Mississippi Audience Learns About Concrete Parking Lots
Last week Harry Lee James, executive director of the Mississippi Concrete Industries Association and NRMCA Senior National Resource Director Amy Miller spoke to engineers and contractors in the southern Mississippi area on correctly designing concrete parking lots. This presentation was facilitated by Dennis Kilpatrick of Delta Industries after a conference call on a concrete parking lots, Miller said.
"Dennis was working with these engineers on a project conversion and pulled NRMCA in to facilitate some questions from the engineers," Miller explained. "This call gave us the opportunity to discuss the advantages of designing by using ACI 330 and the reasons for using the document as a reference guide."
"These engineers requested a meeting for further discussion. This meeting turned into a bigger audience with other members of the firm present as well a local contractor. The engineers confirmed that most engineers and owners still perceive concrete as more expensive on horizontal applications and there is little regard to design equivalency. They also recognized the need to represent the owners' best interests by helping the owner make informed decisions through the education and explanation of using concrete."
"We want our designers and engineers to know that not incorporating a concrete pavement design is the equivalent of leaving money on the table," Miller said. "Job competition is reduced, life cycle costs are unaccounted for and the ultimate option in sustainability has not been incorporated."
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association