the entry fee, by mid-August. Applicants will then receive final instructions, including a map of the Challenge Course and reference materials for the written exam.

Click here to download the application form. Click here for more information on the 2015 NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks & Board of Directors’ Meeting. The staff contact for the mixer driver championship is Karen Bean at kbean@nrmca.org.

SUSTAINABILITY

NRMCA, Industry Allies Help Introduce Fire Safety Construction Legislation in New Jersey

NRMCA and industry allies Portland Cement Association (PCA) and the New Jersey Concrete &Aggregates Association (NJCAA) helped introduce legislation to make multi-family construction safer for occupants and first responders in the state of New Jersey. The proposed legislation comes in the aftermath of a devastating fire in January in the state's community of Edgewater that destroyed a 408-unit apartment complex and put an estimated 1,000 people out of their homes. The legislation, introduced by Assemblywoman Maria Rodriguez-Gregg, R-Medford and Assemblyman Joseph Lagana, D-Paramus, prohibits light-frame wood construction in communities with a population density of more than 5,000 people per square mile and limits wood frame construction in less populated areas to three stories.

Large scale fires from combustible wood construction are becoming more common and pose a significant risk to occupants and first responders. While allowed in building codes, mid-rise structures built with combustible materials do not have the inherent protection of non-combustible materials such as concrete. The bill’s language, scripted in part by NRMCA’s Lionel Lemay and Tien Peng in coordination with experts from PCA and NJCAA, seeks to limit fire risks in highly population areas of New Jersey, limit the height of wood frame in other areas, and add noncombustible firewalls and more robust automatic sprinkler systems. Additional provisions of the bill include 24-hour fire watch guards during construction and exterior signage warning tenants and first responders of the fire risk for wood-frame buildings.

Click here for the bill's language and here for a recent article on this subject. For more information on NRMCA's efforts in structural resilience and safety, contact Tien Peng at 206-913-8535 or tpeng@nrmca.org.

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

NRMCA Advocacy News Roundup Updated Through July 17

Media articles on Congress, transportation infrastructure, regulation, taxes and other subjects, each of which relate to the ready mixed concrete industry, are updated each week by NRMCA's Government Affairs staff. To access the most recent compilation of articles for July 13 - 17, 2015, 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 Jill Landry at jlandry@nrmca.org.

Key Senate Committee Proposes Changes to Hours of Service Regulations

Last week, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held a markup hearing on, S. 1732, the Comprehensive Transportation and Consumer Protection Act of 2015, which will provide key reforms and funding to highway and passenger rail safety for six years. The mark included several reforms to rules issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), including the highly contentious Hours of Service rule made permanent in 2011.

Included in Section 2302 (Petitions for Regulatory Relief), is language which allows industries to petition the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for temporary and permanent exemptions from Hours of Service regulations. This process would mirror the petitions' process already in place via regulation, but with a clear timetable for consideration. Also included is language in the provision to make permanent several temporary exemptions granted by FMCSA through the regulatory petitions process – one of which is NRMCA’s 30-minute break provision for the ready mixed concrete industry given by FMCSA in April 2015.

NRMCA, along with members of the Highway Materials Group and the North American Concrete Alliance as well as 125 association member companies, sent letters to the Commerce Committee in support of S. 1732 and Section 2302. The Commerce title will now be combined with the other transportation titles before moving to the floor for a full vote in the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) set in motion a procedural vote on the highway bill on Tuesday, July 21.

For more information, please contact NRMCA’s Kerri Leininger at kleininger@nrmca.org.

House Passes Short-Term Extension of Highway Bill

Last week, the House passed a five-month extension of highway and transit programs that expires December 18. Bill H.R. 3038, the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015, was sponsored by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) and House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA). The extension provides $8 billion in funding for the Highway Trust Fund which is expected to face a funding shortfall in early August. The $8 billion in funding was cobbled together from a combination of additional tax compliance measures and spending reductions for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) fees. Chairman Ryan has told House leadership that he is confident he will be able to pass comprehensive tax reform legislation before the end of the year and continues to support the use of those additional revenues from tax reform to fund a multi-year transportation reauthorization. However, Senate leadership remains pessimistic that comprehensive tax reform is possible to pass within the current time constraints and is moving forward with its version instead.

In June, NRMCA joined members of the Highways Materials Group urged Rep. Ryan to hold a public hearing to address long-term funding for a surface transportation authorization bill and the need for a funding source that is sustainable, dedicated to transportation and provides sufficient revenue for a six-year reauthorization bill. In addition to NRMCA, group members include the American Coal Ash Association, National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, the National Asphalt Pavement Association, the American Concrete Pavement Association, the Portland Cement Association, Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Associated Equipment Distributors and the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute.

For more information, please contact NRMCA’s Jill Landry at jlandry@nrmca.org.

EDUCATION &TRAINING

Registration Open for Next Round of NRMCA Sales Certification Series

Each module of NRMCA's Certified Concrete Sales Professional (CCSP) series will be held in Silver Spring, MD (metro Washington, DC), beginning in October and ending in March 2015. A discounted fee is extended for those who register for all four classes and to companies who send three or more people to one class. The schedule is as follows:

• Module 1: Concrete 101, October 13-15

• Module 2: Understand the Contractor's Business, December 1-3

• Module 3: RMC Business Knowledge, February 23-25, 2016

• Module 4: Professional Sales Skills and Promotion, March 15-17, 2016

Each class stands alone so it does NOT have to be taken consecutively or collectively. The well-respected, updated content is a valid way to refresh sales skills that emphasize the industry’s aggressive stance toward winning business. Additionally, these are the required courses in the STEPS® Sales and Promotion certification program, where those in the field earn the industry's most prestigious capstone certification, the CCPf.

For more information, contact NRMCA's Jessica Walgenbach at jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 240-485-1152.

Educational Activities Committee Invites ConcreteWorks Attendees to Meeting

Educational Activities Committee (EAC) Chairman Johnny Young extends a warm invitation to all attendees at NRMCA's 2015 ConcreteWorks to join the Fall EAC meeting on Saturday, September 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (lunch will be served) at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa, San Antonio. As the industry recovers, more producers are evaluating what industry-based training would best serve their staff and companies. Get an update as well as 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

July Internet Spotlight is Book on Improving Concrete Quality

The NRMCA July Internet Spotlight, which will be good through Tuesday, August 4, is Improving Concrete Quality. While there are many books on concrete technology it is hard to find a book that is focused on the subject of improving concrete quality. This book discusses concrete quality measurement as well as the tangible and intangible benefits due to improved quality. This book will be of significant value to concrete producers who will come away with readily implementable steps to reduce variability and attain a more consistent product thereby seeing performance benefits and cost savings.

Use Discount Code: ISJY15 to Order Improving Concrete Quality online today and receive 20% off the member price. Regular member price is $75, Internet Special $60, plus shipping.

CALENDAR

A Look Ahead

*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site.

August 7, Free Webinar

Winning Initial Streets & Roads Projects in Counties & Municipalities

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

August 14, Free Webinar

Streets & Roads Elected Official Advocacy

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

August 17, Webinar

Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete (Part 1)