NRMCA e-news

National Ready Mixed Concrete Association

Schwing America, Inc.
GivenHansco, Inc
NEWS LINKS
A family from Toowoomba, Australia, has worked eight years to develop a concrete mix that doesn't include portland cement. The recipe, which they now plan to export to regions such as the Middle East and other markets that have corrosive soils, has been used in portions of precast tunnels in Malaysia and Qatar. The Earth Friendly Concrete incorporates slag and fly ash reclaimed from steel manufacturing operations and coal-fired power stations. One of the most visible uses of the concrete is found in a Brisbane airport's aprons and taxiway pavements.

Source: The March 20 edition of the AGC SmartBrief e-newsletter which contained a March 18 article from a Web site called BRW.
 
E-NEWS now takes you to The United Kingdom where local officials in one town noticed that whenever one of their trolleybuses (yes, that's what they're called) stopped frequently in one place, say a bus stop, road repairs frequently became necessary. It seems that the "fierce acceleration and braking" of these trolleybuses resulted in a series of ripples being formed on the road surface. You just know what the solution was...

Source: A recent story in The Shields Gazette. Read more.
 
PAVEMENTS
The Oklahoma/Arkansas chapter of the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) held its 2014 concrete pavement conference titled "Building Pavements for the 21st Century" in Oklahoma City earlier this month. The program included a variety of educational and technical presentations, including one by NRMCA’s Brian Killingsworth who spoke on life-cycle cost analysis. Specifically, Killingsworth provided an update on the activities of the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHub) and addressed utilizing data input variability for assessing risk associated with economic decisions for concrete pavements. The Federal Highway Administration's RealCost LCCA software was also discussed and, in particular, how agencies can change their processes to address variable inflation rates between competing building materials.

For more information on implementing the results from the MIT CSHub, contact Brian Killingsworth at bkillingsworth@nrmca.org or 830-438-2690.
 
PROMOTIONS
Earlier this year, Vee-Jay Cement Contracting, Inc. of St. Louis was named Specialty Contractor of the Year 2013 by the AGC of St Louis, reports NRMCA Vice President, National Resources, Jon Hansen. Last month, Vee-Jay hosted a dinner celebration for its employees, and invited and recognized the organizations and companies it felt helped win the award. NRMCA was recognized, along with industry partners Missouri/Kansas ACPA and the St. Louis-based American Society of Concrete Contractor (ASCC) for their efforts. A plaque recognizing NRMCA's efforts presented to Hansen at the dinner was inscribed, "Presented to National Ready Mixed Concrete Association. In recognition of your many years of continued support and the tremendous impact that your association has on the construction industry. We appreciate your hard work, loyalty, and dedication. All of us at Vee-Jay are very proud to be part of your team."

For more information, contact Jon Hansen at jhansen@nrmca.org.
 
NRMCA’s promotion strategy of reaching those who are directly influential in selecting paving materials is effective, but there is a large, mostly untapped opportunity to win the support of organizations for concrete that generally deal with issues that supersede paving considerations. There are hundreds of groups that address issues such as sustainability, infrastructure improvement, quality of life, government efficiency, transportation cost reduction and many other such topics. Because the promotion staff does not have the resources to expand outreach to most of these groups, the NRMCA Promotion Committee is looking for member volunteers to help "Jump the fence" into this new promotion territory.
 
Volunteers will be asked to select one or more targets in their market area to attempt to create an understanding of why concrete’s benefits are advantageous to the organization. The objective will be to get a hearing with organization leaders and ultimately gain valuable support for concrete. NRMCA staff can help select targets, assist in refining the promotional message, supply support materials, and provide direct  technical and promotional support if promising opportunities are developed. Please consider this opportunity to help move concrete ahead on behalf of the entire industry! 
 
To volunteer or discuss Jumping the Fence opportunities, please contact your NRMCA National Resource Director or NRMCA’s Glenn Ochsenreiter at 240-485-1440 or glenn@nrmca.org, or the Promotion Committee leader for this initiative, Cory Albano, at robertcalbano@cemex.com or 928-542-0759.
 
The newly created NRMCA State Affiliate Promoter of the Year Award was presented to Finley Messick, executive director of the Kentucky Ready-Mixed Concrete Association (KRMCA), during the recent  NRMCA Convention in Las Vegas. As an outstanding concrete promoter within his state and an excellent collaborator with other concrete organizations, Finley is a great example of concrete promotion leadership in action. A key to Finley’s success is that he sees promotion not as marketing, but education, based on his expectation that if decision-makers and designers have the right tools and knowledge, you can expect favorable results in the long run.

Under Finley’s leadership, KRMCA has made remarkable strides in recent years by integrating itself into the sustainable construction movement in Kentucky, including very active participation in the state chapter of USGBC and in promotion of ICFs. Among many notable achievements,  the majority of Kentucky’s schools are now using ICF wall systems. In another investment of effort that will return great dividends in the long run, KRMCA is now assisting in teaching engineering classes at the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville, Western Kentucky University and also a course at the University of Kentucky ‘s School of Landscape Architecture.

Finley’s selfless leadership, passion for concrete and affinity for working with partners has enabled KRMCA to become a model for state ready mixed concrete association promotion. As such, Finley Messick is an ideal recipient for NRMCA’s first State Affiliate Promoter of the Year Award.

For more information, contact Glenn Ochsenreiter at glenn@nrmca.org.
 
The Euclid Chemical Company
ASSOCIATION & INDUSTRY NEWS
The Spring 2014 edition of NRMCA's quarterly magazine, Concrete InFocus, is now available online. This latest issue includes a number of timely and informative articles available only online, among them Pavement Roughness and Fuel Consumption - the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub Executive Summary that analyzes how roughness levels evolve on a given road segment over time.

Click here for more information on Concrete InFocus, including staff contact and how to advertise.
 
ENGINEERING
NRMCA will offer the Concrete Durability Course from June 3-5 at the RMC Foundation Education Center in Silver Spring, MD (next to NRMCA headquarters). The course is taught by Michael Thomas, U of New Brunswick and Kevin Folliard, U of Texas at Austin and NRMCA Engineering Department staff. The course provides a fundamental understanding of the nature of cement and concrete as they relate to durability of concrete. Topics will cover cracking, alkali aggregate reactions, sulfate attack, corrosion of reinforcing steel, freeze-thaw durability and other aspects. A group exercise will be facilitated to walk attendees through ConcreteWorks software that can be used to develop concrete mixtures for durability.

The course also discusses the durability provisions in the Building Code - ACI 318-11 and how specifications can be structured to address durability. Attendees at previous courses have given this program rave reviews. This course also offers those with the NRMCA Level 3 Certification the opportunity to obtain the NRMCA Concrete Technologist Level 4 Certification. It also provides required learning units toward the technical track of the NRMCA STEPS certification program.

Please register early if you wish to attend. Click here for registration and hotel information.
 
Organized by the Maryland Ready Mix Concrete Association (MRMCA) and partners, the conference drew 300 attendees. The following summarizes the highlights:

• The deputy state highway administrator indicated that the transportation funding was well supported in the state budget after a long dry spell and encourage participants to lobby for federal funding.
• Tom Evans, MRMCA, discussed a new state highway specification for pervious concrete, developed after considerable partnership between the agency and industry. Pervious concrete will be used in at least two park-and-ride projects.
• Chris Roumie, Essroc Cement, discussed the history of development and applications of photocatalytic cement that reduces pollution in the environment of the concrete structure.
• Colin Lobo, NRMCA, discussed the use of crushed concrete as aggregate in concrete. He discussed the evolution of AASHTO provisional standard MP-16, NRMCA research on use of crushed concrete aggregate from returned concrete, and some national (FHWA) and international initiatives to increase reuse of crushed concrete.
• Henry Prenger, Lafarge, provided a global perspective on the use of concrete pavements. He emphasized that good practices in various countries provide valuable information on successful practice.
• Gina Ahlstrom, FHWA discussed FHWA position on alternate bids considering life cycle cost analysis. Reference was made to NCHRP report 703 on current practice in states and issues to consider in alternate bids of different pavement types. 
• Bill Heape, Conewago, discussed successes with roller compacted concrete in Maryland.
• Shekhar Murkute, MD SHA, discussed a success story with concrete overlay on ramps at the intersection of MD 301 and Route 50. The overlays were generally completed with a weekend closure – 6 inch milled asphalt with 6 inch concrete overlay.
• James Cable, Cable Consultation, discussed paving in traffic situations in Iowa – suggesting that rapid concrete pavement construction is very feasible.

The Maryland Concrete Conference is an annual event that draws material suppliers, contractors, concrete producers, state, county, municipality and several other interested parties.

For more information, contact Colin Lobo at clobo@nrmca.org.
 
The California Division of State Architect have drafted an administrative interpretation of regulation (IR) to provide direction on the use of non-potable water sources for use as mixing water in concrete. The proposal is to permit the use of non-potable water that has been qualified to be acceptable by ASTM C1602, Specification for Mixing Water Used in the Production of Hydraulic Cement Concrete. Projects within the jurisdiction of DSA includes State of California public elementary and secondary schools (grades K-12 and community colleges), and state-owned or state-leased essential services buildings.

Industry, including NRMCA, was provided an opportunity to comment on the draft IR 19.5. With the critical drought conditions in many parts of California, this initiative is important to support sustainable construction and conserve valuable water resources in the state. ASTM C1602 is referenced in ACI 318 that has been adopted for reference in building codes in most jurisdictions.

For more information, contact Colin Lobo at clobo@nrmca.org.
 
The CP Road Map E-News is the newsletter of the Long-Term Plan for Concrete Pavement Research and Technology (CP Road Map), a national research plan developed and jointly implemented by the concrete pavement stakeholder community.

Moving Advancements into Practice (MAP) Brief
• The March 2014 MAP brief discusses mixture design and proportioning for concrete pavements.

News from the Road
  • A recent FHWA report identified slab size as a key element in thin overlay failures.
  • In a recent project, Minnesota researchers developed an improved design process for unbonded concrete overlays.
  • A recent project funded by FHWA investigated accelerated test methods for determining alkalai-silica reaction.
  • The US DOT recently completed a research project that evaluated high-volume fly ash concrete.
  • Researchers in Texas recently investigated the use of manufactured sand in concrete pavements.
Updates from the States: Michigan
• Ongoing and completed research in Michigan is addressing research needs outlined by the CP Road Map.

Click here to access links for each of the above topics.
 
Trimble Construction Logistics
SUSTAINABILITY
NRMCA Vice President of Sustainability Tien Peng recently gave a presentation at the AIA-CSI (American Institute of Architects and Construction Specifications Institute, respectively) joint Trade Fair in Louisville, KY. The Disaster Resilient Construction presentation was directed at design and construction professionals from the commonwealth concerned with the growth threat of natural disasters. Approximately 30 design, construction and insurance professionals attend the session. Peng was invited to speak at the event by Brett Ruffing, technology & education specialist for the Kentucky Ready-Mixed Concrete Association. Ruffing’s strong involvement in the local chapter of the US Green Building Council allowed him to offer topics relevant to the conference and the industry.

NRMCA encourages its members to participate in their local professional efforts and offer topics and speakers for education programs. 

For more information on resilience initiatives, visit www.nrmca.org/resilience or contact Tien Peng at 206-913-8535 or tpeng@nrmca.org.
 
The trend toward transparency of reporting through Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), Corporate Sustainability Reports (CSRs) and Health Product Declarations (HPDs) will be featured at the 2014 International Concrete Sustainability Conference, scheduled for May 12-15 just outside Boston in Cambridge, MA. Several of the 60 presentations will focus on EPDs, CSRs and HPDs during the 3-day conference.

Examples of transparency topics include:
• John L. Knott, Jr., executive director, Health Product Declaration Collaborative, United States, will present A Collaborative Global Leader for Ingredient and Hazard Disclosure for the Built Environment during the opening general session. 
• Cesar Constantino, Titan America, United States, will present A Journey "Under the Hood" of an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)...The Meaning Behind the Label.
• Nicholas Santero, PE International, United States, will present Understanding Health Product Declarations and LEED.
• Frances Yang, Arup, United States, will present LEEDv4: Sorting out HPDs vs EPDs. 
• The conference will end with a panel discussion to answer the question: Does Transparent Reporting Add Value to Green Buildings? This session will feature expert panelists who will discuss the merits of the new transparency requirements in LEED v4 and other green building standards including EPDs, CSRs and HPDs.

In total, over 60 world renowned speakers from 10 different countries will present during the conference. This year’s conference is being held in cooperation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Concrete Sustainability Hub Showcase scheduled for May 15. The conference is co-sponsored by NRMCA, the RMC Research & Education Foundation and the Portland Cement Association. The MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub Showcase will feature key researchers who will present research on concrete science, buildings and pavements using poster sessions, plenary presentations and interactive workshops.

Click here to download the complete speaker schedule. For additional details and to register for the conference visit www.concretesustainabilityconference.org or contact Lionel Lemay at LLemay@nrmca.org or 847-918-7101.
 
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 March 17 - 21 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.
 
Mark your calendars and start planning your trip to Washington, DC, for the Transportation Construction Coalition’s Fly-In and the third RALLY for ROADS on June 10-11. Federal transportation programs are facing a crisis. With MAP-21 set to expire September 30 and the Department of Transportation estimating that the Highway Trust Fund will run out of money as soon as July, there has never been a greater need for Congress to act.

This is the year to come to DC! Join your industry allies in Washington - your congressional delegation needs to hear from you about the importance of continued investment in transportation infrastructure to the nation's economy - creating jobs while building the future. As in the past, a legislative briefing is scheduled to update you on the latest congressional events; educational briefing packets will be prepared for you to deliver to your congressional delegation. In addition, this year's NRMCA RALLY for ROADS, the nation's largest transportation funding advocacy rally, will be held at 8 a.m. on June 11 so that you can attend. The rally will be held at Union Square on U.S. Capitol Grounds, Permit Area #15. Buses will take you from the hotel to the U.S. Capitol for the rally.

This year's meeting will be held at the Mayflower Renaissance Washington Hotel at 1127 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20036. Make your reservations directly with the Mayflower Renaissance Washington Hotel by calling 1-877-212-5752 or 1-202-347-3000. Please mention the group name TCC Fly-In for the discounted room rate of $309 per night which is guaranteed through the rooms cut-off date of Friday, May 9.

The transportation construction industry cannot afford to sit back and wait for Washington to act. Now is the time to demand action. New representatives and senators are unfamiliar with how these programs operate and the benefits they bring not only to their states and districts, but also the incredible contribution they make to the national economy. The Highway Trust Fund cannot support current road construction projects through this summer work season. Congress needs to understand that failure to address the Highway Trust Fund crisis and ensure sustainable funding undermines the construction industry sector - materials producers, contractors, equipment manufacturers, labor - builders of the America's surface transportation network essential to economic growth and prosperity.

Keep watching your inboxes and E-NEWS for more details and how to register for both events in the coming weeks. We hope to see you there - in hard hats and your usual work clothes. Thank you for your past support and we look forward to seeing you in June!

For more information, please contact Kerri Leininger at kleininger@nrmca.org or 240-485-1159.
 
The second annual Cement & Concrete Day on the Hill, April 29 - 30, brings together representatives from more than a dozen construction industry associations. The goal is to promote the expanded use of cement and concrete in federal infrastructure projects, from highways and bridges to dams and mass transit. The primary advocacy Issues for this year’s Day on the Hill include a fully funded, multi- year Highway Bill Reauthorization, with reforms to maximize impact of each dollar spent, promoting a Federal Resilience Tax Credit and enactment of a new Federal Water Resources (WRDA) Bill.

Sponsored and hosted by Portland Cement Association, the event is open to all member company executives and staff of concrete- and masonry-related associations. In addition to NRMCA, 2014 sponsors include the American Coal Ash Association, American Concrete Pavement Association, American Concrete Pressure Pipe Association, Concrete Reinforcing Steel Association, Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association, Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute, National Concrete Masonry Association, Slag Cement Association and National Precast Concrete Association.

Click here to register and here to book your hotel room. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Fox at efox@nrmca.org or 240-485-1156.
 
EDUCATION &TRAINING
A Webinar scheduled for Wednesday, April 16, is for ready mixed concrete sales representatives. The topic is Building the Customer Relationship...in the Post-Recession Economy. Much has changed in the post-recession economy, especially with our customers. Many of the companies we did business with pre-recession have changed dramatically - new contacts, new business strategies, new operations, new buying criteria. Do we really know our most important customers as well as we need to? Enough to be sure of getting and keeping their ready mix business as the economy improves?

In this Webinar, sales reps will learn how to reassess their relationship with key customers and how to ask the right "20 Questions" to help build a business plan to "Get, Keep and Grow" sales.

Later this year, NRMCA will host four more Webinars specifically for sales reps and sales managers. Watch for  announcements. Click here for registration options, more information and staff contact.
 
NRMCA is conducting its spring Plant Manager Certification course in Oklahoma City this  week; the next two classes will be held August 12-15 in Silver Spring, MD (metro Washington, DC), and December 9-12 in Phoenix. This course establishes basic industry standards, measured through certification. Please note that batchmen are required to pass this class's exams by the Army Corps of Engineers for federally awarded projects BEFORE work commences.

Plant managers serve a vital function, with responsibilities that affect issues from regulatory compliance to product quality, safety and profitability. NRMCA’s certification program helps them make sure that they are up to speed on product knowledge, plant safety, environmental regulations, plant operations and ready mixed concrete industry business principles. 

Click here for more information, registration options and staff contact.
 
CALENDAR
*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site.

March 27, Nashville, TN
Tennessee Concrete Association Pervious Concrete Contractor Certification Program
Email: Darla Sparkman, dsparkman@tnconcrete.org
 
April 1, Webinar
Streets & Roads Elected Official Advocacy
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
April 3, Webinar
Overlays for Streets & Local Roads
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
April 7, Webinar 
Designing & Specifying Pervious Concrete (Part 2 is April 14)
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
April 8, Webinar
Roller Compacted Concrete for Streets & Local Roads
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
April 10, Webinar
SLR Concrete Construction & Repair Basics
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
April 15, Free Webinar
New Radical Material and Resources Reporting Criteria in LEEDv4
Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535
 
April 16, Webinar
Streets & Roads Promotion & Advocacy Overview
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
April 16, Webinar
Building the Customer Relationship... in the Post-Recession Economy
Email: Eileen Dickson, 240-485-1164
 
May 6, Webinar
Soils 101
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
 
May 8, Webinar
Streets & Roads Team Building & Situation Analysis
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
May 12–15, Boston
International Concrete Sustainability Conference
E-mail: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101
 
May 21, Webinar
Personal Leadership and Coaching
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
May 29, Webinar
Streets & Roads Promotion for DOTs, Counties & Municipalities
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
June 3-5, Silver Spring, MD
Concrete Durability Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
June 5, Webinar
Overlays for Streets & Local Roads
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
June 10, Webinar
Roller Compacted Concrete for Streets & Local Roads
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
June 13, Webinar
Winning Initial Streets & Roads Projects in Counties & Municipalities
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
June 17, Webinar
Concrete Pavement Jointing Plans
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
 
June 19, Webinar
Utilizing MIT Research Results
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
June 26, Webinar
SLR Concrete Construction & Repair Basics
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
July 8, Webinar
Understanding Asphalt
Email: Brian Killingsworth, 830-438-2690
 
July 15, Webinar
Streets & Roads Elected Official Advocacy
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
July 30, Webinar
Streets & Roads Promotion & Advocacy Overview
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
August 12-15, Silver Spring, MD
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
August 14, Webinar
Streets & Roads Team Building & Situation Analysis
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
August 19, Webinar
Controlling Moisture in Concrete Slabs
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
 
August 20, Webinar
Recruiting & Hiring Top Performing Ready Mix Sales Reps
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
August 21, Webinar
Streets & Roads Promotion for DOTs, Counties & Municipalities
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
September 10, Webinar
Re-Entrepreneuring: 7 Strategies for Rebuilding Your Business in the New Economy
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
September 12, Webinar
Winning Initial Streets & Roads Projects in Counties & Municipalities
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
October 14, Webinar
Streets & Roads Elected Official Advocacy
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
 
 
Fritz-Pak Corporation
Marcotte Systems Ltd.
MPAQ Automation
Putzmeister America, Inc.
McNeilus Truck & Manufacturing, Inc.
WAM USA, Inc.
Clean Energy
Xypex Chemical Corp