NRMCA e-news

Pavement

Trucking Facilities Repair Contractor Benefits from NRMCA Local Paving Team

A national contractor that specializes in repairing and replacing trucking terminal pavement is showing a great return on the time invested by the NRMCA local paving team, reports Jon Hansen, NRMCA senior vice president, local paving.

"We were contacted about a year ago by a concrete contractor we have worked with on a number of overlay projects, telling us about a meeting he had with this national repair contractor about a specific project," Hansen said. "The first contractor referred the second contractor to the services of NRMCA, telling him how he could get help no matter where in the nation he worked. From the introduction stage last year, the relationship has developed through many phone calls, e-mails, and other support that we now have documented over 2,000 cubic yards of concrete so far this year, paving material that would have been asphalt in previous years."

"Our best partner is one that has had success and tells others about it. It is an important part of our overall promotion process," Hansen concluded.

For more information contact Jon Hansen at jhansen@nrmca.org.

Maryland Ready Mix Association to Host Pervious Workshop

The Maryland Ready Mix Concrete Association (MRMCA) will host "Pervious Palooza 2016" on Wednesday, August 24, from 9 a.m to 1 p.m. at a Chaney Enterprises facility in Waldorf, MD. The registration fee is $45 per person. Attendees will receive up to four Professional Development Hours (PDH) and lunch will be served.

"This is a perfect opportunity to join experienced industry representatives from across the country in a conversation to increase everyone’s comfort level about pervious concrete installations," said MRMCA Executive Director Tom Evans. The agenda includes a mix of classroom presentations and field demonstrations with such topics as: What to Look for in Job Specifications and Construction Documents; Understanding Theoretical Mix Designs and Expectations of Field Test Results and Proper Language for Pervious Maintenance Contracts. A pervious concrete placement will demonstrate optional procedures, including coloring/staining, brick paver stamping, pan finishing and placement with an asphalt paving machine.

For more information, contact Tom Evans at tom@marylandconcrete.com or Phil Kresge at pkresge@nrmca.org.

Government Affairs

Latest Edition of CONCRETEPAC Newsletter Now Available Online

The Spring/Summer 2016 edition of CONCRETEPAC's newsletter is now available online. This issue includes a recap of CONCRETEPAC’s activities at NRMCA's Annual Convention and August activities for building a concrete majority.

For more information, contact Cara Gavagan at cgavagan@nrmca.org.

CONCRETEPAC Seeks Sponsors at 2016 ConcreteWorks

CONCRETEPAC is looking for corporate sponsors for this year’s activities at NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks 2016 in Nashville, TN. Corporate sponsorship is a great way for your company to advertise in front of the industry’s top executives and to support CONCRETEPAC – the voice of YOU and YOUR BUSINESS in Washington, DC. CONCRETEPAC sponsorships help underwrite the costs of hosting fundraising events and administrative expenses so that all funds raised can go directly toward supporting federal candidates and incumbents who understand the ready mixed concrete industry.

CONCRETEPAC is hosting a golf outing at the Hermitage Golf Course in Nashville on Thursday, September 15, and the "Music City" Mixer on Friday, September 16, an evening featuring everything Tennessee has to offer – fried chicken, smoked brisket, country music and line dancing instruction!

Please note that corporate funds can be used for sponsorships. Click here to read more about sponsorship opportunities and to download the registration form.

Thanks to our previously committed 2016 Landmark Sponsors: CEMEX, Command Alkon, Concrete Supply Company, GCP Applied Technologies, LaFargeHolcim, Oldcastle Materials Co., Ozinga, The Euclid Chemical Co. and US Concrete.

For more information, contact Cara Gavagan at cgavagan@nrmca.org.

NRMCA Advocacy News Roundup Updated Through August 5

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 August 1 - 5, 2016, 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 Jill Landry at jlandry@nrmca.org.

Federal Proposal Could Make Avoiding Estate Tax More Difficult

Earlier this month, the Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service proposed a plan aimed at making it more difficult for family-owned businesses like many in the ready mixed concrete industry to transfer assets to heirs in order to pay a lower amount in estate taxes. Specifically, the proposed regulation contains a measure to amend valuation discounts, which is the method used to fix the value on an interest in a business to determine estate tax liability. The proposed regulation would result in a direct increase in estate taxes on family businesses after the death of the owner. For this year, the estate tax exemption is $5.45 million per individual and $10.9 million for a married couple.

For more information, please contact Jill Landry at jlandry@nrmca.org.

Administration Issues Guidance on Building Roads, Bridges to Include Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Last week, the Obama Administration issued final guidance that expands the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for federal permits on road and bridge projects. NEPA mandates federal agencies review the impact a project may have on the environment through an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for all projects. The final guidance expands the NEPA permitting process by including direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions in the evaluating and quantifying process. The Administration stated that this guidance is "another big step in the administration’s effort to consider how all types of federal actions will impact climate change and identify opportunities to build climate resilience."

An EIS is very detailed and complicated to review and can take years or even decades to complete. Lawmakers are concerned that the new guidance to require direct, indirect and cumulative climate impacts to quantify the impact to the environment along with the EIS will only further delay these projects or eliminate the project all together. Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), stated that the guidance holds no force because no one has filled the position of the chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). Chairman Inhofe references the Vacancies Reform Act which states that no person may perform the duties of the vacant CEQ chairman position until the president has nominated and the Senate has confirmed that individual.

For more information, please contact Jill Landry at jlandry@nrmca.org.

Buildings

Report Shows Green Building Materials Market Set to Reach $255B by 2020

According to a new report conducted by Zion Research, the global green building materials market is expected to double by 2020. Using 2014 as its baseline where green building materials contributed $127.5 billion to the global construction market, of which North American accounted for 40% of that, the 12% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) will reach $255 billion by 2020. The report noted that the strong rate of growth for the global green buildings market has been largely driven by greater attention to environmental issues, as well as government regulations requiring more sustainable construction. One major factor behind the projected spike in green building is likely the U.S. Green Building Council's announcement that it plans to add more than 5 billion square feet of green buildings over the next five years through its LEED green building rating systems. This research supports the Dodge Data & Analytics' World Green Building Trends 2016 report where green building is doubling every three years.

A growing construction materials market will also mean a growing material transparency market. Therefore, how are you positioning your company to take advantage of the green building growth? As a supporting element in the Build with Strength campaign, NRMCA continues to develop resources and tools to support your competitiveness in the green building marketplace and the trends toward product transparency. Some of our initiatives can be found in the industry-wide or company-specific environmental product declarations (EPD) programs; the recently-released Guide to Material Ingredient Disclosure, the development of which was funded by the RMC Research & Education Foundation; and our global collaboration to develop a responsible sourcing program for the industry. Each of these is targeted to drive concrete as a product transparency leader.

Click here for information or contact James Bogdan at jbogdan@nrmca.org, 412-420-4138.

OES

White House: Agencies to Consider Climate Change in New Regulations

Last week, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) released final guidance for federal departments and agencies to consider greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the effects of climate change when conducting National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews of new regulations. Simply put, newly proposed regulations moving forward will have to consider how GHGs and climate change may be connected to the rule. According to the White House, the guidance, "...will allow decision makers and the public to more fully understand the potential climate impacts of all proposed Federal actions, and in turn, assist agencies in comparing alternatives and considering measures to mitigate the impacts of climate change."

This guidance will not require any GHG or climate change actions related to new proposals, but will likely impact decision makers and their regulatory approaches. This change also adds another level to an already very slow and bureaucratic regulatory process.

Click here to review the White House fact sheet and final guidance or contact Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org. Also see related item under Government Affairs below.

Registration Continues for Fall Safety Course

Registration for NRMCA’s Fall 2016 Safety Course is now open, but note that this course will sell out very soon. It will take place October 11 - 13 in Indianapolis. This 2.5-day course teaches participants about OSHA safety compliance, beginning with with why safety is so important and then detailing the reasons why an effective safety program actually saves money through loss prevention and control. Participants learn about electrical safety, machine guarding, fall protection, hazard communication, confined spaces, personal protective equipment, fire fighting and evacuation, maintenance shop safety, chute handling, fleet safety, pre-trip inspection and more.

Click here for location details, registration options and staff contacts.

Sponsorship Opportunities Available for National Mixer Driver Championship

Is your company represented at this year’s National Mixer Driver Championship? This year’s program brings an enhanced sponsorship program. With the continued growth of the championship program, sponsorship opportunities for members and non-members have been expanded. NRMCA encourages you to circulate these opportunities within your company and to any outside vendors you deem appropriate.

Enhanced sponsorship opportunities include full course naming rights, first place trophy naming rights, driver shirts, driver totes, breakfast of champions, championship lunch, course challenges and many more.

Click here to review this year’s sponsorship program. For more information, contact Jacques Jenkins, Gary Mullings or Kevin Walgenbach.

Engineering

NRMCA Releases Presentation and Checklist on Concrete Testing

NRMCA has released a checklist and power point presentation titled Code and Standards Requirements for Acceptance Testing developed by the NRMCA Research Engineering and Standards Committee with assistance from the Colorado Ready Mixed Concrete Association. More specifically, the presentation provides code and standard requirements on the following

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/nrc-nwl/articles/index-v3.asp?aid=392906&issueID=44468 to view the full article online.

NRMCA Online Concrete Specification Class Offered in Mid-October

NRMCA is offering its information-packed, one-day online course, Handling Concrete Specifications, Low Strength Problems and Mixture Submittals, intended for concrete producers, contractors, engineers and testing labs from October 12 - 14 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Eastern time each day. The course will get into code and specification requirements (ACI 318, 301, ASTM C94) governing ready mixed concrete. It will address many topics, including answering the following questions:

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/nrc-nwl/articles/index-v3.asp?aid=393028&issueID=44468 to view the full article online.

Variety of Technical Track Topics Featured at ConcreteWorks 2016

There are a variety of technical track learning sessions that are scheduled for ConcreteWorks 2016 next month in Nashville, including:

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/nrc-nwl/articles/index-v3.asp?aid=393139&issueID=44468 to view the full article online.

Calendar

A Look Ahead

*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site.

August 17, Free Webinar

Health Product Declarations (HPDs) Contribution to LEED v4

Email: jbogdan@nrmca.org, 412-420-4138

August 24, Little Rock, AR

Concrete Value and Innovations Seminar

Email: Brandy armca@att.net, 501-663-8335

August 24, Orlando, FL

NRMCA Gulf Coast Regional ConcreteWorks

Email: twaugh@nrmca.org, 240-485-1132

September 18 - 20, Nashville, TN

NRMCA's ConcreteWorks 2016