NRMCA e-news
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association
NRMCA's celebration of the 100th anniversary of ready mixed concrete in the U.S. begins its submissions for October with more Producer and Associate member profiles - see below for their respective Web site links. This week's industry milestone: The American Concrete Pavement Association was founded in 1964.
To have your company featured in this space in the coming weeks, please contact
NRMCA's Kathleen Carr Smith at kcarrsmith@nrmca.org or 301-587-1400, ext. 1145.
Hilltop Basic Resources, Inc. - Hilltop Basic Resources, Inc. was founded in Cincinnati in 1941 by I.W. and Katherine D. Steele as a building materials and ready mixed concrete supplier. In 1949, Hilltop expanded into the Dayton, OH, market; during the 1950's Hilltop became the largest ready mixed concrete producer in the state of Ohio with 14 plants. Read more.
An NRMCA Producer member since 1948
Terex Roadbuilding - In 1933, what was to eventually become Terex Corporation began its existence as the Euclid Company. Its success designing and building haul trucks later attracted the attention of General Motors, which purchased Euclid in 1953. GM’s Euclid Division developed and sold large equipment including over half the nation’s off-highway dump trucks. GM coined the Terex name in 1970 from the Latin words "terra" (earth) and "rex" (king). In 2002, Advance Mixer puts Terex in the concrete mixer business. Read more.
An NRMCA Associate member since 1983 
NEWS LINKS
Almost a year after Hurricane Sandy nearly destroyed the five-mile boardwalk at Rockaway Beach in Queens, NY, city officials are turning to concrete to repair it. Replacing it will be hugely expensive, with a tentative price tag of $200 million. It will involve 4.7 miles of new decking and about 50,000 linear feet of railing. And though work could start by the end of the year, the Boardwalk will take years to rebuild; just how many is unclear. What is certain, however, is that it will not be made of wood. Soon after the hurricane, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said that the storm had laid to rest the debate over wood versus concrete as the preferred material for boardwalks. He pointed to the few concrete sections that had come through in relatively good shape.
Source: September 27 article by The New York Times. Read more.
NRMCA Producer member Kearney Concrete in Nebraska is one of the latest ready mix producers to participate in the nationwide Concrete Cares campaign on cancer awareness. An Arkansas man, Mike Murray, wanted to do something to honor a friend who had won her battle with breast cancer. He and others approached Kearney Concrete to help spread the word. As a result, this month the Concrete Cares ribbon is displayed on mixer drums and in the parking lots of a local monument and restaurant.
Source: September 30 article posted on the Web site 1011.com.
Concrete’s strength, visual impact and durability are clearly expressed at Renton Memorial Stadium in Washington State where the 1947 structure has withstood the test of time, even after a renovation, writes the author who was involved in the project. "Aesthetically, concrete is the essence of the stadium’s mid-century modern architecture and it also plays a front-and-center role for the redesign, allowing us to maintain the building’s original form for facility improvements and provide the structural improvements needed to meet current seismic codes," he states.
Source: An article in the Daily Journal of Commerce. Read more.
PROMOTIONS
Perhaps a popular song title says it all – "Everything Old is New Again." Roller-Compacted Concrete (RCC) is one of the hottest "new topics" in pavement and it’s the buzz within the ready mixed concrete industry. "RCC is not new," notes NRMCA Senior National Resource Director Phil Kresge, "but the new found interest has everyone’s attention. RCC was one of the most popular topics in the promotion track at last month’s ConcreteWorks. Many NRMCA state affiliates have held or are planning RCC seminars and demos."
Enlightened owners, developers and specifiers see RCC as a cost-effective alternative to conventional pavement. Ready mix producers see RCC as a means to increase their production by penetrating the asphalt-dominated pavement market. And both groups may see RCC as uncharted waters.
To help navigate those waters, NRMCA has launched www.rollercompacted.org. The Web site looks at all aspects of RCC, including specifying, designing and constructing RCC pavement. For the ready mix producer, there is also information on mix design and production. "The site is still under construction, but it is mostly complete," Kresge said. "It currently has just about everything a designer/specifier needs to know. Most importantly, it points them to specific resources that can assist them." For more information, go to www.rollercompacted.org or contact Phil Kresge at pkresge@nrmca.org.
The Brighton Trail project submitted through NRMCA's Design Assistance Program (DAP) for the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government is a great example of full-loop promotion, reports NRMCA Director, Pavement Structures Amanda Hult. The project began when the Kentucky Ready-Mixed Concrete Association (KRMCA) was approached by a Lexington engineer for assistance in designing a trail along an old railroad route. KRMCA has worked with the city and some of its consulting firms for numerous other trails, including the pervious concrete portion of the Legacy Trail, and the conventional concrete portion of the Legacy Trail at the Kentucky Horse Park.
The two-mile long, 12-foot wide Broughton Trail runs under Interstate 75 and continues through a residential and commercial neighborhood. Not only did the NRMCA team provide the design, but KRMCA staff supported the city throughout the various phases of the project from vision to design to construction, Hult said. KRMCA’s Director of Engineering John McChord, PE, provided additional design and engineering assistance and a KRMCA contractor member, Bluegrass Contracting, also provided the city with concrete construction-related information. Another plus: a KRMCA member contractor, Fox Enterprises, was the subcontractor for the concrete (placed with a paving machine) and the majority of the concrete was supplied by KRMCA and NRMCA Producer member Irving Materials Inc. "If a promoter is working to get concrete on a trailway, I recommend utilizing a trail study from Missouri by Steve Saita of the Columbia, MO, Parks and Recreation," said Brett Ruffing, Kentucky Ready-Mixed Concrete Association. "Full-Loop Promotion, in this case NRMCA, KRMCA, the concrete contractor and concrete producer all came together to make this project a success," said Hult and McChord. For more information, contact Amanda Hult at ahult@nrmca.org.
When longtime industry promoter Frank Kozeliski recently called NRMCA Vice President, National Resources Amy Miller, she knew he must have a hot lead. In fact, he had spoken with an engineering firm in the Las Vegas area that needed help regarding concrete parking lots and associated details. Miller took the information and made contact with the firm. Immediate questions were answered, but more importantly the firm asked for help. NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks meeting was just a month away, so plans were made for a presentation by NRMCA.
Miller's colleague, Jon Hansen, vice president, national resources, then contacted California Nevada Cement Association Executive Director Tom Tietz. Tietz knew the firm and was invited to discuss the local aspect of concrete parking lots. Collectively, Miller, Hansen and Tietz were able to discuss the correct way to design concrete parking lots, reasons an engineering firm should always design a concrete section for every project it produces and an overview of existing concrete parking lot projects in the immediate area. There were two engineering firms present at the presentation and plans were made for continued education. One principal told Tietz, "We want to be the premier engineering firm for concrete pavement design in this market. We are looking for your help in getting us to that point." On Wednesday, October 23, in Brooklyn Park, MN, and Thursday, October 24, in Rochester, MN, NRMCA Vice President, National Resources Jon Hansen will join Dan Large of Fiber Reinforcing & Consulting at a Minnesota Concrete Forum titled Concrete Parking Lot Design, Overlays & Fiber Reinforcing. They will discuss why concrete parking pavements have become an increasingly effective solution to rising asphalt material and maintenance costs along with correct design and construction techniques.
Registration opens at 9:30 am. The event is scheduled to end at 1:30 pm. Attendees will be awarded 3.25 PDH at the conclusion of the event. Attendees will also be given a copy of ACI 330 Guide to Concrete Parking Lot Design and Construction and a copy of the Guide to Concrete Overlays of Existing Asphalt Parking Lots. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required since lunch and materials are being provided.
Click here for more information.
ASSOCIATION & INDUSTRY NEWS
The Fall edition of NRMCA's quarterly magazine, Concrete InFocus, has a number of timely and informative articles available only online, including Enviroscene, a periodic magazine feature that this issue examines the four W's of environmental training. Look for more highlights of online articles in upcoming editions of E-NEWS.
ENGINEERING
A few slots still remain for the popular annual NRMCA Concrete Technology Training and Certification Program (Short Course), scheduled for November 4-8 at the RMC Research & Education Foundation Center in Silver Spring, MD. The course provides a fundamental understanding of concrete, aggregates and concrete making materials; requirements in industry codes and standards and proportioning concrete mixtures. Attendees have the opportunity to obtain four industry-recognized certifications: ACI Grade I Field Testing Technician, ACI Flatwork Finisher Certification, and NRMCA Level 2 and 3 Concrete Technologist certification. These industry certifications are essential for technical service personnel with suppliers of materials to the concrete industry and with concrete producers.
Registration for the course will close at a maximum of 40 people due to space restrictions. Interested persons should register early!
Click here for more information about the course, staff contact and registration options. NRMCA is offering its information-packed one-day course, Handling Concrete Specifications, Low Strength Problems and Mixture Submittals, intended for concrete producers, contractors, engineers and testing labs on Tuesday, December 3, in Sacramento, CA and Wednesday, December 4, in Glendora, CA. Dealing with concrete specifications, troubleshooting low strength problems and ensuring proper mixture submittals can be expensive and time consuming. This one-day course will get into code and specification requirements (ACI 318, 301, ASTM C94) governing ready mixed concrete, including exposure categories in the ACI Building Code 318-11. It will suggest specification revisions for all around benefits in performance and cost which is based on a specification guideline document. The guideline document is the result of review of numerous concrete specifications (Section 03300) belonging to large owners and has been reviewed and supported by NRMCA's Research Engineering and Standards Committee.
The course will cover the analysis of strength test results to identify causes for low strength problems and provide guidance to track compliance with specification requirements. Non-destructive testing techniques such as the Rebound Hammer, core testing, evaluating core test results for acceptance and assignment of responsibility will be discussed. The course also provides necessary details required for an efficient concrete mixture submittal following the ACI 318 Flowchart for Selection of Concrete Mixtures.
Course instructors are Luke Snell, P.E., FACI, FASCE, Western Technologies and Karthik Obla, Ph.D., P.E., vice president technical services at NRMCA. Producers, contractors, engineers and testing labs will find the discussions on investigating low strength problems and specifications very helpful to address issues that impact partnering, project cost and schedule. Upon successful completion of the course, attendees will earn 8 professional development hours, a certificate of completion and credits toward NRMCA’s STEPS program.
Click here for more information, including registration links and staff contact.
The Transportation Research Board will conduct a Webinar on Wednesday, October 30, from 2 - 4 p.m. Eastern time that will summarize slag cement material characteristics, specifications and its effect on fresh and hardened concrete properties. Participants must register in advance of the Webinar and there is a fee for non-TRB Sponsor employees. A certificate for two Professional Development Hours (PDH) will be provided to attendees who register and attend the Webinar as an individual.
Webinar presenters will describe case studies from long-term field applications in transportation structures and concrete pavements containing slag cement. Presenters will also discuss experiences of various state departments of transportation, their extended use of slag cement and their recent experience with ternary concrete mixtures. Presenters include John Melander, Slag Cement Association; Doug Hooton, University of Toronto; Henry Prenger, Lafarge North America and Tyson Rupnow, Louisiana Transportation Research Center.
Click here for more information and to register.
OPERATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY & HR
NRMCA's Operations, Environmental and Safety Department will host three face-to-face classes in Fall 2013. With a clear understanding that operations people now multitask, these classes focus on giving participants immediate skills to help juggle all their balls within compliance parameters as well as learn efficiency processes and organizational methods. A registration fee discount is extended to those companies that send three or more people to one class title.
• The Effective RMC Supervisor – Silver Spring, MD, November 12-14. Click here for more information.
• Environmental Professional Certification – Orlando, FL, December 4-6. Click here for more information.
• Plant Manager Certification – Orlando, FL, December 10-13. Click here for more information.
These three classes are required to earn NRMCA's STEPS "Operations and Production" Track certification, CCPf. STEPS is the ready mixed concrete’s industry most prestigious employee professional development program, supporting career development and job retention/succession planning.
For more information or questions, contact NRMCA's Jessica Walgenbach at jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 240-485-1152.
SUSTAINABILITY
The MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHub) is focused on Building for LIFE through life cycle thinking, innovation, fiscal responsibility and environmental leadership. During the recent CSHub Showcase, three areas of exploration were summarized in the Quantifying Life Cycle Cost and Environmental Impact of Buildings workshop:
Life cycle assessment - While past research efforts have demonstrated the value of life cycle thinking in the buildings sector, there is a gap between existing life cycle assessment (LCA) literature/tools and the specifiers that can benefit from them. The researchers at CSHub explained their approach to understanding this gap through (1) Literature review; (2) Exploration of existing LCA tools; (3) Survey of design process; and (4) Focus group with design professionals. By integrating this knowledge the researchers are considering opportunities to bridge the chasm by streamlining the LCA tools and identifying influential design parameters to include LCA in the design process. Thermal mass benefit - Energy optimization of buildings requires a holistic approach. The CSHub studied thermal benefits of materials as a compendium of strategies that built upon each other. The researchers presented the results from their Idealized Cube Model which described energy consumption relative to various conductivity and density at different climate zones. Design professionals can now utilize this study to prioritize design strategies.
Life cycle cost analysis – While there are numerous metrics to evaluating performance of homes, there is no clear way to communicate performance trade-offs. Moreover, the tradition default metric of performance - the building code - does not provide a standard methodology to quantify maintenance, energy consumption nor damage from hazards. The CSHub presented its proposed approach to compare life cycle costs against quantitative performance metrics, including a consistent framework for quantifying resilience strategies.
For more information on the research at MIT CSHub, contact NRMCA’s Tien Peng at 206-913-8535 or tpeng@nrmca.org.
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
NRMCA and members of the Resilient Construction Coalition have signed four new co-sponsors of legislation that will help save money, reduce destruction and prevent the loss of lives in disaster-prone areas. Once a disaster strikes, we are faced with the task of rebuilding our communities so Americans can get back to work. Every time a disaster is declared, taxpayer dollars pour into the region to help rebuild the area. Last year, $60 billion was authorized in disaster relief for Hurricane Sandy alone.
The Disaster Savings and Resilient Construction Act, HR 2241, was introduced by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-21) on June 4, 2013. The Act provides a tax credit to home owners or building owners when a structure meets the 2009 or later International Building Code (published by the International Code Council ©) and has received the designation from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety of FORTIFIED for Safer Living®/Business. Structures are eligible for a credit if they are built within a federally declared disaster zone up to two years following the occurrence of the disaster. In the case of qualified residential property, home owners can receive up to $3,000 and, in the case of qualified commercial property building owners, can receive up to $25,000.
The four new co-sponsors - Reps. Spencer Bachus (AL-6), Andy Barr (KY-6), Michael T. McCaul (TX-10), and Brett Guthrie (KY- 2) - have joined Andy Harris (MD-1), Peter DeFazio (OR-4), Jim Matheson (UT-4) Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3), Matt Cartwright (PA-17), John J. Duncan Jr. (TN-2), Kevin Yoder (KS-3), Bill Posey (FL- 8) and Timothy Bishop (NY- 1). Members of the Resilient Construction Coalition advocating the advancement of the Act include NRMCA, the American Concrete Pipe Association, American Society of Civil Engineers, Association of Equipment Distributors, Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, International Code Council, National Concrete Masonry Association, National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, Portland Cement Association, Prestressed/Precast concrete Institute, Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, Silica Fume Association and the Tiltup Concrete Association.
For more information, contact NRMCA’s Kerri Leininger at kleininger@nrmca.org.
CONCRETEPAC thanks our corporate sponsors of this year’s events during NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks held last month at the Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa outside Las Vegas. CONCRETEPAC offered a door prize drawing of an Apple iPad during the Driver Championship Dinner on Monday night and closed the week with a very successful and thoroughly enjoyable Lucky Strike Bowling & Dinner. This year’s sponsors include: Ash Grove Cement, Capital Concrete, Inc., CEMEX, Chaney Enterprises, Concrete Supply Company, Essroc Italcementi Group, Grace Construction Products, Irving Materials, Inc., Lafarge, Oldcastle Materials, Inc., Prairie Material Sales, Inc., Ready Mix USA, Sioux Corporation, Titan America and U.S. Concrete, Inc.
The money raised from hosting these events helps CONCRETEPAC to build a political war chest heading into the mid-term election, but corporate sponsorship allows us to underwrite the cost of hosting events. CONCRETEPAC is NRMCA’s bipartisan, multi-candidate federal Political Action Committee with the stated goal of electing pro-business, pro-ready mixed concrete candidates to Congress.
For more information, contact NRMCA’s Kerri Leininger at kleininger@nrmca.org. 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 the Week of September 30 - October 4, please click here.
If you would like to receive this weekly updated link in a separate e-mail, or if you have questions or comments about the roundup, contact NRMCA’s Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org. PRODUCTS & SERVICES
NRMCA's October Internet Spotlight, good through Tuesday, November 5, is the new Hazard Communication for the Ready Mixed Concrete Industry Guide. The new Hazard Communication Standards (HCS) from OSHA requires chemical manufacturers, distributors or importers (including ready mixed concrete producers) to make adjustments to their Hazard Communication Plan; NRMCA wants to make sure our members are ready for these new OSHA requirements taking effect on Sunday, December 1. As another vital addition to the NRMCA Safety Series, this CD-based PowerPoint training guide provides the ready mixed concrete producer with the tools to train employees on OSHA's new Hazard Communication Standard changes.
Order this important safety topic online today receive 20% off. Regular member price is $85, Internet Special $68.00, plus shipping. Discount Code: ISOCT13. CALENDAR
*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site.
October 10, Uncasville, CT
Regional ConcreteWorks, Northeast Region
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
November 4, Nashville, TN
Pervious Concrete Technician Certification
Email: Darla Sparkman, dsparkman@tnconcrete.org
November 4-8, Silver Spring, MD
Concrete Technologist Training & Certification "Short Course"
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
November 5, Webinar
Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Software
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
November 5, Webinar
The Quantifiable Advantages of Concrete Parking Lots
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
November 7, Webinar
Sustainable Design with Concrete
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
November 8, Webinar
ACI 330 R-08 – The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
November 8, Phoenix
Pervious Concrete Contractor Certification
Email: Susan Kregar, susan@azconcrete.com
November 12-14, Silver Spring, MD
The Effective RMC Supervisor Course
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
November 19, Webinar
Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete - Part 1 (*Part 2 on November 26)
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
December 2-3, Online Course
Designing Pervious Concrete Pavement for Municipal & Commercial Applications
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
December 3, Webinar
Roller Compacted Concrete: Another Choice for Pavement
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
December 3, Sacramento, CA
Handling Concrete Specifications, Low Strength Problems and Mixture Submittals
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
December 4, Glendora, CA
Handling Concrete Specifications, Low Strength Problems and Mixture Submittals
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
December 3-5, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP II: Customer Business Knowledge
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
December 4-6, Orlando, FL
Environmental Certification Course
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
December 9-12, Online Course and Certification
Concrete's Role in Sustainable Development
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
December 10-13, Orlando, FL
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
December 23, Webinar
Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete - Part 1 (*Part 2 on December 30)
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
2014
January 14, Webinar
Concrete Pavement Jointing Plans
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
January 20-23, Webinar
Building Green with Concrete
Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535
January 28, Webinar
RCC: Intro to Design and Construction Webinar
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
February 11-12, Online Course
Designing Jointed Concrete Pavement for Streets and Parking Areas
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
February 24-27, Webinar
LCA of Concrete Structures
Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535
March 18, Webinar
Controlling Moisture in Concrete Slabs
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
March 25, Webinar
Concrete Overlays for Streets and Local Roads and Parking Lots
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
May 6, Webinar
Soils 101
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
June 17, Webinar
Concrete Pavement Jointing Plans
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
August 19, Webinar
Controlling Moisture in Concrete Slabs
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
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