NRMCA e-news

NRMCA's celebration of the 100th anniversary of ready mixed concrete in the U.S. continues in August with two more histories of Producer and Associate members - see below for their respective Web site links. This week's industry milestone: The Texas Commerce Tower in Houston was completed by using concrete pumped to a height of 1,030 feet in 1981 – the highest pumping ever undertaken at the time.

Razorback Concrete Company - In 1965, Kent Ingram and his father, the late W.K. Ingram, founded Razorback Concrete Company. They began operations with a single ready-mix plant and six Mack mixer trucks. Today, Razorback Concrete is one of the largest suppliers of ready mixed concrete in Arkansas with 18 plants in 16 locations and more than 100 mixer trucks serving the region. Read more.

An NRMCA producer member since 1986

CERATECH, Inc. - Incorporated in 2002, CERATECH, Inc. is a clean technology company that has developed and commercialized the world's first carbon neutral "green" cement. CERATECH's core technology converts industrial waste by-products produced by coal-fired power generation plants into hydraulic cements that are an alternative to portland cement for the production of concrete. Read more.

An NRMCA Associate Member since 2011

Using concrete to build taller wind turbines is the key idea behind new research out of Iowa State University, supported by a state economic development grant and wind-energy partners. "We have definitely reached the limits of steel towers," Sri Sritharan of Iowa State University's Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering Department. "Increasing the steel tower by 20 meters will require significant cost increases and thus the wind energy industry is starting to say, 'Why don’t we go to concrete?'" Among the benefits of using concrete for taller wind turbines are precast concrete's wide availability, less reliance on imported steel for the towers and the ease with which smaller precast segments can be assembled onsite.

Researchers have developed forms of conductive concrete for several applications such as deicing and heating, and tweaking the mix to include a conductive aggregate creates a form of electrified concrete, according to this article. "Anything is possible if you can create enough power. There are so many energy options available... down the road, heating up an entire highway is in the realm of the possible," says Rick Zaporzan of the National Research Council of Canada. 

A Florida owner of a new retail and warehouse/industrial facility chose to have his general contractor use tilt-up concrete wall construction process instead of block and masonry. "I know what block is and how easy it is to break through. I want durable. My big thing with this project — I’m thinking hurricane seasons. A two-by-four can penetrate block but splinters when it hits these walls," he said. "And for insurance reasons, it should be cheaper too."

The system of casting concrete walls on site, lifting them in place and linking them together has been used in Florida for a number of decades, but has grown in popularity, especially the past 20-25 years, as building codes have been modified to ensure large buildings survive hurricanes and strong summer storms.

Registration is now open for NRMCA's Concrete Pavement Jointing Plan Webinar to be offered Tuesday, August 27, from noon to 1 p.m. Eastern time. NRMCA’s Amanda Hult will discuss how achieving a properly designed and constructed concrete pavement does not stop at a thickness design. Jointing concrete pavements correctly is a crucial element that is often overlooked. Attendees will gain the necessary knowledge to prepare a well-designed jointing plan. 

Some of the topics that will be discussed are:

• Why joint concrete pavements? 

• Types of joints

• Jointing guidelines

• Sealing and reinforcing

This Webinar is intended for civil engineers, architects, landscape architects, public works officials and others who design and review concrete pavement details. Contractors, product suppliers and land developers will also benefit from this seminar.  

"We keep throwing mud at the wall. Some sticks – some doesn’t." That’s how Hessam Nabavi, director of industry services for the Virginia Ready-Mixed Concrete Association (VRMCA) looks at promotion. "We might spend years delivering the message and wondering if anyone is listening. And then, suddenly, their eyes are opened and it all makes sense." And that is just what happened on a project in Fairfax County, VA, reports NRMCA Senior National Resource Director Phil Kresge.

Nabavi had been working with contacts he had at Adtek Engineering for a number of years. He had spoken with them about pervious concrete on several occasions and had reported some interest, but had yet to break the ice. All that changed in early 2012 when Adtek began working on the Lemon Road Elementary School renovation project in Falls Church, VA. Proper stormwater management was part of the focus of the project and, due to certain site conditions, the engineer ealized that pervious concrete might be just the answer. Nabavi worked closely with Adtek and provided it with design guidance through the NRMCA Design Assistance Program (DAP). Kresge added that the DAP report and the subsequent support from NRMCA’s pavement specialists played a significant role in the engineer’s and owner’s decision-making.

"DAP provides a level of confidence to the engineer," Kresge said. "There is a reassurance in knowing that the recommendations are supported by well-founded principles and are not just ‘value-engineering’."

The recently completed 50,000 square foot project (seen above) was supplied by NRMCA member Vulcan Materials, Fairfax, VA and was placed by NRMCA Certified Pervious Concrete Craftsman Thomas "Zeke" Zinchiak of Z-Con, Inc. Concrete Specialists, Woodbine, MD.

Concrete promotion and sales professionals are invited to join their peers from across North America at NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks at the Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa just outside Las Vegas from September 22-24. ConcreteWorks has a full promotion/sales track as one of four content tracks at the event (click here for general event information). The promotion/sales track focuses on practical information and best practices from industry participants to help attendees improve their effectiveness in delivering concrete paving projects.

The NRMCA room block at Red Rock expires on Friday, August 30, but availability is on a first-come, first-served basis until the rooms sell out. In addition, there is a large international music event in Las Vegas in the days preceding our conference and flights may sell out earlier than normal, so plans should be made early.

Burning Hills Amphitheater in Medora, ND, hosts more than 100,000 guests each year for the Medora Musical. The festival honors America's 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt, and the time he spent in North Dakota's Badlands. Festival automobile and bus traffic had significantly distressed the existing asphalt parking lot, causing the Amphitheater’s engineering firm to seek alternate designs and bids for a reconstruction. Because the festival is ongoing throughout the summer, the prime construction season for North Dakota, the project needed to be able to be built under traffic.

The 6.5 acres of pavement were comprised of 216,000 square feet of parking and 65,000 square feet of driveway. A concrete design of 5-inches and 6-inches respectively was submitted. The asphalt design was 1-inch less for both parking area and drive. In spite of the thickness disadvantage, the concrete bid came in more than $100,000 less than the asphalt bid.

Source: Portland Cement Association Executive Report e-newsletter

One of NRMCA's sustainability-focused promotion Webinars, Effectively Communicating Sustainability, takes center stage next week as part of the promotion-focused Webinar series. This Webinar 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

Following the U.S. Court of Appeals ruling earlier this month on the validity of the July 1 federal Hours of Service (HOS) regulations changes, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued guidance concerning enforcement of the 30-minute break provision as it relates to short-haul drivers: Effective August 2, FMCSA is no longer enforcing the 30-minute break provision (49 CFR 395.3(a)(3)(ii)) against any driver that qualifies for either of the "short haul operations" exceptions: 100 air-mile exception and 150 air-mile exemption (49 CFR 395.1(e)(1) or (2)).

To clarify: if a ready mixed concrete driver can take advantage of the 100 air-mile logging exemption (49 CFR 395.1(e)(1)), then that driver does not need to comply with the 30-minute break provision (49 CFR 395.3(a)(3)(ii)). However, should that driver drive beyond the 12-hour reporting limit outlined in the exemption, then that driver will be required to comply with the 30-minute break provision. However, this scenario now creates a compliance question on how to treat the 30-minute break once a driver knows he/she will drive over the 12-hour limit. NRMCA met with FMCSA officials on Monday to discuss this compliance loophole and possible remedies. FMCSA noted it is aware of the compliance conundrum and is developing guidance for how the 30-minute break should be treated once a driver knows he/she will drive past 12 hours. FMCSA noted that it is considering suggesting that drivers take the 30-minute break immediately when a driver knows the 12-hour limit will be violated; however, no final decision on a solution has been made, nor has FMCSA settled on a timeframe for issuing such guidance. NRMCA will continue to work with the FMCSA on an outcome favorable to the ready mixed concrete industry.

NRMCA has announced the winners of the 2013 Commitment to Environmental Excellence Awards as reviewed by a panel of judges based on a written narrative covering 11 evaluation criteria and photographs. The awards program, co-sponsored by Concrete Products magazine, offers producers national recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment and maintaining sound environmental management practices in their operation. The program salutes companies that have not only met, but surpassed governmental compliance requirements and demonstrated a commitment to environmental excellence through plant and staff investment.

The program provides awards in five categories based on the plant’s production volume. Eligible plants include NRMCA producer members located in the U.S., its territories or Canada. "These plants have demonstrated that they are the 'best of the best' when it comes to being good stewards of the environment," said Gary Mullings, NRMCA senior vice president of operations and compliance.  "This is another example of the ready mixed concrete industry's move to environmental excellence," added NRMCA President Robert Garbini. "These winning plants clearly demonstrate the incorporation of environmental management systems into the plant’s operation."

The honored plants are as follows:

Category A: Less than 25,000 cubic yards of concrete produced:

• Aggregate Industries, Inc., Belle Plaine RMC Plant, Belle Plaine, MN - 1st Place
• Dolese Bros., Co., Cushing Batch Plant, Cushing, OK - 2nd Place
• Pete Lein & Sons, Inc., Spearfish Plant, Spearfish, SD - Honorable Mention

Category B: Greater than 25,001, but less than 50,000 cubic yards of concrete produced:

• S&W Ready Mix Concrete Co., Castle Hayne Plant, Castle Hayne, NC - 1st Place
• Boxley Concrete Products of VA, Roanoke Plant, Roanoke, VA - 2nd Place
• Dolese Bros., Co., Ardmore Batch Plant, Ardmore, OK - Honorable Mention
• Central Carolina Concrete, LLC, Winston-Salem Plant, Winston-Salem, NC - Honorable Mention

Category C: Greater than 50,001, but less than 100,000 cubic yards of concrete produced:

• Westroc (Kilgore Companies), American Fork Plant, American Fork, UT - 1st Place
• MMC Materials, Inc., I-220 Plant, Jackson, MS - 2nd Place
• CEMEX Construction Materials Florida, LLC, Hudson Ready-Mix Plant, Hudson, FL - Honorable Mention
• Aggregate Industries – Northeast Region, Inc., Waltham Plant, Waltham, MA - Honorable Mention

Category D: Greater than 100,001, but less than 200,000 cubic yards of concrete produced:

• Dolese Bros., Co., Yukon Batch Plant, Yukon, OK - 1st Place
• CEMEX, Regency Park Plant, Orlando, FL - 2nd Place
• CEMEX, West Orange Plant, Winter Garden, FL - Honorable Mention

Category E: Greater than 200,000 cubic yards of concrete produced:

• Boston Sand & Gravel Co., Charlestown/Boston Plant, Boston - Honorable Mention

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. 

NRMCA is seeking abstracts for its upcoming Sustainability Conferences and Technology Forums to be held in the U.S., South America and the Middle East over the next several months. Researchers, academics, students, engineers, architects, contractors, public works officials, material suppliers and concrete industry professionals are invited to submit abstracts. Suggested topics include the latest developments related to design, specifying, manufacturing, testing, construction, maintenance, and research of concrete as it relates to sustainability and concrete technology. Click on the links below to submit abstracts:

• International Concrete Sustainability Conference, November 26-27 – Dubai, UAE. Deadline September 9 | Submit an Abstract
• International Concrete Sustainability Conference, February 6-7, 2014 – Medellin, Colombia. Deadline September 23 | Submit an Abstract
• International Concrete Technology Forum, March 17-18, 2014 – Doha, Qatar. Deadline January 13, 2014 | Submit an Abstract
• International Concrete Sustainability Conference, May 12-15, 2014 – Boston. Deadline November 30 | Submit an Abstract

Following the U.S. Court of Appeals ruling earlier this month on the validity of the July 1 federal Hours of Service (HOS) regulations changes, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued guidance concerning enforcement of the 30-minute break provision as it relates to short-haul drivers: Effective August 2, FMCSA is no longer enforcing the 30-minute break provision (49 CFR 395.3(a)(3)(ii)) against any driver that qualifies for either of the "short haul operations" exceptions: 100 air-mile exception and 150 air-mile exemption (49 CFR 395.1(e)(1) or (2)).

To clarify: if a ready mixed concrete driver can take advantage of the 100 air-mile logging exemption (49 CFR 395.1(e)(1)), then that driver does not need to comply with the 30-minute break provision (49 CFR 395.3(a)(3)(ii)). However, should that driver drive beyond the 12-hour reporting limit outlined in the exemption, then that driver will be required to comply with the 30-minute break provision. However, this scenario now creates a compliance question on how to treat the 30-minute break once a driver knows he/she will drive over the 12-hour limit. NRMCA met with FMCSA officials on Monday to discuss this compliance loophole and possible remedies. FMCSA noted it is aware of the compliance conundrum and is developing guidance for how the 30-minute break should be treated once a driver knows he/she will drive past 12 hours. FMCSA noted that it is considering suggesting that drivers take the 30-minute break immediately when a driver knows the 12-hour limit will be violated; however, no final decision on a solution has been made, nor has FMCSA settled on a timeframe for issuing such guidance. NRMCA will continue to work with the FMCSA on an outcome favorable to the ready mixed concrete industry.

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 August 5 - 9, please click here.

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 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: Another 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: Another 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, Webinar

Roller Compacted Concrete: Another Choice for Pavement

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 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