NRMCA e-news
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association
NRMCA's celebration of the 100th anniversary of ready mixed concrete in the U.S. continues in July with the histories of two more Producer and Associate members - See below for their respective Web site links. This week's industry milestone: The "first" student concrete canoe was built in 1970 by the civil engineering honors class at the University of Illinois. By 1974-1975, an estimated 100 schools were designing, constructing and racing concrete canoes. While most of the races took place on relatively quiet lakes or rivers, in 1975, the University of Maine sponsored the first whitewater canoe race on the Kenduskeag Stream.
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.
Producer - Founded in 1948 by the Oremus family, Prairie Material has grown along with the communities it has helped build. From its first yards in Bridgeview, IL, Prairie has expanded into one of the Chicago region's most well known providers of concrete, ready mix and aggregate construction materials. Prairie Material owns and operates batch plants and aggregate facilities in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. Read more.
An NRMCA Producer member since 1971
Associate - One of NRMCA's newest Associate members, Advance Testing Company, is a consulting construction materials testing laboratory that provides both field inspection and laboratory analysis of construction materials for commercial, private and public organizations. Advance Testing currently manages its work out of three primary offices located in New York, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Advance Testing was founded by James P. Smith, Jr., in 1984. Read more.
An NRMCA Associate member since 2012 
NEWS LINKS
A segment on National Public Radio's Science Friday broadcast featured a landscape architect named Cheryl Sullivan who discussed the pros and cons of pervious concrete. The link below also features a Listen Here link to the broadcast and a video of a demonstration at the University of New Hampshire's Stormwater Center that has been featured previously in E-NEWS.
Source: National Public Radio. Click here. The New York Times recently posted an article on the National Concrete Canoe Competition held on the campus of the University of Illinois. This year's winning entry was by the only Canadian participant, École de Technologie Supérieure, an engineering school in Montreal, whose boat named Savannah featured silhouettes of African wildlife on the side.
Source: A June 24 article by The New York Times. Armed with a degree in English literature from the University of Alberta, what's a young man to do? In the case of Matt Heide, concrete was an obvious choice. After finishing college, he started a construction company, which, after several years, began specializing in concrete architectural details like countertops and fireplace panel. Some years later, he tapped into his artistic side. At first, Heide would mess around with the backs of architectural pieces like fireplace panels that would get mortared to the wall. "The concrete was there and wet so I just started mixing colours and experimenting with different things," he says. "I would experiment with different painting techniques."
Source: A July 4 posting by the Edmonton Journal. Read more.
This week's European E-NEWS item takes us to France's second busiest port, Le Harve. After World War II, the city was in ruins. Five thousand of the city’s 160,000 pre-war inhabitants lost their lives — many in a series of Allied bombing raids in September 1944 — and 35,000 lost their homes and, with them, practically all their possessions. The new Le Havre was the controversial creation, and master work, of the French architect Auguste Perret and his team. And it was radically different from the brick and half-timber construction with heavily sloping roofs typical of this part of Normandy. For Perret designed and built almost exclusively with concrete, creating flat-roofed apartment buildings with a total of 10,000 units lining broad thoroughfares on the 370-acre site.
Source: A July 5 posting by The International Herald Tribune, which is owned by The New York Times. Read more.
PROMOTIONS
The California Nevada Cement Association (CNCA) plans to hire two new paving engineers at the beginning of 2014 in a substantial expansion of its Pavement Solutions Program. The goal of this program is to establish CNCA as a promotion force and technical resource in order to increase market share for concrete pavements and cement used in sub-grade applications for public infrastructure and private development. CNCA Executive Director Tom Tietz said that a primary benefit of the additional staffing will be to greatly expand participation in NRMCA’s Full Loop Promotion program.
Paulette Salisbury from CNCA and NRMCA Senior National Resource Director Jon Hansen have worked together over the past year with positive results that have been limited significantly by resource constraints. In 2014, NRMCA has pledged to provide the full support of its promotion and technical team to help CNCA convert National Account parking lot prospects and street and local road opportunities into local project successes.
Paving engineers interested in learning more about the new CNCA positions can contact Tom Tietz at tom.tietz@cncement.org. Those interested in learning more about NRMCA's Full Loop Promotion program can contact Jon Hansen at jhansen@nrmca.org or a national resource director in his or her region.
NRMCA's national resource directors have scheduled three Webinars through the rest of July, one each on how to effectively communicate sustainability, roller compacted concrete and NRMCA's Concrete Pavement Analyst software. Click on the respective links below to learn more and to register.
ASSOCIATION & INDUSTRY NEWS
Early bird registration is now open for the 2013 NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks and Board of Directors Meeting, scheduled for September 22-24 at the Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa outside Las Vegas. Register early to save more than $100 off the regular registration fees! This year’s event includes keynote presentations from AIA’s Kermit Baker, business speaker Bruce Wilkinson, Allen-Villere Partners Pierre Villere and NRMCA President Robert Garbini. In addition, a multi-track education program, NRMCA committee meetings and Board of Directors activities round out the business of the Association and, combined with the Annual National Mixer Driver Championship, networking opportunities, Awards Luncheon and the Awards Dinner, the 2013 event is a must-attend.
NRMCA has contracted a block of rooms at the Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa at a discounted rate of $169/night plus taxes (a daily resort fee of $14.99 will be added to your room rate to cover several in-room amenities). Hotel reservations can be made by calling the resort at 866-767-7773 or we encourage you to make your hotel reservations online. The hotel reservations cut-off date is Friday, August 30, but the block of rooms is limited, so we suggest that you make your hotel reservations as soon as possible.
In an effort to expand our "Green Meetings" efforts, we will NOT be mailing brochures this year. You will be able to access an online version of the full brochure later this week by clicking here.
For more information, please contact Director of Meetings Jessica Walgenbach at jwalgenbach@nrmca.org. ENGINEERING
Plan to attend the NRMCA Concrete Durability Course from August 27-29 in San Jose, CA. The course is cosponsored by CalCima and hosted by NRMCA Producer member Central Concrete. The course is taught by Michael Thomas, University of New Brunswick and 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 walk attendees through ConcreteWorks' software that can be used to develop concrete mixtures for durability.
The course also discusses the new provisions for durability in ACI 318-11 and how specifications can be structured to address durability. Attendees at previous courses have given this program rave reviews. This course also offers those with the NRMCA Level 3 certification to obtain the NRMCA Concrete Technologist Level 4 certification. It also provides required learning units toward the technical track of the NRMCA STEPS certification program. Please register early if you wish to attend. Click here for registration options, hotel information and staff contact for more information.
SUSTAINABILITY
With a final overall vote of 86 percent in favor of adoption, the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED v4 successfully passed member ballot last month. The much-debated revision of the green building rating system will go into effect in November. Easily surpassing the minimum overall 66.7 percent of votes needed for passage, the newest version of LEED passed with 90 percent approval from the user category of the voting body, 77 percent approval from the general interest category and 89 percent approval from the producer category.
As previously reported, a number of the changes to the LEED system drew passionate commentary over the past two years with much of it centered around changes relating to the Materials and Resources credits. Currently, there are more than 100 projects participating in the LEED v4 beta program and the first of these projects may receive certification this summer.
NRMCA will offer a head start to our members with an updated Concrete’s Role in Sustainable Development online course on August 5-8 that will feature LEED v4. Subjects covered will include Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), Responsible Sourcing, LCA, and Health Product Declarations (HPDs). Click here to register or see item below for more course details.
For more information on the LEED update and the upcoming course, contact NRMCA's Tien Peng at TPeng@nrmca.org or 206-913-8535. With the recent adoption of LEED v4, NRMCA is offering a new version of its popular online course Concrete’s Role in Sustainable Development with significant focus on the new LEED v4 standard, August 5-8. The green building movement continues to gain momentum as developers, government agencies and designers build structures to minimize environmental impact. To take full advantage of this movement and be a participant in the process, you have to have a detailed understanding of the design concepts and guidelines used in LEED, the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) and other relevant standards. The course consists of four live Webinars, each held from noon to 2 p.m. Eastern time, from August 5-8, plus online exercises and quizzes for a total of 10 hours of instruction.
This newly revised course will feature a comprehensive study of LEED v4, which is radically different than previous versions. It will provide details on how concrete contributes to this new standard. The course will identify the differences between LEED v4 and LEED 2009 along with other relevant green building standards. You’ll come away with a detailed understanding of how green building rating systems work and what you need to do to meet these new standards, including the new LEED v4 Materials and Resources credits requiring Environmental Product Declarations, Responsible Sourcing and Health Product Declarations. This course is intended for concrete industry professionals, including sales and marketing, technical and operations professionals.
Participants who successfully complete this course will be credited with 10 Professional Development Hours. Upon successful completion of the course and certification exam, course attendees will earn the NRMCA Certified Concrete Sustainability Specialist designation. The course is taught by expert Instructors Tien Peng, LEED AP, CGP, NRMCA senior director, sustainability, codes and standards and Lionel Lemay, PE, SE, LEED AP, NRMCA senior vice president, sustainable development.
Click here to register online. For more information, contact NRMCA's Shawnita Dickens at SDickens@nrmca.org or 240-485-1154.
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
The House of Representatives is expected to consider H.R. 2218, the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act of 2013, legislation that will pre-empt Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classification of coal ash as hazardous waste, thereby preserving our industries’ recycle and "beneficial use" of the material. The legislation may come to the House floor for a vote as early as next week and industry partners would like to present a letter to all members of the House chamber in support of the legislation. Please consider signing your company’s name to a joint letter in support of the legislation by e-mailing NRMCA’s Kerri Leininger at kleininger@nrmca.org no later than noon Eastern time on Friday, July 12. The letter will be delivered to House members early next week in anticipation of floor action. PRODUCTS & SERVICES
NRMCA's July Internet Spotlight, good through Tuesday, August 6, is the Hot Weather Package. Now that the hot weather is here, help front line staff brush up on tips to help make the job go easier and get better results with a DVD copy of the How to Keep It Cool: a driver training video that offers tips for placing concrete during hot weather; and 50 copies of the two page Concrete In Practice, Topic #12 Hot Weather Concreting. Each is an easy to understand, informative and comprehensive source of timely and important information.
Order online today and receive 25% off. Regular member price is $90, Internet Special $67.50, plus shipping. Please use Discount Code: ISJULY13.
CALENDAR
*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site.
July 15–19, Skokie, IL
2013 Professors Workshop: Teaching Buildings, Bridges, Materials, and Pavements
Email: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101
July 18, Free Webinar
Urban Physics: City Texture Matters
Email: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101
July 18, Webinar
Effectively Communicating Sustainability
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
July 29, Webinar
Roller Compacted Concrete: Your Third Choice for Pavement
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
July 30, Webinar
Behind the Wood First Initiatives
Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535
July 31, Webinar
Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Software
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
July 31, Webinar
The Quantifiable Advantages of Concrete Parking Lots
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
August 6, Webinar
Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete - Part 1 (*Part 2 on August 13)
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
August 5-8 Online Course
Concrete's Role in Sustainable Development
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
August 11-15, Montreal
ISARC 2013: 30th International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction, Mining & Petroleum Industries
Email: Chantal Murphy, 514-939-2710, ext. 1309
August 12-15 Online Course
Pervious Concrete: A Stormwater Solution
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
August 13-16, Silver Spring, MD
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
August 15, Free Webinar
Quasi-Steady-State Equilibrium Estimation of Concrete Pavement CO2 Sequestration
Email: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101
August 22, Webinar
Effectively Communicating Sustainability
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
August 27, Webinar
Concrete Pavement Jointing Plans
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
August 27, Webinar
Roller Compacted Concrete: Your Third Choice for Pavement
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
August 27-29, San Jose, CA
Concrete Durability Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
August 30, Webinar
ACI 330 R-08 – The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
September 10, Webinar
Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Software
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
September 10, Webinar
The Quantifiable Advantages of Concrete Parking Lots
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
September 12, Webinar
Effectively Communicating Sustainability
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
September 19, Free Webinar
Coal Ash Material Safety—A Health Risk-Based Evaluation of USGS Coal Ash Data from Five US Power Plants
Email: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101
September 22-24, Las Vegas, NV
ConcreteWorks & Board of Directors' Meeting
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
October 1, Webinar
Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete - Part 1 (*Part 2 on October 8)
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
October 1-4, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP I: Introduction to Concrete Fundamentals—Concrete 101
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
October 15, Webinar
Roller Compacted Concrete: Your Third Choice for Pavement
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
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 8, Webinar
ACI 330 R-08 – The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
November 19, Webinar
Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete - Part 1 (*Part 2 on November 26)
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
November 19-21, Silver Spring, MD
The Effective RMC Supervisor Course
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
December 3-5, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP II: Customer Business Knowledge
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
December 4-6, Orlando, FL
Environmental Professional Certification Course
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
December 5, Webinar
Roller Compacted Concrete: Your Third Choice for Pavement
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
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
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