U.S. Companies Plan to Invest as Economy Warms Up

Companies are planning to increase their domestic spending as the U.S. economy show signs of improving. Chief financial officers say they are planning to expand their operations, purchase equipment and increase hiring after hoarding cash for an extended period. "I'm feeling better about the U.S. economy than I was 12 months ago, for sure," Cummins CFO Patrick Ward says.

Source: AGC SmartBrief e-newsletter for February 9, which contained this February 8 story from The Wall Street Journal: read more.

 

Louisiana Community Examines Costs of Concrete Roads

Local officials in Ouachita Parish are concerned over the cost of maintaining local roads in neighborhoods throughout the parish. One official wants engineers to look into the process of using concrete for roads and determine if it's feasible. Several residents in Ouachita Parish have approached the Police Jury concerned with the state of roads in their neighborhoods.

Source: A February 11 news story in the Monroe News Star. Read more.

 

Walmart Touts Its Green Power Prowess

Major NRMCA National Account and the nation's leading retailer Walmart recently touted its growing reliance on renewable energy sources, issuing a press release that stated the chain has risen to third place on the Environmental Protection Agency's rankings of the country’s top green power purchasers, up from 15th place last quarter. NRMCA's Vance Pool has long worked to establish concrete's role in the chain's overall sustainability efforts. Read more.

 

Creating Cement Without the Kiln

Professor Alex Moseson of Philadelphia's Drexel University is developing a new recipe for a more eco-friendly cement that uses industrial waste such as soda ash. "The beauty of it is we can take things that don’t need to go through a kiln in order to make them cement," Moseson said. The new mixture is said to be similar to the recipe used to build pyramids, symbolic of the product's strength.

Source: AGC SmartBrief e-newsletter for February 7, which included a Feburary 2 report from Public Radio International. Read more.

 

Kentucky Teamwork Results in Statewide Parking Lot Succes Story

NRMCA's team of national resource directors (NRD's) have teamed with Kentucky state promoters and ready mix producers to convince at least one prominent national retailer to use concrete for its parking lots throughout the Bluegrass State, reports NRMCA Southeast Senior National Resource Director Amy Miller. She notes that in Kentucky most parking lots are designed in asphalt, minus a few areas that are concrete-friendly. But the efforts of NRMCA, NRD's and Kentucky Ready-Mixed Concrete Association (KRMCA) member companies have resulted in most Dollar General parking lots being placed with concrete.

Across the state, Dollar Generals are being built mostly with concrete parking lots. "Just driving at night, you come across a well-lit new Dollar General, and by being in the industry, know exactly what that parking lot is made of - CONCRETE," said KRMCA's Brett Ruffing.

KRMCA and NRMCA member companies, The Wells Group, LLC and the Federal Materials Company (FMC), have played a part in the success of concrete parking lots in Kentucky. The Wells Group based out of West Liberty, KY, has supplied the concrete for over 10 Dollar Generals in the Eastern Kentucky market, with three more on the books for this year. The Wells Group has supplied concrete to Dollar Generals in the following cities: Frenchburg, South Williamson, Booneville, Salyersville, Sandy Hook, Dorton, Morehead, two in West Liberty and Dorton. According to The Wells Group, some of these stores were designed in concrete, but most were flipped to concrete, Ruffing said.

To do this, The Wells Group sat down with the contractor on the job and spoke about the savings and durability by using concrete - savings on lighting, brighter at night, saving in the long run without having to come back in a few years to re-seal and patch, and simply that concrete will last the lifetime of the store. Other times, they were able to flip by giving a price to another subcontractor to bid on the job, and concrete won in price. According to the Wells Group, it was fairly easy to do, Ruffing said.

FMC has also had huge successes with Dollar Generals in Western Kentucky. Some of the Dollar Generals it has supplied lots include: Fairdealing, Fancy Farm, Grand Rivers, Kuttawa, Lake City, Ledbetter, Mayfield, Murray, Paducah Southside, Sumsonia and Wingo. Some of the stores FMC has supplied had concrete designed parking lots and others did not. Its biggest success has been having a working relationship with a contractor that happens to do a lot of work for Dollar Generals. According to FMC, if you can have this relationship with your contractors, they are more willing to help you out so you can get the work, Ruffing added.

Other KRMCA members reporting Dollar Generals located in Kentucky include Owensboro, Henderson, Silver Grove (shown here), Danville, Frankfort, Scottsville, Brownsville, Bowling Green and others that have not been reported to the KRMCA office; there are some currently under construction, like a unit in Alexandria. There have been a total of 33 reported Dollar General stores in the Commonwealth of Kentucky to the KRMCA.

For more information, contact Amy Miller at amiller@nrmca.org or Brett Ruffing at bruffing@krmca.org.

 

Oklahoma Moves Forward on Streets and Local Roads Efforts

Oklahoma is no stranger to streets and local roads (SLR) promotion with significant progress having been made in a number of cities, reports NRMCA South Central Senior National Resource Director Vance Pool. Prior work by Oklahoma Ready Mixed Concrete Association (ORMCA) members Michael Young of the Portland Cement Association South central region and Brent Burwell of the American Concrete Pavement Association have won numerous projects over the years.

Many streets in Oklahoma City have been paved recently with concrete, Pool said. I-40 has seen many portions built or currently under construction with continuously reinforced, smooth riding concrete. A recent survey of ORMCA members was aligned with national pavement promotion efforts. Put all these together and the future looks bright for concrete pavements in Oklahoma, Pool added. ORMCA Executive Director Jack Petrakis is leading the team forward on SLR promotion. At the ORMCA winter convention, Brent Burwell spoke on overlays while Pool spoke on SLR.

For more information, contact Vance Pool at vpool@nrmca.org.

 

Kentucky Fosters Relationship with Green Building Council

NRMCA Northeast Senior National Resources Director Doug O’Neill recently spoke at the Kentucky Ready-Mixed Concrete Association's (KRMCA) Winter Meeting in Louisville. He focused on the issue of sustainability and how our industry can better communicate concrete’s advantages. Also speaking at the conference was the executive director of the Kentucky Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Joan Pauley. "What struck me as so important to our industry was how such a positive relationship has developed between the KRMCA and the USGBC Chapter," O’Neill said.

KRMCA Executive Director Finley Messick is a firm believer that ALL ready mixed concrete associations should foster relationships with their respective chapters of USGBC. "The benefits have been truly rewarding for us here in Kentucky," he said. "Thanks to the efforts of our own Brett Ruffing, they look at us as part of the Green Building Community, they understand concrete’s important role within the LEED Green Building Rating System and we have become their source for all things concrete."

As an example of the kind of supportive relationship that has developed here in Kentucky, recently a local dentist sought out the USGBC Chapter to ask about sustainable building methods for a planned expansion of his dental practice. The folks at the Kentucky Chapter of USGBC put him in touch with Ruffing to discuss the possibility of installing a pervious concrete parking lot to address the stormwater concerns in the area. Ruffing’s involvement continues with his recent invitation to participate in a USGBC national advocacy conference call due in large part to his role in co-chairing the Kentucky Advocacy Day where the group met for five hours with state legislators discussing a more sustainably built environment.

For more information contact bruffing@krmca.org, doneill@nrmca.org or O'Neill's colleague Phil Kresge at pkresge@nrmca.org.

 

NRMCA Announces 2012 Promoter of the Year Award Winner

NRMCA’s Promoter of the Year Award is presented for outstanding contributions in support of concrete promotion with a particular focus for strong performance in recent years. Larry Gibbes of Argos USA is this year’s winner as a result of his outstanding efforts in promoting concrete that have resulted in more than 35,000 yards of concrete placement just from recent promotional activities.

Gibbes has spent his entire 27 year career promoting concrete in and around Charlotte, NC, and has been very active in supporting the Carolinas Ready Mixed Concrete Association and other industry organizations over that time. As an example of his promotional ability, in 2009 he was instrumental in convincing the City of Charlotte Engineering Department to accept a concrete paving alternate for a new local road (Fred D. Alexander Blvd.) which was already designed for asphalt. Charlotte had not built a new concrete road in 28 years. Gibbes took the city engineers on a tour of old concrete roads and provided decades of concrete road maintenance records in his convincing argument. Charlotte now has completed the first three phases of this road using concrete (14,000 yards) and is also developing a sustainable roads program thanks to Gibbes' efforts.

The Promoter of the Year Award will be presented to Gibbes on March 6 during the Awards Breakfast at the NRMCA Annual Convention in Savannah, GA. For more information, contact NRMCA's Glenn Ochsenreiter at gochsenreiter@nrmca.org.

 

Upcoming Webinars Focus on CPA Software, Streets and Local Roads Promotion

NRMCA's national resource directors have two Webinars scheduled through the end of next week, so be sure to click on each link for more information or contact NRMCA's Jessica Walgenbach at jwalgenbach@nrmca.org.

• February 21 – Introduction to CPA Software: Concrete Pavement Analyst (CPA) software is a flexible, market-specific and comprehensive sales and promotion tool. Using ACI and the Asphalt Institute recommendations, CPA compares total ownership costs, giving specifiers and owners the information they need to make sound parking lot pavement decisions. The Webinar by Mid-Atlantic Senior National Resource Director Phil Kresge explains how the software works along with strategies for making effective use of this outstanding tool.

• February 23 – Streets and Local Roads: This Webinar by Midwest Senior National Resource Director Jon Hansen will encourage group interaction and include a guest presenter describing a local promotion project or process. You will also learn about the recently expanded NRMCA field team and the new services available to help expand your concrete market.

 

Hotel Reservation Cutoff Date Extended for NRMCA Annual Convention

The hotel reservation deadline for the 2012 NRMCA Annual Convention has been extended to Friday, February 17. The NRMCA room block is limited so please make your reservations soon. To make your hotel reservations, please contact the Savannah Marriott Riverfront Hotel at 912-233-7722 or 800-285-0398. Please state that you are with "NRCNRCA" or "National Ready Mixed Concrete" to receive the discounted room rate of $155.00/per night plus applicable taxes. Included in your room rate is complimentary internet access in your guestroom.

Please assist the association in meeting our hotel room requirements by making your reservations now. Hotel contracts require NRMCA to be financially liable for unused sleeping rooms. The sleeping room rate covers the cost of meeting space, upkeep and utilities of the hotel. Staying at the convention hotel also provides you with the benefit of after-hours networking and easy accessibility to meetings and sessions. Please help NRMCA avoid these unnecessary penalties and keep registration fees low by booking your sleeping room at the Savannah Marriott Riverfront.

For more information, contact the NRMCA Meetings Department at meetings@nrmca.org or 888-846-7622 ext. 1152.

 

NRMCA Announces Winner of National High School Essay Contest

London Gibson has won the 2011 NRMCA National High School Essay Contest. Gibson’s essay was submitted as the state winner by the Oklahoma Ready Mixed Concrete Association. Miss Gibson told concrete’s story of quality, durability and environmental superiority through interviews of people with different perspectives on the concrete industry – a road foreman on an interstate construction crew, an executive of a nationally-known trucking company and a supervisor at a limestone quarry.

Her essay earned top honors over other excellent entries from Tennessee, Indiana, Mississippi, Kentucky, Washington and Arizona. Miss Gibson has been invited to accept her $2,000 scholarship at the NRMCA Annual Convention this March in Savannah, GA. Her essay will appear in a future edition of NRMCA’s Concrete InFocus magazine.

For more information on this NRMCA awards program, contact Nicole Maher at nmaher@nrmca.org.

 

PCA Economist Discusses How Higher Oil Prices Are Influencing State Infrastructure Costs

At the 2012 World of Concrete last month in Las Vegas, Portland Cement Association (PCA) Chief Economist Ed Sullivan reported that to manage the new cost realities of asphalt and concrete DOTs must become "efficient" spenders. As oil prices rise and refineries adopt new technologies, the industry is seeing a direct impact on the costs for states to build and maintain roads and highways. The lower "initial bid" of asphalt roads has disappeared, yet industry experts say many state departments of transportation (DOTs) have not changed their bidding policies.

Although the free market is the best way to have efficient solutions to financial budget constraints, Sullivan said old and irrelevant policies like the use of escalators benefit suppliers and distort free market mechanisms. Since 2005, liquid asphalt prices have increased annually 12 percent while concrete rose only four percent. Yet, states’ DOT procurement practices that include escalators, non-use of alternative material bidding, flawed LCCA calculations, and the lack of equivalent paving design are slowing costing taxpayers billions of dollars. PCA estimates that since 2006, escalator clauses have cost states $1.1 billion.

Source: PCA Executive Report e-newsletter for January 30, 2012. For more informatin, contact Ed Sullivan at esullivan@cement.org.

 

NRMCA Seeks Entries from Concrete Producers on Use of SCM

As part of a funded research project on increased fly ash utilization in hydraulic cement concrete, NRMCA is conducting a survey to better understand SCM use. SCM can consist of fly ash meeting ASTMC618/AASHTO M295, slag cement meeting C989 and silica fume meeting C1240. This survey only pertains to SCM used in all concrete supplied by a ready mixed concrete producer. It does not cover SCM use in non concrete applications. The data will be kept confidential and only the overall nationwide survey results will be shared with all survey participants and other researchers.

The completed survey should be e-mailed to Karthik Obla at kobla@nrmca.org no later than Thursday, March 15. The survey form can be downloaded here.

 

Pervious Concrete Workshops Held in New England

Two workshops on pervious concrete were organized last week by the Connecticut Concrete Promotion Council and the Northern New England Concrete Promotion Council in Hartford, CT, and Manchester, NH, respectively. The intent of the workshops was to disseminate current technical information on pervious concrete. Matt Offenberg with WR Grace covered testing standards and specifications for pervious concrete. David Mitchell with Bunyan Industries covered construction methods and various innovations in pervious concrete mixtures and installation procedures. Colin Lobo with NRMCA covered concepts on proportioning pervious concrete mixtures and demonstrated the NRMCA software for this purpose.

Jim Langlois and Jon Kuell with the sponsoring organizations indicated that the 40 and 60 attendees at each event gained a lot of information from these workshops.

For more information, contact Colin Lobo at clobo@nrmca.org.

 

NRMCA Launches Workshops to Emphasize Importance of Disaster Resilient Construction

NRMCA in partnership with the Concrete Joint Sustainability Initiative (CJSI) is delivering six workshops this spring titled Implementing Disaster Resilient Construction in Your Community. The full-day workshops are scheduled for:

• April 12 Springfield, MO
• April 17 Sioux Falls, SD
• April 19 Centennial, CO
• May 15 Pewaukee, WI
• May 17 Louisville, KY
• May 30 Portsmouth, NH

The purpose of the workshops is to educate decision makers at the local level on the importance of disaster resilient construction to enhance community continuity in the face of natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, earthquakes and floods. Topics covered during the seminar include local disaster risk assessment and mitigation, resilient construction methods, FORTIFIED design and construction programs, building code requirements, safe rooms and storm shelters, flood resistant construction and fire resistance.

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.

Topics covered during the seminar include:
• Assessing local disaster risks
• Building code requirements for residential and commercial buildings
• FORTIFIED for Safer Living and Safer Business
• Safe Rooms and Storm Shelters
• Flood resistant construction
• Flood resilience and fortified building codes
• Disaster resilient concrete building systems

Builders, developers, architects, engineers, contractors, building officials and community leaders are invited to attend. The general public is also welcome. Attendees will receive six Professional Development Hours (PDHs), six AIA-CES HSW Learning Units (LUs) or six USGBC Continuing Education Hours (CEs). The registration fee is only $95 and includes lunch.

For more information, contact NRMCA’s Tien Peng at 206-913-8535 or tpeng@nrmca.org.

 

NRMCA Advocacy News Roundup Updated Through February 10

To read government affairs-related stories that relate to the ready mixed concrete industry for the week of February 6-10, 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 Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org.

 

February Internet Special Highlights Thermal Measurements of Hydrating Concrete Mixtures Guide

NRMCA's February Internet Spotlight, good through Tuesday, March 6, is the Thermal Measurements of Hydrating Concrete Mixtures guide. This publication introduces readers to SAC equipment, applications and basics of how to plan and conduct an effective SAC testing program. Interpretation of SAC thermal profiles are also discussed.

Order online today and receive 25% off. Internet Special $26.25, plus shipping. Please use Discount Code ISFEB12 to receive the online discount.

 

Calendar: A Look Ahead

February 20-24, Dallas
Technical Short Course
Email: kbean@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1168

February 21, Webinar
Introduction To Concrete Pavement Analyst
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

February 23, Webinar
Streets and Local Roads
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

February 27-March 1, Online Course
Building Green with Concrete
Email: sdickens@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

March 2, Webinar
National Account Parking Lots 101
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

March 4-6, Savannah, GA
NRMCA Annual Convention
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

March 15, Webinar
ACI 330 R-08 – The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

March 20, Webinar
Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete (*Part 2 is March 27)
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

March 20-22, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module IV: Professional Sales Skills Workshop
Email: sdickens@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

March 26-29, Online Course
Pervious Concrete—A Stormwater Solution
Email: sdickens@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

March 27, Webinar
Introduction To Concrete Pavement Analyst
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

April 5, Free Webinar
RMC Research & Education Foundation
Email: jlefevre@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1151

April 12, Webinar
Streets and Local Roads
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

April 16-19, Online Course
Design of Concrete Pavements
Email: sdickens@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

April 26, Webinar
ACI 330 R-08 – The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

May 7-10, Seattle, WA
International Concrete Sustainability Conference
Email: Lionel Lemay, llemay@nrmca.org

May 17, Webinar
Streets and Local Roads
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

May 21-24, Online Course
Life Cycle Assessment of Concrete Structures
Email: sdickens@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

May 23, Nashua, NH
Handling Concrete Specifications, Low Strength Problems and Mixture Submittals
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

June 7, Webinar
ACI 330 R-08 – The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

June 25-28, Online Course
Concrete's Role in Sustainable Development
Email: sdickens@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

June 28, Webinar
Streets and Local Roads
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

July 16-19, Online Course
Building Green with Concrete
Email: sdickens@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

July 26, Webinar
ACI 330 R-08 – The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

August 6-9, Online Course
Pervious Concrete—A Stormwater Solution
Email: sdickens@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

August 9, Webinar
Streets and Local Roads
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

August 14-17, Silver Spring, MD
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: sdickens@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

August 27-30, Online Course
Design of Concrete Pavements
Email: sdickens@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

September 20, Webinar
Streets and Local Roads
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

November 1, Webinar
Streets and Local Roads
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

December 4-6, Orlando, FL
Environmental Professional Certification Course for the Ready Mixed Concrete Industry
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 888-84-NRMCA, x1152


2013

May 12-15, Chicago
Fifth North American Conference on Design and Use of Self-Consolidating Concrete