NRMCA e-news
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association
To learn more about the ready mixed concrete industry’s initiative to create a check-off program for the industry, visit www.rmccheckoff.org. There you will find a copy of the draft legislation, find the answers to the most frequently asked questions and learn about the economic benefits of this type of program.
For more information, contact Kathleen Carr-Smith at kcarrsmith@nrmca.org.
NEWS LINKS
A multi-billion road project to Illinois' Interstate 90 in metropolitan Chicago includes rebuilding the commercial truck parking lots with concrete to extend the life of the parking facility. The work is part of the $2.5 billion I-90 Rebuilding and Widening Project between Rockford and Chicago. Removal and full reconstruction of the westbound lanes will allow the tollway to replace old, worn-out pavement with new roadway. The eastbound lanes in this one-mile segment have already been rebuilt.
Source: AGC SmartBrief e-newsletter for July 29 which included this July 28 article by the Journal & Topics Newspapers which covers Chicago's Northwest suburbs.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the National Academy of Engineering has created a video contest for honoring engineering contributions to past, current and future needs of society. An entry by MIT students Maria Cassidy ’14 and CEE graduate student Mehdi Akbarian explores how to use engineering models to design better pavements that could cut fuel use by three percent. They are still in the running for the grand prize of $25,000 that will be announced at the end of September.
Click here to view their video. PROMOTIONS
The Mississippi Concrete Industries Association (MCIA) has recently spurred three groups to reach out to the marketplace in Mississippi and enact change in favor of concrete pavement, reports NRMCA Vice President, National Resources, Amy Miller. The groups are being headed by MCIA Executive Director Harry Lee James and Grace Construction Products Field Services Representative Warren Sawicki.
As a way of kicking off the initiative, training sessions were held in the three respective regions. Miller and Tim Cost, a senior technical service engineer from Holcim, facilitated the discussion and training on the given market segments. "This was the first major step in pulling our industry together to pursue opportunities available to us, particularly in parking lots," Sawicki said. "Taking a greater share of the market will be a lot of hard work, but working together can make a big change in the overall concrete business. The dynamics of the market allow our product to be very competitive when the designers, owners and contractors are armed with the correct information. Our job is to deliver that information and push for change. I am excited to be part of this initiative." For more information, contact Amy Miller at amiller@nrmca.org. A Walmart Supercenter in Nebraska that was put on hold in 2008 finally broke ground in April and the wait may have worked out well for the concrete industry, reports NRMCA Vice President, National Resources, Jon Hansen. Parking lot paving began last week on the site in Ogallala.
"The potential win for concrete was first reported by Jereme Montgomery with the Nebraska Concrete and Aggregate Association and was confirmed last week by Tony Siebe with NRMCA member Somero Enterprises, Inc.," Hansen said.
For more information, contact Jon Hansen at jhansen@nrmca.org.
ASSOCIATION & INDUSTRY NEWS
The Summer 2014 edition of NRMCA's quarterly magazine, Concrete InFocus, is now available online. This latest issue includes a number of timely articles available only online, including Hot Weather Admixtures: How They Help Contractors. Please be sure to check out this informative article and many more in the current online edition of Concrete InFocus.
This week, NRMCA continues to highlight one of the companies that has chosen to exhibit at this fall's annual ConcreteWorks conference in Indianapolis. The conference is one of the industry's best opportunities for ready mix producers to interact with companies that provide goods and services to the concrete industry. This week, BASYS Processing, Inc. is the fifth company in the series.
As an Associate member of NRMCA, BASYS Processing specializes in credit card processing solutions for the concrete, ready mix and aggregate industry. It provides an intuitive credit card processing gateway which allows companies to re-qualify their card transactions to the lowest costs available. This Web-based system is PCI compliant and able to securely store cardholder data for recurring customers. As a direct processor, BASYS offers wholesale pricing specific to the business to business market. It has had the pleasure of speaking with many NRMCA members and would love to have the opportunity to learn more about their business as well. NRMCA is happy to welcome new member BASYS Processing to ConcreteWorks! BASYS Processing will be located in booth 202.
Click here for more information on how to exhibit at ConcreteWorks or contact Jessica Walgenbach at jwalgenbach@nrmca.org
ENGINEERING
NRMCA is set to introduce a new one-day course, Improving Concrete Quality, intended for concrete producers, ingredient material suppliers, engineers, testing labs and contractors. The course will be offered on Wednesday, October 15, in Silver Spring, MD. Improving Concrete Quality, a new book authored by one of the instructors, and other NRMCA resources provide the basic content for the course.
All stakeholders in concrete construction benefit from improved concrete quality. This course will delve into quantifying tangible and intangible benefits due to improved quality. It will discuss variability associated with concrete ingredient materials, manufacturing and testing – means to measure and thereby improve concrete quality. Basic statistical concepts will be presented to measure and monitor quality and to recognize when action is needed. Other key topics include recognizing abnormal material variation, tracking and improving batching accuracy, including mixing water, internal testing, identifying non standard testing and initial curing, essential elements of a quality management system, internal audits and tests a concrete producer should do.
Course instructors are Kevin MacDonald, Ph.D., FACI, Beton Consulting Engineers LLC and NRMCA's Karthik Obla, Ph.D., P.E., and Colin Lobo, Ph.D., P.E. Producers will learn readily implementable steps to manage variability and attain a more consistent product; ingredient suppliers will learn how material variation affects concrete variation; engineers will learn the opportunity for improving quality through specifications and testing lab professionals will learn to measure and improve testing quality. Upon successful completion of the course, attendees will earn 8 professional development hours, a certificate of completion and credits toward NRMCA’s STEPS program.
Click here for more information. OPERATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY & HR
NRMCA's OES department will host four face-to-face classes beginning next week in Silver Spring, MD. With a clear understanding that operations people now multitask, these classes focus on giving participants immediate skills to help juggle all their balls within compliance parameters as well as learn efficiency processes and organizational methods. A registration fee discount is extended to those companies that send three or more people to one class title.
These classes are required to earn NRMCA's STEPS "Operations and Production" Track certification, CCPf. STEPS is the ready mixed concrete’s industry most prestigious employee professional development program, supporting career development and job retention/succession planning. (The Dispatcher class will run early in 2015, dates to be determined.)
For more information or questions, contact NRMCA's Jessica Walgenbach at jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 240-485-1152.
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 July 28 - August 1, 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.
The House and Senate have both passed H.R. 5021 – the 10-month Highway Trust Fund fix and sent it to the President for his signature. The deal ensures that the Department of Transportation will not need to slow highway funding to states, but there is still no agreement on a long-term funding solution. The President will sign the original House proposal which transfers $10.765 billion into the HTF - $2 billion in the Mass Transit Account and $8.765 billion to the Highway Account. The transfer is offset through a combination of pension smoothing, the extension of customs duty taxes to 2024 and a $1 billion transfer from the leaking underground storage tank (LUST) Trust Fund. The fix extends the program authorization until May 31, 2015.
Before being finalized, the Senate first amended H.R. 5021 to be a shorter extension, setting up another vote on long-term funding before the end of the year. The House rejected this and the Senate ultimately passed the 10-month extension. NRMCA continues to work on a long-term Highway Trust Fund Fix. For more information, contact Elizabeth Fox at efox@nrmca.org.
A high quality transportation system is vital for the U.S. to remain competitive in today’s global economy. Unfortunately, America’s infrastructure is crumbling and we continue to fall behind. While Congress acted to avert a disaster in July (see above E-NEWS item), the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund remains in doubt and MAP-21 will expire May 15. We can no longer afford to wait. We must act now to make sure our senators and representatives know not only the benefits these programs bring to their states and districts, but also the incredible impact they have on the national economy.
NRMCA, NSSGA and NAPA will join forces to ensure that our message is heard loud and clear on Capitol Hill. Your congressional delegation needs to hear from you about the importance of continued investment in transportation infrastructure to the nation’s economy. Be sure your voice is heard by registering for this important event. Events will begin at noon on Tuesday, September 9, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel with briefings to get you up to date on the latest Hill actions before you lobby with other industry leaders on September 10.
For more information, please contact Kerri Leininger at kleininger@nrmca.org.
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
The NRMCA August Internet Spotlight, good through Tuesday, September 2, is the Concrete In Practice (CIP) Bundle – CIP100. This bundle package contains 20 sets, of each CIP 1-43. Concrete in Practice Sheets are short one-page discussions on various concrete topics. Written in a "What? Why? and How?" scheme, they are intended to provide information in a non-technical format. The CIP topics are researched and written by members of NRMCA's Research Engineering and Standards Committee.
Order online today and receive 20% off. Regular member price for this package is $230, Internet Special is $184, plus shipping. Use Discount Code AUG14.
CALENDAR
*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site.
August 12-15, Silver Spring, MD
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
August 14, Free Webinar
Streets & Roads Team Building & Situation Analysis
Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165
August 18, Nashville, TN
Regional ConcreteWorks Lower Atlantic Region
Email: Nicole Maher, 1-888-846-7622, ext. 1158
August 19, Webinar
Roller Compacted Concrete: Another Choice for Pavement
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
August 19, Webinar
Controlling Moisture in Concrete Slabs
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
August 20, Free Webinar
New Radical Material and Resources Reporting Criteria in LEEDv4
Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535
August 20, Webinar
Recruiting & Hiring Top Performing Ready Mix Sales Reps
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
August 21, Free Webinar
Streets & Roads Promotion for DOTs, Counties & Municipalities
Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165
August 26, Kansas City, MO
Regional ConcreteWorks South Central Region
Email: Nicole Maher, 1-888-846-7622, ext. 1158
September 8-10, Orlando, FL
Concrete Durability Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
September 9, Webinar
Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete Part 1 (Part 2 is September 16)
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
September 10, Webinar
Re-Entrepreneuring: 7 Strategies for Rebuilding Your Business in the New Economy
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
September 12, Free Webinar
Winning Initial Streets & Roads Projects in Counties & Municipalities
Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165
September 12, Webinar
Designing Concrete Parking Lots the Right Way!
Email: Amy Miller, 904-264-8850
September 21-23, Indianapolis, IN
NRMCA's ConcreteWorks & Board of Directors' Meeting
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
September 30, Webinar
Roller Compacted Concrete: Another Choice for Pavement
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
September 30, Webinar
Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Program
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
October 7-10, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module I, "Concrete 101" - Technical/Product Knowledge
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
October 14, Free Webinar
Streets & Roads Elected Official Advocacy
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
October 15, Silver Spring, MD
Improving Concrete Quality
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
November 3-7, Silver Spring, MD
Annual Concrete Technologist Training and Certification Course "Short Course"
Email: Karen Bean, 240-485-1168
November 7, Webinar
Designing Concrete Parking Lots the Right Way!
Email: Amy Miller, 904-264-8850
November 18-20, Silver Spring, MD
The Effective RMC Supervisor - Silver Spring, MD
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
December 3-5, Phoenix
Environmental Professional Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
December 9-12, Phoenix
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
December 16-18, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module II: Customer Business Knowledge - Understanding the Concrete Contractor's Business
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
2015
February 17-19, 2015, Silver Spring, MD
Dispatcher Training Forum
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
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