NRMCA e-news
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association
NEWS LINKS
Take the University of Southern California's marching band, a 100-foot hole in downtown Los Angeles and what do you have? Well, among other things, the makings of a very tall building, a very unique ceremony and the pouring of a heck of a lot of concrete. How much? The project will attempt to set a Guinness World Record with the largest continuous concrete pour ever, with more than 2,100 truckloads delivering 21,200 cubic yards of concrete weighing 82 million pounds.
Source: A February 6 article in USA Today. Read more.
From LA to somewhere under Scotland, where a wee bit of concrete is being poured for the Forth Replacement Crossing South Tower in Scotland, believed to be the largest continuous underwater concrete pour in the world. The record-breaking pour, also believed to be the third largest concrete pour of any type, took more than 15 days to complete. A total 16,869 m3 of concrete was poured in 364 hours. The concrete was transported to the South Tower caisson by four barges dispatched from a nearby batching plant. The barges made 273 individual journeys to and from the site, negotiating a busy waterway (the Firth of Forth) and covering a total distance of 1,800 km – the approximate distance from John o'Groats to Land's End (and you thought it was just a clothing catalog).
Source: A February 6 article posted by Worldcement.com. Read more.
PAVEMENTS
NRMCA’s Amanda Hult and Brian Killingsworth will be hosting a free one-hour Webinar on Monday, February 17, and again on Tuesday, February 25, beginning at noon Eastern time to discuss NRMCA's Design Assistance Program (DAP) and the Jointing Plan Assistance Program (JPAP) for Parking Lots and Streets and Local Roads. This free Webinar is geared toward individuals in the industry working in promotion or looking to increase market share as well as individuals seeking information on concrete pavement design assistance. Along with Hult and Killingsworth, a guest speaker will discuss the benefits these programs have been to their field of work.
Please contact Amanda Hult at ahult@nrmca.org for more information. Click here to register for the February 17 Webinar. Click here to register for the February 25 Webinar.
PROMOTIONS
In order to attract the most participants, many state association hold regional meetings within their borders and many of them ask their members to bring along contractors. Some associations even have a separate contractor membership level. The bottom line is, getting contractors involved makes a difference, reports NRMCA Senior Director, National Resources, Doug O'Neill. For example, Michigan Concrete Association (MCA) Director of Engineering Heather Smith recently invited O'Neill to attend one of her MCA's regional meeting which included members and contractors. O'Neill shared with them what resources are available from NRMCA, including the Design Assistance Program (DAP) and the Jointing Plan Assistance Program (JPAP).
"Not only was it great to see contractors in attendance, but the MCA really puts a lot of effort into providing its members with valuable resources" O’Neill said. "It has put together fliers on just about every aspect of concrete promotion." One piece that really stands out is a half page flier aimed at auto dealerships, showing some very nice pictures and touting the benefits of concrete from an aesthetic perspective. O’Neill reports that thanks to MCA’s involvement, a contractor approached him afterward and made mention of a very large project he was hoping to flip to concrete. This contractor was initially unaware of NRMCA’s DAP program, but has since submitted it for DAP assistance. Once completed, this contractor hopes to take advantage of both NRMCA’s and MCA’s expertise to help this project go concrete.
For more information contact Doug O’Neill at doneill@nrmca.org. NRMCA Vice President, National Resources, Jon Hansen recently discussed parking lot design using ACI 330 specifications during the annual Concrete Conference of Braun Intertec, a large, Minnesota-based geotechnical, environmental and testing firm, at its recent management meeting in Shakopee, MN. Since much of their work involves repair, attendees were equally interested in NRMCA's Guide to Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots left with them by Hansen at the end of the conference. A key item that was embraced by the Braun staff was the offering of the NRMCA Design Assistance Program for their parking lot projects, Hansen said.
The presentation by Hansen was arranged by Doug Burns, executive director, PCA-North Central Region. The response to both the ACI 330 presentations and insight into concrete overlays was very favorable and will be followed up at Braun Intertec offices outside of Minnesota by local NRMCA partners or NRMCA national resource directors.
For more information, contact Jon Hansen at jhansen@nrmca.org. Last December, Dennis Woody and Neal Ragsdale of NRMCA Producer member Chandler Concrete contacted NRMCA Vice President, National Resources, Amy Miller concerning a potential road project in Lynchburg, VA. The Design Assistance Program project, completed by Miller's colleague Brian Killingsworth, was initially designed with asphalt. The concrete design was eventually accepted and Chandler Concrete won the project. According to Ragsdale, " This project has approximately 1,500 cy of concrete which was designed with asphalt. Success for the concrete industry but it also helped the contractor land the job."
ENGINEERING
Working with the NRMCA Research Engineering and Standards (RES) Committee, NRMCA has released a new topic in the Concrete in Practice (CIP) series:
• CIP 43 – Alkali Aggregate Reactions (AAR) discusses the causes for deleterious expansions due to alkali silica and alkali carbonate reactions in concrete, test methods and methods of mitigating the problem – in the What? Why? And How? Format.
The following CIP topics have been revised to include more current information: • CIP 1 – Dusting Concrete Surfaces
• CIP 2 – Scaling Concrete Surfaces
• CIP 4 – Cracking Concrete Surfaces
• CIP 5 – Plastic Shrinkage Cracking
• CIP 6 – Joints in Concrete Slabs on Grade
• CIP 26 – Jobsite Addition of Water
• CIP 27 – Cold Weather Concreting
Two new topics are also released in the Technology in Practice (TIP) series. The TIP series is intended for education of ready mixed concrete industry personnel while CIPs are typically directed toward users and customers of ready mixed concrete. The two new topics in the TIP series are: • TIP 11 – Testing Concrete Cores
• TIP 12 – Slump Loss of Concrete
The CIP series can be ordered here and the TIP series here. For more information, contact Colin Lobo at clobo@nrmca.org.
OPERATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY & HR
The only Spring 2014 Plant Manager Certification class will be held March 25-27 in Oklahoma City. With two thirds of the seats filled, we encourage your staff to register soon. Plant managers serve a vital function, with responsibilities that affect issues from regulatory compliance to product quality, safety and profitability. NRMCA’s certification program helps you make sure that they are up to speed on product knowledge, plant safety, environmental regulations, plant operations and ready mixed concrete industry business principles. This course establishes basic industry standards, measured through certification. Please note that batchmen are required to pass exams by the Army Corps of Engineers for federally awarded projects BEFORE work commences.
Click here for more information, registration options and staff contact.
NRMCA is still accepting applications through Friday, February 14, for the 2014 International Mixer Driver Championship to be held during the CONEXPO-CON/AGG Show in Las Vegas on Wednesday, March 5. Who is eligible to apply? Winners of NRMCA’s National Mixer Driver Championship from 2011 through 2013, International Drivers and "At-Large" drivers. Entrants will be notified by Monday, February 17, of their acceptance as drivers in the Championship. Official invitations will be then be sent.
Click here to download the application form. For more information, contact NRMCA's Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org or Karen Bean at kbean@nrmca.org.
On Tuesday, NRMCA submitted comments in opposition to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) proposed rulemaking "Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica". On September 12, 2013 OSHA published in the Federal Register, a proposal, in part, to reduce by half the current allowable exposure limits for "respirable" crystalline silica.
NRMCA comments on the proposal stated that, "while NRMCA and its members support and agree with the necessity for having and maintaining a silica standard to protect American workers’ safety and health, the ready mixed concrete industry disagrees with the need to change the current silica standard and permissible exposure limit. As current data shows, the silica regulations currently in place have worked extremely well at protecting workers in the ready mixed concrete industry and continue to do so today. The continued compliance with and enforcement of current silica regulations, engineering controls, and proper protective equipment use, properly and effectively limit worker silica exposure and result in downward trends of U.S. silicosis rates. Furthermore, the ready mixed concrete industry goes to great lengths to protect its workers from silica exposure by understanding the industry hazards, and by understanding the industry worker makeup; two critical elements necessary for safeguarding a set of workers and both of which OSHA has entirely characterized incorrectly for the ready mixed concrete industry in its proposal." NRMCA’s comments ended by requesting "OSHA abandon its proposal and give greater deference to its current silica standard enforcement procedures and actions." The proposed rule, factsheets, frequently asked questions (FAQs) and more can be found here.
For more information, contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org or Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org.
SUSTAINABILITY
Last week's inaugural International Concrete Sustainability Conference, Latin America, in Medellin, Colombia, was a huge success, attracting over 200 attendees and speakers from around the world. The conference, sponsored by NRMCA and the Iberoamerican Federation of Ready Mixed Concrete (FIHP) is an expansion of the popular
 International Concrete Sustainability Conference hosted by NRMCA since 2006 throughout the United States and the Middle East.The conference provides learning and networking opportunities on the latest advances, technical knowledge, continuing research and solutions for sustainable concrete manufacturing, design and construction. NRMCA Chairman Bill Childs (seen here) was on hand to present as a keynote speaker during the opening general session of the conference. Other world renowned speakers included:
• 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
Additional information can be found at www.concretesustainabilityconference.org or contact Lionel Lemay at LLemay@nrmca.org or 847-918-7101.
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
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 February 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 Elizabeth Fox at efox@nrmca.org.
On February 7, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a new study that concludes the use of coal fly ash in concrete and synthetic gypsum in wallboard is safe and that these are appropriate beneficial uses for coal fly ash recycling. "EPA supports the beneficial use of coal fly ash in concrete and FGD gypsum in wallboard," the report stated. "The Agency believes that these beneficial uses provide significant opportunities to advance Sustainable Materials Management (SMM)." (Read the full report and methodologies here.)
EPA evaluated the encapsulated use in concrete as a substitute for portland cement and the use of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum as a substitute for mined gypsum in wallboard. EPA’s evaluation concluded that the beneficial use of encapsulated CCRs in concrete and wallboard is appropriate because they are comparable to virgin materials or below the agency’s health and environmental benchmarks. The use of fly ash in concrete accounts for more than half of the total amount of fly ash that is beneficially used.
In 2011, after EPA’s Inspector General criticized the Coal Combustion Products Partnership ("C2P2") for "inadequately" evaluating the risks of coal ash beneficial uses the program promoted, EPA began developing the methodology. EPA officials have not expressed any interest in restarting the C2P2 program, which was shut down after the 2011 report, and have indicated that they do not plan to conduct any additional studies utilizing the methodology. EPA is making the methodology available to assist states and other interested parties with evaluating and making informed determinations about encapsulated beneficial uses of coal ash. EPA is also working to develop methodology and evaluate unencapsulated beneficial reuses of coal ash – such as use in agriculture.
NRMCA continues to support efforts to enact coal ash legislation that would establish a federal non-hazardous waste regulatory program, implemented by the states, for coal combustion residuals management. H.R. 2218, the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act of 2013, which would establish minimum state disposal requirements, passed the House in July by a vote of 265 to 155.
Just 15 days after issuing a final rule that overturned the "ambush elections" rule, the National Labor Relations Board (NRLB) re-proposed it earlier this week. According to NLRB, this latest version of the "ambush," "snap" or "quickie" election regulation is "identical to the representation procedure changes first proposed in June of 2011." The proposed changes would make it easier for workers to vote to create a union and significantly shorten the time between the petition to organize and the election. The proposed rule allows labor organizers to distribute information about the elections electronically. Also litigation over issues related to voter eligibility would be delayed until after workers vote on whether to form a union. This is a significant policy change that is specifically intended to curtail employer speech and increase union organizing. When combined with other NLRB decisions such as the Specialty Healthcare micro-unit decision and the Department of Labor's proposed persuader rule, these proposed changes to NLRB election procedures look like the Employee Free Choice Act.
The original rule was challenged in Chamber of Commerce of the U.S. v. NLRB and struck down in May 2012. The rule was overturned on the grounds that the NLRB lacked a quorum when it issued the final rule, as Member Hayes was never permitted to vote on the rule. Significantly, the court never weighed in on the legal merits of the regulation. This time around, the quorum issue will not be a factor, as all Members of the Board opined on the proposal. NLRB Chairman Mark Gaston Pearce and members Kent Hirozawa and Nancy Schiffer approved the reissuance of the rule, while Members Phillip Miscimarra and Harry Johnson dissented.
A 75-day public comment period is underway now, with comments on the rule due by Monday, April 7. Read the Federal Register Notice here. NRMCA will review the new version of this rule and submit comments on behalf of the ready mixed concrete industry.
For more information contact Elizabeth Fox at efox@nrmca.org or 240-485-1156.
EDUCATION &TRAINING
On Wednesday, March 12, from noon to 12:30 p.m. Eastern time, NRMCA will host a free Webinar, STEPS® A Long Term Career Tool for the RMC Industry. Because STEPS (Seminars, Training, & Education, Programs) continues to play an important role in the ready mixed concrete industry as its premier certification program, this short, FREE Webinar will discuss what the program is and how to enroll. Learn how STEPS encourages industry employees to participate in a broad range of technical, operations, sales and sustainability classes through NRMCA, state associations and their respective companies. The program also builds industrywide standards for consistent performance that not only enhances business outcomes but also illustrates to employees that they have a device to plan long-term ready mixed concrete careers.
Click here for more information and to register. For more information, contact Eileen Dickson at 240-485-1164 or edickson@nrmca.org.
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Due to the overwhelming demand, NRMCA is extending the Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots Bundle special as our February Internet Spotlight, good through Tuesday, February 25. Save $100 by purchasing a 25-pack set of the "Guide to Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots" and receive a FREE copy of the Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots Flip Book. Normally a $179 value, now only $79 for a limited time.
• Guide to Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots - This 64-page book provides information for decision makers and practitioners about selecting, designing and constructing successful concrete overlays on existing asphalt parking lot pavements.
• Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots Flip Book – This flip book provides a primer to an industry promoter, concrete sales person and concrete contractor on the proven technology of using concrete to overlay and renew existing asphalt parking lots. Packed in 20 pages in a popular flip book format, including presenter notes, this flip book touches on: "How and Why" concrete overlays work; "Rules of Thumb" for evaluating and exiting parking lot and determining concrete thickness; "Best Practices" for placing concrete overlays and "Quick Case Studies" of successful projects.
Order online today and receive $100 off. The regular member price is $179.00, Internet Special $79.00, plus shipping. Discount Code is OVERLAYS.
CALENDAR
*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site.
February 17, Free Webinar
Design Assistance Program and Joint Plan Assistance Program
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
February 18, Webinar
Understanding Asphalt
Email: Brian Killingsworth, 830-438-2690
February 18–20, Silver Spring, MD
Dispatcher Training Forum
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
February 19, Webinar
Sales Management 101 for Ready Mix Sales Managers
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
February 24–27, Webinar
LCA of Concrete Structures
Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535
February 25, Free Webinar
Design Assistance Program and Joint Plan Assistance Program
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
February 25, Nashville, TN
Pervious Concrete Contractor Certification Program
Email: Darla Sparkman, dsparkman@tnconcrete.org
February 26, Free Webinar
NRMCA Producer Quality Certification
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
February 24–27, Webinar
Designing Concrete Parking Lots the Right Way!
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
March 1–3, Las Vegas
NRMCA Annual Convention
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
March 3, Webinar
The Quantifiable Advantages of Concrete Parking Lots
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
March 3, Webinar
Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Program
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
March 4–8, Las Vegas
CONEXPO-CON/AGG
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
March 11, Free Webinar
New Radical Material and Resources Reporting Criteria in LEEDv4
Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535
March 12, Free Webinar
STEPS™ A Long Term Career Tool for the RMC Industry
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
March 17, Webinar
Roller Compacted Concrete: Another Choice for Pavement
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
March 18, Webinar
Controlling Moisture in Concrete Slabs
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
March 18–20, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP IV: Professional Sales Skills Workshop
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
March 25, Webinar
Concrete Overlays for Streets and Local Roads and Parking Lots
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
March 25–28, Oklahoma City
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
April 7, Webinar
Designing & Specifying Pervious Concrete (Part 2 is April 14)
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
April 15, Free Webinar
New Radical Material and Resources Reporting Criteria in LEEDv4
Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535
April 16, Webinar
Building the Customer Relationship... in the Post-Recession Economy
Email: Eileen Dickson, 240-485-1164
May 6, Webinar
Soils 101
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
May 12–15, Boston
International Concrete Sustainability Conference
E-mail: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101
May 21, Webinar
Personal Leadership and Coaching
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
June 17, Webinar
Concrete Pavement Jointing Plans
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
July 8, Webinar
Understanding Asphalt
Email: Brian Killingsworth, 830-438-2690
August 12-15, Silver Spring, MD
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
August 19, Webinar
Controlling Moisture in Concrete Slabs
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
August 20, Webinar
Recruiting & Hiring Top Performing Ready Mix Sales Reps
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
September 10, Webinar
Re-Entrepreneuring: 7 Strategies for Rebuilding Your Business in the New Economy
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
November 19, Webinar
Sales Performance Assessments and Review for Ready Mix Sales Managers
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
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