NRMCA's celebration of the 100th anniversary of ready mixed concrete in the U.S. continues its submissions for December - see below for this week's Producer and Associate member Web site links. This week's industry milestone: In 2009, Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago became the largest concrete reinforced building in North America: 20,000 truck-loads of concrete, enough for 570 miles of sidewalk, went into its construction.

Manatt’s - In 1947, Junie Manatt started what is today Manatts, Inc. with the purchase of a single Studebaker truck. After a couple of years had passed, Manatt expanded the company’s services and personnel. Two of Junie’s brothers, Clair and Merlin, joined the company, in the years of 1951 and 1959, respectively. The three of them began the shift into the construction industry. Today, Manatts is a construction company that is still family owned and operated. Read more. 

An NRMCA Producer member since 1961 

Con-Tech Manufacturing - Con-Tech Manufacturing is a privately owned business that was founded by Daniel Welsh and Grant McNeilus. Daniel Welsh, owner of Welsh Equipment, has become a leader in the used and refurbished concrete mixer market throughout the U.S. Grant’s father Brandon and grandfather Garwin were well known leaders in the mixer industry. Con-Tech Manufacturing sells new mixers, quality replacement parts and glider kits. Read more.

An NRMCA Associate member since 2008

The MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHub), a research center devoted to concrete and infrastructure science, engineering, and economics, has received $10 million in funding from its industry partners to support research by interdisciplinary investigators from several MIT departments. The funding enables the CSHub to continue work that began with its launch in 2009 and brings to $20 million the total investment by its industry partners, the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and Ready Mixed Concrete Research & Education Foundation.

Source: An Massachusetts Institute of Technology news release for December 17. Read more.

Workers have poured a significant amount of ready mixed concrete for San Francisco’s new Transbay Transit Center, a project that is being described as representing a transformation of the Bay Area’s transportation landscape. A Putzmeister concrete pumping machine began filling the vast six-story underground cavity at First and Mission streets, where the new Transbay Center will stand. "We’re going to be pouring 142,000 cubic yards of concrete, which is the equivalent of 30 Olympic-size swimming pools," said Maria Ayerdi-Kaplan, head of the Transbay Joint Powers Authority.

E-NEWS has provided news stories throughout this year on British Columbia's provincial government's Wood-First construction policy. Recently, concrete and steel industry officials have stated that forest industry and provincial government do not have scientific studies to prove arguments about safety of wood in large structures. A December 11 article in The Vancouver Sun updates readers on the latest developments in the issue, including comments by Carolyn Campbell of the British Columbia Ready-Mixed Concrete Association.

The South Dakota Ready Mixed Concrete Association hosted its annual concrete workshop in Sioux Falls last week. The workshop was co-sponsored by the South Dakota chapter of the American Concrete Pavement Association. In the morning session, more than 75 attendees were presented with information on tilt-up wall buildings, concrete floors and the ACI 318 update coming in 2014. In the afternoon, NRMCA Vice President, Pavement Structures, Brian Killingsworth presented on concrete pavement design and then walked the audience through the ACPA StreetPave12 design program by providing hands-on software instruction and training.

Participants received instruction on designing a new concrete pavement, developing an equivalent hot mix asphalt pavement and conducting a life-cycle cost analysis. Killingsworth also shared the benefits of concrete overlays and performed a design in the StreetPave software. The audience was comprised of consultant designers, ready mix producers and public works personnel. Throughout the discussion, Killingsworth also reviewed the latest market dynamics and other factors that are making concrete pavements an increasingly wise choice for municipal and county pavements.

Reaching out to geotechnical engineers in the quest for concrete pavement designs inclusion in all projects is a goal of Andrew Lester of NRMCA Producer member MMC Materials. To work toward this goal, he put together a lunch presentation to key geotechnical engineering firms in the Jackson, MS, area and invited NRMCA Vice President, National Resources, Amy Miller to speak to this group about proper concrete design and to also help them understand why they should always include a concrete pavement section in every project. Lester also asked special guest Robert Varner of Burns Cooley Dennis, Inc., to speak on the upcoming ACI 330 Guide to Design and Construction of Concrete Industrial Pavements. Varner is a local geotechnical engineer who also serves as the ACI 330 chairman.

"Not providing a concrete section is not allowing for open competition from the market," Lester said. "Owners are depending on their consultants to aid them in design and best pricing solutions. Often time engineers don't understand the current dynamics of costs as they relate to competitive first costs when pavements are designed appropriately. Our job is to help them understand this." 

For more information, contact Amy Miller at amiller@nrmca.org.

Looking for something to jump start your promotion efforts? Maybe you need that special "door opener" that will get you some face time with your local engineers. Look no further than the NRMCA’s Specifier Webinars. "One NRMCA member recently converted over 1 million square feet of parking lot through his local promotion efforts," reports NRMCA Senior National Resource Director Phil Kresge. "And part of the preparation of his sales team included the NRMCA Webinars."

This "live" Webinar series is presented in a convenient and effective online format. Presenters are Concrete Resource Team members, each with a very strong knowledge of concrete and an average of more than 20 years of construction industry experience. They also have direct access to an extensive network of technical experts that can be tapped to answer questions that might arise during Webinars or follow-up discussions. Each Webinars qualifies for continuing education credits through the American Institute of Architects (AIA) or for Professional Development Hours (PDH) for engineers.

Although there is typically a minimal registration fee associated with each Webinar, NRMCA members and partners can register for free by entering "nrmcaspecifier" on the registration form. Upcoming Webinars include: Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete (Parts 1 and 2), December 23 and 30; Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst on January 6 and The Quantifiable Advantages of Concrete Parking Lots, January 13. Each of these Webinars begins at 11 a.m. Eastern time.

The deadline for submitting nominations for all three promotion awards has been extended to Friday, January 3, 2014. Promotion awards include a new State Affiliate Promoter of the Year Award to recognize outstanding concrete promotion contributions by an employee of one of NRMCA’s State Affiliate partner organizations. Nominees must be a current employee of the Affiliate and have worked in the industry for at least five years. Ongoing promotion awards are the Lifetime Achievement Award for Promotion and the Concrete Producer Promoter of the Year Award.

NRMCA promotion awards are presented at the Annual Convention every spring. Any active participant in the ready mixed concrete industry (including suppliers and contractors) can help a promotion champion gain acknowledgement by nominating him or her for any of these prestigious awards. Information about all three promotion awards and the simple nomination process can be found here.

The preliminary estimate of ready mixed concrete produced in October 2013 is 32 million cubic yards, 8.3% higher than the production in October 2012. The estimated production through October is 258 million cubic yards, 4.2% higher than that during the same period in 2012.

Registration for the NRMCA 2014 Annual Convention at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas from March 1-3 is now open. Convention activities include business sessions, committee meetings, education programming, networking social events and an impressive lineup of keynote speakers. Please visit NRMCA's Web site for full convention details.

Your NRMCA Annual Convention registration includes entry to the 2014 CONEXPO-CON/AGG Show immediately following the convention (March 4-8 at the Las Vegas Convention Center). In addition, when you register with NRMCA, you will be offered special discounted pricing for CONEXPO-CON/AGG Education Sessions. To register, download the registration form and return to the NRMCA meetings department. Please note, there is no online registration available for the 2014 Annual Convention, so be sure to download your forms and register by January 31, 2014 to save $100 on the registration fee. As a bonus, if you register by Thursday, January 9, 2014 you will be entered into a contest to win a FREE suite upgrade at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas*.

Make your hotel reservations soon as the NRMCA room block is limited and WILL sell out early. The discounted room rate for a "City Room" is $209 per night plus applicable taxes (additional room types available at different rates). You may make your reservations by calling The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas directly at 1-855-435-0005; mention code SNRMA4 or NRMCA 2014 Annual Convention for the discounted rates. The cut-off date for hotel reservations is Thursday, February 6, 2014, but rooms will go quickly so please do not wait to make your reservations.

*Please Note: If you do not plan on attending the CONEXPO-CON/AGG Show OR if you have already registered for the show, you do not need to fill out the demographic information on the registration form and $60.00 will be deducted from your registration fee. Please be sure to indicate on your registration form if you are already registered for the Show.

A number of NRMCA members have donated items to the Concrete Industry Management's (CIM) ninth annual fundraising auction to be held in January at the World of Concrete trade show. Associate member Command Alkon has donated a new COMMANDbatch plant automation system. NRMCA Producer members Ozinga Bros. and Lafarge have donated a Chicago sports weekend package that includes four tickets to see the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks square off against the Nashville Predators on March 14 and four tickets to watch NBA's Chicago Bulls take on the Sacramento Kings on March 15. The package includes airfare, lodging for two nights plus a $350 dining allowance at Michael Jordan's Steakhouse.

The CIM auction will be held at the World of Concrete on Wednesday, January 22, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in the North Hall Room N262. The silent auction will be held from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and the live auction begins at 1 p.m. 

NRMCA is now accepting entries for its 2013 Kids Art Contest. In rounding out the 100th Anniversary of Ready Mixed Concrete, the theme for the contest is "The Evolution of the Ready Mixed Concrete Truck." The contest is open to kids up to grade 12 who have a relationship to an NRMCA member.

• All entrants must be related to or sponsored by an NRMCA member.

• Contestants are limited to one entry each.

• Artwork should be 100% produced by the entrant and be original.

• Entries may be in a medium of the artist's choice (oil, water color, pastels, pencil, pen and ink, charcoal, crayon, etc.). Entries can be a drawing, collage, painting or other two-dimensional work.

• All entries must incorporate a ready mixed concrete truck in some manner – but should not be limited to a picture of a ready mixed concrete truck.

• Entries must be on 11" x 14" flat paper. We encourage artwork to be on good quality bond or drawing paper, or illustration board. Entries should not be framed or matted.

• For contact purposes, please include artist’s name, address, phone number, age and grade, and the name of the NRMCA member and his/her relationship to the artist on the back of their artwork.

• Entries must be postmarked no later than Tuesday, December 31.

Entries will be divided into the following grade categories: pre-K, K-2, 3-5 and 6-12. First, Second and Third place winners will be selected from each grade category. Entries will be judged only against others in their respective grade category. They will be judged on originality, effort, creativity, composition and interpretation of the theme.

Winners in each category will be announced at NRMCA’s Annual Convention, March 1-3, 2014 in Las Vegas. Winning entries will be auctioned off at the CONCRETEPAC Dinner & Auction to help raise money for NRMCA’s Political Action Committee. Images of the winning entries will be used later in the year to create a 2015 NRMCA calendar; winners and the sponsoring members will receive a free copy of the calendar.

All entries will be displayed at NRMCA’s Annual Convention and CONEXPO – CON/AGG, and entries will be on display at NRMCA’s headquarters in Silver Spring for the remainder of 2014. NRMCA reserves the right to copy and modify any entry for reproduction. Entries will not be returned and may be used for future promotional opportunities. 

Entries must be post marked no later than Tuesday, December 31 and should be mailed or delivered to:

Kerri Leininger

NRMCA 

900 Spring Street

Silver Spring, MD 20910 

The popular NRMCA Regional Concrete Technology Training and Certification Program (Short Course) is scheduled for January 27-31, 2014 at the office of the Florida Concrete Products Association (FCPA) in Orlando, FL. It is co-sponsored by FCPA. The course provides a fundamental understanding of concrete, aggregates and concrete making materials; requirements in industry codes and standards and proportioning concrete mixtures. Attendees have the opportunity to obtain industry-recognized NRMCA certifications: NRMCA Level 2 and 3 Concrete Technologist certification and an optional NRMCA Grade II Field Testing Technician. These industry certifications are essential for technical service personnel with suppliers of materials to the concrete industry and with concrete producers.

The following is a summary of activity at the ASTM meeting of Committees C09 on Concrete and C01 on Cement attended by NRMCA staff in Jacksonville, FL:

C09.20 Concrete Aggregates - A new rapid  test method to determine the methylene blue index (MBI) of aggregate was approved and is now available – ASTM C1777 - Rapid Determination of the Methylene Blue Value for Fine Aggregate or Mineral Filler Using a Colorimeter. The test is considered simpler, more accurate and less subjective than an existing AASHTO method. The purpose of the test is to identify the presence of active clay minerals in aggregates or in mineral fillers. A proposed revision to specifically include definition of a term "recycled aggregate" in Specification ASTM C33, with the intent to indicate that these materials are permitted received some negative votes, but the feedback will be used to move this forward. No changes to the existing requirements in C33 for aggregates were proposed. A specification for mineral fillers for use in concrete continues to progress through the ASTM balloting process. This specification will support the use of mineral fillers in concrete, which may be used in self-consolidating concrete or for other purposes. The subcommittee is considering alternative less hazardous heavy liquids for determining lightweight particles in aggregates (ASTM C123).

C09.24 Supplementary Cementitious Materials - On ASTM C618 Specification for Fly Ash several revisions were discussed – removing the note regarding testing at a higher fly ash dosage (similar to project) for the autoclave test, eliminating the composition based differentiation between Class C and Class F and allowing co-combustion of non-coal fuels as well as non-organic additions in the boiler that facilitate fly ash manufacture. Ballot items are expected prior to the next ASTM meeting. A new specification for alternative SCMs that will be qualified using the C1709 guide is being planned. 

C09.26 Chemical Reactions - The subcommittee is evaluating whether the C1293 test method variability will justify reporting to the nearest 0.001%. Some subcommittee members feel it should be to the nearest 0.01% as required in C1567. However, the C1293 limit in the appendix is 0.04% and not 0.040%. Test method precision should be considered while setting reporting and specification limits. A task group was established to develop a recommendation. New business items planned include:

1. Introduction of "as is" aggregate grading option in C1260, C1293, and C1567 tests;
2. Permitting the use of C595 and C1157 cements in C1293 and C1567;
3. Modifications to C1567 to evaluate the effectiveness of lithium admixtures based on Corps of Engineers standard CRD C662;
4. Changing the precisions statement for the ASR tests to include language of range among the three prisms averaged for a test result; and
5. Eliminating the requirement to place test specimens in a moist room for 16 hours prior to the reading for C1293.

There was a presentation on micro concrete prism test which is yielding promising results and has helped classify aggregates and select SCM levels similar to the C1293. The main advantage is that this test can be completed in 56 days as opposed to 1-2 years for C1293. This test has been drafted as an AASHTO draft.

C09.40 Ready Mixed Concrete - There were some minor revisions to ASTM C94 approved. The main part of the meeting was devoted to resolving several negative votes on a new proposed specification for reuse of returned concrete. This effort was successful and the specification will be revised and forwarded to the next step in the balloting process. The subcommittee decided a few years ago that this topic is better addressed in a separate specification that can be called out from ASTM C94, rather than incorporating requirements in C94.

The subcommittee continues to work on other revisions to C94 to include revisions to the scope of the document, changes to the air content table, several revisions to the section on batching concrete, revisions to the annex on mixing uniformity and on the appendix for strength overdesign.

C09.49 Pervious Concrete - A proposal to use the Marshall hammer instead of proctor hammer to consolidate ASTM C1688 specimens for fresh density has been approved at the subcommittee and will now go to main. The issue of conducting C1701 Field Infiltration Rate testing twice at a given location on the same day has been clarified at the subcommittee and will now go to main. A new ISO standard is being developed that is a lab infiltration rate test.

C09.50 Risk Management for Alkali Aggregate Reactions (AAR) - The new practice "Determining Reactivity of Concrete Aggregates and Minimizing Risk of Deleterious Expansion" has been balloted in the main committee and drew multiple negatives. Some of those negatives were considered.

C09.60 Fresh Concrete Tests - A revision was approved to ASTM C172 to address sampling from volumetric mixers. A revised flowchart will be included in the test method for the volumetric air content measurement (C173). An involved inter-laboratory study has been completed to develop a precision statement for the pressure air method, C231. It was noted that AASHTO will address revisions to AASHTO T318 for measurement of water content of fresh concrete using the microwave oven. The revision will account for aggregate absorption and address the precision statement. ASTM will not develop a separate test method. A presentation was made on the difference in tests when samples are obtained with one or two portions from a concrete batch. No significant difference was observed in the test results. A ballot will be considered to permit obtaining a sample with one portion (rather than a composite sample).

C09.61 Strength - Revisions were approved to C469 for measuring the elastic modulus of concrete. Revisions were approved to C39 to include the procedures for using unbonded caps – these procedures will be removed from C1231. Revisions in the works include permitting the slump portion of a sample for other tests in C192 (lab testing). This concept was rejected for field tests. Other revisions discussed include changing the transportation time for cylinders from the field to the lab, provided initial curing conditions are maintained, and allowing the use of smaller beam sizes – 4 x 4 x 14 inches for flexural tests. Because of a difference in measured flexural strength of small size beams, it was suggested that this be addressed in a specification rather than include a correction factor in the test method (C78 and C293). Use of smaller beam size is proposed based on research by FHWA. 

C09.66 Fluid Penetration - This subcommittee has recently published a new test standard for determination of One-Point Bulk Water Sorption of Dried Concrete (ASTM C1757-13). Two new test methods are close to being finalized:

1. Surface resistivity using Wenner probe which can be used for concrete quality assurance; and
2. Mass loss vs. time for one-dimensional drying of saturated concrete which can be used in service life prediction models.

The subcommittee reviewed several negatives and will reissue revised versions of these standards for future ballots. More recent data from an inter-laboratory study was reviewed and might be used to revise the precision statement of ASTM C1202 – the rapid chloride permeability test. No significant improvement in the precision compared to that in the current standard is evident from these data. The C1202 test needs vacuum saturation (VS) while the Wenner probe test does not. It was discussed if VS can affect the results since it saturates the air voids as well. A new draft standard for bulk electrical resistivity was circulated. Three commercial equipment already exist for this test method.

C09.67 Resistance to Environment - A new draft standard for deicer salt scaling test that is more reproducible in the field than ASTM C672 was presented.  This will be balloted before the next ASTM meeting.

C09.98 Evaluation of Laboratories - Revisions to C1077 are addressing certification requirements for technicians and supervisors and the required tests for personnel involved in field tests and laboratory tests. Some of these revisions have implications to inspection and accreditation of laboratories. 

C01 Cement - Revisions are in the works for ASTM C595 on Blended Cements to simplify the structure of the standard. These changes are made in concert to ensure harmonizing the equivalent AASHTO specification for blended cements. Other changes include a method for evaluating sulfate resistance of Portland limestone cement (Type IL) and incorporate the use of isothermal calorimetry and applicable specification criteria for cement heat of hydration.

Workshops and Symposiums - On Sunday, December 8 ASTM C09 Committee sponsored a 2-hour workshop titled Product Category Rules (PCR), Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) and Other Aspects of Sustainable Process and Resilient Materials. Presentations were made by Rich Szecsy with the Texas Concrete and Aggregates Association and Chris Surak, the ASTM manager for the program. The existence of product category rules for concrete developed by the Carbon Leadership Forum was recognized and it was indicated that this was being updated based on input from ASTM. ASTM is developing PCRs for portland cement, slag cement, masonry block, precast concrete and various other materials. ASTM is a program operator serving as a third-party verifier of a product EPD. The example of US Concrete’s EPDs for concrete was discussed. NRMCA served as the program operator for verifying its EPD. It was stressed that the pressure to generate EPDs was imminent with the release of LEED version 4.

A 4-hour symposium was held on Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC). There were several presentations from academia, industry and public officials and the main theme was the need for new test methods or revisions to existing methods to permit the widespread use of UHPC.

C09 Centennial - At the next meeting of ASTM Committee C09 in Toronto there will be a celebration of the committee’s 100-year anniversary. A dinner celebration is being planned for Monday, June 23, 2014. Companies are being solicited for sponsoring this event.

For more information, contact NRMCA's Colin Lobo at clobo@nrmca.org or Karthik Obla at kobla@nrmca.org.

It’s that time again! The 2014 International Mixer Driver Championship will be held during the 2014 CONEXPO-CON/AGG Show in Las Vegas on Wednesday, March 5. NRMCA is now accepting driver applications. Who is eligible to apply? Winners of NRMCA’s National Mixer Driver Championship (see separate E-NEWS item below) from 2011 through 2013, international drivers and "at-large" drivers. Application forms are due by Friday, January 31, 2014. Entrants will be notified by Wednesday, February 5, of their acceptance as drivers in the championship. Official invitations will be sent.

NRMCA's Ready Mixed Concrete Delivery Professional Driver of the Year Award acknowledges the significant contribution of ready mixed concrete truck drivers to the growth and success of individual companies and the ready mixed concrete industry. As a salute to these key members of the concrete production and delivery team, the award recognizes the driver’s career achievement, safety, professionalism, competence and customer service skills in a manner that will enhance the industry and public image of the career Ready Mixed Concrete Delivery Professional. The 2014 Ready Mixed Concrete Truck Driver of the Year Award winner will be honored at an award presentation ceremony at the NRMCA’s Annual Convention in Las Vegas in March 2014.

Click here to learn more, including a link to download an application form. For more information, contact NRMCA's Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org.

Last week, NRMCA’s Winter 2013 Plant Manager Certification Course was held in Orlando, FL, with 33 attendees. Course attendees learned about on industry-specific operations and production issues that affect ready mixed concrete. Registration has opened for the next class, which will be held March 25-28, 2014 in Oklahoma City.

Early each new year, NRMCA conducts its annual Dispatcher class. The  2014 class will be held February 18-20 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.

NRMCA, working with the Athena Sustainable Materials Institute (Athena), is developing an Industry Wide Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for Concrete and is seeking data from concrete producers. The project is being funded by the RMC Research & Education Foundation. The newly adopted LEED v4 has a credit that requires EPDs from 20 permanently installed building products. Concrete, because of its versatility, can potentially contribute many "products" (footings, basement walls, columns, shear walls, elevated slabs, beams, etc.) toward meeting this credit. This means that concrete producers that have EPDs for their products will be able to contribute to this credit in a significant way, either by providing a Product Specific EPD (for full value) or an Industry Wide EPD (for ½ value). Although Product Specific EPDs (e.g., plant-specific) are more valuable in LEED v4, the cost of producing them is prohibitive and using an Industry Wide EPD would be a cost effective alternative (click here for a detailed description of EPDs).

To develop the Industry Wide EPD, NRMCA will need information from concrete plants, such as material quantities purchased, transportation distances from your suppliers, plant energy use and typical mix designs. This information will be used to conduct a Life Cycle Assessment for a variety of industry representative mix designs and their environmental impacts reported in an Industry Wide EPD. These data will be collected during the first quarter of 2014 for the most recent 12-month reporting period (calendar or fiscal year).

1. Only those producers who provide data for the Industry Wide EPD can be listed and be eligible to use the document for a LEED submittal.

2. Any data provided will remain completely confidential – Athena has signed a non-disclosure agreement.

3. Companies must be an NRMCA member at time of publishing to be listed in the EPD.

NRMCA is seeking someone from each company who will be the Primary Contact for this project. He or she will be responsible for collecting data from some of the company’s plants in different regions of the country. Athena will be conducting the survey online and it will work with the Primary Contact to define how many and which plants to collect data from and what data to collect. 

With the launch of LEED v4 by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) last month, product manufacturers are attempting to understand the requirements of the revamped Material and Resources (MR) category. Several MR credits require the design team to use 20 different products that have third party verified reports on their environmental impacts, sourcing of raw materials and material ingredients. What was unclear is exactly what constitutes a "product" for the purposes of meeting these credit requirements. To clarify, USGBC has issued a video as reference.

LEED v4 officially launched last month and its new reporting requirements will likely change the way companies do business. Companies that take the initiative to understand the requirements and obtain the necessary documentation will gain a competitive advantage. To help concrete producers understand these new requirements, NRMCA is offering a free 90-minute Webinar titled "New Radical Material and Resources Reporting Criteria in LEEDv4" on two different dates: Tuesday, January 14 and Tuesday, February 11, each from noon to 1:30 p.m. Eastern time.

This Webinar will provide an overview of the new MR Disclosure and Optimization credits and the reports required by product manufacturers, including EPDs, CSRs and HPDs and what they mean for the concrete industry. The Webinar will help participants understand the new LEED v4 requirements that emphasize material transparency and how your business can prepare for the transition. It will also describe the NRMCA programs and resources available to help concrete producers meet these new reporting requirements.

NRMCA and the Iberoamerican Federation of Ready Mixed Concrete (FIHP) have selected speakers for the International Concrete Sustainability Conference, Latin America, to be held February 6-7, 2014, in Medellin, Colombia. World renowned speakers will present the latest advances, technical knowledge, continuing research, tools and solutions for sustainable concrete manufacturing and construction, including:

• Francesco Biasioli, general secretary of the European Ready Mixed Concrete Organization, Italy

• Cesar Constantino, process and quality manager at Titan America, Panama

• Lionel Lemay, senior vice president of sustainability, NRMCA, United States

• Julie Garbini, executive director of the RMC Research & Education Foundation, United States

• Angela Bejarano, consultant to the U.S. Green Building Council Texas Chapter, Colombia

• Cristina Gamboa, executive director of the Colombian Council of Sustainable Construction, Colombia

• Shiraz Tayabji, expert on concrete pavement and sustainability, United States

• Jeremy Gregory, executive director of the Concrete Sustainability Hub, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States

• Carlos Forero, CEO Asogravas, Colombia

• Jorge Solano, technical director Costa Rican Institute of Cement and Concrete, Costa Rica

• Mohamed Mahgoub, assistant professor at New Jersey Institute of Technology, Egypt

• Douglas Ruhlin, environmental consultant, United States

In total, the conference will consist of over 30 general and technical sessions. A complete list of speakers and additional details about the conference is available online.

The conference is an expansion of the popular International Concrete Sustainability Conference and International Concrete Technology Forum hosted by NRMCA since 2006 throughout the United States and the Middle East. The Medellin conference marks the first time the conference will be held in Latin America; the 2014 conference will take place at the Intercontinental Hotel of Medellin.