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Schwing America, Inc.
IN THIS ISSUE:
NEWS LINKS
PAVEMENTS
PROMOTIONS
ASSOCIATION & INDUSTRY NEWS
ENGINEERING
SUSTAINABILITY
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
EDUCATION &TRAINING
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
CALENDAR
 
The Euclid Chemical Company
NEWS LINKS
When finished Salesforce Tower will be the tallest building in San Francisco. For now, it’s a big hole in the ground. And at the bottom of that hole is a new, massive concrete slab—14 feet thick, spread nearly an acre in breadth, and ready to support 1,070 feet of glass, steel ... and a lot more concrete. How much concrete? About 12,000 cubic yards, enough to fill nearly four Olympic swimming pools. That concrete began as (roughly) 7,900,000 pounds of cement, 9,000 cubic yards of sand and gravel, and 54,000 gallons of water at several mixing plants around the Bay Area. Over the course of 18 hours - beginning just before midnight on November 7 - 1,300 mixing trucks ferried the stuff to the site in downtown San Francisco. Then, two at a time, they dumped their contents into one of seven pumping trucks.

Source: The Web site Wired posted this story in mid-November. Read more.
 
A bridge made with a new ultra-high performance concrete from South Korea opened last month in an Iowa community, a bridge a local officials are hoping lasts 200 years with minimal maintenance.

Source: A November 11 article by The Associated Press which was posted on the Web site of The Washington (DC) Times.
 
A new podcast called Surprisingly Awesome highlights everyday things that may seem boring and convince listeners that they are actually, well, awesome. Concrete was the topic of a recent episode; the 24-minute show is worth a listen (an NRMCA member alert: there's a visit to a LafargeHolcim plant in Pennsylvania).

Source: NRMCA thanks Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Jeremy Gregory for alerting us.
 
PAVEMENTS
We might not know which came first, the chicken or the egg, but one fact is undisputed: NRMCA's Parking Lot Boot Camp leads to the Design Assistance Program (DAP) for expanding your parking lot business, reports Jon Hansen, NRMCA senior vice president, local paving.
 
"A good example of this came during the month of November dating from a participant in a July Boot Camp," relates Hansen. "Not much happened since July, but then a new car dealership was announced in the area. The attendee remembered the Boot Camp training and NRMCA’s focus, and success, with auto dealership nationally so he submitted the project for a DAP to get in the door. We don’t know yet if the paving material has been decided, but we are certain we would not even be 'in play' if not for Parking Lot Boot Camp and the Design Assistance Program."

For more information on Parking Lot Boot Camp, contact Jon Hansen at jhansen@nrmca.org. For information on the Parking Lot Design Assistance Program, contact Amanda Hult at ahult@nrmca.org.
 
Massachusetts Concrete & Aggregate Producers Association (MaCAPA) Executive Director Craig Dauphinais' efforts at community involvement is paying dividends, reports NRMCA Senior Director, Local Paving, Doug O'Neill. Dauphinais has been a member of his local Town Council (Board of Selectmen) for many years as a community leader and citizen while working for a ready mixed concrete producer. Now, in his role as Massachusetts' professional concrete promoter, Dauphinais is realizing that his experience serving as a selectman is a tremendous asset in reaching out on behalf of the concrete industry to offer solutions and help force change. When meeting with engineering firms that are involved with municipal projects, his understanding of budgeting and how towns fund construction projects puts him in the unique position of being able to say "I feel your pain".

"Getting involved and serving my community has helped me appreciate the challenges community leaders are facing with respect to their infrastructure and maintaining old roads with little to no money," Dauphinais said.

"In a recent visit with two local engineering firms it was apparent that Craig either knew everyone at the firm or knew someone who knew someone as the saying goes," O’Neill said. "The concept of 'It’s Who You Know' was really on display during these meetings, as Craig was able to uncover an opportunity for a redesigned town park that could utilize concrete for the parking areas simply because he was able to get to the right people."

For more information on how to get involved in your local community, contact Doug O'Neill at doneill@nrmca.org.
 
PROMOTIONS
Nominations are open for the NRMCA Promoter of the Year Award, State Affiliate Promoter of the Year Award and  the Lifetime Achievement Award for Promotion. These awards will be presented at the association’s annual convention in San Diego, March 13-15, 2016. Nominees for Promoter of the Year must be current employees of NRMCA producer members; nominees for the Lifetime Achievement Award must be former employees of NRMCA member companies who are retired or deceased and nominees for the State Affiliate Promoter of the Year must be a current employee of the Affiliate and have worked in the industry for at least five years. You can help industry promotion champions get deserved recognition by nominating them for these  prestigious awards.

The most recent award winners are Theron Tobolski, formerly of Prairie Materials (Promoter of the Year), Jereme Montgomery, Nebraska Concrete & Aggregates Association (State Affiliate Promoter of the Year) and Mike Shydlowski (in 2013) , retired from BASF (Lifetime Achievement). The deadline for submitting nominations is Tuesday, December 31.

More information and nomination forms are available here or by contacting NRMCA's Glenn Ochsenreiter at 240-485-1140 or by e-mail, glenn@nrmca.org.
 
CarbonCure Technologies Inc.
ASSOCIATION & INDUSTRY NEWS
NRMCA is thrilled to announce that BASF, Sika and Trimble Construction Logistics have renewed their Super Sponsorship for 2016! NRMCA couldn’t do what it does without the support of companies like them. NRMCA invites all associate member companies to join in supporting the Association through the 2016 sponsorship program. Your marketing dollars are precious in any year, and even more so today. They have to work harder and do more. That’s why sponsoring NRMCA’s Web sites, events and more should be your first choice for the most efficient ROI. You’ll target decision-makers throughout NRMCA member companies, companies that place the bulk of the concrete in the U.S. These industry leaders turn to NRMCA for guidance, support and information, so your logo, links and messages will reach them at important times. Plus, as members of NRMCA, they’ll value your support of the industry.

Sponsorships are limited and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning at noon Eastern time on Monday, December 7. So sign on and be part of a precisely-targeted media program that reaches the people you need to reach. It all adds up to a great investment with a great return.

Please click here to download the 2016 NRMCA Sponsorship Form. Return it by fax to Kathleen Carr-Smith at 301-585-4219 or by e-mail at kcarrsmith@nrmca.org. For more information or questions, please contact Kathleen at 240-485-1145 or by e-mail.
 
ENGINEERING
NRMCA has partnered with RedVector, a company that specializes in delivering e-Learning courses for a wide range of fields. The courses developed with NRMCA offer continuing education hours for licensed engineers and architects. There are five courses available in the concrete track; they are instructed by Colin Lobo, senior vice president of engineering; Tien Peng, vice president, sustainability, codes and standards; and Brian Killingsworth, senior vice president, local paving. The topics vary from 1 to 2 hours in length and include quizzes and review questions that document completion of the course.
 
Topics include: 
• Essentials of Quality Concrete, Lobo
• Handling, Placing, and Finishing Concrete, Lobo
• Concrete Standards and Requirements, Lobo
• Understanding Concrete's Environmental Advantage, Peng
• Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete, Killingsworth

Click here for more information on these programs.
 
McInnis USA, Inc.
SUSTAINABILITY
This month, NRMCA Vice President of Sustainability Tien Peng delivered two presentations in Hawaii. Approximately 70 industry professionals and local government officials attended "Pathway to Resilience" at the Cement and Concrete Products Industry of Hawaii (CCPI) Annual Meeting at Lihue, Kauai. The movement toward transparency in green building was also presented in the meeting. Approximately 3,000 attended the annual Pacific Trade Expo. Peng spoke to an audience of primarily architects, contractors and municipalities.  The Expo is produced by the Honolulu chapters of the American Institute of Architects and the Construction Specifications Institute.

"NRMCA leverages these opportunities for continuing education for design professionals from Hawaii and across the country to better understand the role of concrete in community disaster resilience and its environmental impacts," said Peng who was invited to deliver these industry initiatives by CCPI President Wayne Kawano. Peng and Kawano were also invited for a live  "on-air" interview with a local station via Youtube (you can view the interview, "Recycling Concrete with Tien Peng and Wayne Kawano," here).

NRMCA encourages its members to participate in local professional groups, such as American Institute of Architects, and offer topics and speakers for education programs. For more information on concrete resilience initiatives, please go to NRMCA's updated resilience Web page. You may also contact Tien Peng at 206-913-8535 or tpeng@nrmca.org.
 
The annual Greenbuild Conference was held two weeks ago at the Washington Convention Center in Washington DC. Still the largest green building gathering each year, 200 booths filled the expo hall where 20,000 attendees from 90 countries explored green innovations.  Acclaimed author Deepak Chopra, co-Host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Mika Brzezinski and Academy Award–winning director James Cameron were some of the notable speakers providing inspiration at the conference. NRMCA Vice President of Sustainability Tien Peng was also on hand to represent the industry and promote concrete industry leadership programs. NRMCA Senior Vice President of Structures and Sustainability Lionel Lemay was a guest panelist at the Materials and Human Health Summit which covered topics such as supply chain optimization, innovative materials and market transformation.

This year’s GreenBuild conference released a suite of three LEED pilot credits on resilient design, which was encouraged by NRMCA. The pilot credits fall into the Integrative Process category of LEED and are applicable to all Building Design and Construction (BD+C) rating systems, along with Homes and Mid-Rise Residential rating systems.  The US Green Building Council also announced implementation procedures for Option 3 Supply Chain Optimization of the LEED v4 Materials & Resources credit (Building Disclosure and Optimization - Material Ingredients).

For more information on the USGBC and GreenBuild 2015, contact Tien Peng at 206-913-8535 or tpeng@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 23 - 25, 2015, 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 Jill Landry at jlandry@nrmca.org.
 
The December issue of Concrete Capitol Connection is now available online. The issue includes updates on the surface transportation reauthorization bill, FMCSA’s electronic logging devices rule and the EPA’s climate rule. Click here to read more.
 
This is your last call to submit entries for NRMCA's 2016 Kids Art Contest, sponsored by the Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau. The theme for the contest is "Ready Mixed Concrete Truck Driving Safety". The contest is open to children up to grade 12 who have a relationship to an NRMCA Member.

• All entrants must be related to or sponsored by an NRMCA member.
• Contestants are limited to one entry each.
• Artwork should be 100% produced by the entrant and be original.
• Entries may be in a medium of the artist's choice (oil, water color, pastels, pencil, pen and ink, charcoal, crayon, etc.). Entries can be a drawing, collage, painting or other two-dimensional work.
• Entries must incorporate a ready mixed concrete truck in some manner, but should not be limited solely to a picture of a ready mixed concrete truck.
• Entries must be on 11" x 14" flat paper. We encourage artwork to be on good quality bond or drawing paper, or illustration board. Entries should not be framed or matted.
• For contact purposes, please include artist’s name, address, phone number, age and grade, and the name of the NRMCA Member and that relationship to the artist on the back of their artwork.
• Entries must be post marked no later than December 31, 2015.

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). Entries will be judged only against others in their grade category and based on originality, effort, creativity, composition and interpretation of the theme "Ready Mixed Concrete Truck Driving Safety".  

Winners in each category will be announced at NRMCA’s Annual Convention, March 13-15, 2016, in San Diego. First place entries will be auctioned off at the CONCRETEPAC Auction. Images of the winning entries will be used later in the year to create a 2017 NRMCA calendar; winners and each sponsoring member will receive a free copy of the calendar. Selected entries will also be displayed at NRMCA’s Annual Convention. NRMCA reserves the right to copy and modify any entry for reproduction. Entries will not be returned and may be used for future promotional opportunities.

Entries must be post marked no later than December 31, 2015, and should be mailed or delivered to:

Jill Landry
NRMCA 
900 Spring Street
Silver Spring, MD 20910 

For more information, click here or contact NRMCA’s Jill Landry at jlandry@nrmca.org.
 
EDUCATION &TRAINING
NRMCA’s most popular Webinar for sales managers will take place on Tuesday, December 15, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Eastern time. As the end-of-year evaluation become a reality, learn how to ascertain if your sales reps’ performance are at the top of his/her game... and, if not, how you can help them. Learn how to identify the specific barriers that could be holding them back and how to create a personal coaching and motivation strategy to improve performance during 2016.

Click here for more information and registration options.
 
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Due to popular demand, the NRMCA December Internet Spotlight, which will be good through Tuesday, January 5, is the NRMCA’s best selling Mixer Truck Driver's Manual. Completely revised in 2015, this manual educates truck mixer drivers about concrete and customer relations. It also highlights driver duties, safety precautions, equipment inspection and maintenance procedures, and what the driver should do in case of an accident. This 74-page manual is easy to understand and contains common sense information every driver should know.

Order online today and receive 15% off  the regular member price of $16 (Internet Special $13.60, plus shipping). Please specify discount code ISDEC15.
 
CALENDAR
*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site.

December 4, Nashville, TN
Pervious Concrete Contractor Certification Course (Tennessee Concrete Association)
Email: Mrs. Darla Sparkman
 
December 8 - 11, Orlando, FL *Sold Out
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
December 15, Milwaukee
Improving Concrete Quality
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
December 15, Webinar
Sales Management: Sales Performance Assessments and Reviews
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
2016
 
January 13 - 15, Orlando, FL
Dispatcher Training Forum
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
January 26 - 29, Omaha, NE
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
January 27, Free Webinar
Performance–Based Specifications
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
February 8 - 12, Des Moines, IA
Regional Concrete Technologist Training and Certification Course "Short Course"
Email: Karen Bean, 240-485-1168
 
February 23 - 25, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module III: General Business Knowledge
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
February 23 - 26, Honolulu
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
February 24, Atlanta
Handling Concrete Specifications
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
March 22 - 24, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module IV: Professional Sales Skills
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
April 5 - 8, Birmingham, AL
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
April 10 - 12, San Diego
NRMCA's Annual Convention
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
May 15 - 18, Washington, DC
International Concrete Sustainability & Self-Compacting Concrete Conference
Email: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101
 

  December 2, 2015
Fritz-Pak Corporation
Putzmeister America, Inc.
WAM USA, Inc.
Xypex Chemical Corp
McNeilus Truck & Manufacturing, Inc.
Continental Mixers
True Dispatch
Lehigh Hanson
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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