NRMCA e-news

Nice, but not exactly the numbers anyone is looking for. That's the quick take on an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America, which reported that contractors hired 1,000 more workers in August. Partly as a result of the hiring, the industry's unemployment rate dropped to 11.3% from 13.5% last year. "While we all breathe a sigh of relief any time the sector adds jobs, these numbers are hardly cause for celebration," said Stephen Sandherr, the AGC’s chief executive officer. 

And speaking of job growth, economists say weak U.S. employment data released last week likely will push the Federal Reserve toward launching economic stimulus. Rising stock prices suggest that investors have reached the same conclusion. But many of those economists say uncertainty caused by the "fiscal cliff" of tax increases and spending cuts set to take effect January 1, 2013 will undercut any benefit from the central bank's stimulus.

When a Missouri man with the destruction of Joplin on his mind began formulating how he'd like to build a home, concrete became the key building material. The 2,400-square-foot, three-story home (with a walk-on roof) is squarish-looking, with exposed concrete walls, both exterior and interior. The home is designed to be tornado-resistant. The walls are built with pre-stressed concrete, reinforced with rebar and 16 pre-stressed high tensile steel cables pulled with a hydraulic jack to thousands of pounds of pressure and permanently bonded with the concrete, according to www.rockspan.com, a Web site where the owner posts information about the house.

Meanwhile, across the pond as they say, two very modern mobile concrete batching plants are helping to speed along a rail electriciation project. The mixers can deliver up to 16.5 cubic metres of the desired mix design in minutes with no waste; the units have two independent diesel engines to reduce downtime. All mixes are monitored by two computers, which can prescribe up to 50 mix designs and monitor all ingredients of the mix. The mixer units contain use a unique patented system which allows them to batch concrete at cement contents from 50kg to 500kg per cubic while maintaining a constant output rate. Hail Britannia indeed.

Monache High School in Porterville, CA, (shown below) selected a combination of cool concrete and "hot" solar collectors when it came time to replace its old asphalt parking lot. The concrete surface not only resulted in a cooler surface than the old asphalt, but also provided for a brighter, more reflective and safer parking area once the overhead solar panels were installed.

"Tom Tietz and Paulette Salisbury with the California Nevada Cement Association hired a professional to photograph this recently completed project," reported NRMCA Senior National Resource Director Jon Hansen. "The photos really show what a well planned, renewable energy, sustainable project it is."

Every week could be a great week for concrete and sustainability, but last week held especially terrific news for the world’s most sustainable building material, reports NRMCA Senior National Resource Director Doug O'Neill. Finley Messick, executive director of the Kentucky Ready Mixed Concrete Association, shared the story of concrete being used on a high school that not only used durable and energy efficient ICF concrete walls, but also used concrete for its parking lot. This dramatically affected not only the heat island effect around the school property, but because of concrete’s reflectance has enhanced the outside lighting at night offering a more safe and secure area for students and the community. (Monache High School in Porterville, CA, also used concrete parking to help cool things - see  related E-NEWS story above.)

Both projects offer more proof that concrete is a solution to many environmental issues facing designers in today’s green conscience marketplace, O'Neill said. In an effort to help our industry better understand and communicate concrete’s sustainable attributes, NRMCA is hosting a Webinar entitled "Effectively Communicating Sustainability" this Friday, September 14, beginning at 11a.m. Eastern time.

In 1973, the first Drury Inn opened in Missouri and has grown into a collection of 130 hotels in 20 states. Family owned and operated, the family takes pride in constructing robust buildings that it feels will be around for a long time. The company also recognizes this choice minimizes the amount of resources needed to maintain the quality of their properties.

Orlando is the first Drury location in Florida. The 8-story structure with 260-plus rooms employs a concrete frame structural system and is clad with non-load bearing insulating concrete form (ICF) walls. The exterior finish at the base of the hotel uses concrete masonry, for aesthetics and impact resistance. Above the first floor, a synthetic stucco material provides a colorful, water-resistant exterior. The ICF shell contributes to the energy efficiency of the building as well as noise control. The concrete façade clad in foam keeps out nearly all of the noise from the outside, including a constant hum of passing traffic from a highway adjacent to the property, Interstate 4.

NRMCA's September lineup of promotion-focused Webinars continues next week with a pair of informative offerings, one focused on the advantages of concrete parking lots and the other on how to convince your audience of concrete's sustainable attributes. Click on the links below to learn more or contact NRMCA's Jessica Walgenbach at jwalgenbach@nrmca.org.

• Friday, September 14 - Effectively Communicating Sustainability
• Thursday, September 20 - Streets and Local Roads

The latest issue of NRMCA's quarterly magazine, Concrete InFocus, offers concrete producers a detailed look on how to approach and prepare for federal drug testing regulations, including a case study by a member company. This article is only offered in the online version of the magazine, which also includes other timely and informative articles to be highlighted here in E-NEWS in the next couple of weeks.

The Portland Cement Association (PCA) has recognized Frank Craddock and Al Innis as winners of the 2012 John P. Gleason, Jr., Leadership Award. The awards were presented late last month in Chicago at PCA's annual fall committee meeting. The awards honor employees of PCA member companies who have exhibited industry leadership by taking the Association in new directions. Awards were presented in each of PCA’s two categories of key strategic initiatives: Business Continuity and Market Development. Innis was honored in the Business Continuity category, Craddock for Market Development.

Craddock is an executive vice president for CEMEX, Houston, which is a member of both PCA and NRMCA. He was instrumental in fostering the creation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Concrete Sustainability Hub, which was established in 2009 with the goal of accelerating emerging breakthroughs in concrete science and engineering, and transferring that science into practice.

Innis is the vice president of quality and product performance for Holcim (US) Inc., Dundee, MI. (Holcim is also a member of both associations). He provided constant efforts with the AASHTO/ASTM Harmonization Task Group to get limestone cements accepted in the final agreement. These changes to standards resulted in millions of dollars in savings per year to the cement industry. In addition, it provided an opportunity for manufacturers to produce greener cements with lower carbon footprints.

The award is named after John P. "Jay" Gleason, Jr., who served as PCA president from 1986 until his retirement in 2007. Gleason was known for his consensus building among both members and allies and for his strong leadership skills.

Who in your company would benefit from learning about the concrete fundamentals and technical operations essentials? This essential primer is appropriate for sales reps, dispatchers, administrative/home office and mid-level staff as well as those in executive functions whose jobs do not relate to concrete per se but who should have a baseline knowledge about ready mix technology and ops. This class is NOT appropriate for QC/QA personnel.

 

This annual workshop is taught by NRMCA staff engineers at the RMC Research & Education Foundation Center in Silver Spring, MD, right next door to NRMCA's headquarters building. It will be held October 2-4 with the certification exam on the morning of October 5. For those working toward their NRMCA STEPS® CCPf certification in Sales and Marketing Track, this is a required class. For others working toward CCPf certification in other STEPS tracks, the class is the qualifying prerequisite or an elective. The last day for the hotel rate discount is Monday, September 17!

NRMCA will offer three critical STEPS Operations and Production workshops. All curriculum reflects today’s current market challenges where efficiency, productivity and technical knowledge must be 100% on target so staff does more with less.

Effective Supervisor Certification Class, October 23-25, Silver Spring, MD - According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the most common business lawsuit filed is by employees against their employers - and the employees cite their direct supervisors as the cause. Therefore, the class audience is plant and area managers, operations, dispatch, fleet and driver supervisors, as well as QC supervisors. Content includes industry-specific, hands-on exercises to develop solid procedures to increase efficiency and profitability using better communication skills with front line employees. This class is scheduled for just once a year-training and reduces risk; no producer’s bottom line can afford an expensive internal attack!

 

Green Star/Environmental Certification Course, December 4-6, Orlando - The curriculum benefits concrete plant, environmental and compliance managers. This intense 2½-day course will supply your facility with the tools, information and hands-on experience you need for environmental compliance. Details concerning a producer’s responsibilities when it comes to EPA regulations, the Clean Water Act, discharge permits, stormwater management and a host of other critical environmental matters are covered. The course also includes how to implement NRMCA’s Green-Star plant certification program and is required to become an NRMCA Green-Star auditor. This class is also scheduled for just once a year. Training  reduces risk; no producer’s bottom line can afford a non-compliance fine!

Plant Manager Certification Course, December 8-11, Denver - Operations and production account for approximately 90% of producers’ expenses. Therefore, it has never been more important for your plant crew to be efficient, productive, and risk and  regulatory savvy. This class not only serves producers, but specifically meets the Army Corp of Engineers' contract spec requirement for batchmen who must be certified in order to be awarded federal contracts.

Whether your operations staff now manages more plants or is new to plant management and batching, the curriculum intensely covers the product knowledge, plant safety, environmental regulations, plant operations and ready mixed industry business skills it should apply every day for your company’s healthy turnaround. Currently, the next scheduled class after December is August 2013. If you have a federal job pending, December in Denver is your window of opportunity for your batchmen to meet the certification requirement!

Introduced in May and sponsored by Rep. Geoff Davis (R-KY) and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), the Disaster Savings and Resilient Construction Act of 2012 (H.R. 5839), would offer a tax credit of $3,000 for residential and $25,000 for commercial structures using resilient construction techniques. Specifically, structures would be eligible for the credit if they are built within a federally declared disaster zone up to two years following the occurrence of the disaster.

 

This legislation promotes investing in resilient construction in the wake of federal disasters and works to mitigate the impact of future disasters. Disasters in the United States are increasing in number and severity each year. Once a disaster strikes, we are faced with the task of rebuilding our communities so Americans can get back to work. In this challenging economic climate, we cannot afford a complete rebuild every time a disaster strikes. Resilient construction will help prevent future loss of lives, ease economic suffering, and reduce federal spending the next time a federal disaster is declared. A recent Congressional Budget Office analysis has found that where federal dollars are spent on pre-disaster mitigation programs, "on average, future losses are reduced by about $3 for every $1 spent on those projects..."

 

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 September 3 - 7, 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 Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org.

NRMCA's September Internet Spotlight, good through Tuesday, October 2, is the Pervious Concrete Construction Checklists. This publication provides forms and checklists that can be useful to the pervious concrete contractors and concrete suppliers on projects. Certified pervious concrete contractors or other individuals should use these forms and checklists and modify them as appropriate to local practice and to specific projects.  

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, Webinar

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

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 4, Boise, ID

Northwest Regional Work Plan Meeting

Email: Nicole Maher, 888-84-NRMCA, x1158

 

October 9, Charlotte, NC

Lower Atlantic Regional Work Plan Meeting

Email: Nicole Maher, 888-84-NRMCA, x1158

 

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 2, Webinar

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

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

 

November 5-9, Silver Spring, MD

Technical Short Course

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

 

November 7, Jackson, MS

Adopting Disaster Resilient Construction at the Local Level

Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535

 

November 8, Madison, WI

Great Lakes Regional Work Plan Meeting

Email: Nicole Maher, 888-84-NRMCA, x1158

 

November 14, Little Rock, AR

South Central Regional Work Plan Meeting

Email: Nicole Maher, 888-84-NRMCA, x1158

 

November 16, Webinar

Effectively Communicating Sustainability

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

 

November 27, Wilmington, NC

Adopting Disaster Resilient Construction at the Local Level

Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535

 

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 6, Las Vegas

Rocky Mountain Regional Work Plan Meeting

Email: Nicole Maher, 888-84-NRMCA, x1158

 

December 7, Webinar

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

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

 

December 11-14, Denver, CO

Plant Manager Certification Course

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

 

October 4, Boise, ID

Northwest Regional Work Plan Meeting

Email: Nicole Maher, 888-84-NRMCA, x1158

 

December 12, Silver Spring, MD

Atlantic Regional Work Plan Meeting

Email: Nicole Maher, 888-84-NRMCA, x1158

 

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