NRMCA e-news

National Ready Mixed Concrete Association

Schwing America, Inc.
With much sadness, the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association announces the death of former executive vice president and leading figure in the ready mixed concrete industry Richard D. Gaynor. He died July 16 at the age of 83.

A native of Mobile, AL, Mr. Gaynor received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama and his master’s in engineering from the University of Maryland. He joined the joint Associations of National Ready Mixed Concrete and National Sand and Gravel (later the National Aggregates Association - NAA) in 1954. Mr. Gaynor managed the associations’ Joint Research Laboratory in College Park, MD, for many years. He became NRMCA’s director of engineering in 1971, vice president of research and engineering in 1975 and executive vice president in 1984. Mr. Gaynor also served as the director of engineering for the National Industrial Sand Association (NISA) from 1979 to1993. He provided technical support to the Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau (TMMB) and the Concrete Plant Manufacturers Bureau (CPMB). Mr. Gaynor retired from the Associations in 1996 after 42 years of service. He was an honorary member of the NRMCA Board of Directors.

"To say that Dick achieved legendary status within our industry would actually be an understatement," said NRMCA President Robert Garbini. "His knowledge, dedication, contributions and kindness will be his legacy. I was honored to consider him a mentor, colleague and friend."

Mr. Gaynor made many contributions to the ready mixed concrete industry in the development of standards for cement; strength and durability testing; reuse of returned concrete and wash water; characteristics of aggregates; mixing in truck mixers and initiatives to improve the quality of ready mixed concrete. He served on the Building Code Committee (ACI 318), Specifications Committee (ACI 301) and was a primary driver in the improvement of ASTM C94, Specification for Ready Mixed Concrete. Through the NRMCA Technical Short Course, technical information letters, publications and many industry presentations, Mr. Gaynor was involved in the education of many industry leaders and technical personnel during his tenure with the Associations.

He was a prominent member of many technical societies, a Fellow of the ASTM International and the American Concrete Institute (ACI), and participated on committees and expert panels of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP), Aggregates Foundation (AFTRE), International Center for Aggregates Research (ICAR) and the Civil Engineering Research Foundation. Mr. Gaynor was a registered professional engineer in the state of Maryland. He remained as a consulting or honorary member of many committees until his death.

Mr. Gaynor received numerous awards throughout his distinguished career in the concrete and aggregates industries. From ASTM he received the Sanford E Thompson Award twice (1963 and 1982) for outstanding technical papers, the Award of Merit (1978), the Outstanding Leadership Award (Safety & Health Committee), Frank E. Richart Award, P. H. Bates Award (1993), Robert J. Painter award for outstanding Technical Contributions and was named an ASTM Honorary member of Committees C1 on Cement and C9 on Concrete and Aggregates. From ACI Mr. Gaynor was also awarded the Arthur R. Anderson Award (1978) for advancement of knowledge of concrete as a construction material and the Henry L. Kennedy Award for outstanding technical contributions to the Institute.

He received the Visionary Leadership Award from RMC 2000. He received the Joseph E. Carpenter Award for Excellence in Maintenance from the NRMCA Operations and Equipment Maintenance (OEM) Committee in 1994. In 1997, NRMCA’s Research Engineering and Standards (RES) Committee established the Richard D. Gaynor Award to recognize individuals who, like himself, have made significant contributions to the ready mixed concrete industry in research, engineering and standards.

"Dick was one of those people who could get things done and who understood how things worked – whether it was mechanical, chemical or electrical," said longtime industry colleague Richard Meininger who worked alongside Mr. Gaynor at NRMCA and NAA.

In addition to his dedication as a concrete and aggregate researcher, he also was an accomplished statistician, mineralogist and petrographer. He was an avid fisherman and spent many days fishing on the Chesapeake Bay with family and friends or at his family’s beach house on the gulf in Alabama. Mr. Gaynor was preceded in death by his beloved wife Marge (2010) and is survived by his children, Deborah L. Gaynor, Richard D. Gaynor, Jr., Patricia Gaynor and Leo Gaynor, and three grandchildren.

Donations can be made in memory of Mr. Gaynor to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org, go to the link titled "Research" in Richard D. Gaynor’s name. Donations can also be made by phone at 1-800-272-3900 or by mail, Alzheimer’s Association, PO Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011.
 
The Euclid Chemical Company
NEWS LINKS
The Maryland State Highway Administration is taking its first steps to see how pervious concrete will work. Tim Smith, the agency's materials technology director, said it's being tried out in a limited way. With funds limited, the agency is only looking for now at trying it in new projects, including a park-and-ride lot and another one off Interstate 83 in Baltimore County, for a combined cost of $1.7 million. Pervious pavement also is being put down on a hiker-biker path near the C&O Canal in Allegany County, a $350,000 item in a larger resurfacing and drainage upgrade project there.

Source: A July 19 article by The Baltimore Sun, which includes a quote from NRMCA Senior Vice President of Engineering Colin Lobo.
 
Building a bridge over the Hudson River just north of New York City is obviously no easy task, but a portable batch plant helps. The collection of Tappan Zee Bridge equipment has added a barge-mounted floating concrete production factory. It is built to produce some 300,000 cubic yards of concrete for the new crossing. The new plant is currently producing concrete for the span's pile caps. Fred Nolta, a California-based construction manager and concrete expert, said the portable plant is likely a cost-saver for the project team. "You have a limited amount of time to get it placed where it needs to be. If you have a portable batch plant on site, you minimize that time element." he said.

Source: A July 18 article in The Journal News. Read more.
 
The UK’s biggest projects are facing a shortage of concrete due to the dwindling availability of a key material. Ready mixed concrete incorporating fly ash or ground-granulated blastfurnace slag (GGBS) is commonly used on most major civil engineering projects, but supplies of fly ash have fallen recently due to the decline in use of coal by power plants.

Source: A July 29 article by the New Civil Engineer.
 
PROMOTIONS
NRMCA’s Selling Concrete Parking Lots Boot Camp recently rolled into Roanoke, VA, reports Senior National Resource Director Phil Kresge, as NRMCA Producer member Chandler, Inc. Concrete Company teamed with concrete contractor Procon Concrete Specialists to co-host the program. Also invited were representatives from Roanoke Cement/Titan America. In all, 21 boot camp attendees participated in the training session, Kresge said.

The 10½-hour course spans two days and provides attendees with a complete knowledge of parking lot design for both new construction and concrete overlays of existing asphalt parking lots. Additional training using NRMCA’s Concrete Pavement Analyst (CPA) software results in developing a customized pricing database. Prospecting tools, templates and measurement spreadsheets are also provided. The Virginia Boot Camp was conducted by Kresge and his colleague, Vice President, National Resources, Jon Hansen.

For more information about bringing Selling Parking Lots Boot Camp to your company, contact Phil Kresge at pkresge@nrmca.org, Jon Hansen at jhansen@nrmca.org or any NRMCA national resource director.
 
The Northern New England Concrete Promotion Association (NNECPA) has named Phil Nunley as its new executive director, reports NRMCA Senior Director, National Resources, Doug O'Neill. Nunley will be responsible for promoting the use of ready mixed concrete in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Nunley joins NNECPA after having worked for more than 30 years in the construction industry, most of them involved with ready mixed concrete. Most recently, he managed all ready mix operations while serving as vice president of Hissong Ready Mix & Aggregate in Kennebunk, ME. For the past three years, he has been a member of NNECPA's Board of Directors before being hired as its new executive director.

"By hiring someone with Phil’s experience and industry contacts within the Northern New England marketplace, the Board has made an excellent choice," O'Neill said. "NRMCA will do whatever it can to support his new duties as a full time promoter. Please help welcome Phil to our industry’s promotional team by reaching out to him with your offer of support and well wishes."

Nunley can be reached at 207-747-9237 or by e-mail, pnunley@nnecpa.org. For more information on NRMCA's coordination with promoters throughout the Northeast, contact Doug O'Neill at doneill@nrmca.org.
 
ASSOCIATION & INDUSTRY NEWS
Registrants for NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks & Board of Directors' Meeting (September 21-23 in Indianapolis) will have the opportunity to hear from three keynote speakers, including labor expert Michael Lotito of Littler Mendelson, who advises organizations on all matters affecting the employer-employee relationship such as conflict resolution, alternate dispute resolutions and equal employment opportunity concerns. David Wasserman of The Cook Political Report will analyze the current political environment at both the national and local levels, the three critical trends that affect voting and what the future holds for American politics. NRMCA President Robert Garbini will discuss the national Check-Off Program being proposed for the ready mixed concrete industry. Come learn about what a Check-Off Program could do for the future of our industry.

Click here for more information about NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks & Board of Directors’ Meeting, including schedule information, registration and hotel or contact Jessica Walgenbach at 240-485-1152 or meetings@nrmca.org.
 
This week, NRMCA continues to highlight one of the companies that has chosen to exhibit at this fall's annual ConcreteWorks conference in Indianapolis. The conference is one of the industry's best opportunities for ready mix producers to interact with companies that provide goods and services to the concrete industry. This week, Kimble Mixer Comany is the fourth company in the series.

Kimble Mixer Company is a premier manufacturer of front and rear discharge mixers. It offers sizes 9 – 12 yard capacity. Kimble also provides a full line of replacement parts and drums for all makes and models. Stop by its booth during one of the breakout sessions and see how the Kimble products can help with your "ROI". NRMCA has been proud to count Kimble Mixer Company as a member since 1999. Kimble Mixer Company will be located in booth 203.

Click here for more information on how to exhibit at ConcreteWorks or contact Jessica Walgenbach at jwalgenbach@nrmca.org.
 
The Summer 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, including How the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Affects the Ready Mixed Concrete Industry by longtime NRMCA member and industry environmental expert Douglas Ruhlin. Look for more highlights of online articles in upcoming editions of E-NEWS.
 
OPERATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY & HR
At this year’s NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks held in September in Indianapolis, there will be a host of different education seminars on ready mixed concrete operations issues. The scheduled sessions pertaining to truck operations include:
  • Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF): Environmental and Operational Best Management Practices presented by: Brendon Foster, Benecor
  • Working Safely Around Concrete Pumps: Life Saving Practices presented by: Gary Brown, RL McCoy, Inc.
  • Sleep Apnea and RMC Drivers: It’s Not a Snoozer presented by: Jeff Hinkle, Chandler Concrete; and Tim Kauzlick, CEMEX
  • 11 Backing Accidents for Every 100 RMC Trucks: We Need Help presented by: Dale Kotzea, GCC Ready Mix
  • Truck Talk Panel: Mixers, Engines and Transmissions presented by: Various Heavy-Duty Truck Industry Professionals
Click here for more information and to view the 2014 NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks & Board of Directors’ Meeting brochure containing all dates, times, locations, and education seminar titles and descriptions. You may also contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org or Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org.
 
Application forms are still being accepted for the 2014 NRMCA National Mixer Driver Championship being held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway® on Sunday, September 21. As with previous years, this year’s NRMCA National Mixer Driver Championship will be held during the 2014 NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks & Board of Directors’ Meeting, which this year is located at the JW Marriott Indianapolis, September 21-23. Accepted applicants will be notified and official registration forms will be sent by e-mail. Applicants must complete the registration form and return it to NRMCA, along with the entry fee, by the due date listed on the registration form. In early August, applicants will receive final instructions, including a map of the Challenge Course and reference materials for the written exam.

Click here to access the application form and driver schedule of events. Click here for information on the 2014 NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks & Board of Directors’ Meeting or contact  Karen Bean at kbean@nrmca.org.
 
SUSTAINABILITY
NRMCA has published a new entry in the Concrete Sustainability Report series titled CSR11: Concrete’s Contribution to LEED v4 that provides a detailed description of how concrete can contribute toward LEED certification. Because of concrete’s versatility there are many applications where concrete can be used in a building project, from foundation and superstructure to sidewalks and parking lots. That makes concrete unique in that it can contribute to every credit category in LEED v4. This new NRMCA report provides suggestions for earning LEED v4 points through the use of ready mixed concrete products. Examples of how concrete can be used to influence points in LEED are presented and a table summarizing how concrete contributes to each credit is provided. CSR11 is 8 pages and sells for $23 per pack of 20 for members ($27 for non-members).

Click here to order online or call Jacques Jenkins of NRMCA at 888-846-7622, ext. 1165.
 
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 July 21 - 25, 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.
 
EDUCATION &TRAINING
NRMCA's Engineering Department will teach its annual introduction to concrete fundamentals for those who need a broad overview of technical and operations essentials. The curriculum is appropriate for sales reps, dispatchers, administrative/home office and mid-level staff as well as those in an executive function whose jobs do not relate to concrete per se, but who should have knowledge of the industry. This class is NOT appropriate for technical ready mixed concrete personnel.

The workshop will be held October 7-9 at the RMC Research & Education Foundation Center in Silver Spring, MD. The attendees’ exam will be the morning of October 10. For those working toward their NRMCA STEPS® CCPf certification in Sales and Marketing Track, this is a required class. For others working toward CCPf certification in other STEPS tracks, the class is the qualifying prerequisite or an elective.

Click here for more information, including registration options and staff contact.
 
On Wednesday, August 20, NRMCA will continue its ongoing series of 90-minute Webinars for sales mangers. This one takes a long look at our industry’s hiring challenges and best practices to meet them. Hiring is always the #1 challenge - if you don’t get it right, it not only costs you business but increases your liabilities. Learn how to spot potential top sales performers and how to identify the warning signs of a possible "wrong hire".

What you will learn:
• Interviewing Basics – how to conduct a sales interview
• Ready Mix Top performer indicators and warning signs
• The "20 Power Questions" – why making s successful hire is about asking the right questions
• Closing the Deal

Click here for more information and to register.
 
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
NRMCA's July Internet Spotlight, good through Tuesday, August 5, is the Concrete Plant Operators Manual. This manual is a comprehensive guide for the batch plant operator that includes valuable information on materials, batch tolerance and aggregate moisture, calculations, plant maintenance, safety and more.

Order online today and receive 20% off. Regular member price is $28, Internet Special $22.40, plus shipping. Discount Code: ISJULY14.
 
CALENDAR
*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site.

August 4-7, Online Course
Life Cycle Assessment of Concrete Structures
Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535
 
August 5, Free Webinar
Roller Compacted Concrete for Streets & Local Roads
Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165
 
August 6, Free Webinar
Streets & Roads Promotion & Advocacy Overview
Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165
 
August 6, Webinar
Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Program
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
August 6, Webinar
Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete Part 1 (Part 2 is August 13)
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
August 6, Centennial, CO
Regional ConcreteWorks Rocky Mountain Region
Email: Nicole Maher, 1-888-846-7622, ext. 1158
 
August 6-8, Ontario, CA
Ready Mixed Concrete Safety Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
August 12-15, Silver Spring, MD
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
August 14, Free Webinar
Streets & Roads Team Building & Situation Analysis
Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165
 
August 18, Nashville, TN
Regional ConcreteWorks Lower Atlantic Region
Email: Nicole Maher, 1-888-846-7622, ext. 1158
 
August 19, Webinar
Roller Compacted Concrete: Another Choice for Pavement
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
August 19, Webinar
Controlling Moisture in Concrete Slabs
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
August 20, Free Webinar
New Radical Material and Resources Reporting Criteria in LEEDv4
Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535
 
August 20, Webinar
Recruiting & Hiring Top Performing Ready Mix Sales Reps
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
August 21, Free Webinar
Streets & Roads Promotion for DOTs, Counties & Municipalities
Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165
 
September 8-10, Orlando, FL
Concrete Durability Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
September 9, Webinar
Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete Part 1 (Part 2 is September 16)
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
September 10, Webinar
Re-Entrepreneuring: 7 Strategies for Rebuilding Your Business in the New Economy
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
September 12, Free Webinar
Winning Initial Streets & Roads Projects in Counties & Municipalities
Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165
 
September 12, Webinar
Designing Concrete Parking Lots the Right Way!
Email: Amy Miller, 904-264-8850
 
September 21-23, Indianapolis, IN
NRMCA's ConcreteWorks & Board of Directors' Meeting
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
September 30, Webinar
Roller Compacted Concrete: Another Choice for Pavement
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
September 30, Webinar
Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Program
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
October 7-10, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module I, "Concrete 101" - Technical/Product Knowledge
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
October 14, Free Webinar
Streets & Roads Elected Official Advocacy
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
 
October 15, Silver Spring, MD
Improving Concrete Quality
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
November 3-7, Silver Spring, MD
Annual Concrete Technologist Training and Certification Course "Short Course"
Email: Karen Bean, 240-485-1168
 
November 7, Webinar
Designing Concrete Parking Lots the Right Way!
Email: Amy Miller, 904-264-8850
 
November 18-20, Silver Spring, MD
The Effective RMC Supervisor - Silver Spring, MD
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
 
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
 
 
Fritz-Pak Corporation
MPAQ Automation
Putzmeister America, Inc.
Xypex Chemical Corp
McNeilus Truck & Manufacturing, Inc.
WAM USA, Inc.
Clean Energy
Lehigh Hanson