Each year, the Developing Industry Leaders (DIL) groups research a committee-related industry challenge, look for solutions and present their work to the relevant NRMCA committee. This year’s cohort of 20 will delve into the following:

Government Affairs: Green vs. Gray Infrastructure. This DIL group will explore and research natural infrastructure. Specifically, it will define what a natural infrastructure is, how it can supplant concrete, where else it might be a threat to the industry, and whether concrete and natural infrastructure can work together. The group will work with Andrew Tyrrell, executive vice president government and political affairs, and Taylor Drzewicki, director of government and political affairs.

Promotion/Build With Strength: Concrete Promotion through Design Assistance. The DIL team will explore projects in its local markets that present an opportunity to discuss with engineers and developers the benefits of utilizing concrete as the primary building material over wood or steel. To coordinate with the NRMCA Build With Strength Design Center, the group will work with Douglas O’Neill, LEED AP, senior director, building innovations.

Promotion/Pave Ahead: From Promotion to Pocket - Utilizing Social Media to Pave Ahead. The group will assess Pave Ahead's social media presence and offer suggestions how to build upon its existing platforms. It will provide case studies that model its approach and illustrate strategies that could be successful. The group will work with Phil Kresge, senior vice president, local paving, and Luke McHugh, P.E., senior director, local paving.

Promotion/Sustainability: Green Concrete – How to Reduce Carbon Footprint of a Building. The group will help demonstrate ways to reduce embodied carbon in various concrete mixes in a low-mid rise building project. The team is specifically comparing NRMCA industry-wide EPD baseline mixes in the Great Lakes Region to reduced carbon mixes on a whole building basis using two different embodied carbon calculation tools. The group will work with James Bogdan, LEED AP, QEP, senior director, sustainability initiatives.

Research Engineering & Standards: Sustainability in Concrete: Reducing Environmental Impact through Benchmarking and Alternatives. The team will research the future of sustainability in concrete using CO2, SCM's, Eco Cem's and admixtures as tools to reduce the ready mixed concrete industry’s environmental impact while still delivering quality concrete. Challenges on this topic are producing consistent mixes that customers feel comfortable using as well as being able to source and manage an increased number of materials for different applications. It will attempt to determine a baseline environmental impact of our standard mixes and quantify the lesser environmental impact of designing mixes using the aforementioned sustainable options. The group will work under the guidance of Colin Lobo, Ph.D., P.E., executive vice president, engineering.

Safety, Enviromental, & Operations: Techworld in Concrete: How Electronic Communications are Evolving in Ready Mix. This DIL group will follow the customer and producer experience when ordering, dispatching, placing and billing a load of concrete as impacted by new technology in the process, It will also look at future developments and their possible impact. The group will work with Gary Mullings, executive vice president, compliance and operations, and Kevin Walgenbach, senior vice president, compliance and regulatory affairs.

For more information, contact Eileen Dickson at edickson@nrmca.org.

There is still time to register for the Global Concrete Summit, which promises to be the largest virtual concrete event of 2020. It's a perfect opportunity to learn more about the industry and meet the experts across a broad spectrum of topics. You will have the chance to network with fellow academics, students, engineers, architects, contractors, policy makers, public works officials and more. With 16 continuing education credits available for attendees and topics like concrete innovation, resilience, life cycle assessment, low impact development, social responsibility and human health, you can’t afford to miss this event.

Register now and use code BWS40 for 40% off at checkout. For more information, contact Lionel Lemay at llemay@nrmca.org.

The Build With Strength (BWS) Concrete Design Center is seeing unprecedented comparisons in the construction industry due to current market increases in the wood and timber sector, reports NRMCA Senior Director, Building Innovations, Frank Gordon. Wood costs have doubled (or more) since April 2020 (see graph). This, combined with wood material shortages, has presented an excellent opportunity to deliver a message of not only the resiliency and energy efficiency afforded by using concrete but the opportunity for the RMC industry to be very “first-cost competitive,” Gordon notes.

“We are seeing concrete project estimates and comparisons (originally designed in wood) resulting in up-front owner savings that are exceeding 7% to 14%," he said. "Now is the right time to benefit from the advantages concrete brings to vertical construction.”

The Concrete Design Center Team consists of Gordon and his NRMCA colleagues Majile’ McCray and Derek Torres (project managers) along with Donn Thompson, AIA, LEED AP, senior director of building innovations. If you would like to take advantage of this value-added complimentary service, please contact your regional BWS promoter or refer to the BWS Concrete Design Center webpage; just complete the form to have your project’s design compared with the value of concrete.

For more information, contact Frank Gordon at fgordon@nrmca.org.

NRMCA has verified Producer member Concrete Supply Co. and its system level Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) software program to meet Version 2 of the concrete Product Category Rule (PCR). An early adopter of utilizing EPD software, Concrete Supply continues to demonstrate value with the ability to respond to green building projects. Its market facing EPD program is significant since there is LEED activity in cities within its North and South Carolina marketplaces.

The EPD software tool was developed by Climate Earth, which integrates LCA impacts with mix design batch operating system to generate EPDs when desired. Verification was provided by Sustainable Solutions Corporation, a partner in NRMCA’s EPD program. From this point forward, Concrete Supply can produce EPDs on-demand from seven plants to meet growing pressures to report on the environmental impacts from manufacturing products. Concrete Supply EPDs can be found here.

Established in 2012, NRMCA’s EPD Program aims to help concrete producers and material suppliers meet new criteria in green building rating systems, such as LEED v4. As part of the Build With Strength campaign, NRMCA promotes Strength Through Transparency for member and industry competitiveness in the green building marketplace and the trends toward product and company transparency.

For more information, contact James Bogdan at jbogdan@nrmca.org or 412-420-4138.

The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) is seeking comments on the revised first draft of the Engineering Guide to Risk Assessment, 2nd Edition. The purpose of the guide is to provide guidance to qualified practitioners in the development, selection and use of fire risk assessment methodologies for the design, construction and operation of buildings, facilities or processes. NRMCA’s Shamim Rashid-Sumar is a member of SFPE and is reviewing the revision of the guide. More information on the guide is available and comments may be submitted here. They are due by Monday, November 23, for consideration by the SFPE Risk Task Group.

Build With Strength promotes standards advocacy to leverage policies promoting safety and resiliency and help place more concrete. For more information on fire codes and standards advocacy efforts, contact Shamim Rashid-Sumar at ssumar@nrmca.org.

On Tuesday, NRMCA joined a broad coalition of business groups urging Congress and the Trump Administration to guarantee and simplify the forgiveness process for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of all sizes. The Small Business Administration (SBA) released Form 3509 that requires nine pages of detailed financial information from borrowers as part of the forgiveness application. While the form appears to only apply to loans of $2 million or greater, the process may also be imposed by SBA on smaller loans according to language in SBA’s Frequently Asked Question #46. NRMCA and other pro-business groups sent a letter to Congress and another to the Trump Administration asking it to address this issue as well as urge agencies to suspend use of this form while the issue is addressed.

Long an NRMCA advocacy priority, NRMCA continues to stress to members of Congress and congressional staff the importance of providing legislative certainty and clarity that PPP loans of all sizes that businesses used to cover eligible expenses should not be subjected to retroactive forgiveness eligibility requirements. NRMCA will continue to advocate for forgiveness certainty as well as clarity on the tax deductibility of expenses and PPP eligibility for 501(c)6 organizations.

For more information, contact Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org.

NRMCA is still accepting entries for its 2021 Kids Art Contest, sponsored by the Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau. The theme for the contest is Captain Concrete: My Essential Superhero. The contest is open to children up to grade 12 who have a relationship to an NRMCA member.

• Entrants must be related to or sponsored by an NRMCA member;
• Each contestant is limited to one entry;
• Artwork should be 100% produced by the entrant and be original;
• Entries may be in a medium of the artist's choice (oil, water color, pastels, pencil, pen and ink, charcoal, crayon, etc.). Entries can be a drawing, collage, painting or other two-dimensional work;
• Entries must incorporate a ready mixed concrete truck in some manner, but should not be limited to a picture of a ready mixed concrete truck;
• Entries must be on 8"x10" flat paper. We encourage artwork to be on good quality bond or drawing paper, or illustration board. Entries should not be framed or matted;
• For contact purposes, please attach the 2021 Kids Art Contest form to the back of the artwork. Contact name, address, phone number for both sponsor and artist must be included or entry will not be considered; and
• Entries must be postmarked no later than Thursday, December 31.

Entries will be divided among the following grade categories: pre-K-K; 1-3, 4-6 and 7-12. First, second and third place winners will be selected from each grade category. Prizes will be awarded in each grade category ($100 first place, $50 second and $25 third). Entries will be judged only against others in their respective grade category. They will be judged on originality, effort, creativity, composition and interpretation of the theme.

Winners in each category will be announced at NRMCA’s 2021 Annual Convention, February 28 – March 3 in San Antonio, TX. Images of the winning entries will be used later in the year to create a 2021 NRMCA calendar and winners and the sponsoring members will receive a free copy of the calendar. Selected entries will be displayed at NRMCA’s Annual Convention. NRMCA reserves the right to copy and modify any entry for reproduction. Entries will not be returned and may be used for future promotional opportunities.

Entries should be mailed or delivered to Taylor Drzewicki, NRMCA, 66 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 250 Alexandria, VA 22314. For more information please contact Taylor Drzewicki at tdrzewicki@nrmca.org.

NRMCA's Ready Mixed Concrete Delivery Professional Driver of the Year Award, now in its 25th year and sponsored by the Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau (TMMB), acknowledges the significant contribution of ready mixed concrete truck drivers to the growth and success of individual companies and the ready mixed concrete industry. As a salute to these key members of the concrete production and delivery team, this award recognizes the driver’s career achievement, safety, professionalism, competence and customer service skills in a manner that will enhance the industry and public image of the career of Ready Mixed Concrete Delivery Professional.

The 2021 Ready Mixed Concrete Truck Driver of the Year Award winner will be honored at an awards presentation ceremony at NRMCA’s Annual Convention in March 2021. Nominations must be e-mailed to DOY@nrmca.org by Thursday, December 31.

Click here to download the nomination form, more information and staff contact.

*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site.

November 30 - December 10 Online Conference and Expo
Global Concrete Summit
Sponsored by NRMCA & Grey Matters | Use coupon code NRMCA40 when you register for a 40% discount.
Email: Lionel Lemay, 847-922-7995

December 8 – 11, Online Course
Think Like an Owner Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 703-706-4852

December 11 – 18, Online Course
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 703-706-4852

December 14 – 18, Online Course
CCSP Module II: Understand the Concrete Contractor’s Business Model
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 703-706-4852

December 15, Online Course
Soil Cement & Full-Depth Reclamation with Cement Using a Ready Mixed Concrete Truck
Email: Don Clem, 303-881-5009

Registration is now open for Soil Cement & Full-Depth Reclamation with Cement Using a Ready Mixed Concrete Truck, a webinar scheduled for 11 a.m. to noon Eastern time on Tuesday, December 15. This webinar includes the following learning objectives:

• Understand the definition of Soil Cement and Full-Depth Reclamation (FDR);
• Advantages of the Soil Cement/FDR process;
• How to determine the appropriate cement content target;
• Soil Cement/FDR construction process; and
• Cement slurry delivered in a ready mixed concrete truck.

Click here to register or visit https://paveahead.com/education/ and please forward this information to specifiers and engineers who may have an interest. For more information, contact Don Clem at dclem@nrmca.org.

The November 2020 issue of the American Trails newsletter includes a feature article on concrete trails. Written by NRMCA Senior Vice President, Local Paving, Phil Kresge, Concrete Trails Keep You on the Right Path describes the benefits of paving trails with concrete. Additionally, the article highlights the Guide to Concrete Trails published by the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center through funding from the RMC Research & Education Foundation. A link is provided to allow readers to download their own copy of the guide.

Besides conventional, full-depth concrete construction, the article also discusses concrete overlay of existing asphalt and pervious concrete options. Two concrete trails projects, Dam West Subdivision, Aurora, CO and Wingate South Park Trail, Littleton, CO, are featured as success stories. There are also links throughout the article for PaveAhead.com, the Pave Ahead team and the Pave Ahead Design Center.

American Trails is a national, nonprofit organization working on behalf of all trail interests. Since 1988, American Trails has been a collective voice for a diverse coalition of enthusiasts, professionals, advocates, land managers, conservationists and friends of the outdoors and livable cities.

For more information, contact Phil Kresge at pkresge@nrmca.org.

Luke McHugh, PE, and Kenneth Justice, PE, of NRMCA’s Pave Ahead team recently provided design assistance to DelDOT’s engineering consultant Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson, Inc. (JMT) which was wrestling with construction issues for one project in design and another already underway. For the Delaware Avenue Separated Bikeway Project with 1.25 lane miles of concrete pavement, McHugh and Justice suggested the engineer specify the use of a laser guided screed to reconstruct the intersections in lieu of precast panels, resulting in significant cost savings while also adhering to the same weekend roadway closure window.

While constructing improvements to 5.6 lane miles of concrete pavement on Elkton Road also in Delaware, JMT encountered a buried approach slab that didn’t match as-built plans. JMT considered a concrete overlay option bonded to the top of the slab crossing Elkton Road. But Justice and McHugh recommended removing the buried section of the approach slab and extending the concrete pavement to meet the remaining slab crossing Elkton Road perpendicularly. This solution resulted in uniform slabs at the tie-in and minimized concerns about longterm durability and maintenance.

For more information, contact Luke McHugh at lmchugh@nrmca.org.

Registration is continuing for NRMCA’s newest course, Think Like an Owner, to be offered virtually December 8-11 from noon to 4 p.m. Eastern time each day. This course is intended to empower the participants to understand the drivers of financial performance and improve their management with an eye to profitability of their business center. Crafted and taught by Bob Capasso, CEO of Concrete Financial Insights, the course is based on insights gleaned from the Performance Benchmarking Survey and seeks to address the issue of declining profits in a growing market.

Participants will learn how to read financial statements, measure performance, examine elements of profit and loss, and think in terms of economic profit. This course is a must-attend for industry participants, from plant managers to company presidents, who want to run their operations profitably.

Click here to register. For more information, contact Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org.

2021
January 12 - 14, San Antonio, TX
Dispatcher Training Forum
Email: Mason Jean, 703-706-4852

January 26 – 29, Charlotte, NC
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 703-706-4852

February 10 – 12, Dallas
Effective RMC Supervisor Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 703-706-4852

March 23 – 26, Boston
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 703-706-4852

You have asked and NRMCA’s communications team has listened! Thanks to Marketing Manager, Web Developer, Helen Stuart and our partners at DDC Public Affairs, there are now numerous videos and graphics assets available for NRMCA Producer and Associate members and state affiliates to access and use on their own social media feeds. Click here and then the links marked Social Media Graphics and Social Media Video Library. And when you use these resources – and we strongly encourage you to do so – please mention NRMCA, Build With Strength and/or Pave Ahead.

For more information, contact Gregg Lewis at glewis@nrmca.org.