NRMCA's celebration of the 100th anniversary of ready mixed concrete in the U.S. continues in E-NEWS in April with the histories of another Producer and Associate member. See below for the two companies we've selected to begin this month, along with a link to that company's respective Web site for more information. This week's industry milestone: In 1999, the first installation of a polished concrete floor in the U.S. was a 40,000-square-foot warehouse floor for the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

Lafarge - NRMCA Producer member entered the North American cement market in 1956 when Paris-based Ciments Lafarge built a cement plant in Richmond, British Columbia, near Vancouver and forming Lafarge Cement North America (LCNA). More than 50 years later, the now-named Lafarge Group created three new operating businesses in 2012: Lafarge Canada Inc.'s West Canada and East Canada units, and Lafarge North America Inc.'s U.S. unit, with each unit managing all its product lines under one senior leader, in addition to Lafarge North America's already existing Gypsum Division. Read more.

An NRMCA Producer member since 1941

CON-E-CO - CON-E-CO was founded in 1957 as Concrete Equipment Company to design and manufacture ready mix plants, meeting an increasing demand from mixer truck operators for convenient and accessible concrete batch plants. The Nebraska-based company is also a member of the Concrete Plant Manufacturers Bureau. Read more.

An NRMCA Associate member since 1967

The Capital Beltway, which surrounds Washington, DC, in Maryland and Virginia, is in need of major repairs. Or, as The Washington Post recently wrote, it's "dying beneath your turning wheels." What to do? Well, closing large sections of the road for any length of time is pretty much out of the question because even when it's open, traffic on the Beltway and surrounding roads often move at a snail's pace. The newspaper's article on the state of the roadway and how to address the problem generated a lot of reader response - more than 1,300 comments and counting.

NRMCA Producer Member Mitch Voehl of GCC Ready Mix in Fairmont, MN, recently penned a Letter to the Editor in his local newspaper, the Fairmont Sentinel, discussing the decision of local officials to choose concrete streets for a 2013 street repaving project. Voehl writes, "Windom understands the value of concrete streets and the large cost of blacktop ownership. The concrete bid was 12 percent higher than blacktop, and the projected cost of ownership to choose blacktop and maintain it for 30 years was over $1 million more than concrete. Just think: Spend extra money today to save a tremendous amount of money later."

Marrying the waste of one process into the production cycle of another related product could be another big step in reducing the carbon footprint of concrete manufacturing. McGill University civil engineering associate professor Yixin Shao is working to capture and sequester carbon dioxide from the cement manufacturing process and inject it into the curing cycle of concrete masonry blocks and concrete board.

Continuing the theme from the above item, a new report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) notes that the challenge of making concrete greener, reducing its sizable carbon footprint without compromising performance, is a difficult task. But the NIST report says the potential engineering performance, energy-efficiency and environmental benefits make it a challenge worth tackling.

Through a coordinated effort by the concrete industry in Minnesota, the American Concrete Pavement Association's (ACPA) StreetPave pavement design software has been approved by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) as an acceptable design methodology for concrete street and road sections. 

In an effort to educate the design, specifier, and construction community about StreetPave, the local concrete industry has sponsored one-day concrete forums in four cities across the state. Brian Killingsworth, P.E., NRMCA senior director, pavement structures, provided hands-on software instruction and training to the attendees and spoke about the benefits of choosing concrete pavements. Also, under the auspices of the Minnesota LTAP, the new concrete flatwork quality control/quality assurance specification that was developed and approved by MnDOT, was discussed by PCA representatives. The Minnesota Concrete Flatwork Specification for Local Government Agencies was designed to improve hardened concrete quality in flatwork, curb & gutter, and pavements.

Throughout the one day forums, Killingsworth reviewed the latest market dynamics and other factors that are making concrete pavements an increasingly wise choice for municipal and county pavements and then walked the participants through a StreetPave design example.

A Webinar hosted last month by the American Society of Concrete Contactors (ASCC) featured concrete overlays of asphalt parking lots. NRMCA Senior National Resource Director Jon Hansen presented the 1.5 hour session on design methodology, evaluation and construction best practices to over 30 concrete construction firms.

"The ASCC membership represents the largest contractor group in America that currently owns the appropriate equipment for doing concrete overlays of parking lots," Hansen said.  "Its members also have a reputation for quality workmanship. It is a natural for NRMCA to partner with associations like ASCC as we launch our national campaign of concrete overlays."

The Webinar used the recently published Guide to Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots as the technical reference and featured examples of a number of parking lot overlay projects from around the country. Development of the guide was funded by the RMC Research & Education Foundation.

Finley Messick, executive director for the Kentucky Ready-Mixed Concrete Association (KRMCA), says that students at University of Louisville will have more to celebrate than an NCAA basketball championship. Messick reports that U of L is one of three engineering schools in Kentucky that will provide concrete pavement design classes. KRMCA has coordinated with the engineering departments at U of L, the University of Kentucky and Western Kentucky University to provide concrete pavement design instruction by means of incorporating NRMCA’s ACI 330: The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design and Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Webinars into the curriculum.

NRMCA Senior National Resource Directors Amy Miller, P.E., and Phil Kresge will present these Webinars and KRMCA will provide a facilitator for the classes. "The hope is that there will be a lot of interaction between the professors, students and presenters," says Messick. "By providing concrete classes on a yearly basis, students who will be soon in the engineering workforce will have a better understanding of the value concrete paving provides."

The U of L programs will be coordinated by Professor J. P. Mohsen, P.E., Ph.D., chairman of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Louisville. UK’s Kamyar Cyrus (K.C.) Mahboub, P.E., Ph.D., director of graduate studies, will coordinate the programs for UK and will simulcast the presentations to WKU engineering students with the help of WKU Associate Professor Shane Palmquist.

NRMCA's national resource directors have scheduled one of their most popular and informative Webinars for this month. Effectively Communicating Sustainability is 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. See the link below for more information and to register.

• Friday, April 19 - Effectively Communicating Sustainability

The Spring 2013 edition of NRMCA's quarterly magazine, Concrete InFocus, has a number of timely and informative articles available only online, including Part 13 of NRMCA’s Concrete Quality Series: Impact of Specifications on Concrete Quality. Next week, we'll feature another online-only article, Health Wellness Programs: Promoting a Healthier Workplace.

Join us on Monday, May 6, from noon to 5 p.m. for a special tour of Alcatraz, including the regular tour of Alcatraz and a special tour of the concrete preservation work that is being undertaken by the Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program students and faculty from the California State University - Chico CIM program. The cost per person is only $40 and includes both tours, transportation to/from the ICSC host hotel, a boat ride to/from Alcatraz and a boxed lunch.

Space is limited to the first 50 registrants so register soon to ensure your participation. More information and the registration form may be accessed here.

The RMC Research & Education Foundation’s 3rd Annual Walk for Sustainability will take place on Wednesday, May 8, in conjunction with NRMCA’s International Concrete Sustainability Conference. Please join us for a Walk to help raise awareness of the Foundation's large body of sustainable development-focused research reports and to raise additional funds to help the Foundation continue this important work. Participants can set up their own personal fundraising pages to track their support online. The Walk will begin at 6:30 a.m. (registration begins at 6:00 a.m. with pre-walk coffee) and will conclude leaving enough time for participants to freshen up and take advantage of the continental breakfast before conference sessions begin at 8:30 a.m. Registration is only $25 per walker and is tax deductible as a donation to the Foundation. Please visit the Walk registration page for more information and to register. 

Sponsorships are also available for this event and are a great way for your company to demonstrate support for sustainability initiatives and the Foundation at the same time! Please click here to access the sponsorship form.

The 2013 NRMCA Industry Data Survey is now open for participation. The 2013 survey, which is the compilation of 2012 data, can be accessed by going to the NRMCA Web site and downloading the Excel spreadsheet. As a reminder, all information supplied in the survey is confidential. It is collected and processed by an independent certified public accounting firm; no company data is seen except by that firm and it also does not share that information with any party.

Benefits of participation include;

1) The receipt of a complimentary copy of the final survey which is a detailed report that breaks down the components of a  cubic yard of ready mixed concrete and includes the income statement both as a percentage of sales and dollars per cubic yard. This analysis is parsed according to company size, geographic region and by company area type and also includes comparisons to the upper and lower quartiles and to the average participant.  Also included is a five-year trend analysis of the metrics of the average participant.

2) A customized report including the metrics above and compares each participant’s performance to its peers by company size, geographic region and company area type.

3) A quick-reference Executive Summary which includes charts and graphs of key performance metrics from the survey.

4) A customized report detailing each participant’s metrics against state averages and geographic region. This report is available to participants in those states where at least five unrelated companies submit information.

The April 2013 edition of Hard Science, an e-newsletter designed to keep stakeholders in the cement and concrete industries, academic community, transportation and building communities, and government officials up to date about the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub’s work and help translate research findings into practice, is now available. It's produced and distributed by concrete industry groups participating in the Hub, including NRMCA, the RMC Research & Education Foundation, the Portland Cement Association and the American Concrete Pavement Association.

U.S. Concrete’s Aridus® Rapid Drying Concrete has been named "2013 Most Innovative Product Award for Concrete Construction Materials" at this year's World of Concrete trade show. The product was developed and patented by USC Technologies, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Concrete. Aridus® Rapid Drying Concrete is a proprietary concrete mix with a fast drying time that reduces the risks associated with excess moisture in concrete slabs.

NRMCA recently conducted its Plant Manager Certification class in Houston and congratulates three attendees for each earning the class’s highest grade. They are, in alphabetical order, Roberto Cordero, CEMEX, El Paso, TX; Michael McIntyre, ASI Constructors, Water Dam Resource, Pueblo, CO, and Rod Osborne, Dolese Bros., Baton Rouge, LA. This was the first Plant Manager Certification class in 2013, with a second  scheduled for August 13-16 in Silver Spring, MD (metro Washington DC) and the final course is set for December 10-13 in Orlando. Registration is open for the two remaining classes.

NRMCA’s Plant Manager Certification is specified for all batchmen on federal contract projects. With  only two more classes being offered in 2013, do not get placed in the position of winning a contract but not having a batchman NRMCA certified. Last year, numerous folks were closed out of the December class because they waited; and then found themselves not meeting the Army Corps of Engineers' requirement to have NRMCA’s certification BEFORE a job commences. Plan ahead: Plant Manager Certification courses usually sell out. 

The early bird deadline for discount registration and hotel reservations for the 2013 International Concrete Sustainability Conference is Sunday, April 14. NRMCA’s eighth annual sustainability conference will provide the latest advances, technical knowledge, continuing research and solutions for sustainable concrete manufacturing and construction. Experts will present on the latest developments related to design, specifying, manufacturing, testing, construction, maintenance and research of concrete as it relates to sustainable development.

Last week, Tien Peng, NRMCA’s senior director of sustainability, codes and standards, presented "Resilience is the New Sustainability" at the Iowa American Institute of Architects'  (AIA) Spring Meeting in Ames. The program also featured sessions on civic engagement in the Detroit metro area and the rebuilding of New York City after Hurricane Sandy. Approximately 25 design professionals, including architects, landscape architects, contractors and planners attended the session on resiliency and risk reduction of our infrastructure. The architectural community in Iowa is a strong supporter of robust structures which celebrate long life cycles and local heritage.

Peng was invited to speak at the event by Nathan Kalaher, the president-elect of the AIA Iowa Chapter. Kalaher is an organizer of the convention and arranged the education sessions. NRMCA encourages its members to participate in their local professional 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.

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 the Week of April 1 - 5, please click here.

Many producers are evaluating various Web-based, real time, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to drive sales. As a result, NRMCA will host a Webinar on Tuesday, April 23, on the topic. Focus will be given to sharing pointers that help evaluate a customer-driven sales data base. 

CRM systems act as a central hub for all things sales-related, including housing bids,  follow-up tasks, sales goals and projections, assignments and communication internally and with customers. For data-driven, process-oriented producers, CRMs are good news, yet if the wrong system is purchased and implemented; if staff does not enter data, the time and money investment is fruitless. The trick is to "do it right" from the get-go. In this Webinar, facilitator Tim McMahon discusses how to evaluate, select, build, implement and have sales staff use the system to increase sales.

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 2014. A registration fee discount is extended for those who register for all four classes or for companies who send three or more people to one class. The schedule is as follows:

 

• Module 1: Concrete 101: October 1-4

• Module 2: Understand the Contractor's Business: December 3-5

• Module 3: RMC Business Knowledge: February 18-20, 2014

• Module 4: Professional Sales Skills and Promotion: March 18-20, 2014

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.

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