The deadline for registration for the 2016 Self-Consolidating Conference (SCC)/International Concrete Sustainability Conference (ICSC) is fast approaching. The conference, scheduled for May 15-18 in suburban Washington, DC, features 35 technical sessions with over 200 speakers and posters. Additionally, nine keynote speakers from various countries will educate and inspire you as they discuss cutting edge technologies to help concrete meet rigorous performance and sustainability goals. Don‘t miss your opportunity to engage industry and academia leaders to learn what the future holds for concrete materials.

With an increasing emphasis on the importance of proper maintenance for pervious concrete pavements, two state associations recently hosted pervious concrete maintenance demonstrations, reports NRMCA Senior Director, Local Paving, Phil Kresge. The Virginia Ready-Mixed Concrete Association’s Northern Virginia Concrete Advisory Council (NVCAC) hosted Pervious Concrete Maintenance and Cleaning at the Brambleton Public Safety Center in Ashburn. The event featured presentations by Charlie Mitchell of Specialized Engineering, Frederick, MD, and Alan Sparkman, executive director of the Tennessee Concrete Association and member of the ACI 522 Committee. In the same vein, the Kentucky Ready-Mixed Concrete Association (KRMCA) hosted its Maintenance and Cleaning Pervious Concrete Program and Demonstration on the campus of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. Once again, Mr. Sparkman was the featured presenter.

Both venues included existing pervious concrete pavements that had experienced minimal, if any, maintenance procedures. Each event opened with introductory presentations, followed by demonstrations of ASTM C1701-09: Standard Test Method for Infiltration Rate of In-Place Pervious Concrete. Once the benchmark infiltration rate was determined, various cleaning procedures were demonstrated, including both dry and wet vacuuming. Following the cleaning, the ASTM test procedure was again performed and the new infiltration rates were compared to the previous marks.

"Maintenance is key for all porous pavements used for stormwater control," stated KRMCA Executive Director Finley Messick. "These pavements all need a solid maintenance program to insure that they will continue to perform for many years after installation." Sparkman’s presentation at both events included directives on establishing a proper maintenance program. 

Attendees at each event included municipal engineers, inspectors, public works personnel and contractors. Within the program handouts, each participant received NRMCA’s Pervious Concrete Pavement Maintenance and Operations Guide. It was reported that one representative from the Kentucky Stormwater Association was impressed enough to be looking to co-host a similar statewide event.

The preliminary estimate of ready mixed concrete produced in February 2016 is 22.1 million cubic yards, 26% higher than that in February 2015. The estimated production for the first two months in 2016 is 41.5 million cubic yards, 11% higher than that during the same period in 2015.

 

Edna Benna, the widow of former NRMCA Board Chairman Bruno Benna, has died at the age of 86. The Reno Gazette-Journal reported the death in a May 2 posting on its Web site. The article listed cancer as the cause of death and that Mrs. Benna died at her home in Reno.

 

Mrs. Benna's husband, Bruno, owned CB Concrete, a prominent ready mix producer in the Reno area. Mr. Benna was a longtime supporter of the industry and NRMCA and served as chairman of its Board of Directors. The Bennas were generous donors to several community groups in the Reno area. She was born in Los Angeles in 1930 before moving to Reno in 1948 to care for a relative. She met her future husband and stayed in the area the rest of her life.

 

NRMCA in partnership with the Tennessee Concrete Association will present a workshop titled "Disaster Resilient Construction at the Local Level" at two Tennessee locations:

• May 10, Nashville’s Sheraton Music City, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

• May 11: Memphis’ Hilton Memphis, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Other presentations on the program will include specifying decorative concrete and fibers in concrete. Community leaders, builders, contractors, planners, risk managers, engineers, architects, owners, developers, producers, municipal and public works officials are welcome to attend. The technical seminar will 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 workshop 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.

Another huge wood frame apartment building was destroyed recently by fire, this one in Gilbert, AZ, outside of Phoenix. The wood frame building, which was under construction, caused a 5-alarm inferno. One firefighter and three police officers were injured as they tried to contain the blaze. Over 60 people from surrounding apartments and homes had to be evacuated and are displaced because of the intensity of the fire and smoke.

 

 "The construction was in the wood frame stage," Gilbert Fire Department Captain Gary Hildebrandt told the Arizona Republic newspaper. "It’s going to be exposed wood, so it’s going to burn hotter and faster, and with the winds kicking up, we had a hard time containing it right away."  

NRMCA has developed a building promotion program to address the need for safer and non-combustible construction, and has extended its Concrete Design Center to offer free help to designers who might prefer concrete to wood but have little experience with concrete buildings. Visit www.buildwithstrength.com to learn more. NRMCA also has resources to help members and state affiliates advocate for concrete construction, including developing legislation, talking points, public relations and other key strategies. 

 

The OES Committee will conduct a Webinar to update the ready mixed concrete industry about recent critical federal employment and labor law changes on Wednesday, May 18. Conducted by labor attorney Jeff Thompson, a partner with Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP, this Webinar will focus on four topics: 

• An overview of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) new rule requiring employers and legal consultants to report any management arrangement to persuade employees directly, or indirectly, regarding the right to organize or collectively bargain. 
• Additionally, Mr. Thompson will provide an update on union organizing following last year’s National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) finalized rule geared toward speeding up the time frame of union organizing elections.
• Mr. Thompson will also cover NLRB‘s 2015 decision about joint-employment, where companies can now be held responsible for labor violations committed by their contractors.
• Finally, Mr. Thompson will discuss proposed DOL changes to overtime regulations. 

Last week, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced the dates and locations of three public hearings the agency will conduct to "solicit information on the prevalence of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among individuals occupying safety sensitive positions in highway and rail transportation, and of its potential consequences for the safety of rail and highway transportation. FMCSA and FRA also request information on potential costs and benefits from possible regulatory actions that address the safety risks associated with motor carrier and rail transportation workers in safety sensitive positions who have OSA."

The listening sessions announcement follows FMCSA’s publication in March of its Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) for OSA. While the ANPRM didn’t establish or propose any new regulations regarding OSA, it did launch somewhat of a fishing expedition for FMCSA on the issue in an attempt to gather information from potential covered stakeholders which FMCSA may use to propose new OSA regulations at a later date.

The listening sessions will be held: 

• Thursday, May 12, in Washington, DC; 

• Tuesday, May 17, in Chicago and 

• Wednesday, May 25, in Los Angeles.

Comments on the ANPRM are due by Wednesday, June 8. NRMCA will provide comments on the ANPRM and participating in the listening sessions.

 

NRMCA now seeks applications for the prestigious 2016 Excellence in Quality Award program. A company must be a NRMCA Producer member in good standing to participate. Companies can enter as a company or a division. Applicants are asked to respond to a multiple-choice type application form that generates their score, which is then evaluated by NRMCA staff. Companies or divisions that achieve a score of 75% or greater will be recognized at NRMCA's ConcreteWorks in September in Nashville, TN.

There are several advantages to participating in this award program:

1. It provides recognition to the companies that maintain high quality standards; 

2. The award criteria can serve as an excellent quality improvement tool for companies; and

3. Companies have used the award criteria for conducting internal quality audits.

The second of NRMCA's quarterly 90-minute Webinars for ready mix sales managers will take place on Tuesday, May 10, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Eastern time. The title for this Webinar is Personal Leadership & Coaching. Content includes:

 

• The important difference between management and leadership – and why it matters.

• When to be a "Manager" and when to be a "Leader" – a critical difference.

• The 4 Coaching Strategies – different coaching styles for different employees

• "C4 Leadership" – How to become an effective leader

 

May 4, Manchester, NH

Improving Concrete Quality

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

May 9, Webinar

Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete Part 1 (Part 2 is May 16)

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

May 10, Webinar

Personal Leadership and Coaching

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

May 10, Webinar

Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst

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

 

May 17, Free Webinar

Pervious Concrete Maintenance Guidelines

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

May 18, Free Webinar

Are you aware how the labor employment workplace recently changed and its possible impact on your company?

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

May 26, Richmond, BC

North West ConcreteWorks 2016

Email: Tamara Waugh, 240.485.1132

 

May 26, Webinar

Seven Things You Can Do To Place More Concrete in Buildings

Email: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101

 

June 6 - 8, Silver Spring, MD

Concrete Durability Course

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

June 28 - July 1, Centennial, CO

Plant Manager Certification Course

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

June 23, Webinar

Seven Things You Can Do To Place More Concrete in Buildings

Email: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101

 

June 28, Ronkonkoma, NY

Building Green With Concrete

Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535

 

June 30, Fairfax, VA

Building Green With Concrete

Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535 

 

September 18 - 20, Nashville, TN

NRMCA's ConcreteWorks 2016

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

October 4 - 7, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP Module I: Concrete 101

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

October 11, Webinar

Recruiting & Hiring Top Performing Ready Mix Sales Reps

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

November 7-11, Silver Spring, MD

Annual "Short Course"

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

December 6, Webinar 

Sales Performance Assessments and Reviews... for Ready Mix Sales Managers

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

December 13-16, Anaheim, CA

Plant Manager Certification Course

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

NRMCA Senior Director, Local Paving, Doug O’Neill reports on the effort of one State Affiliate promoter who is actively addressing the need for attracting new personnel into our industry. As all of us already know, there is a growing need for concrete contractors, equipment operators, ready mixed concrete truck drivers and quality control personnel. #ConcreteTough is a Nebraska-based workforce recruitment campaign headed by Executive Director Jereme Montgomery that exposes youth to the concrete construction industry. The Nebraska Concrete & Aggregate Association (NC&AA) has participated in various career fairs, Concrete 101 programs and presented to numerous schools on the different careers the ready mixed concrete industry can offer, and has developed a promotional campaign titled #ConcreteTough that is making an impression. "The only question is, 'Are You Tough Enough?'"

One of the arguments for more high rise towers in Vancouver is that it would provide more affordable housing. But there’s a catch: high rises made out of concrete are much more expensive to build than low-rises made out of wood. So building any concrete high rise might make it unaffordable. That's the beginning of a recent newspaper article that goes on to examine the wood vs. concrete topic as it is playing out in Western Canada's largest city.

"It depends on the finish and complexities of construction, but usually a 40-per-cent increase (with concrete) is a safe bet," said University if B.C. landscape architecture professor Patrick Condon. "I don’t think anybody would debate that one."

Students from the four Concrete Industry Management program universities recently traveled to England and then on to the National Construction College in Bircham Newton to participate in Constructionarium. During their week, two students from California State, Chico, two students from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, five students from Texas State and six students from Middle Tennessee State University constructed a scaled down replica of the Brewery Wharf Footbridge. Read more.

More than 150 people gathered last week in an Ohio community to mark the 125th anniversary of the first concrete paved street. They saw first hand the portions of the original concrete mix that was used between 1891 and 1893 to pave Main Street, Columbus Avenue and Court Avenue around the Logan County Courthouse in the community of Bellefontaine.

 

The NRMCA May Internet Spotlight, which will be good through Tuesday, June 7, is the Guide to Preparing RMC Job Descriptions CD-Rom. This CD includes over 500 sample job descriptions submitted by some of the leading concrete firms in the country. Also included on the CD are guidelines for writing job descriptions and a post offer screen manual. The purpose of the post offer screen is to determine if the applicant can safely perform the physical demands of the job or if reasonable

accommodations can be given following ADA guidelines. These job descriptions can be easily downloaded and customized for your company's use.

 

The second Internet Spotlight for May, also good through June 7, is the driver training DVD Road Call. This 14-minute video lesson demonstrates the proper, safe and legal procedures to follow in the event of a mixer truck being disabled along a roadway.