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Schwing America, Inc.
IN THIS ISSUE:
NEWS LINKS
PROMOTIONS
ASSOCIATION & INDUSTRY NEWS
ENGINEERING
OPERATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY & HR
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
EDUCATION &TRAINING
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
CALENDAR
 
The Euclid Chemical Company
NEWS LINKS
The concrete streets in the Northern California community of Almond Grove neighborhood are a topic of conversation among officials and residents who debate whether to choose concrete or asphalt. Consulting engineer Ryan Shafer said, "Today's concrete is beautiful. The new concrete mix prevents future cracking." Will Shafer's comments carry the day? Read more.

Source: A November 5 posting by the San Jose Mercury News.
 
The Miles Stair is a 12-foot-wide helix of white concrete that winds through five stories of Somerset House, a cultural center in London. Staircases typically use surrounding walls for support, but the Miles Stair relies on a core built from a latticework of lightweight stainless steel. Engineers managed to pull off this improbable structure because the steps are built from high-performance concrete, which is stronger, lighter and more stable than regular concrete.

Source: An October 14 posting by Scientific American magazine. Read more.
 
The MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub produces a monthly online newsletter that contains the latest research and other news across the ready mixed concrete industry. Click here to view the current edition and follow the links to subscribe and bookmark the site to your Internet browser.
 
PROMOTIONS
Concrete promotion can take on many different aspects, and Aaron Harless, general manager of NRMCA Producer member Springfield Ready Mix in Springfield, MO, had an idea to address the "business aspect" of concrete paving. Along with the Concrete Promotion Council of the Ozarks, Harless arranged an invitation only luncheon with Jon Hansen, NRMCA vice president , national resources, to share insight on first cost, life cycle cost, changes in exterior lighting trends and how paving material color has influenced some national clients and, finally, new guidelines on the depreciation of parking lots. The invitation promised "to make your company safer, more attractive to customer while having a positive impact on your bottom line."

"This was a different format from my traditional stand and talk for an hour presentation," Hansen said. "We set the stage at the beginning of the luncheon - we wanted the group to participate, to treat the time together more like friends gathering for coffee. We had an agenda, but we also encouraged those attending to ask any question they might have about concrete, concrete construction, current construction trends, etc. The conversation went from the agenda items to questions about pervious concrete, concrete overlays and even interior floors and performance mixes."

Harless later expressed his support of the luncheon concept by saying "this is an important topic and one that is difficult to convey" and "we had several of our attendees comment positively" after the event.

Michael Young, executive director, Portland Cement Association, South Central Region attended and said "it was an interesting concept to have a discussion with people who own businesses, and with those who design and build for owners. The topics of LED lighting and cost segregation accounting are something every business owner should be aware to make educated decisions about paving materials for their buildings. I would like to see the tools and ideas expanded."

For more information, contact Jon Hansen at jhansen@nrmca.org.
 
NRMCA Senior Director, National Resources, Phil Kresge recently participated in two concrete seminars hosted by the Ohio Concrete Association. At the Southwest Ohio Concrete Educational Seminar, Kresge presented Revitalizing Existing Asphalt Pavement with Concrete Overlays. The program addressed concrete overlays for asphalt streets and featured successful projects in LeMars, IA and New Orleans.

The theme of the Northeast Ohio Concrete Conference was "For the Love of Concrete," and Kresge’s presentation, Parking Lot Pavement Design with ACI 330, focused on the how’s and why’s of proper design, providing examples of savings realized by following the recommendations of ACI 330. NRMCA Vice President of Sustainability Tien Peng also presented Keeping Up with the Acronyms/LEED v4 and EPD’s. Peng spoke of the significant shift in the assessment of green products in LEED and how those changes affect how building products will be measured for their environmental impacts.

The conferences were part of Ohio Concrete Association’s Annual Winter Concrete Conferences which targets the design community and introduces them to issues impacting the concrete construction industry and the latest in concrete paving technology from experts in the field.

For more information, contact Phil Kresge at pkresge@nrmca.org or Tien Peng at tpeng@nrmca.org.
 
ASSOCIATION & INDUSTRY NEWS
The preliminary estimate of ready mixed concrete produced in September 2014 is 33 million cubic yards, 14% higher than that in September 2013. The estimated production for the three quarters in 2014 is estimated at 243.6 million cubic yards, 8% higher than that during the same period in 2013. Projected production for 2014 is 322 million cubic yards, which will be 7% higher than 2013.

Ready mixed production is estimated from cement shipments reported by the U.S. Geological survey. NRMCA members can view more details here.
 
NRMCA and its state affiliate and regional cement group partners held another successful Regional ConcreteWorks event last week, this one in the Great Lakes Region. The first afternoon’s activities included educational presentations on the promotion of concrete intersections and preventing flatwork failures, along with a briefing on a proposed national check-off program for the ready mixed concrete industry. Day Two saw the Great Lakes Portland Cement Association Parking Lot Promotion Summit, which afforded the state affiliates in the region and NRMCA the opportunity to share successes, challenges and new tools and tactics for the successful promotion of concrete parking lots.

Regional ConcreteWorks events have already taken place in several regions and two more are scheduled for December (9 in New Orleans for the Gulf Coast Region and 10 in Silver Spring, MD, for the Atlantic Region). The Southwest Region is expected to wrap up this round of meetings in January (date and location to be determined).

For more information, please contact NRMCA’s Nicole Maher at nmaher@nrmca.org.
 
The Manufacturers, Products & Services (MPS) Division of NRMCA is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the 2015 Concrete Cares Award. In order to recognize the full scope of ready mixed concrete producers’ community service, the MPS Division will hand out two Concrete Cares Awards in 2015 – one for a producer member company producing fewer than 250,000 cyds annually and a second award for a producer member company producing over 250,000 cyds. The Concrete Cares Awards will be presented during the Annual Award Breakfast at NRMCA’s 2015 Annual Convention in Orlando, March 1-3, 2015. 

With ready mixed concrete plants in almost every community in America, NRMCA member companies are making a real difference. From Earth Day celebrations, to organized volunteering for Boys & Girls Clubs, local schools and recreation departments, to raising awareness for breast cancer screenings, ready mixed producers are at work every day in their communities. The Concrete Cares Award aims to recognize these efforts and shine a national spotlight on the positive impact ready mixed concrete companies have in hometowns across the nation. A donation in the name of the selected honorees will be made to the charity of their choice.

Ready mixed concrete producers that are members of NRMCA are eligible for nomination. To view past honorees and submit an application/nomination for consideration, please use the appropriate form found here and forward the nomination form and supporting materials to Kathleen Carr-Smith, senior vice president, membership and communications, via e-mail at kcarrsmith@nrmca.org or mail to 900 Spring Street, Silver Spring, MD, 20910. Nominations must be received by January 5, 2015 for consideration.
 
ENGINEERING
ACI 318-14, Building Code for Structural Concrete, is completely reorganized from the previous version, 318-11, reports NRMCA Senior Vice President of Engineering Colin Lobo. The new Code was developed to follow the sequence that a structural engineer goes through when designing buildings. In ACI 318-11, chapters covered designing for member response, such as flexture, shear, compression, etc. In ACI 318-14, the primary design chapters cover design of structural members, such as beams, columns and slabs. There are many "toolbox" chapters that are referred to from the member chapter – seismic provisions, member connections, detailing of reinforcement, etc. It is anticipated that it might take a while for practicing designers to get used to the new Code to find the location of provisions they are familiar with in previous versions.

In ACI 318-11, most of the requirements for concrete were covered in Chapter 3 (Materials), Chapter 4 (Durability) and Chapter 5 (Strength and construction issues).So where is all this content in 318-14? Most of the content is now in Chapters 19 and 26 in 318-14.

Chapter 19 covers the essential requirements the designer needs on concrete properties for design. It sets the minimum specified strength level to be used, estimate of the modulus of elasticity, design modification factors when using lightweight concrete and the requirements for durability of concrete when subject to specific exposure.

The evolution of Chapter 26 was interesting. The general concept is that the Code is written to the designer (referred to as the licensed design professional or LDP) and the contractor cannot be responsible for Code requirements unless these are stated in the construction specification and other contract documents. It is recognized that specialty engineers associated with contractors, like those who produce precast concrete structural members, may have design responsibility, in which case they would need to comply with those pertinent sections of the Code.

Chapter 26 is titled Construction Documents and Inspection and is directed toward the LDP responsible for incorporating project requirements into construction specifications and drawings. The development of Chapter 26 caused the evaluation of whether several construction-related Code provisions really needed to be in the Code. In the case of concrete, many Code provisions were covered more appropriately in ASTM C94 or other standards and were eliminated with appropriate reference to the supporting standards. In the next revision, it is likely that more Code provisions in the current Chapter 26 will be eliminated as they may not represent a minimum requirement for public safety (basic premise of the Code) or are covered in more detail elsewhere.

The provisions in Chapter 26 are organized in two distinct types of provisions: design information and compliance requirements. Design information is project-specific construction details that the LDP needs to include in construction documents. Compliance requirements are general Code provisions that establish a minimum level of quality for construction of a project. Only applicable provisions should be included in project contract documents.

The sections of Chapter 26 pertinent to concrete are:
26.4 Concrete Materials and Mixture Requirements – this includes reference specifications and other requirements for materials that can be used in concrete; requirements for concrete mixtures that are related to strength, durability and construction; and provisions for proportioning concrete and documenting proposed mixtures to the LDP.
26.5 Concrete Production and Construction – this covers provisions for production of concrete; placement and consolidation; curing concrete; concreting in cold and hot weather; and construction of members and joints.
26.12 – Concrete Evaluation and Acceptance – states the requirements for strength tests; frequency of testing, strength acceptance criteria and investigation of low strength test results.

The following are changes to requirements for concrete from ACI 318-11:
There is no detailed section for proportioning of concrete mixture. It was felt that this was information directed to the concrete producer and not the LDP; so it did not belong in the Code. However, the section on mixture proportioning in ACI 301, Specification for Structural Concrete is referenced (26.4.3). The age of a strength test record for determining standard deviation and for submittals, and for laboratory trial batches is limited to not older than 24 months.
In Chapter 19, for concrete exposed to cycles of freezing and thawing (Exposure Category F), the descriptors of the exposure condition were clarified and additional discussion was added to the commentary. Previously, all the exposure classes in this category required a max w/cm and minimum specified strength, f'c, of 0.45 and 4,500 psi, respectively. This was changed to (0.55, 3,500 psi) for Exposure Class F1; (0.45, 4,500 psi) for F2 and (0.40, 5,000 psi) for F3. For plain concrete, requirements for F3 are (0.45, 4500 psi). The change to Exposure Category F3 was to make the requirements the same as Exposure Category C2 (exposed to an external source of chlorides).
• In Chapter 19, for what was previously Exposure Category P is renamed to Exposure Category W. This applies to concrete in contact with water that requires a low permeability. There was no change to the requirements.
• For concrete exposed to water soluble sulfates, Exposure Category S, it is now permitted to use Type IT blended cement conforming to ASTM C595, Specification for Blended Hydraulic Cement. These are ternary blended cements that contain two supplementary cementitious materials in addition to portland cement.

There are other minor changes because of the Code reorganization process, but are not very significant. Since much of the committee's time was spent on Code reorganization, major Code changes were not possible. There are several Code change proposals being worked on in the new Code cycle. It is anticipated that the next version of ACI 318 will be published in 2019.

Colin Lobo was a member of ACI Committee 318 that developed the reorganized Code. He will continue his membership on the Committee in the next Code cycle.

For more information, contact Colin Lobo at clobo@nrmca.org or Karthik Obla at kobla@nrmca.org.
 
OPERATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY & HR
Earlier this month, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration published in the Federal Register an Hours of Service (HOS) exemption application from B.R. Kreider & Son, Inc. Kreider, "an interstate motor carrier engaged in the short-haul transportation of materials such as topsoil, fill, and stone." The company is specifically requesting an "exemption from the requirement that drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) must be released from work within 12 consecutive hours in order to take advantage" of the 100 air-mile logging exemption. The exemption request states that "Kreider drivers do not go beyond a 100 air-mile radius of their normal work-reporting location during their duty day. Kreider states that its drivers make frequent deliveries during their duty day and thus are ‘‘in and out of the truck all day long.’’ Kreider states that it is often not possible for its CMV drivers to complete their duty day within the 12-hour limit. The applicant believes that it is impractical to require these drivers to prepare a RODS when this occurs."

This same scenario has plagued the ready mixed concrete industry for decades. NRMCA fully supports exempting short-haulers from the 12-hour return threshold. In addition to submitting comments in support of the Kreider request, NRMCA is currently drafting a similar, industry-wide exemption for the ready mixed concrete industry.

Click here to view the Federal Register notice. For more information, contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org or Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org.
 
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 November 10 - 14, 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.
 
Who: Members of NRMCA’s Government Affairs Committee and Board of Directors are invited to participate.

What: The first of the committee's quarterly DC Days will be an opportunity to meet with your congressional members and staff to talk about issues of importance to our industry – specifically Hours of Service regulations, resilient construction, highway funding, labor reform and multi-employer pension reform. Additionally, NRMCA and PCA are co-hosting a roundtable for congressional staff on resilient construction.  

When: Tuesday, December 2

Where: Washington, DC

Why: Good or bad, all laws and regulations were created by people who were trying to fix a problem. If lawmakers don’t understand our industry, they won’t consider the effects of new laws or regulation on you, which could lead to unforeseen complications, expenses, paperwork and headaches. 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.

If you will be able to participate, please let Kerri and Elizabeth know by Monday, November 24. To RSVP or if you have questions or would like additional information, please e-mail Kerri Leininger at klieinger@nrmca.org and Elizabeth Fox at efox@nrmca.org.
 
NRMCA is now accepting entries for its 2015 Kids Art Contest, sponsored by the Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau. The theme for the contest is "Sustainability: The Future of Ready Mixed Concrete." The contest is open to children up to grade 12 who have a relationship to an NRMCA member. Entries will be divided into the following grade categories: pre-K - K; 1-3, 4-6 and 7-12. First, Second and Third place winners will be selected from each grade category. Prizes will be awarded in each grade category ($100 first, $50 second and $25 third place). Winners in each category will be announced at NRMCA’s Annual Convention, March 1-3, 2015 in Orlando. First place entries will be auctioned at the CONCRETEPAC Auction. Images of the winning entries will be used later in the year to create a 2016 NRMCA calendar; winners and the sponsoring members will receive a free copy of the calendar.

Entries must be post marked no later than December 31. Click here for full contest details. For more information, please contact NRMCA’s Elizabeth Fox at efox@nrmca.org.
 
EDUCATION &TRAINING
With business growing once again, are your sales reps ready to tackle the market with a complete tool kit? NRMCA will host the following classes on the dates below: 
 
Module 1: Concrete 101 - December 2-5, Tennessee Concrete Association, Nashville, TN and Texas Aggregate and Concrete Association, Austin TX
Module 2: Understand the Contractor's Business - December 16-18, Silver Spring, MD
Module 3: RMC Business Knowledge - February 24-26, 2015, Silver Spring, MD
Module 4: Professional Sales Skills and Promotion - March 31-April 2, 2015, Silver Spring, MD
 
Each class stands alone so it does NOT have to be taken consecutively or collectively. The well-respected, updated content is a valid way to refresh sales skills that emphasize the industry’s aggressive stance toward winning business. Additionally, these are the required courses in the STEPS® Sales and Promotion certification program, where those in the field earn the industry's most prestigious capstone certification, the CCPf.

For more information, contact Eileen Dickson at edickson@nrmca.org or Shawnita Dickens at sdickens@nrmca.org.
 
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
The NRMCA November Internet Spotlight, which is good through Tuesday, December 2, is NRMCA’s newest best seller, Improving Quality Concrete. This book discusses concrete quality measurement as well as the tangible and intangible benefits due to improved quality. The book will also be of significant value to concrete producers who will come away with readily implementable steps to reduce variability and attain a more consistent product, thereby seeing performance benefits and cost savings.

Order online today and receive 20% off. Regular member price is $75, Internet Special $60, plus shipping. Use Discount Code: ISNOV14.
 
CALENDAR
*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site.

November 21, Free Webinar
Overlays for Streets & Local Roads
Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165
 
November 24, Webinar
Designing & Specifying Pervious Concrete (Part II)
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
December 2-5, Austin, TX
CCSP Module I, "Concrete 101" - Technical/Product Knowledge
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
December 2-5, Nashville, TN
CCSP Module I, "Concrete 101" - Technical/Product Knowledge
Email: Darla Sparkman
 
December 3-5, Phoenix
Environmental Professional Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
December 5, Free Webinar
Winning Initial Streets & Roads Projects in Counties & Municipalities
Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165
 
December 9, Webinar
Roller Compacted Concrete
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
December 9, Free Webinar
Streets & Roads Promotion for DOTs, Counties & Municipalities
Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165
 
December 9, New Orleans
Gulf Coast Region ConcreteWorks
Email: Nicole Maher, 1-888-846-7622, ext. 1158
 
December 9-12, Phoenix
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
December 10, Denver
Handling Concrete Specifications
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
December 12, Free Webinar
SLR Concrete Construction & Repair Basics
Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165
 
December 15, Webinar
The Quantifiable Advantages of Concrete Parking Lots
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
December 15, Webinar
Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
December 16, Webinar
Designing & Specifying Pervious Concrete (Part I)
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
 
December 23, Webinar
Designing & Specifying Pervious Concrete (Part II)
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
2015
 
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
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
 
February 9-13, Seattle
Regional Concrete Technologist Training and Certification Course "Short Course"
Email: Karen Bean, 240-485-1168
 
February 17-19, 2015, 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
 
March 18, Webinar
STEPS - A Long Term Career Tool for the RMC Industry
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
March 31-April 2, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module IV: Professional Sales Skills Workshop - 24 hours
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
May, Location TBA
Concrete Durability Course
Email: Karen Bean, 240-485-1168
 

  November 19, 2014
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Logo NRMCA
900 Spring Street
Silver Spring, MD, 20910
Phone: 301-587-1400 Toll Free: 888-84 NRMCA (846-7622)
Email: info@nrmca.org

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