·
U.S. Commercial Property Headed for
Recovery
– U.S. commercial real estate will
recover more quickly than in the 1990s
downturn as a lack of financing limits
new supply and investors flush with cash
compete for properties, according to
Prudential Real Estate Investors.
Prudential is "relatively optimistic"
about office, retail store, apartment
and hotel real estate, where large
properties typically held by
institutional investors are seeing
multiple bids, albeit in rare cases when
they are offered, Marc Halle, a manager
of the Prudential Global Real Estate
Fund, said on Tuesday. Source: July 20
article by Reuters news service:
read more.
·
Construction Materials Price Index
Steady in June
– The construction materials price index
was unchanged in June, according to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, after rising
for eight consecutive months. That rise
was 5.2% which is nearly an 8% annual
pace. The June pause is temporary
although the next few months may also
record no change or small declines.
Construction materials inflation is much
higher than overall inflation in the
economy and this will continue at least
through 2011. Source: July 20 posting by
Reed Construction Data:read more.
·
A Concrete Plan for Haiti
– An environmental advisor who recently
traveled to Haiti called for a recycling
plan for the various construction
materials, including concrete, found
throughout the country as a result of
the January earthquake. "A
new, carefully coordinated, much
larger-scale strategy is needed; one
that emphasizes the storing, crushing,
and re-use of concrete debris. Crushed
concrete can be reused as road aggregate
material, as well as a base layer for
new building construction," writes the
author. Source: A July 23 article on the
Web site of The Boston Globe:read more.
The Northern Virginia Concrete Advisory Council (NVCAC)
recently hosted its 3rd Annual Building
Green with Concrete Workshop at the
offices of Wetland Studies and Solutions
Inc. (WSSI) in Gainesville. Organized by
Industry Services Director Hessam Nabavi,
the one-day event offered a unique
opportunity to a targeted audience of
over 80 architects, engineers, county
officials, VDOT engineers, developers,
builders and ready mix producers to
learn about Green Concrete and its
various design applications.
The workshop was kicked off by NRMCA's Senior Director of
Sustainable Construction Erin Ashley who
presented Concrete Sustainable
Solutions for Today and Tomorrow.
Following Ashley, Senior Director of
National Resources Philip Kresge focused
more on the green side of pavements with
his presentation The Concrete
Advantage in Paving. Other topics
included
Responsible Building Technology, Tilt-Up
Site Cast Concrete, What is Green About
ICF and
Colored & Textured Concrete - From Bland
to Brilliant with Ease.
Many of the attendees commented on the timeliness and
relevance of the topics, saying they
could easily use the new information in
current and upcoming projects. They also
were pleased with the networking
opportunities that the workshop
provided, Kresge said.
NRMCA Northeast National Resource Director Doug O'Neill
reports that CVS is intensifying its
interest in pervious concrete in the
Northeast region and has now requested
to view successful placements in New
York and Connecticut. As follow-up to
several pervious presentations, it was
determined that some members of the CVS
design team still have concerns about
using pervious in cold weather
situations, O'Neill said. The client was
surprised to learn that there were many
successful pervious projects already in
both states. O'Neill then reached out to
his industry promotion colleagues, Greg
Novitzki, executive director of the New
York Concrete Promotion Council and Jim
Langlois, executive director of the
Connecticut Concrete Promotion Council,
who produced a full list of pervious
projects to visit.
"We are now planning a driving tour of some of the locations
so that the industry has the opportunity
to address any questions or concerns as
they view these sites," O'Neill said.
"The fact that there are so many newly
placed projects in both states is a real
testament to the efforts and success
many state associations are having
promoting pervious concrete in the
Northeast."
The ACI Grade I Field Testing Certification is the most
popular and used certification program
offered by the American Concrete
Institute (ACI) for those involved in
acceptance testing of concrete in the
field. NRMCA has now developed a Grade
II certification program that represents
the next step in the knowledge
requirements for advanced field testing
technicians (NRMCA has communicated its
intent to develop this program with ACI).
The certification program includes an evaluation of
technicians knowledge on the following
standards:
·ASTM
C31 Making and Curing Beams Specimens
(only) in the Field
·ASTM
C42 Obtaining and Testing Drilled Cores
·ASTM
C94 Specifications for Ready Mixed
Concrete (sections of importance to
technicians)
·ASTM
C125 Terminology on Concrete and
Concrete Aggregates (selected for
technicians)
·ASTM
C803 Penetration Resistance of Hardened
Concrete (Windsor Probe)
·ASTM
C805 Rebound Number of Hardened Concrete
·ASTM
C1611 Slump Flow of Self-Consolidating
Concrete
·ASTM
C1688 Density of Pervious Concrete
A review text summarizes pertinent sections of the standards,
background information is discussed,
review questions are provided and
presentations have been developed for
each of these standards. NRMCA plans to
administer the certification through
approved local sponsoring groups,
similar to ACI certifications. Several
exams have been developed and the
passing criteria require 70% on the
entire exam and 60% on each standard.
Presentations with instructor notes are
available for the local sponsoring
groups to administer training. The Grade
II certification requires attendees to
possess a current ACI Grade I
certification. This certification
program requires a written exam but does
not require a performance evaluation.
The National Capital Chapter of ACI offered the first
training program on Monday, July 19 and
the closed-book exam (1 hour, 45 minutes
long) was administered on Thursday, July
22. Eleven senior level technicians from
the Washington, DC, area attended the
training program and attempted the exam.
NRMCA plans to administer another
program with the Maryland ACI chapter.
Moving forward, NRMCA will solicit local
sponsoring groups to participate and
administer the Grade II certification
using similar rules and procedures those
for the ACI certification programs.
OES will host two face-to-face, required classes for STEPS
certification in early Fall 2010 in
Silver Spring, MD. With a clear
understanding that many operations
people are now multitasking, these
classes will focus on giving
participants immediate skills to help
juggle all their balls within compliance
parameters as well as learn efficiency
processes and organizational methods.
Plant Manager Certification
Silver Spring, MD, August 17-20
Click here
for registration options, more
information
The Effective RMC Supervisor
Silver Spring, MD, September 28-30
Click here
for registration options, more
information
For more information or questions, contact NRMCA's Jessica
Moore at jmoore@nrmca.org or
240-485-1152.
The Dispatcher Training Forum will be held in Silver Spring,
MD, November 16-18, at the RMC Research
& Education Foundation
Center. Specifically tailored for
dispatchers, ready mix schedulers and
shippers, the workshop begins with
developing technical competence and
moves to mastering complex scheduling
and customer service. The course content
has been revised to not only address the
depressed market but to also include
critical customer service strategies to
bolster sales.
Click here
for registration options, more
information and NRMCA staff contact. For
more information or questions, contact
NRMCA's Jessica Moore at jmoore@nrmca.org or
240-485-1152.
Numerous ready mixed concrete fleets
throughout the U.S. are currently
testing compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered
mixer trucks, according to NRMCA Senior
Vice President of Operations and
Compliance Gary Mullings and a recent
news item by the Portland Cement
Association (PCA).
One of the most recent companies to
begin testing is NRMCA producer member
Cemstone, a Mendota Heights, MN-based
ready mix and aggregates producer. CNG-powered
mixer vehicles offer a viable clean
technology alternative. When compared to
a traditional diesel engine, CNG-powered
mixer trucks offer lower fuel costs,
reduced noise pollution and six times
cleaner burning. The mixer truck is
fitted with a 6-cylinder, 8.9-liter
engine with a cooled exhaust gas
recirculation and state-of-the-art
electronic engine controls. Earlier this
year, Cemstone upgraded 21 vehicles in
its mixer truck fleet through the
Minnesota Environmental Initiative and
its Project Green Fleet program. These
vehicles feature diesel oxidation
catalysts or diesel multi-stage filters
that reduce engine emissions by up to 50%.
"At Cemstone, we have an obligation to
explore new opportunities to make our
ready mix fleet more environmentally
friendly – and to assist the industry by
evaluating new technologies like
compressed natural gas powered mixer
trucks," said Tim Becken, Cemstone
executive vice president of operations
and current NRMCA Chairman of the Board
of Directors, in an interview with PCA.
"We are trying to include one at this
year's ConcreteWorks' Mixer Driver
Championship," Mullings said. "Our
members are strongly interested in
learning more about sustainable fleet
maintenance practices and natural
gas-powered mixer fleets has great
potential in that regard."
Material for this
OES news item was provided in part from
PCA's July 26 Executive Report
e-newsletter. For more information,
contact Gary Mullings at
gmullings@nrmca.org.
To read government affairs-related
stories that relate to the ready mixed
concrete industry for the week of July
19-23, 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.
Last week, NRMCA, the National Asphalt Pavement Association
(NAPA), Portland Cement Association (PCA),
National Stone, Sand and Gravel
Association (NSSGA) and America Concrete
Pavement Association (ACPA) sent a
letter to President Obama urging him to
act promptly to enact a long-term,
multi-year surface transportation bill
with increased funding for the Federal
Highway Program. The letter also called
for an increase in the motor fuel tax to
deliver a fully-funded bill addressing
our nation's desperate need to upgrade
its highways, roads and bridges. The
letter cited that passage of multiple
extensions of the Safe, Accountable,
Flexible, Efficient Transporation Equity
Act: A Legacy for Users have had little
effect on our industry's devastating 30%
unemployment rate and sharp double-digit
market decline of production levels in
2008 and 2009. Passage of a multi-year
highway bill will serve as a true
stimulant to our nation's economy, while
also adding well-paying, long-term jobs
in construction and related industries.
The letter was signed by the presidents of NRMCA, NAPA, PCA,
NSSGA and ACPA. These five associations
have joined forces to form the Highway
Construction Materials Group coalition
to advocate on behalf of the principle
suppliers of materials used to build and
rehabilitate our nation's highways,
roads and bridges.
Click here
to read the letter. For more information
on the coalition itself or NRMCA's
government affairs efforts, contact
NRMCA's Kerri Leininger at
kleininger@nrmca.org.
Earlier this week, the White House
Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
received the Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration's (FMCSA) new
Hours of Service (HOS) rule, which could
possibly set new maximum driving limits
for commercial motor vehicle operators.
This development is the latest
development on an issue that has spanned
decades. Since 1996, when federal
highway officials announced they were
going to review HOS regulations that had
largely been in place since 1937, and
again in 2000 when the FMCSA proposed
sweeping changes to HOS regulations,
there has been an ongoing battle among
many industries that have a stake in
operating commercial motor carriers and
public safety advocacy groups.
From 2003 to 2007 the current HOS regulations were heavily
litigated, but changed very little. In
July 2007, the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the District of Columbia Circuit issued
an opinion striking down certain aspects
of the HOS regulations because the
methodology for their implementation had
not been subject to notice and comment.
Later that year, after collecting data
showing improvements in safety due to
the current regulations, the FMCSA
issued an interim final rule retaining
the vacated provisions and maintaining
the status quo.
Last year, however, FMCSA agreed to re-examine the current
HOS rule if the public safety advocacy
groups and the Teamsters union dropped a
pending lawsuit against FMCSA and the
current rule. Since then, FMCSA has held
numerous public listening sessions and
received comments on the current rule (NRMCA
provided both oral and written
comments). The final product of those
comments and listening sessions is what
was sent to OMB on Monday.
There aren't any details about what the
new rule will entail, however the safety
advocates had originally suggested
lowering the maximum allowable driving
time and increasing the required number
of off-duty hours between shifts.
OMB typically takes 90 days to review a
proposed rule, after which it will be
published in the Federal Register.
As agreed in its lawsuit settlement,
FMCSA will then receive comments on the
rule, setting up a final rule
publication for sometime in July 2011.
Last Thursday, Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid (D-NV) told Senate Democrats
that climate change legislation will be
put off until sometime after the summer
recess (he had originally scheduled
debate for a climate change bill in
July). In its place Reid signaled plans
to move a bill that includes energy
efficiency retrofits for homes,
provisions on gas-powered vehicles and a
response to the Gulf Coast oil spill.
However, details for the bill have yet
to be released.
The repeated stalling of a climate
change bill again leaves the prospect of
passing such legislation this Congress
uncertain. Regardless of the measure's
postponement, exactly what type, if any,
of a climate change bill will be taken
up is still in question. To date, there
have been proposals for an industry wide
cap-and-trade scheme, just regulating
emissions from power plants, and even a
plan for taxing carbon emissions
outright and then funneling those
profits back to the public to subsidize
potentially higher utility costs. Also,
on the table is an option to not address
climate change head-on, but rather pass
an "energy only" bill aimed at
incentivizing energy efficiency,
renewable energy, clean energy,
constructing more nuclear power plants
and other similar ideas.
What is certain, however, is that should
Congress fail to deliver anything even
remotely resembling an energy or climate
change bill, the Environmental
Protection Agency stands ready to step
in and enact regulation to cut numerous
emissions across all industries in a
fairly short time frame.
NRMCA is monitoring the climate change
issue to effectively address any adverse
effects such legislation and/or
regulation may have on the ready mixed
concrete industry, in part, through
higher fuel costs, cement prices or any
other direct/indirect conditions.
Last Wednesday, the House Education and
Labor Committee passed the Robert C.
Byrd Miner Safety and Health Act
(H.R. 5663). The bill is in response to
the West Virginia coal mine disaster
earlier this year at the Upper Big
Branch coal mine. In its draft phase,
the bill originally attempted to apply
new safety standards and penalties to
all mines, including aggregate mining
operations. However, due to persistent
lobbying and educational efforts by
non-coal mining entities, House
Education and Labor Committee Chairman
George Miller (D-7-CA), offered a
substitute bill which exempted aggregate
mining from the new regulations.
Specifically, the bill's language does
not apply to "surface mines" or
"underground mines which are neither
coal mines nor gassy mines."
Chairman Miller's amendment marks a
milestone for aggregate stakeholders who
have tried for years, up until now, to
finally and correctly be recognized as
separate from coal mining operations.
H.R. 5663 now goes to the full House for
consideration.
Planning for the RMC Research & Education Foundation's
popular golf tournament fundraiser is in
full swing. It will once again be held
in conjunction with NRMCA's
ConcreteWorks on Sunday, October 10, at
the
Rocky River Golf Course, which is
adjacent to the ConcreteWorks host hotel
– the Embassy Suites in Charlotte, NC.
Sponsorship of the golf tournament is an excellent way to
demonstrate your company's support for
the industry and the Foundation. There
are four different levels of sponsorship
available to fit every budget. One-half
of the sponsorship fee is tax deductible
as a contribution to the Foundation.
Participation in the tournament promises to be a good time
for regular and occasional golfers
alike, including fun and exciting
contests. The registration fee is $200
per player; $50 of the registration fee
is tax deductible as a contribution to
the Foundation. Exhibitors at
ConcreteWorks will have an opportunity
to set up their booths before the 12:30
p.m. tournament start.
Information and forms are available at the golf tournament
Web site, where current sponsors are
also recognized.
For more information, contact Foundation Senior Director,
Communications & Programs Jennifer
LeFevre at 240-485-1151 or at
jlefevre@rmc-foundation.org.
Coordinating ready mixed concrete association initiatives at
the state, regional and national levels
produces synergies that increase
effectiveness and reduce costs. In these
challenging economic times, it is more
important than ever to ensure that the
resources of our industry are being put
to the best use possible to position
concrete as the sustainable construction
material of choice. Gathering industry
representatives from ready mixed
companies and associations in each
region, as well as the leadership of the
Portland Cement Association's (PCA)
regional groups, American Concrete
Pavement Association chapters and NRMCA,
coordinates our efforts and work plans
and improves communication between us
all.
This year's Regional Work Plan Meetings will have a special
focus on sustainability, in particular
the work being done by the Concrete
Sustainability Hub (CSH) at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT). The CSH was established by the
RMC Research & Education Foundation and
PCA. Both organizations are committing
significant resources and effort to
develop the full life cycle assessment
of pavements and buildings along with
research into "green" concrete science
and engineering. With the initial
results from the first two research
projects to be presented on August 31 at
MIT, it is critical that these
discussions take place NOW on how the
results can be put into practice in
educating the general public, highway
departments, municipalities, and
builders on the decided benefits for
paving applications and buildings in
concrete.
These meetings will explore the roles that each local, state,
regional and national partner can play
in ensuring the greatest impact. NRMCA
encourages all interested parties to
participate (there is no cost to
register). The schedule is as follows:
·August 30 – Eastern Region, Cambridge, MA
·September 8 – Northwest Region, Seattle
·September 29 – Southeast Region, Orlando
·September 30 – North Central Region, Des Moines, IA
·November 17 – Great Lakes Region, Columbus, OH
·To be announced – South Central, Mid-Atlantic and Southwest
regions
Click here
for more details or to register for any
of the above meetings. For more
information, contact NRMCA's Nicole
Maher at 1-888-846-7622, ext. 1158 or by
e-mail,
nmaher@nrmca.org.
NRMCA's July Internet Spotlight, good
through Friday, July 30, features two
driver training DVDs:
·How
About This Weather
outlines seven different conditions
resulting from heat exposure and
provides tips on preventing over
exposure to heat. 14 minutes. Order
online and receive 25% off the
regular member price. Regular price is
$70, InternetSpecialis
$52.50, plus shipping.
·How
to Keep it Cool
outlinestips for placing
concrete during hot weather. 7 minutes.
Order online and receive 25% off the
regular member price.Regular
price is $70, Internet Special is
$52.50, plus shipping.
To purchase either or both DVDs, use
Discount Code
ISJULY10
to receive the online discount. Contact
NRMCA's Jacques Jenkins at
jjenkins@nrmca.orgfor
more information.
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