NRMCA | E-News

A 4.5-year, $260 billion funding proposal for surface transportation projects was scheduled to be released yesterday by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The bill also contains a provision that would permit trucks weighing up to 97,000 pounds on interstate highways. The committee is likely to pass the bill on Thursday. Source: The Associated Press, included in a January 31 news roundup distributed by the AGC SmartBrief e-newsletter. Read more.

Buffalo Bills Stadium Lease Renewal Focuses on Concrete

Keeping the Buffalo Bills in Buffalo means convincing the team to renew its lease to play at Ralph Wilson Stadium in suburban Orchard Park. But first Erie County engineers want to know how well the concrete at the stadium is holding up. The county plans to hire an architectural and engineering firm to assess how the stadium’s concrete has changed since it was last studied in 1996. Source: A January 27 article posted by the Buffalo News. Read more.

PROMOTION

Concrete's Advantage in Parking Lot Lighting Gains Momentum

Recently, NRMCA Senior National Resource Directors Amy Miller, Doug O’Neill and Vance Pool attended a Webinar hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), entitled "High-Performance Parking Lot Lighting for Federal Facilities." The focus of the Webinar was to discuss the implementation of DOE’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) which encourages the use of solid-state lighting (SSL), such as Light Emitting Diodes (LED), for exterior lighting. The Webinar provided attendees with an exterior SSL technology update, an overview of product and application-related support resources available from FEMP, and case studies of exterior SSL applications.

One of the case studies included was the Leavenworth, KS, Wal-Mart project completed in 2009. This site is one of Wal-Mart’s pilot LED projects and was scrutinized by Wal-Mart management prior to the recent change in policy which now specifies LED lighting on all new construction projects (you may remember hearing about this project before, as it includes a concrete parking lot).

Of great interest to our industry is the response from surveys of Wal-Mart customers and company representatives with regard to the performance of the LED’s on the concrete pavement vs. a similar asphalt parking lot. According to a DOE report, initial response from customers and Wal-Mart personnel indicate that the luminance of the LED-lit concrete parking lot was acceptable, even though it has significantly lower illuminance than a similar asphalt lot with a traditional 1000W metal halide lighting design. Additionally, the DOE reported, "Typical concrete has a higher reflectance value than asphalt, along with a smoother, more reflective texture. The higher reflectance values from concrete play as much of a role in the visibility and apparent brightness of the site as the lighting."

"What better support could we ask, for what we’ve been saying for years," said Senior National Resource Director Phil Kresge. "Concrete’s lighter color provides better reflectivity and therefore should be taken into consideration when designing exterior light plans!" Kresge's fellow Senior National Resource Director Jon Hansen added, "I believe this third-party information from DOE can be interpreted as an endorsement and our industry should take this opportunity to leverage it with the design community."

The DOE report can be found here. Please take a moment to download and review this document, particularly sections 4.1, 5.1 and 6.1. Also download NRMCA’s Promotion Facts Brochure, "Luminance, Illuminance and Concrete Pavement" here. For more information, contact your regional national resource director.

Promotion Team Battles Concrete Blind Spot in New Hampshire

One day after Mitt Romney won the New Hampshire primary, a team of concrete industry professionals showed up in force at a local USGBC Chapter event in the Granite State. Jon Kuell, executive director of the Northern New England Concrete Promotion Association, Ray Shannon with Lehigh Cement, Tim Latham with Kingston Red-T-Mix and NRMCA Northeast Senior National Resource Director Doug O’Neill attended a recent event at a newly built LEED Silver Hampton Inn & Suites in Exeter.

The presentation was an overview of all that went into completing this four story, 111 room, 73,000 square foot hotel. The design team even used a white colored material for the roof in order to obtain the LEED Credit for Reducing the Heat Island Effect (Roof). What was amazing to the concrete representatives in the crowd was the total lack of thought regarding the parking lot, O'Neill said. This LEED Silver hopeful site used asphalt for the parking lot thus forfeiting the opportunity to take advantage of the LEED Credit for Reducing the Heat Island Effect (Non-Roof) by using a light colored material like concrete. When asked about this obvious oversight, the design team representative admitted that she never considered using concrete. She then listed several common misperceptions designers in the Northeast seem to have about concrete, including that it costs too much and that concrete can’t handle the New England weather. The concrete team was well equipped to address those concerns and is looking forward to being asked back for a future concrete-related presentation.

For more information, contact Doug O’Neill at doneill@nrmca.org.

First in E-NEWS Success Series is FedEx Special Delivery

When Federal Express in Bedford Park, IL, decided to add a 1.1 million square foot parking area to its distribution center parking lot, it chose concrete as the ideal material to deliver long life with lower maintenance costs. Contractor Scurto Cement Construction and ready mixed concrete producer Prairie Materials teamed up to provide a solution that saved FedEx 50 cents per square foot on just the initial installation - click here (PDF) for more information on this outstanding paving project success.

This is the first in the new Concrete Paving Project Success Series which will regularly feature noteworthy paving projects contributed by NRMCA members and partners. The projects will be archived here on ConcretePromotion.org along with success stories previously posted.

To contribute a paving success story to the series, contact your regional NRMCA national resource director or Glenn Ochsenreiter at glenn@NRMCA.org or 240-485-1140.

Upcoming Webinars Focus on ACI 330, Designing Pervious Concrete

NRMCA's national resource directors have two Webinars scheduled for February, so be sure to click on each link for more information or contact NRMCA's Jessica Walgenbach at jwalgenbach@nrmca.org.

February 6 - When designing, constructing or proposing a concrete parking lot, there is just one standard that should be followed: ACI 330R-08. Why? Participate in this Webinar led by Southeast Senior National Resource Director Amy Miller and learn why. ACI 330 R-08 – The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design
February 14 - A two-part Webinar by Mid-Atlantic Senior National Resource Director Phil Kresge provides an overview on implementing pervious concrete pavements as a solution to reducing stormwater runoff from building sites and other paved areas. Participants will learn about pervious concrete pavement systems, engineering properties and construction techniques. Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete (*Part 2 is February 21)

ASSOCIATION & INDUSTRY NEWS

Hotel Reservation Cutoff Date Extended for 2012 NRMCA Annual Convention

The hotel reservation deadline for the 2012 NRMCA Annual Convention has been extended to Friday, February 10. The NRMCA room block is limited so please make your reservations soon. To make your hotel reservations, please contact the Savannah Marriott Riverfront Hotel at 912-233-7722 or 800-285-0398. Please state that you are with "NRCNRCA" or "National Ready Mixed Concrete" to receive the discounted room rate of $155.00/per night plus applicable taxes. Included in your room rate is complimentary internet access in your guestroom.

Please assist the association in meeting our hotel room requirements by making your reservations now. Hotel contracts require NRMCA to be financially liable for unused sleeping rooms. The sleeping room rate covers the cost of meeting space, upkeep and utilities of the hotel. Staying at the convention hotel also provides you with the benefit of after-hours networking and easy accessibility to meetings and sessions. Please help NRMCA avoid these unnecessary penalties and keep registration fees low by booking your sleeping room at the Savannah Marriott Riverfront.

For more information, contact the NRMCA Meetings Department at meetings@nrmca.org or 888-846-7622, ext. 1152.

OPERATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY & HR

2012 NRMCA Safety Contest Entry Forms Now Available

The annual NRMCA Safety Contest is a safety performance and incentive/award program aimed to foster safe practices at ready mixed concrete plants across the nation. In November 2008, the NRMCA Safety Task Group updated the "Excellence in Safety Awards Program" to a 3-tier system and began basing the winning facilities off of the latest OSHA/Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Incident Rate available for the ready mixed concrete industry. Starting in 2009, only those plants with an incident rate below the national average receive awards. The latest BLS data (as of June 1, 2010) shows the ready mixed concrete industry with an incident rate of 5.2.

Using the model of the Olympic Games, the 3-tiers of "Excellence in Safety Awards" were designated as Gold, Silver and Bronze:
Gold – Incident rate equal to zero
Silver – Incident rate greater than zero and equal to or less than 2.6 (1/2 the industry average)
Bronze – Incident rate greater than 2.6 and less than 5.2

Over the past few years, the program has grown to become NRMCA’s most popular award recognition program. The NRMCA Safety Contest and NRMCA Safety Benchmarking Program entry forms were combined and computerized to enhance both programs. The data are analyzed and used to establish industry benchmarks for safe operations. Concrete Producer magazine cosponsors the NRMCA Safety Contest.

Click here to access a link to download a copy of the application form. The entry deadline is Monday, April 16. For more information, contact NRMCA's Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org.

Winter Mixer Driver Training Made Easy Online

The industry’s premier driver training program is now online and totally self-directed so a supervisor or company trainer is not needed. Instead, NRMCA's Concrete Delivery Professional (CDP) Certification Program is led by a voice-over instructor whose words are seen in subtitles to support drivers with reading or hearing difficulties. Its design allows mixer drivers access through NRMCA’s Web site at any time, using any internet connection.

Each lesson is just 20 minutes long so a learning module can fit in between loads or can be spontaneously accessed on slow or bad weather days at the plant. Lessons also have a stop/start feature, making CDP participation adaptable to a driver’s ever-changing work schedule. For more support, CDP-Online directly coordinates with an optional textbook.

Exams are online as well, so the requirement for a third-party proctor has been eliminated, saving your company time and money. Finally, the price has not increased since its initial launch yet the material and delivery system are state-of-the-art. With producers’ need to have cost-effective skill reinforcement for their remaining driving pool, CDP Online gives your frontline representatives the advantage of being the most efficient, skilled and productive driving force representing your business.

For information, contact NRMCA’s Shawnita Dickens 1-888-84-NRMCA, ext. 1154 or by e-mail, sdickens@nrmca.org.

ENGINEERING

NRMCA Reports on Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting

The 91st meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) was held in late January in Washington, DC, with about 1,100 transportation professionals in attendance and more than 4,000 papers were presented. What follows is an update of the sessions and meetings attended by NRMCA:

A half-day session on Internal Curing using Light Weight Aggregate Fines was held. Eight papers were presented discussing basic research to state highway department trials. During hydration these lightweight aggregate fines will slowly release water as needed. These materials will not replace traditional curing. It is primarily used to prevent autogeneous shrinkage and, to a lesser extent, thermal shrinkage. A future TRB Webinar is planned. NIST has tools for mixture proportioning, including an equation to calculate amount light weight aggregate fines needed to prevent shrinkage cracking. AFN40 Committee is working on a circular on internal curing. Louisiana DOT has developed a ternary concrete specification that allows up to 70% SCM and has no minimum cementitious content. This spec can be used only if external temperature is above 50°F. A mass concrete project has been completed successfully and a concrete pavement project is planned.
There were several papers on surface resistivity. The test is more economical than the RCPT test (ASTM C1202). It is a lot easier and quicker and has excellent correlations with RCPT but with lower variability. AASHTO TP 95-11 is a provisional standard. A paper was presented on use of clean natural gas (CNG) instead of diesel for ready mixed concrete trucks. If CNG stations are widely available and natural gas has price differential with diesel, it will become cost effective. AZ state has an Excel spread sheet to compare costs.
A paper was presented using lower discount rates for concrete vs. asphalt which showed significantly lower life cycle costs for concrete pavements as compared to asphalt pavements. There were a number of papers on recycled concrete aggregate and pervious concrete signifying continued interest in those subjects. TRB’s Properties of Concrete Committee is working on a circular on pervious concrete.
IPRF Web site has fly ash type and dosage selection tool for concrete pavements based on performance requirements. Please see http://www.iprf.org/products/main.html. The National CP Tech Center has recently released "Sustainable Concrete Pavements: A Manual of Practice". PCA has developed a document "Guide to Cement Based Integrated Pavement Solution". It is a non-technical document discussing different types of pavement systems. Both documents can be downloaded at no cost from www.cptechcenter.org.
Eight papers were presented over two sessions on Portland limestone blended cements (PLBC). Up to 15% limestone likely to be approved by ASTM C595/AASHTO M240 in 2012. Limestone fines may help with particle packing, providing additional nucleation sites for hydration products and formation of carbo-aluminates. PLBC has 580-600 m2/kg blaine as compared to about 380 m2/kg for portland cement. Typically, it is about 10 m2/kg higher blaine for every 1% limestone. Researchers stated that fly ash/slag cement can be added at the concrete plant to PLBC at the same rate as with ordinary portland cements with similar performance.

The theme for the 2013 TRB meeting is Deploying Transportation Infrastructure: Doing this faster, cheaper and better. TRB 2013 is likely to feature workshops on Cracking; and Ensuring Good Quality Concrete.

For more information, contact NRMCA's Karthik Obla at kobla@nrmca.org.

Concrete Technology Course Offered in May in New Hampshire

NRMCA is offering its one-day course, Handling Concrete Specifications, Low Strength Problems and Mixture Submittals, intended for concrete producers, contractors, engineers and testing labs on Wednesday, May 23, in Nashua, NH. 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 the new ACI Building Code 318-08 exposure categories. It will suggest specification revisions for all around benefits in performance and cost 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 the NRMCA 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 like 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 an NRMCA staff engineer. 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.

For more information and staff contact, click here.

SUSTAINABILITY

NRMCA Travels to Kentucky, Indiana to Present MIT Life Cycle Research Findings

NRMCA Senior Director of Sustainability, Codes and Standards Tien Peng will deliver a series of professional seminars in Kentucky and Indiana on Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and the research activities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSH) that address the dual use aspect of concrete. The seminars, organized by the Kentucky Ready-Mixed Concrete Association, are scheduled for:

February 13 - Downtown Marriott, Louisville, KY
February 15 - U of Evansville, Evansville, IN
February 16 - Hyatt Regency, Lexington, KY
February 17 - Embassy Suites River Center, Covington, KY

The one-hour presentation will include a brief overview of LCAs, how material selection contributes to meeting our carbon constrained future and recent reports from the MIT CSH. It will reveal the second year results from developing comprehensive strategies for new technologies, designs and policies associated with the future use of concrete buildings and pavements. Environmental and cost impacts and the potential for huge improvements will be discussed on various building types.

For more information, contact Tien Peng at 206-913-8535 or tpeng@nrmca.org. The MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub was established by the RMC Research & Education Foundation Foundation and the Portland Cement Association in 2009. Additional information about the work taking place at MIT may be found here.

NRMCA Participates in Nebraska Concrete Paving Workshop

NRMCA’s Brian Killingsworth and Amanda Hult presented at the Nebraska Concrete Paving Association’s 33rd Annual Concrete Paving Workshop last week in Lincoln. The workshop was well attended by industry professionals as well as representatives from local and state governmental agencies. The two-day workshop hosted presentations on a wide variety of topics from general concrete pavement types and applications to specific concrete paving project case studies. The Paving Awards Banquet showcased paving projects placed throughout the state for excellence in design and construction.

If you are interested in having an NRMCA technical engineer present at your workshop, please contact Amanda Hult at ahult@nrmca.org or 720-648-0323 or Brian Killingsworth at bkillingsworth@nrmca.org or 210-5084923.

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

NRMCA Advocacy News Roundup Updated Through January 27

To read government affairs-related stories that relate to the ready mixed concrete industry for the week of January 23-27, 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

Internet Spotlight is Concrete Floors and Moisture Book

NRMCA's Internet Spotlight, good through Friday, February 3, is the Concrete Floors and Moisture book. This book discusses sources of moisture, drying of concrete, methods of measuring moisture, construction practices, specifications and responsibilities for successful floor projects. This edition incorporates a brief discussion of terrazzo issues, additional references on drying times of lightweight concrete, an extended discussion of issues with ASTM F1869 moisture emission testing, and updates to the sources of supplies and standards.

Order online today from and receive 50% off. Internet Special $20, plus shipping. Please use Discount Code ISJAN12 to receive the online discount.

CALENDAR

Calendar: A Look Ahead

February 6, Webinar
ACI 330 R-08 – The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

February 6-9, Online Course
Concrete's Role in Sustainable Development
Email: sdickens@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

February 14, Webinar
Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete (*Part 2 is February 21)
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

February 14, Free Webinar
Effectively Communicating Sustainability
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

February 15, Free Webinar
NRMCA & ENERGY STAR® Energy Management
Email: gmullings@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1161

February 20-24, Dallas
Technical Short Course
Email: kbean@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1168

February 21, Webinar
Introduction To Concrete Pavement Analyst
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

February 23, Webinar
Streets and Local Roads
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

February 27-March 1, Online Course
Building Green with Concrete
Email: sdickens@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

March 2, Webinar
National Account Parking Lots 101
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

March 4-6, Savannah, GA
NRMCA Annual Convention
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

March 12, Webinar
Designing and Specifying Pervious Concrete (*Part 2 is March 19)
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

March 15, Webinar
ACI 330 R-08 – The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

March 19, Webinar
Introduction To Concrete Pavement Analyst
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

March 20-22, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module IV: Professional Sales Skills Workshop
Email: sdickens@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

March 26-29, Online Course
Pervious Concrete—A Stormwater Solution
Email: sdickens@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

April 12, Webinar
Streets and Local Roads
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

April 16-19, Online Course
Design of Concrete Pavements
Email: sdickens@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

April 26, Webinar
ACI 330 R-08 – The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

May 7-10, Seattle, WA
International Concrete Sustainability Conference
Email: llemay@nrmca.org, llemay@nrmca.org

May 17, Webinar
Streets and Local Roads
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

May 21-24, Online Course
Life Cycle Assessment of Concrete Structures
Email: sdickens@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

May 23, Nashua, NH
Handling Concrete Specifications, Low Strength Problems and Mixture Submittals
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

June 7, Webinar
ACI 330 R-08 – The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

June 25-28, Online Course
Concrete's Role in Sustainable Development
Email: sdickens@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

June 28, Webinar
Streets and Local Roads
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

July 16-19, Online Course
Building Green with Concrete
Email: sdickens@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

July 26, Webinar
ACI 330 R-08 – The Gold Standard of Concrete Parking Lot Design
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

August 6-9, Online Course
Pervious Concrete—A Stormwater Solution
Email: sdickens@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

August 9, Webinar
Streets and Local Roads
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

August 27-30, Online Course
Design of Concrete Pavements
Email: sdickens@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

September 20, Webinar
Streets and Local Roads
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

November 1, Webinar
Streets and Local Roads
Email: jwalgenbach@nrmca.org, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

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