NRMCA e-news

A federal appeals court ruled Monday that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) violated the Clean Air Act by rejecting a Texas program for approving air permits. The ruling by a divided three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concerns the EPA's 2010 rejection of the state's flexible permitting program. That decision forced more than 100 industries, including cement manufacturers, to work directly with the EPA to get operating papers. By a 2-1 vote, the 5th Circuit struck down the EPA's rejection of the flexible permitting program and told the EPA to reconsider it.

If at first you don't succeed... turn to concrete. That's what city officials in Marietta did recently when bricks began sinking and loosening just three years after being installed along a downtown street. Now, Marietta's city streets department is overseeing replacement of the brick in four crosswalks with stamped, brick-colored concrete.

An increasing number of homeowners are turning to concrete for inside their homes, coming to learn that concrete can reflect personal style and need not appear like it does on roads and parking lots. An article that appeared recently in a major Florida newspaper quotes the Portland Cement Association's Jamie Farny who tells the reporter what you all know already: concrete is a durable material, and variations in decorative concrete can be made to resemble stonework, woodwork or brickwork.

In Africa, the Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria are urging federal lawmakers to consider the use of cement to build concrete roads in place of the current practice of using laterite and asphalt which have short life-spans. Association Chairman Joseph Makoju is using an argument well known in the U.S.; that although the cost of building roads with concrete would be 10-15 per cent higher, it would be cheaper in the long haul. Makoju said with an installed capacity of 28 million metric tonnes and a demand of only 17 million metric tonnes of cement per annum, the availability of locally produced cement could be leveraged in constructing roads that would be longer lasting.

The American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) recently released the latest version of its concrete pavement structural design software for street and roads titled StreetPave version 12. This software utilizes new engineering analyses to produce optimized designs for city, municipal, county and state roadways. For existing concrete pavements and overlays, StreetPave 12 may be used to estimate service life and/or failure criteria. NRMCA recommends using the StreetPave software for street and local road pavement design because it is tailored to fit these circumstances. Additionally, StreetPave 12 incorporates a Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) module which allows the designer to perform a detailed cost/benefit analysis and make informed decisions on specific pavement design projects.

NRMCA’s Parking Lot and Streets and Local Roads Design Assistance programs have proven to be a success as they approach their first year in service.  Over 35 proposals and/or jointing plans have been provided to NRMCA members, state affiliates and designers to assist concrete in becoming the chosen paving material on projects.

The success rate for concrete placement on the submitted projects has been outstanding. NRMCA encourages its members and state affiliates to take advantage of this service. Design services for National Accounts are free as well as the first design assistance for each state affiliate.

  

Gardnersville, NV, is close to Lake Tahoe and not too far from Reno, which carries the civic slogan "The Biggest Little City." Most pavements in the market are asphalt, but not anymore, reports Senior National Resource Director Vance Pool. The new Walmart being built there recently began placement of the concrete parking lot in the wee hours of the morning in no small part because concrete won on first cost competing against asphalt.

"This is a great example of how the market is changing on a national basis," Pool said. "This is the first Walmart we are aware of with concrete parking in Nevada and illustrates how our geographic penetration at Walmart continues to grow."

The concrete was produced by NRMCA member company American Ready Mix for the 1 a.m. placement starting time. "We see many members that have tried to get a Walmart parking lot in a dark market like Gardnersville and are not doing everything they can to raise their odds of winning," Pool said. "Once again the winning sub used a laser screed, which is required for the interior floor by Walmart specs. The vast majority of projects won have been won with laser screeds. Even if you have bid a Walmart in your market in the past and have not won, keep trying. Partner with a good subcontractor. Watch out for grading subs who have relationships with the asphalt bidders. Bid turnkey like the asphalt guys do and be prepared to win some and lose some."

"If we can win in Nevada, we can win anywhere," he added. "Keep trying and eventually you will win one of these large projects."

A new hotel and convention center being built in Tuolumne, CA, is a model of resilient and efficient construction, reports Senior National Resource Director Jon Hansen. The 148-room Black Oak Casino Hotel shown at right is nearing outside completion, with work started on the fourth and final floor using Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) for the exterior walls. The building is scheduled to be completed in Spring 2013.

The NRMCA Pervious Concrete Promotion Subcommittee will meet Wednesday, October 3, at the M Resort, South Henderson, NV. The meeting is being held in conjunction with the Annual Pervious Concrete Roast which is sponsored by Bunyan Industries and held in nearby Sloan, NV. The meeting is open to all NRMCA members, state affiliates and invited guests. You do not need to be registered for the Roast in order to attend the subcommittee meeting; all Roast registrants are invited to attend.

                

"We proposed a change in venue this year to accommodate the many pervious concrete professionals who would be attending the Pervious Roast," said Phil Kresge, NRMCA senior national resource director and staff liaison to the subcommittee. "The Roast attracts a large percentage of the ready mix industry’s pervious brain trust and it seemed appropriate to take the meeting to them." In the past, the subcommittee meeting has been held in conjunction with NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks conference.

The meeting is scheduled from 2 - 5 p.m. in the Molise 45 meeting room. The focus of the meeting will be to discuss obstacles that are currently hampering the acceptance of pervious concrete as the preferred stormwater management BMP. Attendees can share their successes and frustrations in the hope that peer support can provide direction and assistance. Additionally, updates will be provided with regard to advancements/revisions in the contractor certification and acceptance testing arenas.

When a section of Sycamore Street in Nazareth, PA, had completely failed due to inadequate pavement strength, the road was so cracked it looked like a dried creek bed. After assessing a variety of paving and repair options, the consulting engineer worked with Ken Crank of the Pennsylvania Concrete Promotion Council to specify roller-compacted concrete (RCC) for the new road. RCC was chosen for its high strength and low cost. These benefits were illustrated by decades-old RCC roads in neighboring Ohio, as well as other northern locations in the U.S. and Canada, including areas where pavements are subject to freeze-thaw. Sycamore Street is believed to be the first public street RCC project in Pennsylvania.

The pavement section consisted of 3 inches of stone base, followed by 6 inches of RCC, with a 1.5-inch asphalt wearing surface, for a 1,728 square yard project. The final price was $70,000. The consulting engineer estimated that an equivalent strength asphalt design would have cost about 30 percent more than RCC, from $99,000 to $116,000. The Pennsylvania concrete industry continues to work with PennDOT to develop a RCC pavement specification. 

The Sisseton School Board in Sisseton, SD, recently selected concrete for a new 180,000 square-foot parking lot after comparing the concrete’s life-cycle benefits to those of asphalt. The South Dakota Ready Mixed Concrete Association and local producer, NRMCA member GCC Ready Mix worked together to successfully present concrete’s benefits and life-cycle costs to the school board. The initial project bid was for a 5-inch reinforced concrete section or a 5-inch asphalt section. Because the reinforcement, specified by the local engineer due to expansive soils, added cost to the concrete pavement, a clear understanding of concrete life-cycle benefits was necessary for the project to proceed.

With project low bids coming in at $859,724 for concrete and $564,292 for asphalt, the Sisseton School Board voted to award the parking lot contract to the concrete low bidder. The project is complete and ready for returning students this fall.

Begin your post-Labor Day with a tutorial on how to win the lucrative concrete parking lot market segment. NRMCA's national resource directors have a Webinar scheduled for right after the holiday weekend entitled Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst (CPA) Software. Using ACI and the Asphalt Institute recommendations, CPA compares total ownership costs, giving specifiers and owners the information they need to make sound parking lot pavement decisions. The Webinar explains how the software works along with strategies for making effective use of this outstanding tool.

Click on the link below to learn more or contact NRMCA's Jessica Walgenbach at jwalgenbach@nrmca.org.

• Tuesday, September 4 - Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Software

The preliminary estimate of U.S. ready mixed concrete production in June 2012 is 28 million cubic yards, 4.7% higher than June 2011. The estimated production for the 2012 second quarter is 136 million cubic yards, 15% higher than that during the second quarter of 2011. The projected production for 2012 is 295 million cubic yards, which will be 11% higher than the production in 2011.

In addition to the educational track programming and keynote speakers lined up for NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks & Board of Directors Meeting next month, many activities have been scheduled to provide additional benefit to registrants and their spouses/guests. Included in this year’s schedule is the ever-popular National Mixer Driver Championship, which tests the skills of the "best of the best" to name a national champion. 

An exhibit hall will be open throughout the conference to showcase the latest and greatest in today’s industry equipment, services and technology. An industry tour of Chaney Enterprises’ plant in Waldorf, MD, will offer the opportunity to visit this facility housing both dry batch and central mix operations. A full spouse program has been planned for our delegates’ guests, including a hospitality room with activities scheduled throughout the event, a tour of Lincoln’s Cottage and a breakfast hosted by Mrs. Teresa Robison (spouse of NRMCA Chairman David Robison). The RMC Research & Education Foundation is hosting a "Walk for Wellness" fundraiser and the CONCRETEPAC is holding a golf tournament as well as a tour and dinner on the grounds of Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home. It’s not too late to register to take advantage of everything this Conference has to offer!

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) will hold its bi-annual workshop on "Emerging Developments Related to Supplementary and Alternative Cementitious Materials" September 10-12 in McLean, VA. The goal of this workshop is to provide a forum for practitioners, researchers and other experts dealing with fly ash and alternative cementitious materials (ACMs) to discuss and exchange information on emerging developments related to the use and proper proportioning of these materials into concrete mixtures.

Workshop organizers are soliciting your interest in providing short presentations and information on recent research and development related to all aspects of using fly ash and ACMs in concrete mixtures. This will be a 2 ½-day workshop starting on Monday, September 10, at 1p.m. and ending on Wednesday, September 12, at noon.

Registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis. All participants are asked to provide a one page handout (by e-mail in advance) providing:

1)      Contact information, bio (no more than 3 lines) 

2)      Brief abstract of the presentation

3)      Research and experience on how to encourage greater use of fly ash and ACMs in highway infrastructure while assuring quality and performance for the long term.

The industry’s premier driver training program is now online and totally self-directed so a supervisor or company trainer is not needed. Instead, NRMCA's Concrete Delivery Professional Certification (CDP) Program is lead by a voice-over instructor whose words are seen in subtitles that support drivers with reading or hearing difficulties. Its design allows mixer drivers access through NRMCA’s Web site at any time, using any internet connection.

Each lesson is just 20 minutes long so a learning module can fit between loads or can be spontaneously accessed on slow or bad weather days at the plant. Lessons also have a stop/start feature, making CDP participation adaptable to a driver’s ever-changing work schedule. For more support, CDP-Online directly coordinates with an optional textbook.

Exams are online as well, so the requirement for a third-party proctor has been eliminated, saving your company time and money. Finally, the price has not increased since its initial launch yet the material and delivery system are state-of-the-art. With producers’ need to have cost-effective skill reinforcement for their remaining driving pool, CDP Online gives your frontline representatives the advantage of being the most efficient, skilled and productive driving force representing your business.

 

NRMCA’s Plant Manager Certification is specified for all batchmen on federal contract projects. With just the December 11-14 class in Denver remaining for this year, do not get placed in the position of winning a contract but not having a batchman certified because NRMCA’s certification schedule doesn't coincide with the start of your contract. Plan ahead! Registration is still open for Denver; the next class is not scheduled until August 2013.

NRMCA recently concluded the Plant Manager Certification class in Silver Spring, MD, right near Association headquarters. Congratulations to Hugh Luedtke, Ajax Paving Industries, Troy, MI, for earning the class’s highest grades on the two combined certification exams. Three other attendees,  Steve Cannon, Head Industries, Columbus, OH; Jason McCaffrey, Ultimate Concrete, El Paso, TX, and William McDonald, Sierra Ready Mix, Las Vegas, also averaged over 90% on both exams.

 

Tropical storm Isaac flooded Haiti with heavy rains on its path through the Atlantic and Caribbean, and is expected to hit Gulf Coast states this week. While it is impossible to completely safeguard oneself from a catastrophic event, there are a few things that individuals can do to increase the likelihood that they survive, for instance by having a safe room or storm shelter built.

USA Today reported this week on the increasing use of storm shelters and safe rooms as a way to save lives during tornados and hurricanes. The last two years of tragic, record-setting storms has led to increased emphasis on adopting disaster resilient construction initiatives such as community "safe rooms" with the objective of reducing human losses from natural hazards.

FEMA provides many examples of how safe rooms save lives. One example came last year when severe storms and tornadoes raked parts of Alabama. Well over 100 people gathered inside a Maplesville shelter built in 2005 with FEMA and state funding to escape the storm. Despite cosmetic damage to the shelter, no one inside reported any injuries.

NRMCA, in partnership with the Concrete Joint Sustainability Initiative (CJSI) and the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), will deliver three workshops this fall titled Adopting Disaster Resilient Construction at the Local Level. The full-day workshops are currently scheduled for Richmond, VA, on September 7 and Wilmington, NC, on November 27 with a third to be finalized.

The purpose of the workshops is to educate decision makers at the local level on the importance of disaster resilient construction to enhance community continuity in the face of natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, earthquakes and floods. Topics covered during the seminar include local disaster risk assessment and mitigation, resilient construction methods, FORTIFIED design and construction programs, building code requirements, safe rooms and storm shelters, flood resistant construction and fire resistance.

Concrete has long been recognized as the material of choice for resisting high winds, flying debris, and storm surge associated with hurricanes and tornadoes. With the increased attention to climate change adaptation, concrete systems are essential in fortifying a community’s economic vitality, the safety of its citizens while supporting long-term sustainability.  

Topics covered during the seminar include:

Builders, developers, architects, engineers, contractors, building officials and community leaders are invited to attend. The general public is also welcome. Attendees will receive six (6) Professional Development Hours (PDHs), six (6) AIA-CES HSW Learning Units (LUs) or six (6) USGBC Continuing Education Hours (CEs). The registration fee is only $95 and includes lunch and technical materials.

The Infrastructure Security Partnership (TISP), a Washington, DC-based non-profit group, will kick off a series of workshops in Washington, DC, on Friday, September 7, to address challenges of mitigating impacts from hazards such as flooding, tornadoes and hurricanes, earthquakes, pandemic illness and terrorism. The workshop will discuss structural and operational resilience to ensure core functions and services during and after disasters. NRMCA’s Lionel Lemay will participate on a panel discussion representing the Concrete Joint Sustainability Initiative (CJSI) to present the concrete industry’s disaster mitigation programs. TISP will document the workshop series in a final report, including a set of recommended actions for public sector and private sector stakeholders.

Other workshops are planned for Tampa Bay, FL, on October 3, St. Louis on February 4, 2013, along with San Francisco, Great Lakes Region, Dallas/Fort Worth, Seattle and the New England region with dates yet to be determined. TISP is an organization of government agencies, non-profit organizations and private companies formed after 9/11 to facilitate dialogue on domestic infrastructure security. It offers sources of technical support on public policy related to the security of the nation's built environment.

A host of publications have reported on presidential politics, transportation, infrastructure, regulation, heath care, taxes and other subjects, each of which relate to the ready mixed concrete industry. To access these articles for the week of August 20 - 24, please click here.

NRMCA's annual Certified Concrete Sales Professional (CCSP) series will be held in Silver Spring, MD (metro Washington, DC). A registration fee discount is extended for a person who registers for all four classes or for companies who send three or more people to one class. The complete series schedule is as follows:

 

• Module 1: Concrete 101: October 2-5. Discount hotel date ends September 17. 

• Module 2: Understand the Contractor's Business: December 4-6

• Module 3: RMC Business Knowledge: February 19-21, 2013

• Module 4: Professional Sales Skills and Promotion: March 19-21,2013

       

Each class stands alone so they do 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 Spring 2013 business. Additionally, these are the required courses in the STEPS® Sales and Promotioncertification 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 4, are the Concrete In Practice topics (single set). Available in English and Spanish, Concrete In Practice is a series of 42 one-page information sheets on important technical topics, written in a non-technical "What, Why and How?" format. Give them to contractors and they'll know that you deliver quality and value and make them a part of your promotion and education program. 

September 4, Webinar

Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Software

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

 

September 4, Webinar (Part 2 on September 11)

Designing & Specifying Pervious Concrete

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

 

September 5-7, Silver Spring, MD

NRMCA Concrete Durability Course

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

 

September 7, Richmond, VA

Adopting Disaster Resilient Construction at the Local Level

Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535

 

September 11, Webinar

The Quantifiable Advantages of Concrete Parking Lots

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

 

September 11, Webinar (Part 2)

Designing & Specifying Pervious Concrete

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

 

September 14, Webinar

Effectively Communicating Sustainability

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

 

September 16-19, Metro Washington, DC

2012 NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks & Board of Directors Meeting

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

 

September 20, Webinar

Streets and Local Roads

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

 

September, 27, Cambridge, MA

Annual MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub Research Progress Update

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

 

October 2-5, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP Module I: Concrete 101

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

 

October 19, Webinar

Effectively Communicating Sustainability

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

 

October 23-25, Silver Spring, MD

Effective RMC Supervisor Course

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

 

November 1, Webinar

Streets and Local Roads

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

 

November 5-9, Silver Spring, MD

Technical Short Course

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

 

November 16, Webinar

Effectively Communicating Sustainability

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

 

December 4-6, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP Module II: Customer Business Knowledge

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

 

December 4-6, Orlando, FL

Environmental Professional Certification Course for the Ready Mixed Concrete Industry

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

 

December 11-14, Denver, CO

Plant Manager Certification Course

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

 

December 12-13, Doha, Qatar

International Concrete Technology Forum

Email: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101

 

2013

 

February 19-21, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP Module III: General Business Knowledge

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

 

March 3-5, San Antonio, TX

NRMCA Annual Convention

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

 

March 19-21, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP Module IV: Sales Fundamentals

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

 

May 6-8, San Francisco, CA

International Concrete Sustainability Conference

Email: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101

 

May 12-15, Chicago, IL

Fifth North American Conference on Design and Use of Self-Consolidating Concrete