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IN THIS ISSUE:
NEWS LINKS
PROMOTIONS
ASSOCIATION & INDUSTRY NEWS
ENGINEERING
OPERATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY & HR
SUSTAINABILITY
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
CALENDAR
NRMCA's celebration of the 100th anniversary of ready mixed concrete in the United States continues in E-NEWS in February as we highlight histories of another Producer and Associate member. See below for the two companies we've selected this week, along with a link to that company's respective Web site for more information. This week's industry milestone? In 1930, air entraining agents were used for the first time in cement to resist against damage from freezing and thawing.
(To have your company featured in this space in the coming weeks, please contact NRMCA's Kathleen Carr Smith at kcarrsmith@nrmca.org or 301-587-1400, ext. 1145.)
Irving Materials - This Producer member dates to 1946 when C.C. Irving began selling ready mixed concrete and stone in Greenfield, IN. Since then, IMI has grown to supply concrete to six states through our four regional operational centers and mines stone, sand and gravel throughout Indiana. Did you know? In the 1950s, Irving began an exotic animal farm that became a destination for many school groups. Read more.
An NRMCA member since 1983.
Admixture Systems - The Admixture Systems business of BASF Construction Chemicals was founded in Cleveland in 1909 as Master Builders, Inc. by chemist S.W. Flesheim. His first product was a cement/iron floor topping mix broadcast on top of freshly placed concrete to replace the wood block systems used by factories at the time, dramatically improving wear resistance and appearance. Later, the company invented non-shrink grouts used to secure massive machinery and as foundations for large structures. Early in the 20th century, the company was one of the first to supply water-reducing and air-entraining admixtures and to provide waterproofing for concrete mortars. These products and many others were used on such well-known construction projects as the Field Museum in Chicago, Hoover Dam, the Panama Canal and the Sears Tower.
The Admixture Systems business operates as part of BASF - the world’s leading chemical company with customers in more than 170 countries, over 150 production sites worldwide and 95,000 employees. BASF is headquartered in Ludwigshafen, Germany, where it operates the world’s largest integrated chemical complex. Read more.
An NRMCA Associate Member since 1941.
NEWS LINKS
The private sector added 157,000 jobs in January - 28,000 of them in the construction sector - according to Labor Department data released last week. In addition, there was an upward revision in December's numbers from 155,000 jobs to 196,000. However, the unemployment rate ticked up from 7.8% to 7.9%.
Source: February 1 Reuters news service story which was contained in the February 1 AGC SmartBrief e-newsletter.
Here's another piece of good news: Revised government data issued last Friday show the construction industry is contributing substantially to economic and employment growth, according to an analysis by AGC of America. Association officials noted that construction employment rose for the eighth consecutive month in January, while construction spending in December increased for the ninth month in a row. Both totals were the highest levels in more than three years.
Source: The AGC article appeared in the February 4 AGC SmartBrief e-newsletter.
Of all the materials processed by recyclers for reuse in new products, one of the most expensive is concrete. Debris from building demolitions and road-building projects is the heaviest of all recycled materials, and its density requires powerful, expensive processing equipment. Despite these challenges, at least two Minnesota businesses are doing just that.
Source: The Web site Finance & Commerce which covers Minnesota business posted this story on February 4.
PROMOTIONS
NRMCA Senior Director of National Resources Doug O’Neill recently visited the Michigan Concrete Association (MCA) and discussed how national/state synergies can be improved with MCA Executive Director/CEO Dan DeGraaf and Directors of Engineering Kerry Sutton and Steve Waalkes. Developing a way to work together on promotional activities is challenging and requires a high level of communication, O'Neill and his MCA colleagues said.
"'Full Loop' promotion is trying to tie the efforts of local promotion teams, state associations and NRMCA together to better affect the marketplace," O'Neill said. "NRMCA is offering up specific project information to our partners who are interested in developing plans for attempting to convert projects to concrete parking lots. In many cases our efforts nationally to affect conversions fall short because we don’t know the local marketplace or have not developed the right relationships with the local design community.
Full Loop Promotion attempts to get the local concrete industry players involved, be it RM producers, cement reps, admix personnel or state promoters. "In most cases, the local team has the right relationships already developed and can use those connections to advance our cause," O'Neill continued.
"The team at MCA knows how to promote concrete. It already has a very successful Streets and Local Roads effort along with having a concrete parking lot market that accepts concrete as an alternate, so Michigan is a state that other states can look to for guidance," O'Neill said. "For example, when the topic of another state adopting SLR’s to its promotion efforts comes up, the team at MCA started firing suggestions and tips on how to proceed. It had already done these things and knew what worked and what didn’t. Part of 'Full Loop' promotion also includes cooperative communications which is why we plan to continue our quarterly conference calls among the state associations within my region. That’s where we plan to share the suggestions MCA has for our other partners."
For more information, contact Doug O'Neill at doneill@nrmca.org.
The ACI chapter of Jacksonville, FL, recently requested a 3.0 hour Webinar on concrete and the green building movement. This Webinar was a first of its kind as NRMCA Senior National Resource Director Amy Miller and her colleagues Lionel Lemay and Tien Peng combined to conduct the Webinar, with Lemay and Peng contributing remotely while Miller presented live and also moderated the presentation. The Webinar was also available for remote participants through NRMCA’s Webinar offerings. The course provided an overview of the green building movement, a review of how concrete contributes to green building strategies and ended with detailed discussion on how concrete contributes to green building standards such as LEED and the IgCC.
"This format was perfect as it provided multiple speakers on a variety of green building related topics and was economical," said Jeff O’Leary, director of technical services for Vulcan Materials-South Region, who initiated the presentation. "The material covered was informative and benefited all attendees, particularly the information on the upcoming LEED v.4 requirement of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). The overwhelming response from our board was to repeat this type of format again."
For more information, contact Amy Miller at amiller@nrmca.org.
The next scheduled promotion-focused Webinar is Effectively Communicating Sustainability, an hour-long program that takes what we already know about concrete’s sustainability along with the recently released MIT research results and incorporates that information with a Communications 101 course, geared toward helping attendees understand what it takes to improve our communication skills. Want to learn more? Just see the link below and register today. You can also contact NRMCA's Jacques Jenkins at jjenkins@nrmca.org.
ASSOCIATION & INDUSTRY NEWS
The hotel reservation deadline for the 2013 NRMCA Annual Convention has been extended to Tuesday, February 12. To make your hotel reservations, please contact the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa at 1-800-228-9290 and state that you are with "NRMCA" or "National Ready Mixed Concrete Association" to receive the discounted room rate of $199/per night plus a $25 resort fee and applicable taxes. The NRMCA room block is limited and based on hotel availability, so please make your reservations now.
Please assist the association in meeting our hotel room requirements by making your reservations now. Hotel contracts require NRMCA 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 JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa.
For more information, contact the NRMCA Meetings Department at meetings@nrmca.org or 888-846-7622 ext. 1152.
Please join us on the morning of Tuesday, March 5, for a Walk to benefit the RMC Research & Education Foundation. The event will be held in conjunction with NRMCA’s Annual Convention taking place in San Antonio. Please join us in spreading awareness of how the Foundation's work is making an impact on communities nation-wide. Your participation is a tremendous opportunity to also support this initiative and the Foundation at the same time. Registration will be $25 per walker. For more information and to register for the Walk, please click here.
Sponsorship opportunities are also available for this event and are another great way to support the Foundation while also garnering exposure for your company. Please click here to access the sponsorship form.
For more information or if you have questions, contact Jennifer LeFevre at 240-485-1151 or at jlefevre@rmc-foundation.org.
ENGINEERING
Through the FHWA ASR Development and Deployment Program there is a national effort to further the development and deployment of techniques which can prevent and mitigate ASR. A series of Webinars will be conducted in order to provide information on ASR prevention and mitigation techniques to engineers and practitioners. The objectives of the series:
• Review the fundamentals of alkali-aggregate reaction;
• Summarize available methods of preventing or mitigating ASR-induced damage in newly-constructed and existing concrete structures;
• Discuss and recommend test methods and specifications related to AAR; and
• Provide case studies of AAR-affected concrete structures, including rehabilitation strategies.
Presenters include Dr. Kevin Folliard, Dr. Benoit Fournier and Dr. Michael Thomas. The Webinar series consists of three different sessions (Parts I, II & III) scheduled for February 6, 13 and 20, each from from 1 - 3:30 p.m. Eastern time (noon to 2:30 p.m. Central and 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Pacific). There is no cost to participate. Reference materials will be provided for registered attendees.
Click here to register online. For more information, contact Helga N. Torres at helga@thetranstecgroup.com or Ruth Calisch at 512-451-6233, ruth@thetranstecgroup.com.
OPERATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY & HR
Beginning February 1, ready mixed concrete producers that are required to keep the OSHA Form 300 Injury and Illness log must post a summary of the log. Employers must post OSHA's Form 300A from February 1 through April 30 in a common area wherever notices to workers are usually posted.
The summary must list the total numbers of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2012. All establishment summaries must be certified by a company executive. Copies of the OSHA Forms 300, 300A and 301 are available for download on the OSHA Recordkeeping Web page. See OSHA's Recordkeeping Handbook for more information on posting requirements for OSHA's Form 300A.
Click here to access OSHA forms and other relevant information noted above. For more information, contact NRMCA's Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org. NRMCA’s annual Dispatcher Forum Workshop will be held March 12-14 in Silver Spring, MD (metro Washington, DC), at the RMC Research & Education Foundation Center. The seminar includes concrete technical topics as they relate to the dispatcher's job, the latest update on drivers' hours of service regulations, scheduling, order taking and customer service-phone skill building exercises. Special care is taken to address dispatchers’ challenges in today’s difficult environment.
Note that this class is an elective toward NRMCA’s Operations STEPS Certification.
Click here for registration options, more information and NRMCA staff contact.
SUSTAINABILITY
In an article at Greenbiz.com, Dan Probst, chairman of energy and sustainability services at Jones Lang LaSalle, a financial and professional services firm specializing in commercial real estate investment, indicates that resiliency and energy efficiency top the list for real estate development in the coming year. He suggests that there are more buildings that will seek green certification and more legislation that will encourage energy efficiency.
Probst states "More than 28 billion square feet ─ about 40 percent of the country’s inventory ─ now use ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager to monitor and report energy performance. LEED-certified properties in the U.S. and 130 other countries topped the 2 billion-square-foot mark this summer, and the U.S. Green Building Council notes that another 2 million square feet is certified each day. On the public-sector side, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently announced plans to reduce energy by 20 percent at state-occupied buildings."
He predicts that the focus of real estate development will be:
1. Renewed interest in resilience;
2. Energy measurement and disclosure;
3. Smart grid investment;
4. Smart building investment; and
5. Acceptance of renewable energy.
Click here to read more from the GreenBiz Web site. Concrete is an ideal solution to both resilient and energy efficient construction because of its inherent disaster resistant qualities and thermal mass. Visit www.nrmca.org/resilience and www.nrmca.org/sustainability for details. You may also contact NRMCA's Lionel Lemay at LLemay@nrmca.org or 847-918-7101.
Stanford University has added three key researchers to the 2013 International Concrete Sustainability Conference program, joining Dr. Michael Lepech, assistant professor at Stanford, who is keynote speaker for the event. Dr. Lepech will open the conference with a presentation on how Virtual Infrastructure Management is leveraging the benefits of concrete technologies to reduce the impact of building and infrastructure construction. The three Stanford graduate researchers and their topics are:
• Subhan Ali will present Tailoring of Polypropylene Fibers for the Design of Sustainable Fiber-Reinforced Cement-based Composites, authored by Subhan Ali and Michael Lepech;
• Matthew Bandelt will present Bond in Strain Hardening Fiber-Reinforced Cement Based Composites, authored by Matthew Bandelt and Sarah Billington; and
• Madeleine Flint will present Performance-Based Assessment of Concrete Durability in Coastal Structure, authored by Madeleine Flint and Sarah Billington.
Ali studies under Dr. Lepech, whose research focuses on the integration of sustainability indicators into engineering design to operations management. Bandelt and Flint study under Dr. Sarah Billington, whose research focuses on sustainable, durable construction materials and their application to structures and construction.
Click here for a complete list of conference speakers or visit www.concretesustainabilityconference.org for full detail about the conference. You may also contact NRMCA's Lionel Lemay at LLemay@nrmca.org or 847-918-7101.
Caspar Wagner, Google green team design and construction lead, will participate on a panel discussion on how Google is specifying health product declarations for its new Bayview project in the San Francisco Bay area and how stakeholders are addressing the issue throughout the value chain.
Improving people’s lives through Google's relationship to the built environment is what drives Caspar’s work across Google’s global real estate portfolio.
 As the Green Team Design and Construction Lead, Wagner (shown at right) is specifically focused on developing performance- and outcome-based metrics within the Owner's Project Requirements and bridging the gap between it and the architectural program. The end goal is to maximize user experience, health and sustainability while freeing design and building professionals to find the most creative and cost effective solutions possible. Wagner has more than 11 years of experience in the design and construction industry with roles spanning from general contractor, design build project manager, LEED administrator and owner. He earned his bachelor of science in construction management from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and is currently involved with LEED projects worldwide.Click here for a complete list of conference speakers or visit www.concretesustainabilityconference.org for full detail about the conference. You may also contact NRMCA's Lionel Lemay at LLemay@nrmca.org or 847-918-7101.
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
Media articles on Congress, transportation infrastructure, regulation, heath care, 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 the Week of January 28 - February 1, 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
NRMCA's February Internet Spotlight, good through Tuesday, March 5, is the Guideline Manual for Quality Assurance Quality Control. This publication describes the basic requirements of a ready mix producer's quality plan, including a reprint of ACI 121R-04 Quality Management System for Concrete Construction and a section on statistical concepts for quality control purposes. The publication includes a variety of standard reports that the industry can use.
Order online today receive 20% off. Regular member price is $22, Internet Special $17.60, plus shipping. Discount Code: ISFEB13.
NRMCA wants to help your company prepare to start the spring hiring process. The NRMCA Guide to Preparing Ready Mixed Concrete Job Descriptions CD-Rom has been completely revised for 2013 and now includes over 500 sample job descriptions submitted by some of the leading concrete firms in the country. Also included on the CD are guidelines for writing job descriptions, and a Post Offer Screen Manual. The purpose of the post offer screen is to determine if the applicant can safely perform the physical demands of the job or if reasonable accommodations can be given following ADA guidelines. These job descriptions can be easily downloaded and customized for your company's use.
Order online. (Member Price: $99; Non-members, $250.) The Guide to Preparing Ready Mixed Concrete Job Descriptions can also be obtained from the NRMCA Bookstore by contacting Jacques Jenkins at jjenkins@nrmca.org.
CALENDAR
*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site.
February 12, Webinar
Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete Part II
Email: Jacques Jenkins, 888-84-NRMCA, x1165
February 14, Webinar
Effectively Communicating Sustainability
Email: Jacques Jenkins, 888-84-NRMCA, x1165
February 18-22, Sacramento, CA
Technical Short Course Sold Out
Email: Karen Bean, 888-84-NRMCA, x1168
February 19-21, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module III: General Business Knowledge
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
February 20, Cleveland
Adopting Disaster Resilient Construction at the Local Level
Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535
February 21, Webinar
Soils 101
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
February 25, Webinar
Controlling Moisture in Concrete Slabs
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
February 26, Webinar
Biodiversity at Ready Mixed Concrete Plants
Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535
February 28, Orlando, FL
Adopting Disaster Resilient Construction at the Local Level
Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535
March 3-5, San Antonio, TX
NRMCA Annual Convention
Email: Nicole Maher, 888-84-NRMCA, x1158
March 5, Webinar
Roller Compacted Concrete: Your Third Choice for Pavement
Email: Jacques Jenkins, 888-84-NRMCA, x1165
March 7, Webinar
RCC: Intro to Design and Construction
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
March 11-14, Online Course
Building Green with Concrete
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
March 12, Webinar
The Quantifiable Advantages of Concrete Parking Lots
Email: Jacques Jenkins, 888-84-NRMCA, x1165
March 12-14, Silver Spring, MD
Dispatcher Training Forum
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
March 15, Webinar
Effectively Communicating Sustainability
Email: Jacques Jenkins, 888-84-NRMCA, x1165
March 19, Webinar
Concrete Pavement Jointing Plans
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
March 19-22, Houston
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
March 20, Charlotte, NC
Handling Concrete Specifications, Low Strength Problems & Mixture Submittals
Email: Karen Bean, 888-84-NRMCA, x1168
March 26, Webinar
Green-Star Auditor Certification
Email: Jacques Jenkins, 888-84-NRMCA, x1165
April 4, Baton Rouge, LA
Handling Concrete Specifications, Low Strength Problems & Mixture Submittals
Email: Karen Bean, 888-84-NRMCA, x1168
April 8-11, Online Course
LCA of Concrete Structures
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
April 19, Webinar
Effectively Communicating Sustainability
Email: Jacques Jenkins, 888-84-NRMCA, x1165
April 23, Webinar
Using a Sales Customer Relationship Management System
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
May 6-8, San Francisco
International Concrete Sustainability Conference
Email: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101
May 12-15, Chicago
Fifth North American Conference on Design and Use of Self-Consolidating Concrete
May 20-23 Online Course
Pervious Concrete: A Stormwater Solution
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
June 11, Webinar
Concrete Overlays for Streets and Local Roads and Parking Lots
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
June 25, Webinar
Controlling Moisture in Concrete Slabs
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
August 11-15, Montreal
ISARC 2013: 30th International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction, Mining & Petroleum Industries
Email: Chantal Murphy, 514-939-2710, ext. 1309
August 13-16, Silver Spring, MD
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
August 27, Webinar
Concrete Pavement Jointing Plans
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
September 22-24, Las Vegas
Concrete Works & Board of Directors' Meeting
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
December 4-6, Orlando, FL
Environmental Professional Certification Course
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
December 10-13, Orlando, FL
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
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February 6, 2013
 
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