NRMCA e-news

Register by February 5 for NRMCA’s 2015 Annual Convention from March 1 - 3 in Orlando, FL, to take advantage of the early bird pricing discount. The convention offers an excellent opportunity to network with industry peers as NRMCA celebrates 85 years of service to the industry. This year’s program will explore emerging threats to and opportunities for the economic recovery of the industry, including a roundtable discussion on local government action for resilience, the growing influence of wood in buildings and codes, and opportunities with insulated concrete forms. As always, the Annual Convention's Awards Breakfast is also the perfect time to honor those people who embody the NRMCA vision of enriching, empowering and inspiring.

Click here for full convention details, including instructions for registering and making hotel reservations. For more information, contact Jessica Walgenbach at jwalgenbach@nrmca.org.

Terex is recalling 553 2013-2015 model-year Front Discharge Concrete Mixer Trucks for potential steering problems, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports. The castellated retaining nuts on the front axle leaf spring rear pin and the steering system were not properly secured during assembly. As a result, NHTSA said, the rear end of the front axle leaf spring may partially disconnect from the front suspension hanger. This condition could result in steering difficulty for the driver. To remedy the problem, Terex dealers will make an inspection and correct the retaining nut installation if necessary. There will be no charge for this service. The recall affects trucks manufactured from August 20, 2012, to December 5, 2014.

Truck owners can reach Terex customer service at 800-433-6691.

Researchers at Rice University in Texas have published a study showing what happens when "structurally complex" materials like concrete  - a random jumble of elements rather than an ordered crystal - rub against each other. The scratches they leave behind can say a lot about their characteristics.

A New Zealand street, one of the world's steepest, had to be repaved in concrete from asphalt because when the road's surface became too hot the asphalt began flowing downhill.

Members looking for ways to increase their yardage might be interested in following the "Jim Schubert" example, reports NRMCA Vice President, National Resources, Amy Miller. As a sales manager for NRMCA Producer member IMI, Schubert required that each sales person include a price for concrete pavement on EVERY job he or she received. If there was no concrete specification, it was provided through NRMCA's Design Assistance Program (DAP) provided by a local concrete engineer. During the first year of initiating this process, five sales people increased yardage by approximately 40,000 yards, about an 8% increase in total yardage.

"Just imagine if every member worked Jim’s example into his or her every day practice," Miller said. "How many yards would that mean to our industry? NRMCA offers the DAP tool to every member, so there is nothing stopping this practice. We commend Jim for taking action!"

For more information, contact Amy Miller at amiller@nrmca.org.

Arkansas Ready Mixed Concrete Association (ARMCA) Executive Director Rita Madison facilitated a free contractor’s training day last week. NRMCA Pavement Engineer Amanda Hult provided attendees with basic design and construction information for conventional and pervious concrete and concrete overlays. NRMCA’s Design Assistance Program (DAP) was the focus of the day, with several eager ARMCA members providing Hult with projects before the end of the day.

"NRMCA’s Design Assistance Program is a great program that is being provided free of charge to the industry," Madison noted. "ARMCA members now have the information needed to utilize this program to get additional concrete for parking lots,"

For more information, contact Amanda Hult at ahult@nrmca.org.

The NRMCA Roller-Compacted Concrete Pavement Task Force will hold a conference call on Tuesday, January 27, at 2 p.m. Eastern time to discuss to discuss progress made on the proposed Ready Mix Producer’s Guide to Roller-Compacted Concrete. All interested NRMCA members are invited to participate.

 

 

The deadline for submitting entries for the 2014 NRMCA Quality Survey is Friday, January 30, 2015. This is the third quality survey with the first survey conducted in 2010. The survey has a measurement section which can be used to quantify the benefits of improved quality. Several survey questions establish industry benchmarks for frequency of testing, quality control personnel, quality documentation and equipment monitoring.

The survey is sponsored by the NRMCA’s Research Engineering and Standards Committee. Survey participants are asked to respond to a multiple-choice application form on a spreadsheet. Survey responses of individual companies will be kept confidential while summarized survey responses will be shared with all the survey participants. A report of the survey results will be published in NRMCA’s quarterly Concrete InFocus magazine. A company must be an NRMCA member in good standing to participate. Companies can enter as a company or a division.

NRMCA's OES Department will host three face-to-face classes during the winter and early spring months. Registration is open for all. 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.

• Dispatcher Forum – Silver Spring, MD, February 17-19. 
• Ready Mixed Concrete Safety Course – West Palm Beach, FL,  March 16-18. 
• Plant Manager Certification Course – Salt Lake City, March 24-27 This class is expected to sell out.  Do not wait. Next class will be in December! 

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.

In early December, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced changes to pre-trip and post-trip inspections that drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) are required to perform. Effective December 18, 2014, drivers of property-carrying CMVs, such as ready mixed concrete mixer truck drivers, will no longer need to file pre-trip or post-trip inspection reports if those inspections do not turn up any "equipment issues or safety concerns". The change comes as part of a 2011 Executive Order from President Obama directing federal regulatory agencies to "reduce out-of-date, ineffective or overly-burdensome rules on the private sector." According to U.S. DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx, the change is estimated to save "the trucking industry an estimated $1.7 billion annually without compromising safety."

The green building materials market, valued $106.32 billion in 2012, is expected to reach $234.77 billion by 2019 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.5 percent during the 2013-2019 forecast period, according to a Transparency Market Research report. The report, Green Building Materials Market – Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2013 – 2019, says the global green building materials market is driven by factors such a positive effect of green building on human health, government support, shift toward green building and rising demand from construction industry. The report can be purchased here.

NRMCA had a strong showing at last week’s National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Building Innovation 2015 Conference in Washington, DC. NRMCA President Robert Garbini and Senior Vice President Lionel Lemay attended the CEO Summit at the conference while Vice President, Sustainability Tien Peng attended the conference education sessions. The conference theme, Creating High-Performing Resilient Communities, generated strong interest among the diverse audience of architects, engineers, code officials and emergency management professionals. Mid-Atlantic Precast Association and NRMCA Producer member Lehigh Hansen sponsored a number of symposiums at the conference.

NIBS is the interface between government and the private sector, supporting advances in building science and technology to improve the built environment. NIBS research such as the Multihazard Mitigation Council’ "Mitigation Saves" is responsible for research demonstrating the oft-quoted savings of $4 for every $1 invested in mitigation.

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.

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 January 5 - 9, 2015, please click here.

Who: Members of NRMCA’s Government Affairs Committee and Board of Directors are invited to participate.

 

What: The second of the committee's quarterly "DC Days" will be an opportunity to meet with your congressional members and their staff to talk about issues of importance to our industry. This quarter's DC Day will focus specifically on educating key members of the new 114th Congress about FMCSA's Hours of Service regulations and how Congress can fix them. Additionally, CONCRETEPAC will be hosting two fundraisers.

When: Thursday, February 12

 

Where: Washington, DC

 

Why: The start of a new Congress is a great time to help ensure the issues facing the ready mixed concrete industry are part of the agenda. Face to face advocacy is the best way to help lawmakers understand our industry and the impact of their decisions on businesses in their state. You are your best advocate for your business. Taking the time to educate decision makers can help ensure that fixes to issues result in positive outcomes for the entire ready mixed concrete industry.

 

With the new year, your sales reps, dispatchers, administrative/home office and mid-level staff, as well as those in an executive function whose jobs do not relate to concrete per se, should have working knowledge of the industry. As a result, NRMCA will partner with the Colorado Ready Mixed Concrete Association (CRMCA) to hold  "Concrete 101" February 10-13 in Centennial (metro-Denver). This class is NOT appropriate for technical ready mixed concrete personnel.

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 NRMCA January Internet Spotlight, good through Tuesday, February 10, are four driver training lessons to help ready mix delivery professionals cope with rough winter weather:

• How About This Weather - This video lesson provides guidelines to survive both cold and warm weather situations. The DVD highlights prevention methods against hypothermia as well as dealing with someone who is experiencing hypothermia on preventing overexposure to heat. Regular member price is $70, Internet Special $50, plus shipping. Use Discount Code: ISJAN15. Order here.

• Too Cold! Can't Start? - The lesson discusses cold weather engine start-up procedures and concerns. Regular member price is $70, Internet Special $50, plus shipping. Use Discount Code: ISJAN15. Order here.

• Cold Weather Concrete - This driver training DVD gives information on adjusting mixes for use in cold weather, provides drivers tips on how to properly deliver concrete in cold weather and offers suggestions that delivery professionals can make to customers with regard to placing concrete in cold weather. Regular member price is $70, Internet Special $50, plus shipping. Use Discount Code: ISJAN15. Order here.

• Pressure's On - Pts. 1 & 2 - In a two-part set, this DVD set  explains the function and safe operation of the 10 main components in a typical water system, and the lesson builds on that functional understanding so the delivery professional can recognize when the system is not working properly. Basic winterizing is detailed in this lesson. Regular member price is $99 and non-member price is $129 (no discount). Order here.

January 15, Free Webinar

Streets & Roads Elected Official Advocacy

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

 

January 16, Free Webinar

Streets & Roads Promotion & Advocacy Overview

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

 

January 20-23, Des Moines, IA *Sold Out

Plant Manager Certification Course

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

 

January 22, Free Webinar

Streets & Roads Team Building & Situation Analysis

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

 

January 29, Free Webinar

Roller-Compacted Concrete for Streets & Roads

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

 

February 9-13, Seattle

Regional Concrete Technologist Training and Certification Course "Short Course"

Email: Karen Bean, 240-485-1168

 

February 10-13, Centennial, CO (metropolitan Denver)

CCSP Module I: Introduction to Concrete Fundamentals (Concrete 101)

Email: Stacy Ehrlick, (303) 290-0303

 

February 17-19, Silver Spring, MD

Dispatcher Training Forum

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

 

February 24-26, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP Module III: Business Skills Basics for Profit - General Business Knowledge

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

 

February 25, Atlanta

Improving Concrete Quality

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

 

March 1-3, Orlando, FL

NRMCA Annual Convention

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

 

March 16-18, West Palm Beach, FL

Safety Course

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

 

March 18, Free Webinar

STEPS - A Long Term Career Tool for the RMC Industry

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

 

March 24-27, Salt Lake City

Plant Manager Certification Course

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

 

March 31-April 2, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP Module IV: Professional Sales Skills Workshop - 24 hours

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

 

May 11-13, Miami

International Concrete Sustainability Conference

Email: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101

 

May, Location TBA

Concrete Durability Course

Email: Karen Bean, 240-485-1168

 

December 1-3, Orlando, FL

Environmental Course

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