NRMCA's celebration of the 100th anniversary of ready mixed concrete in the U.S. kicks off in August with two more histories of Producer and Associate members - see below for their respective Web site links. This week's industry milestone: In 1979, construction began on the Long Key Bridge – the first of the concrete segmental spans that would provide a new highway linking the Florida Keys.

Geiger Ready Mix – The origin of this longstanding NRMCA Producer member dates to the 1860’s when Gottlieb Geiger started a small construction contracting business performing odd jobs in Leavenworth, KS. In 1892, his son, Adam Geiger, started a building material business named A.M. Geiger Cement Company and sold coal, lime, sack cement, grain and sewer pipe among a sundry of construction products. Adam’s son, E.W. (Ed) Geiger started a construction company that eventually became one of the largest in Kansas during the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s. The E.W. Geiger Construction Company built roads throughout the state of Kansas with an emphasis in western Kansas. Read more.

An NRMCA producer member since 1952

Hendrickson International – Company founder John M. Boler was born in Marion, OH, and early on developed a fascination with the transportation industry, fueled by hands-on experience gained while coordinating team transport in high school, serving in the Army Transportation Corps and working for a trucking firm to pay college expenses. Owning his own company became a goal partly because he felt that the only people truly successful in business were the ones willing to take the risks associated with ownership. Read more.

An NRMCA Associate Member since 1963

Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands have developed a special concrete that can reduce the amount of nitrogen oxide air pollution by as much as 45 percent, according to a study published last month in the Journal of Hazardous Materials. The "photocatalytic" concrete is sprayed with titanium dioxide, a substance used in sunscreen because it blocks ultraviolet light. When mixed with concrete, it is able to break down nitrogen oxide, a pollutant emitted by cars and trucks.

President Obama's Climate Action Plan calls for a series of changes to our nation's infrastructure and energy use that has the potential to reduce America's greenhouse gas emissions. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHub) has been working since 2010 to actively address two of President Obama's key points: building a 21st century transportation sector and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The new, free mobile application called "I'm Stuck" for Android or iPhone, released by Building America's Future, allows motorists to notify members of Congress whenever they are stuck in traffic or delayed on a bus or a train - and demand that attention be paid to the country's aging transportation networks. "We're trying to use this [app] as a permission [slip] to elected officials, a way of saying to them, it's okay to support investment in infrastructure," said former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, the group's co-chairman.

NRMCA Senior National Resource Director Phil Kresge recently spoke at the Missouri Concrete Association’s (MOCA) Annual Summer Meeting. Kresge’s presentation, An Introduction to NRMCA Concrete Pavement Software, opened with a discussion on the importance of promoting concrete pavements. He then introduced the NRMCA Concrete Pavement Analyst (CPA) software and offered guidance on how to use it as a promotional tool. He closed with a description of NRMCA’s Design Assistance Program (DAP) for parking lots and streets & roads. He encouraged the attendees to use the program as an "Ask for the Order" technique in their promotional efforts.

The program was well received by the 40+ MOCA members in attendance. Several of the members spoke with Kresge following the meeting regarding both CPA and DAP. There was also interest in the new Guide for Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots, which Kresge had introduced as an additional resource for promoters.

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

Work that began in 2010 with a contractor and producer has resulted in a boom of concrete overlay work in Eastern Wisconsin, reports NRMCA Senior National Resource Director Jon Hansen.

"The beginning of this work traces to the fall of 2010, when John Carew of (NRMCA Producer member) Carew Concrete arranged a lunch meeting with a contractor who had just purchased a laser guided screed and was looking to expand his concrete wall business to include flatwork and parking lots," Hansen said. "We met to discuss parking lot paving opportunities which included overlays of existing parking lots. With the release of the Guide to Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots in the fall of 2012, the contractor was armed with the technical information to support his efforts. His latest project is for medical center group (shown here) in Eastern Wisconsin." 

As August begins, it's time to register for one of NRMCA's sustainability-focused promotion Webinars: Effectively Communicating Sustainability 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. Click on the link below to learn more and to register.

• Thursday, August 22 - Effectively Communicating Sustainability

NRMCA’s National Mixer Driver Championship has received 46 driver registrations from 26 states for the September 22 competition to be held during ConcreteWorks outside Las Vegas. The strong turnout is six more than the previous record of drivers, the 40 who competed in 2007 in Phoenix. The upcoming event will be the eighth championship competition. To salute the drivers, volunteers and families that have made the annual event such a success, NRMCA has released a video slide show of highlights from the first seven championships.

"The Championship features the best drivers from across the country in the nation’s leading demonstration of safety, driving ability and knowledge relating to the delivery of ready mixed concrete," said NRMCA Operations, Environmental and Safety Committee Chairman Mike Zagula. "It is also a fun and exciting event that brings together drivers, other industry participants and their families in a celebration of the skills and dedication that serve as the foundation for the entire ready mixed concrete industry."

At this year’s ConcreteWorks, the Operations, Environment and Safety (OES) Committee has scheduled a number of exciting and informative education sessions, including an environmental regulations update, briefing on the new Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), a panel discussion on Hours of Service (HOS) regulations, a federal employment law boot camp, an update on compressed natural gas for concrete mixer trucks, a short discussion on mixer truck sensor technologies, a seminar on the new "Job Safe" Program, as well as an introduction to Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and the Product Category Rules (PCRs) for ready mixed concrete.

Click here for more information on these OES sessions along with a link to register for ConcreteWorks. For more information, contact NRMCA's Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org.

The new Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) from OSHA requires chemical manufacturers, distributors or importers (including ready mixed concrete producers) to make adjustments to their Hazard Communication Plan... is your company ready? The new rule that went into effect in 2012 requires ready mixed concrete producers to change their Material Safety Data Sheets or MSDSs to a new 16-part format Safety Data Sheet (SDS) ... have you done so? There is a new criteria for labels on hazardous chemicals, including pictograms... do you know what they are? The labels must now include Chemical Hazard Classifications, Precautionary Statements and Signal Words... are your employees familiar with these? The new standard requires that your employees be trained about the various aspects of your new Hazardous Communication Plan by later this year... have they been trained? Do you know where to find ready mixed concrete industry specific training?

NRMCA has scheduled a Webinar on Tuesday, August 27, to help explain these issues. Leading the discussion will be NRMCA's Gary Mullings and Kevin Walgenbach and NRMCA members from Producer companies Tim Kauzlick of CEMEX and David Bosarge with MMC Materials.

Click here to register. For more information, contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org.

This is the last week to register for the Pervious Concrete: A Stormwater Solution online course. The course will be offered noon to 1:30 p.m. Eastern time from August 12 through 15. This course will provide detailed instruction on implementing pervious concrete pavements as a solution to reducing stormwater runoff from building sites and other paved areas. Attendees will learn the details of pervious concrete pavement systems, engineering properties and construction techniques. Other topics to be covered include:

• Properties and Mix Design

• Sustainable Contributions

• Site Planning and Layout

• Construction Techniques

• Subgrade Preparation

• Durability and Maintenance

• Applications and Case Studies

This revised course is intended for civil engineers, architects, landscape architects, and public works officials and others who design pavements and stormwater management systems. Contractors, product suppliers and land developers will also benefit from this seminar. Participants will receive six continuing education hours upon completion of the course, required reading material and quizzes.

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 July 29 - August 2, please click here.

The August 2013 issue of Concrete Capitol Connection is now available online, with updates on legislation, regulation and case law from the previous month. If you would like to receive this monthly newsletter in a separate e-mail or if you have questions or comments, please contact NRMCA’s Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org.

Educational Activities Committee (EAC) Chairman Vickie Tyminski extends a warm invitation to all attendees at NRMCA's 2013 ConcreteWorks to join the Fall EAC meeting on Sunday, September 22, from 4-6 p.m. at the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa, just outside Las Vegas.

 

These tough times make it a challenge for industry staff to participate in training. Nevertheless, EAC continues to offer vital insight about what short- and long-term preparations are needed that positively impact the professionalism and growth of staff. Please 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.

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 that 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 11-13, 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.

NRMCA's August Internet Spotlight, good through Tuesday, September 3, is the promotion Flip Book series. A Flip Book presentation is ready-to-go anytime, anywhere and can be done over an informal cup of coffee or during a one-on-one meeting. They 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 of the nine Flip Book topics come with a Windows PowerPoint version on CD-ROM for electronic presentations, which also enables the editing and printing of page updates.

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 12-15 Online Course

Pervious Concrete: A Stormwater Solution

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

 

August 13-16, Silver Spring, MD

Plant Manager Certification Course

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

 

August 15, Free Webinar

Quasi-Steady-State Equilibrium Estimation of Concrete Pavement CO2 Sequestration

Email: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101

 

August 22, Webinar

Effectively Communicating Sustainability

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

 

August 27, Webinar 

Concrete Pavement Jointing Plans

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

 

August 27, Webinar

Hazard Communication Standard Training for the Ready Mixed Concrete Industry

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

 

August 27, Webinar

Roller Compacted Concrete: Your Third Choice for Pavement

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

 

August 27-29, San Jose, CA

Concrete Durability Course

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

 

August 30, Webinar

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

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

 

September 10, Webinar

Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Software

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

 

September 10, Webinar

The Quantifiable Advantages of Concrete Parking Lots

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

 

September 12, Webinar

Effectively Communicating Sustainability

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

 

September 19, Free Webinar

Coal Ash Material Safety—A Health Risk-Based Evaluation of USGS Coal Ash Data from Five US Power Plants

Email: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101

 

September 22-24, Las Vegas, NV

ConcreteWorks & Board of Directors' Meeting

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

 

September 26, Webinar

Sustainable Design with Concrete

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

 

October 1, Webinar

Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete - Part 1 (*Part 2 on October 8)

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

 

October 1-4, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP I: Introduction to Concrete Fundamentals—Concrete 101

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

 

October 15, Webinar

Roller Compacted Concrete: Your Third Choice for Pavement

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

 

November 5, Webinar

Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Software

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

 

November 5, Webinar

The Quantifiable Advantages of Concrete Parking Lots

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

 

November 7, Webinar

Sustainable Design with Concrete

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

 

November 8, Webinar

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

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

 

November 12-14, Silver Spring, MD

The Effective RMC Supervisor Course

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

 

November 19, Webinar

Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete - Part 1 (*Part 2 on November 26)

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

 

December 3-5, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP II: Customer Business Knowledge

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

 

December 4-6, Orlando, FL

Environmental Professional Certification Course

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

 

December 5, Webinar

Roller Compacted Concrete: Your Third Choice for Pavement

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

 

December 10-13, Orlando, FL 

Plant Manager Certification Course

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

 

December 23, Webinar

Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete - Part 1 (*Part 2 on December 30)

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