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Association & Industry News
The estimated ready mixed concrete produced in February 2020 is 23.6 million cubic yards, 13% higher than that in February 2019. The estimated production in the U.S. for 2020 through February is 49 million cubic yards, 10% higher than that during the same period in 2019. Ready mixed concrete production is estimated from cement shipments reported by the U.S. Geological Survey. More detail is available to NRMCA members here. 
Buildings
The Build With Strength (BWS) webinar series continues today, Wednesday. May 20. at 2 p.m. Eastern time with The Environmental Impacts of Building Materials: A Primer for Comparing Concrete, Steel, Wood and Asphalt led by James Bogdan which addresses critical issues design professionals should consider as they evaluate the environmental impacts of building materials to maximize performance and deliver lasting value. The next presentation in the series, A New Generation of Tilt-Up Buildings, is scheduled for Wednesday, May 27, also at 2 p.m. Eastern time. It will be presented by Lionel Lemay and Mitch Bloomquist, executive director of the Tilt-up Concrete Association. Registration is also available for additional BWS webinars in June, focusing on the design and construction of high-performance concrete buildings. All webinars provide American Institute of Architects (AIA) Elective Learning Units and/or Professional Development Hours (PDH) for continuing education requirements. • New - June 3, 2 - 3 p.m. Eastern time - Achieving Resilience with ICF Construction • Popular - June 10, 2 - 3 p.m. Eastern time - Concrete Innovations • New - June 17, 2 - 3 p.m. Eastern time - Economical Design of Insulating Concrete Forms • Popular - June 24, 2 - 3 p.m. Eastern time - Specifying Sustainable Concrete Build With Strength Build With Strength is a coalition led by NRMCA that promotes standards advocacy to leverage policies promoting safety and resiliency and help place more concrete. For more information, contact Lionel Lemay at llemay@nrmca.org. This week’s project comes to us from the Indiana Ready Mixed Concrete Association. This Hyatt hotel and parking garage is a new addition to the Indianapolis skyline. Boasting a 14-story hotel and with enough parking to host large crowds. The hotel used 12,000 cubic yards of concrete while the garage used 9,000 cubic yards of concrete. The garage used 5,000 psi post tension mix with 3 gallons of corrosion inhibitor. The hotel utilized mid- and high-range water reducers for pumpability to reach the 14 floors. For more details about the project visit www.ConcreteTracker.org and search on Building > Hotel/Motel > Cast In Place Frame > IN and click on Submit. Click on the pin to explore this outstanding example of ready mixed concrete at work. To search on projects in your state or province, click on HOME [MAP] and select from the “choose state” dropdown. Click on the pins to explore. If you have a project you would like to include on the map, click ABOUT US and click on the “Case Study Upload” link. For more information, contact Lionel Lemay at LLemay@nrmca.org or 847-922-7995. NRMCA Associate members play a vital role in assisting NRMCA provide service and value to our Producer members. NRMCA’s Member-to-Member (M2M) Benefits Program helps ready mixed concrete producers find the goods and services they need. Through the M2M Benefits Program, NRMCA works with the Associate members to help spread the word to producers about any special “NRMCA Members’ Only” rebate programs, discount pricing or other member-to-member benefits offered. During these times, NRMCA’s M2M Program participants are continuing to operate and support the ready mixed concrete industry. These participating companies are continuing to provide member-to-member benefits for NRMCA Producer members and are offering online learning opportunities as well, like participating company National Credit Card Processing Group’s June 9 webinar on lowering credit card rates and fees. There’s an opportunity for Producer members to save on equipment through Kenworth Truck Company, Mack Trucks, Peterbilt Motor Co. and Western Star Trucks; credit card processing savings through Basys Processing and National Credit Card Processing Group; and even travel savings through Motel 6. To learn more about NRMCA’s M2M Benefits Program and the opportunities for NRMCA Producer members, please visit the M2M webpage at Member2Member where you can explore the many offerings. Neither membership in NRMCA nor participation in the M2M Benefits Program can in any way be construed as an endorsement, explicit or implicit, by the Association of any company, product or service. NRMCA accepts no responsibility in any dispute between supplier and customer. The M2M Benefits Program is intended solely as an informational service. Participating companies are responsible for insuring M2M benefit information is correct and up-to-date. For more information, contact Jacques Jenkins at jjenkins@nrmca.org.
Government Affairs
While the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) and North American Concrete Alliance (NACA) have canceled their respective fly-ins, you can still join a virtual Washington briefing hosted by the TCC on Thursday, May 21, at 12:15 p.m. featuring Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) and Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-DE) as well as House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) (House T&I Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) is not yet confirmed). Space is limited to first 5,000 registrations. For more information, contact Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org. The Heroes Act makes all non-profit organizations eligible to apply for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Previously, only 501(c)3 and (c)19 non-profit organizations were eligible for relief. The initial draft of the Heroes Act did not include any restrictions on these loans, however an amendment adopted by the House Rules Committee tweaked the calculation of payroll to exclude federally registered lobbyists and 501(c)4 non-profit organizations that have or will make contributions or expenditures during the current election cycle. If enacted, this provision will allow NRMCA and other associations, as well as state affiliates and state chambers of commerce to apply for PPP loans. This is a direct result of the actions of NRMCA, allied associations, and the thousands of state and national non-profits that advocated Congress for these changes. For more information, contact Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org. Last week, the House considered and passed H.R. 6800, the Heroes Act (see above E-NEWS item for more information). As we reported, this legislation provides another $3 trillion in aid to state and local governments, hazard pay for frontline workers and payments to individuals. In addition, it made a number of changes to the Paycheck Protection Program and the Employee Retention Tax Credit. You can find text here, a summary here and an overview of state and local relief funding provisions here. The bill passed the House of Representatives late Friday evening after a marathon day of debate and voting in which Representatives spent hours voting in alphabetical shifts to maintain appropriate social distance. The measure passed with bipartisan support and opposition, 208-199, with one Republican voting in favor and 14 Democrats opposed; 23 Members were not present for the vote. In addition to the Heroes Act, Congress passed a rules change allowing Members of the House of Representatives to provide a colleague with a proxy and vote as directed in their place. For more information, contact Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org.
SEO
Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) finalized changes to the current Hours of Service (HOS) regulations overseen by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The announcement has been long awaited, and is both welcomed and applauded by the ready mixed concrete industry. While the changes being finalized are not broad in nature, they do offer what NRMCA has been advocating for many years; flexibility, consistency and a departure from a one-size-fits-all approach. These new changes not only meet these goals, but will apply to both concrete mixer truck drivers and drivers of other commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) utilized within the industry and to support it. The changes finalized today include: 1. Increasing the driving window for short-haul operators taking advantage of the 100 air-mile logging exemption from 12 hours to 14 hours and increases the 100 air-mile radius of the exemption to 150 air-miles; 2. Expanding by 2 hours the driving window under adverse driving conditions; 3. Only requiring a 30-minute break be taken after 8 hours of driving time instead of on-duty time, but allowing that on-duty/non-driving time of 30-minutes or more can suffice for the break; and 4. Expansions of sleeper-berth use flexibilities. Noticeably absent from the final rule are two provisions NRMCA and its HOS coalition partners had advocated for: allowing the 14-hour driving window to be expanded by up to 3 hours and not having to return to the same location at the end of a driver’s work day as where he or she started. The final rule changes will become effective 120 days after publication in the Federal Register, which is expected this week. NRMCA will continue to examine the final rule and release guidance to the industry as necessary. NRMCA also plans to continue to advocate for greater HOS flexibilities for the industry. Click here to review DOT’s announcement on the changes and here to review the prepublication of the final rule’s Federal Register notice. For more information, contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org or Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org. The 2020 Fleet Benchmarking Survey is filled out by industry fleet managers and/or financial managers early each year, based on data gathered from the previous calendar year’s performance. This year’s form includes new question on mixer drum composition, idle time and types of fuel being used. The survey is used to establish industry benchmarking norms and procedures. Information gathered from the annual Fleet Benchmarking Survey is published in a full report in Concrete InFocus magazine each autumn. A shorter Executive Summary of the survey is also made available to all. Entries must be submitted to fleetbenchmark@nrmca.org by this Friday, May 22. Click here for more information, to download the entry form and staff contact. 
Products & Services
NRMCA is here to help your organization retool and maximize its effectiveness. Everyone has had to tighten their belts a bit, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't invest in materials to help you run leaner and smarter, with higher quality and a better bottom line. NRMCA makes it easier to educate your team with books, online training and videos to do the job. Choose any of NRMCA’s publications, software or resource tools and take 10% off your entire order. Use discount code: MAY20 and order by July 31 (this promotion does not include CDP online orders). For more information, contact Jacques Jenkins at jjenkins@nrmca.org. Calendar
*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site. May 20, Build With Strength Webinar May 21, Concrete Pavement Webinar Series May 26, Concrete Paving Promotion Webinar Series May 27, Build With Strength Webinar May 28, Concrete Pavement Webinar Series June 2, Free Promotion Webinars June 3, Build With Strength Webinar June 4, Concrete Pavement Webinar Series June 10, Build With Strength Webinar June 11, Concrete Pavement Webinar Series June 16 – 18, Nashville, TN – Sponsored by Tennessee Concrete Association June 17, Build With Strength Webinar June 18, Concrete Pavement Webinar Series June 24, Build With Strength Webinar June 25, Smyrna, Tennessee – Sponsored by TCA June 26, Smyrna, Tennessee – Sponsored by TCA July 14 – 16, Nashville, TN – Sponsored by TCA September 25 – 29, Denver October 8, Nashville, TN October 20 – 22, Mendota Heights, MN November 10 - 12, New Orleans November 17 – 19, Glendora, CA December 15, Charlotte, NC December 15 – 18, Phoenix 
Pavement
Last summer, the Ready Mixed Concrete (RMC) Research & Education Foundation was proud to release the Guide to Concrete Trails. It was developed by the CP Tech Center and included input from a Technical Advisory Committee comprised of concrete pavement experts and contractors from around the country. In just eight months, thousands of copies have been distributed, both hard copies and electronic versions, and it has already been successfully used to promote concrete as the material of choice in recreational trails. Now, due to the immense popularity of the guide, NRMCA Senior Vice President, Local Paving, Jon Hansen, is coordinating a second print run. While electronic copies are available from the Foundation’s Concrete Applications webpage (there are three electronic versions available) for free, some prefer to distribute professionally-printed copies. With a large-volume print run planned, copies may be ordered as part of this effort for $6 each, plus shipping via standard USPS service (you will be charged the actual cost of shipping depending on the number of copies ordered). If you would like to take advantage of ordering copies of the Guide to Concrete Trails as part of this upcoming print run, please contact Jon Hansen at jhansen@nrmca.org or 515-779-0456. Another near capacity audience attended the Concrete Overlays of Existing Asphalt Streets and Parking Lots webinar, reports NRMCA Senior Vice President, Local Paving, Phil Kresge. In total, more than 3,000 individuals have attended the weekly programs in the Pave Ahead Concrete Pavement Education Series. Additionally, over 100 individuals have accessed the recorded on-demand sessions at paveahead.com/education. The next webinar, Concrete Trail Design, will be held Thursday, May 21, at 2 p.m. Eastern time and will be led by Pave Ahead team members Jon Hansen and Don Clem. Click here to register. Other upcoming webinars include Partnering with Contractors and Engineers for Pursuit of Paving Projects on Tuesday, May 26, Designing Pervious Concrete (Thursday, May 28) and Specifying Pervious Concrete (Thursday, June 4). Each webinar begins at 2 p.m. Eastern time. For more information, go to paveahead.com/education or contact your regional Pave Ahead team member. The NRMCA’s Annual Safety Award acknowledges the significant contribution that safety work practices gives to the growth and success of individual companies and the ready mixed concrete industry as a whole. The NRMCA Annual Safety Award is presented to an individual or company whose actions represent the very highest in the advancement of safety in the ready mixed concrete industry. The award program is generously sponsored by the Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau (TMMB). The award may be presented to an individual whose single action or long-time commitment to safety and health in the ready mixed concrete industry exemplifies superior performance in the field of safety. Examples of the award winner could be a ready mixed concrete truck driver whose actions were lifesaving. Other examples could include plant managers, safety managers and company officials who have outstanding long-time dedication to safety and health in the ready mixed concrete industry. Other examples would be an individual’s involvement community safety activities. This award may also recognize a corporation, coalition or organization that was unrelenting in its pursuit of safety for the industry. Nominees may have created and implemented a life-saving and or injury-preventing safety solution. Examples of the award winner could be a ready mixed concrete producer company, a ready mixed concrete state association or an industry related equipment or material supplier. Criteria for selection of the individual or company may include evidence of the following:
Nominations shall be made by submitting a detailed explanation for why the individual or company should be considered for the award. The explanation should focus on highlighting the criteria listed above. Submissions should include necessary supporting documents, a high-resolution electronic image of the nominee (if an individual), a high resolution company logo and any other relevant images. Entries must be e-mailed to gmullings@nrmca.org by Friday, June 26. Click here for more information on the award and staff contact. NRMCA’s Commitment to Environmental Excellence Awards competition offers producers national recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment and maintaining sound management practice in their operations. The program salutes companies that have not only met, but surpassed, governmental compliance measures and demonstrated a commitment to environmental excellence through plant and staff investment. NRMCA member companies producing ready mixed concrete from a fixed plant location in the U.S., its territories or Canada is eligible to enter. Awards will be determined upon individual plant merits. Winning entrants will be honored at the Awards Luncheon at NRMCA‘s ConcreteWorks this September in Denver. Winners will also be featured in a 2020 edition of NRMCA’s Concrete InFocus magazine and leading industry publication Concrete Products magazine. Entries and photos must be e-mailed to gmullings@nrmca.org by Friday, July 24. Click here for more information, to download the entry form and staff contact. 
Engineering
The next NRMCA Concrete Durability Course will be offered as an online course from June 15 - 22; it will be presented in two 2-hour sessions per day over a one-week period, with the exam on June 22. Course handouts and quizzes will be administered online. Sessions will be recorded for persons who have conflict with scheduled live sessions. The course is taught by Michael Thomas of the University of New Brunswick; Kevin Folliard, University of Texas at Austin and NRMCA Engineering 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 familiarize attendees with the ConcreteWorks software used for mass concrete and service life prediction. The course also discusses the durability provisions in the Building Code - ACI 318-19 and how specifications can be structured to address durability. Comprehensive reference material is provided as course notes that is an excellent resource to concrete producers and associated technical personnel. Those with the NRMCA Level 3 Certification obtain the NRMCA Concrete Technologist Level 4 Certification when passing the exam offered with the course. It is not essential to have attended the NRMCA Technical Short Course to attend the Durability Course. The course provides required learning units toward the technical track of the NRMCA STEPS certification program. Persons interested in attending this course are encouraged to register as soon as possible. Click here to learn more and to register. For more information, contact Colin Lobo at clobo@nrmca.org. 
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