Surveying members of the Construction Personnel Executives Group, FMI reports, "24 percent of respondents will be unable to bid more work and 32 percent will experience slow growth if their companies cannot reasonably meet the need for skilled labor and tradespeople." Top executives at the largest contract firms in the U.S. took part in the survey. "Overall, there’s an increase needed in skilled trade workers of more than 10 percent thoughout the next three to 10 years," says Ken Wilson, director for FMI, citing highlights from survey partipants. One large construction company says, "Our current hiring forecast shows a need for 8,500 additional craft workers by 2017."

The process of removing coal ash from an idle power plant site in Conway, SC, is well underway. More than a million tons of the ash is piled on the site of Santee Cooper's now-idle Grainger power plant next to the Waccamaw River. A company spokeswoman said recycling the ash into concrete isn't just the most environmentally sound way to handle it, it's also the cheapest for the company.

Comedian and actor Steve Martin has placed his home in eastern Santa Barbara, CA, for sale. The 7,377-square-foot home is built largely of concrete — including the walls and outdoor cylindrical sculptures — with views over the hills and to the ocean. It has four bedrooms, five-and-a-half baths, plus a detached two-bedroom, one-bath guest house and a three-car garage. The price, you ask? Well, as the saying goes, if you have to ask, you can't afford it.

NRMCA Pavement Engineer Amanda Hult recently participated in the Idaho Concrete and Aggregate Producers Association (ICAPA) Winter Meeting where she discussed the many benefits and programs enjoyed by NRMCA members. Much of the presentation centered around the Design Assistance Program (DAP), informing attendees about the free program and then showcasing some of the program's many success stories.

"This can be such a powerful tool for your company if we can join as a team and maximize the opportunities for easy yardage," Hult said. She left the attendees with the challenge of seeking assistance for one project through DAP.

The NRMCA Promotion Committee has named Theron Tobolski of Prairie Materials as its 2015 Promoter of the Year. This award recognizes outstanding concrete promotion contributions by an employee of one of NRMCA’s Producer member organizations. Tobolski’s noteworthy accomplishments over many years of excellent service to our industry include:

• The successful introduction of RCC in the Chicago area that has accounted for 40,000 cubic yards since 2009. RCC was thought by many to be an unsuitable product for a northern climate, but in large measure because of his efforts that misconception has been significantly dispelled in the Midwest.

• A central role in promotion and successful placement of Chicago’s "Green Alley" program. including primary influence in the mix specification.

• A number of Tobolski’s successful high-profile project achievements have been covered in a half dozen prominent public works and concrete industry magazines in recent years, including several cover stories.

Lochsa Engineering, a leading Las Vegas engineering firm, recently hosted an extended luncheon seminar at its office to learn about the procedure of concrete overlays on existing asphalt parking lot. The 1½- hour session was conducted by NRMCA Vice President, National Resources, Jon Hansen, and featured the RMC Research & Education Foundation publication Guide to Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots as the technical document for the seminar. The luncheon was part of an ongoing commitment to Lochsa Engineering started in 2013 by concrete industry partners NRMCA and California Nevada Cement Association (CNCA) members Tom Tietz and Clay Slocum who made arrangements for the meeting and also attended. Nineteen members and invited clients of Lochsa Engineering participated in the luncheon.

At the conclusion of the luncheon seminar, a partner with Lochsa Engineering told NRMCA and CNCA staff that since 2013 the firm had designed a number of new concrete parking lots using ACI 330 as a result of a similar seminar that year. He also mentioned he uses NRMCA's Concrete Pavement Design software in all of his designs. He thanked the concrete industry for its support in guiding his firm in its goal to become the leading concrete paving design firm in Las Vegas.

For more information, contact Jon Hansen at jhansen@nrmca.org.

The bustling Interstate 81 corridor that runs through Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia provides a critical link for commerce and the distribution of goods to cities along the East Coast. Hundreds of retailers and suppliers have strategically placed largescale manufacturing and distribution centers in this region, close to major interstate highways, intermodal rail yards and a strong work force. In Spring 2013, NRMCA member Conewago Enterprises, Inc. was tapped by Liberty Property Trust, a Philadelphia-based real estate development firm, to build one of the largest distribution centers in the United States on a 183-acre site in Franklin County near Shippensburg, PA. At 1,706,388 square feet, the tilt-up concrete structure with conventional steel framing would be the size of 30 football fields. It would become listed as the fifth largest tilt-up concrete building on record.

Perhaps the only thing more impressive than the scale of the project was the timeline in which it was completed. To meet the needs of Liberty Property Trust’s client, Conewago would have to build the largest building the company has ever constructed in just 13 months. Before answering to the timeline though, Conewago had to solve the immediate challenges of weak, silty soil conditions, which offered limited bearing capacity, and address several sinkholes that were also present on the site. To combat these conditions, Conewago utilized soil cement stabilization to increase the strength of the top layer of soil. This allowed the team to reduce the thickness of the floor slabs and paving sections, which helped save time and money. 

Another major element of the project was the massive paved surface around the distribution center where tractor trailers would load and unload goods. Due to the challenging soil conditions and the anticipated high number of daily cycles of fully-loaded tractor trailers over the surface, Conewago selected Roller-Compacted Concrete (RCC) as the primary paving material. The use of RCC provided substantial savings for Liberty on the project. The ease of construction and high production rate of RCC helped Conewago stay on schedule and provided a surface that will stand up to heavy duty truck traffic for decades to come. Over a four-month period, Conewago placed more than 45,000 cubic yards of RCC on the Shippensburg project.

"RCC has proven to be stronger than conventional paving methods, but most times you don’t utilize the full strength of RCC on a project," said Donald B. Smith, Jr., president of Conewago. "With the weaker soil and other factors we faced at Shippensburg, the utility and capacity of the product really shined through. RCC is a perfect option for these types of projects."

Strategies on how to promote the pervious concrete market vary by ready mixed concrete producer, reports NRMCA Senior Director, National Resources, Doug O'Neill. Some producers add pervious to their mix of products and then hope for the best, while others like Cape Cod Ready Mix in Massachusetts use well thought out and applied strategies to get results, he said. Cape Cod Ready Mix Sales Manager Peter Zoni recently discussed the company's approach with O’Neill, discussing how Cape Cod has taken advantage of the developing pervious market.

"When we realized the opportunities pervious concrete presented, we decided to trademark our mix," Zoni said. "It didn’t cost much, yet by having our 'Perk-Crete' trademarked, it has elevated our standing in the design community and has given us a leg up on our competitors." Zoni and his team have been hard at work promoting their mix to the local municipalities, with a willingness to donate yardage for test sections in many communities within their market, including donating pervious concrete for a year-round greenhouse (shown below) in Orleans, MA, which serves as an agricultural and horticultural learning laboratory for students throughout the Cape.


It also advertised its new trademarked solution to stormwater management targets in the business section of local newspapers. In addition, the Massachusetts Concrete and Aggregate Association (MaCAPA) funded a booth at the Massachusetts Municipal Association’s annual show, where Zoni helped man the booth along with MaCAPA promoters, O’Neill and Ken Justice with the Portland Cement Association.

O'Neill said Justice gave a very informative seminar on pervious design which, because of the number of seminars being given at the same time, attracted only one attendee. "We were all disappointed with the turnout, but keeping with Zoni’s positive approach, he followed up with that one attendee who happened to work for the town of Orleans, MA," O’Neill said. Thanks to a combination of being involved and following up, Zoni was able to influence town officials into specifying pervious concrete for all sidewalks and crosswalks within their cultural district. Several other neighboring towns have now included pervious concrete for things like boat ramp parking areas and municipal golf course cart paths.

Never short for words, Zoni clearly stated the reasons for the success of the promotion effort, "it’s all about getting off our butts and talking to people, communicating the benefits of what we make and defining our place in the developing sustainability movement."  

View the Cape Cod Ready Mix Web site for more information and ideas on how to grow your pervious concrete market or contact Doug O’Neill at doneill@nrmca.org for more information.

The American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) has launched two new Web-based instructional modules that provide professional training on best practices for constructing smooth concrete pavements and handling aggregates for concrete paving. The courses are offered free and are available here. After registering, users will be asked to enter a coupon code, which is pavement1 (pavement and the number one). Registration and entry of the coupon code enables participants to take the course at no cost.

ACPA also has launched its Wikipave™ application, a comprehensive, all-in-one resource for information about concrete pavement. The resource represents more than five decades of technical and institutional knowledge. The site is available to public users worldwide at no cost. Content includes technical information, encyclopedic listings, definitions and more. Wikipave content is added and revised exclusively by ACPA members, affiliates and association staff.

For more information, contact ACPA's Bill Davenport at bdavenport@acpa.org.

The March 24-27 NRMCA Plant Manager Certification class in Salt Lake City is sold out. NRMCA has a waiting list for cancellations only. Registration is open for NRMCA’s next scheduled class, December 8-11 in Orlando.

Please contact NRMCA's Eileen Dickson at edickson@nrmca.org or 240-486-1164 for further questions. Click here for information and registration options for the December class in Orlando.

The NRMCA Fleet Benchmarking Survey is completed 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 Fleet Benchmarking Survey is used to establish industry benchmarking norms and procedures. Information gathered from the survey is published in the Fall in a full report in NRMCA's quarterly Concrete InFocus magazine. A shorter executive summary of the survey is also made available to all. The deadline for submitting completed entries (via e-mail to gmullings@nrmca.org) is Wednesday, April 1, 2015. 

 

NRMCA's Safety Contest & Benchmarking Survey has for years been a safety performance and incentive/award program aimed to foster safe practices at ready mixed concrete plants across the nation. It's a per-plant contest open to all facilities operated by NRMCA member companies in good standing in 2014. Companies with more than one division are encouraged to distribute entry blanks to individuals responsible for keeping safety records at each plant location. Entries must be received at NRMCA via e-mail no later than April 15, 2015, to NRMCA’s Karen Bean at kbean@nrmca.org.

NRMCA and the Iberoamerican Federation of Ready Mixed Concrete (FIHP) have added three new special events for the 2015 International Concrete Sustainability Conference, May 11-13, in Miami. The morning of May 11 will feature a tour of the Florida International University (FIU) College of Engineering and Computing to witness cutting edge research facilities, including the Titan America Structures and Construction Testing Laboratory and the International Hurricane Research Center Wall of Wind (WOW). The afternoon of May 11 will present the Women in Concrete Alliance Forum featuring speakers and panel discussions on the role of women in the concrete industry and how gender diversity can help meet the challenge of concrete industry sustainability. The third special event, the morning of May 13, is the annual Walk for Sustainability to support the RMC Research & Education Foundation.

Click here for details of these new special events and the main conference or contact Lionel Lemay at LLemay@nrmca.org or 847-918-7101.

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 February 9 - 13, 2015, please click here.

NRMCA encourages you to join our industry allies for the Transportation Construction Coalition’s (TCC) 2015 Legislative Fly-In on April 14-15 in Washington, DC, and make the case to "Fix the Highway Trust Fund". Federal transportation programs are facing a crisis this year. With MAP-21 set to expire May 31 and the Department of Transportation estimating that the Highway Trust Fund will run out of money this spring, there has never been a greater need for Congress to act. Highway Trust Fund revenue remains insufficient to support current funding levels. New Representatives and Senators are unfamiliar with how these programs operate and the benefits they bring not only to their states and districts, but also the incredible contribution they make to the national economy.

This is the year to come to DC and deliver the message: "Fix the Highway Trust Fund!" constituent visits are a key component to any successful advocacy strategy on Capitol Hill. Your congressional delegation needs to hear from you about the importance of continued investment in transportation infrastructure to the nation’s economy — creating jobs while building the future. As in the past, a legislative briefing is scheduled to update you on the latest congressional developments and educational briefing packets will be prepared for you to deliver to your congressional delegation.

The transportation construction industry cannot afford to sit back and wait for Washington to act. Now is the time to demand action. Congress needs to understand that failure to address the Highway Trust Fund crisis and ensure sustainable funding undermines the construction industry sector — materials producers, contractors, equipment manufacturers, labor — builders of the America’s surface transportation network essential to economic growth and prosperity. Join hundreds of other industry leaders in delivering our message to Capitol Hill.

This year’s meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency Washington at 400 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001. To make your hotel reservation, please contact the hotel by calling 1-800-421-1442 or 202-737-1234. Ask for the TCC Fly-In rate of $315 per night.

Please click here to register for the TCC Fly-in. For more information, please contact Kerri Leininger at kleininger@nrmca.org or 240-485-1159.

Registration opens Friday, February 20, for the popular series of four Webinars aimed at sales management for the ready mix industry.

• Webinar #1: Sales Management 101... for Ready Mix Sales Managers - Wednesday, March 25, noon - 1:30 p.m. Eastern time. In this 90-minute Webinar, you will learn the critical skills of effective sales management that can help you build a top performing sales team. This session is filled with tips and techniques to benefit both new and experienced ready mix managers.
• Webinar #2: Personal Leadership and Coaching -  Wednesday, May 13, noon - 1:30 p.m. Eastern time. This 90-minute Webinar is designed for every ready mix concrete manager – sales, service, dispatch, admin and executive – any manager who wants to become a more effective leader and coach.
• Webinar #3: Recruiting & Hiring Top Performing Ready Mix Sales Reps - Wednesday, September 9, noon - 1:30 p.m. Eastern time. Hiring is the #1 challenge of every ready mix sales manager. In this 90-minute Webinar you will learn how to spot potential top sales performers and how to identify the warning signs of a possible "wrong hire".
• Webinar #4: Sales Performance Assessments and Reviews... for Ready Mix Sales Managers - Wednesday, November 18, noon - 1:30 p.m. Eastern time. How do you know if your sales rep is performing at the top of his or her ability ... and if not, what you can do to help him or her? In this 90-minute Webinar you will learn to identify the specific "barriers" that may be holding back your sales reps and how to create a personal coaching and motivation strategy to improve performance.

February 24-26, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP Module III: Business Skills Basics for Profit - General Business Knowledge

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

February 25, Atlanta

Improving Concrete Quality

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

 

February 25, Free Webinar

How To Conduct a Mixer Driver Championship

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

 

March 1-3, Orlando, FL

NRMCA Annual Convention

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

 

March 9, Free Webinar

Streets & Roads Team Building & Situation Analysis

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

 

March 9-11, Nashville, TN (Presented by Tennessee Concrete Association)

CCSP Module III: General Business Knowledge

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

March 10, Webinar

Roller Compacted Concrete: Another Choice for Pavement

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

 

March 11, Free Webinar

Streets & Roads Promotion for DOTs, Counties & Municipalities

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

 

March 13, Free Webinar

Winning Initial Streets & Roads Projects in Counties & Municipalities

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

 

March 16-18, West Palm Beach, FL

Safety Course

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

 

March 18, Free Webinar

STEPS - A Long Term Career Tool for the RMC Industry

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

March 23, Free Webinar

Streets & Roads Elected-Official Advocacy

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

 

March 24-27, Salt Lake City *Sold Out

Plant Manager Certification Course

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

 

March 31-April 2, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP Module IV: Professional Sales Skills Workshop - 24 hours

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

April 6, Free Webinar

Roller-Compacted Concrete for Streets & Roads

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

 

April 6-8, Nashville, TN (Presented by Tennessee Concrete Association)

CCSP Module IV: Professional Sales Skills

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

April 7, Webinar

Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Program

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

 

April 7, Webinar (Part I) (Part II is April 14)

Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete

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

 

April 21, Webinar

Roller Compacted Concrete: Another Choice for Pavement

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

 

April, 28, Orlando, FL

Handling Concrete Specifications

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

 

May 11-13, Miami

International Concrete Sustainability Conference

Email: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101

 

June 2-4, Nashville, TN

Concrete Durability Course

Email: Karen Bean, 240-485-1168

 

July 13, Free Webinar

Streets & Roads Team Building & Situation Analysis

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

 

July 20, Free Webinar

Streets & Roads Promotion for DOTs, Counties & Municipalities

Email: Jacques Jenkins, 240-485-1165

 

October 13-16, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP Module I: Concrete 101

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

 

November 2-6, Silver Spring, MD

Annual Concrete Technologist Training and Certification Course "Short Course"

Email: Karen Bean, 240-485-1168

 

November 10-12, Silver Spring, MD

Effective RMC Supervisor Course

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

 

December 1-3, Orlando, FL

Environmental Course

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

 

December 1-3, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP Module II: Customer Business Knowledge

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

 

December 8-11, Orlando, FL

Plant Manager Certification Course

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

 

 

February 23-25, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP Module III: General Business Knowledge

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

March 15-17, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP Module IV: Professional Sales Skills

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