NRMCA's celebration of the 100th anniversary of ready mixed concrete in the United States continues in E-NEWS this week with the 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:The Executive House Hotel (now known as Hotel 71) opened in Chicago in 1960. At the time, it was the world’s tallest concrete building at 371 feet. 

Concrete Company of Springfield - Just after World War II, Ralph Reed and his stepson, Tom Baird, founded the Concrete Company of Springfield in Springfield, MO, with four trucks and a total of seven employees. Today, members of the third and fourth generations of the family are involved in the management of a company that operates six ready mix plants, two quarry sites, more than 80 delivery trucks and employs more than 180 people.

In 1958, the company purchased Garrett Construction Company, a larger competitor, thus becoming the major ready mix producer in Springfield. Garrett was also in the quarry business, and this became Conco Quarries, a wholly-owned subsidiary which supplies crushed stone products to the ready mix operations, as well as to the overall market. The most recent expansion at Conco Companies, as the organization is now known, occurred in mid-2001, when Conco Quarries assumed responsibility for quarry operations at Ash Grove Cement’s Galloway plant. Read more.

An NRMCA Producer member since 1958

L.M. Scofield - Founded in 1915 by engineer Lynn Mason Scofield, the L. M. Scofield Company introduced the LITHOCHROME® Color Hardener. In the 1920's, Scofield increased color and performance options by introducing CHROMIX® Admixtures for Color-Conditioned® Concrete and LITHOCHROME® Chemstain® Classic. Read more.

An NRMCA Associate member since 2010

Officials of the city of Spring Hill, TN, are considering a change to the city’s "Offenses Against the Peace and Quiet" ordinance that would allow the city administrator to decide if a building or highway construction or demolition project should be allowed into the now-banned construction noise hours of 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. The reason for the discussion is that Wal-Mart will be undertaking a major concrete pour at some point, likely in June, that’s expected to take 18 hours or more, and as it stands, it would be against a city ordinance to create that much construction noise near a residential neighborhood into the night.

Kansas State University civil engineers are developing the right mix to reduce concrete's carbon footprint and make it stronger. Their innovative ingredient: biofuel byproducts. To reduce carbon dioxide emissions from concrete production, the researchers are studying environmentally friendly materials that can replace part of the portland cement used in concrete. They are finding success using the byproducts of biofuels made from corn stover, wheat straw and rice straw.

What do the powers that be in midtown Manhattan do when their foot-weary citizens need a place to sit down in the middle of a street? Why they turn to concrete, of course. Tired walkers striding along Broadway can soon rest their tired feet along a two-block stretch where the Fashion Center Business Improvement District has unveiled 20 cast-concrete furniture pieces. The chairs and tables are simple cubic and cylindrical pieces. When they're rolled again later this month, they will be placed atop a repainted plaza between West 39th and West 40th streets through April.

Construction employment expanded in two-thirds of all states in January as the industry showed signs of emerging from a six-year slump, according to an analysis by AGC of America of Labor Department data. Association officials cautioned however that the industry’s recovery remains fragile and that current and looming federal budget cuts threaten to drag down construction employment in numerous states. "These results show that contractors are finding work in more parts of the country than they have for many months," said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. "Further gains appear likely but could be derailed if lawmakers continue to make indiscriminate cuts to key construction and infrastructure programs." 

Five days, six seminars and 600 miles, planned and executed by Matt Wood of Ash Grove Cement along with Don Clem, PE executive director, Portland Cement Association Rocky Mountain and Northwest regions and NRMCA Senior National Resource Director Jon Hansen, was the agenda recently in Oregon.

"Matt came up with the idea and along with buy in support from the Oregon Concrete and Aggregate Producers Association's (OCAPA) Promotion Committee, led by the driving force of Michael Wagy, commercial sales manager with CalPortland Company, a week long promotion blitz on concrete overlays for streets and local roads and parking lots became the agenda," Hansen reported.

The blitz served as a launching pad for the Guide to Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots, with an audience of well over 100 for the week that included consultants, city and county agencies, school districts, large industry, contractors, and ready mix producers. It also provided an opportunity to support the limited use overlays have had in Portland and as a way to expand their use. The tag team program presented by Clem and Hansen provided a design perspective for overlays from Clem and a construction and overlay guide perspective from Hansen. This approach proved to be a good fit for the diverse audience.

NRMCA Senior Director, National Resources, Doug O’Neill recently partnered  with Brian Barry of the The Redimix Companies of New Hampshire to present NRMCA’s ACI 330R-08 seminar at a national geotechnical firm in Manchester, NH. The meeting was co-sponsored by Jonathan Kuell and the Northern New England Concrete Promotion Association.

"As our Full-Loop Promotion efforts continue forward and our use of the information provided to us from REED increases, we are getting to see more geotechnical reports which seem out of line with conventional design methods," O’Neill said. "Our goal when bringing our ACI 330R-08 seminar to civil or geotechnical engineering firms is to point out the reasons why ACI 330R-08 makes so much sense to use and then show them the added 'insurance' offered by using a design guide that’s specifically geared for concrete parking lots."

"Once again this meeting proved how valuable it is to have one of our local partners participate, as Brian stepped in to comment on certain topics and immediately connected with the attendees because he had that local knowledge," O'Neill added.

After the meeting, all participants agreed that it would be a good idea to expand the presentation to the firm's other offices nationwide.

NRMCA's national resource directors have scheduled one more promotion-focused Webinar for March: this time it's ACI 330 R-08 – The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design. Just see the link below to learn more and register today.

• Friday, March 22 - ACI 330 R-08 – The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design

The preliminary estimate of ready mixed concrete produced in January 2013 is 17.7 million cubic yards, 5.2% higher than that in January 2012.

At NRMCA’s Annual Convention earlier this month in San Antonio, TX, the RMC Research & Education Foundation raised $220,500 toward its $2.2M Bridge the Gap fundraising goal. The Foundation’s Board of Trustees established the Bridge the Gap fundraising initiative last year in an effort to continue funding the work taking place at the Concrete Sustainability Hub at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other important programs while preserving the Foundation’s endowment. The Foundation thanks all the companies and individuals who committed to the effort on-site at the convention, as well as all of the companies that signed onto the initiative early. This generosity brings the total amount raised to-date to $1,361,000.

NRMCA's Tien Peng along with Oregon Concrete and Aggregate Producers Association (OCAPA) leaders, met last week with Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber and his staff to clarify the intent of an executive order that appears to favor wood over other materials for state funded construction. In October 2012, the governor issued Executive Order (EO 12-16) to promote Oregon wood products domestically and internationally, and ordered key agencies to study the feasibility of building state projects with wood. This EO was issued without consultation from the public or other industry sectors.

During the meeting, the governor clarified that the intention of the EO was not to advance wood products over other construction materials through any other means than design and engineering processes, nor intended to artificially provide preferences for any building material. The message industry delivered to the governor reflected the industry concerns with "Wood First" initiatives:

• The industry has no issues with a prominent state project showcasing wood products and engineering built within code.

• The industry has no issues in a state review of Oregon building codes and green building concepts to determine artificial or inappropriate barriers to the use of wood products (such as the LEED certification system) or any building material products.

• Industry intends to support such review by participation in an ad-hoc committee.

• NRMCA clarified the importance of reduced carbon footprint from the building sector while supporting the use of life cycle assessments in determining the complete environmental impacts of projects.

The meeting established continual working interest between the industry and the state for economic prosperity of all materials. These actions are manifestations of the broader attempts at the local level by wood interests to build market share through legislation based on questionable research conclusions. NRMCA has directed its efforts at all levels to educate and inform decision-makers as to the true nature material selection in buildings.

Last week, Tien Peng, NRMCA’s senior director of sustainability, codes and standards, presented "Promoting Concrete for Sustainability" at the 64th Iowa Ready Mixed Concrete Convention (IRMCA) in Altoona, IA. The program also featured Peter Brewin, former NRMCA chaiman, Peng's colleague, NRMCA Senior National Resource Director Jon Hansen and other notable industry experts. Approximately 100 industry professionals attended the session on sustainability initiatives and standards affecting the concrete industry, including LEED, International Green Construction Code, Environmental Product Declarations, GreenRoads and Sustainable Concrete Plant Certification. Findings of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Concrete Sustainability Hub on PVI (pavement vehicle interaction) were also referenced.

Peng was invited to speak at the event by Steve Mallicoat, P.E., IRMCA regional services manager and an NRMCA affiliate. Mallicoat is an active organizer of the convention and arranged the education sessions. NRMCA encourages its members to participate in their local sustainability efforts and offer topics and speakers for education programs. For those who feel comfortable presenting, NRMCA has a number of prescribed presentations ranging from specifying sustainable concrete to LCA of concrete structures. For the most complex topics, NRMCA can also provide technical staff to present at USGBC chapters.

Dr. Arpad Horvath (shown here) of University of California, Berkeley, will present Comparative Analysis of the Life-Cycle Impact Assessment of Cement Mortar Mixes Using the GreenConcrete LCA Tool at the 8th annual International Concrete Sustainability Conference, May 6-8, in San Francisco. As in past years, Green Concrete will be a major topic at the conference with over 15 speakers discussing the subject. They will address recycled and alternative materials, including aggregates, water and cementitious materials. They will present beneficial use of byproducts for cement and concrete production. They will address durability, extended service life models and validation, performance-based specifications to foster sustainability and innovative concrete production methods.

Examples of speakers addressing green concrete technology include:

• Natalie Carr of Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands, will present Towards the Development of a CO2 Neutral Cement

• Dr. Irvin Chen, PhD, of Calera Corporation, will present A Novel Cementitious Calcium Carbonate Containing CO2 from Industrial Flue Gas

• Bijoy Halder of University of Texas at El Paso will present Use of Mutated Micro-Organisms to Produce Sustainable Mortar

• Ward. R. Malisch of American Society of Concrete Contractors will present Laboratory and Field Studies of "Green" Concrete Properties

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 March 11 - 15, please click here.

NRMCA's March Internet Spotlight, good through Tuesday, April 2, are the NRMCA Promotion Flip Books. Each of these nine Flip Books are designed to assist in promoting the benefits of concrete to specifiers. These comprehensive 20-page presentations consist of clear, bulleted text and supportive illustrations to be viewed by the specifier, backed by key additional information that only the salesperson can see. Each Flip Book comes with a Windows PowerPoint version on CD-ROM for electronic presentations, which also enables the editing and printing of page updates. 

March 21, Webinar

Environmental Product Declarations

Email: Tien Peng,  206-913-8535

 

March 22, Webinar

ACI 330 R-08 – The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

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 8, Webinar (Part I)

Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

April 15, Webinar (Part II)

Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

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

 

April 24, Webinar

Sustainable Concrete-The Role of Performance-based Specifications

Email: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101

 

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 13, Webinar

Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Program

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

May 13, Webinar

The Quantifiable Advantages of Concrete Parking Lots

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

May 20, Webinar

Roller Compacted Concrete: Your Third Choice for Pavement

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

May 20-23 Online Course

Pervious Concrete: A Stormwater Solution

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

May 31, Webinar

ACI 330 R-08 – The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

June 3-5, Chicago

Concrete Durability Course

Email: Karen Bean, 888-84-NRMCA, x1168

 

June 3, Webinar (Part I)

Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

June 10, Webinar (Part II)

Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

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

 

August 30, Webinar

ACI 330 R-08 – The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

September 22-24, Las Vegas

Concrete Works & Board of Directors' Meeting

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

November 8, Webinar

ACI 330 R-08 – The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

November 19-21, Silver Spring, MD

The Effective RMC Supervisor Course

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

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