PCA Executive Report

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Economists Discuss Material Cost Increases During the past year, the cost of materials needed to build a single-family home has escalated significantly. On Thursday, January 12, PCA economist Ed Sullivan joined Michael Carliner, economist from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), for a press conference at the International Builders’ Show to address the issues as well as dissect a July 2004 survey by NAHB estimating building material increases were $5,000 to $7,000 per home. Sullivan noted that concrete is not a key factor in home building cost increases. “Concrete price increase account for a meager $283 of the $5,000 to $7,000 estimate,” noted Sullivan. Both Carliner and Sullivan make note that 2004 lumber prices escalated significantly and accounted for more than half of the estimated increase. Sullivan’s comments follow a Flash Report released earlier this week on concrete prices. Contact Ed Sullivan Read the report View the news release

Pavilion Anchors Concrete Presence at Builders' Show Thirty-six concrete-related companies and associations joined PCA to make up the Count on Concrete Pavilion at this year's International Builders' Show now underway in Orlando, Fla. Participants teamed up to heighten the industry's profile on the show floor of the convention and to give builders one centralized location for information on concrete and concrete products. The trade show, running January 13-16, is the annual exhibition of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Builders attending the show can see concrete products in action at the New American Home, NAHB's annual demonstration home open to tours throughout the show. PCA and the Florida Concrete and Products Association worked with NAHB to ensure that concrete products were well represented in the home, which includes concrete masonry walls and extensive use of concrete pavers. More on the home

Relief Effort Launched for Lafarge Tsunami Victims Lafarge North America is launching a relief effort for employees and their families of the Lafarge cement plant in Aceh, Indonesia, and other tsunami victims in South Asia. A total of 262 Lafarge employees remain missing and unaccounted for after the tsunami struck the plant and housing complex. If any PCA member companies are interested in helping with the relief effort, Lafarge has established two means to donate: a direct employee relief fund and a special Habitat for Humanity Asia Tsunami Response Fund to help with long-term building needs. More information

PCA Pavement Research Presented at TRB This week several papers were presented at the 84th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) that were the result of PCA sponsored pavement research. The papers related to: Precracking of cement-treated bases (Texas A&M University) Behavior of cement-treated base mixes (Pavement Scientific International) Early traffic on cement-treated bases (Brigham Young University) Freeze-thaw behavior of roller-compacted concrete (Cleveland State University) TRB is a division of the National Academy of Science, and this year’s annual meeting was attended by 10,000 transportation professionals from around the world. The papers will be published by TRB this year. Contact David Luhr for copies of the presented papers.

I, Concrete Researchers at the University of Southern California are developing a robotic device that will place concrete without human labor. Lead by Professor Khoshnevis of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, the USC research team has devised a machine guided by computerized drawings. A computer-guided nozzle squirts plastic concrete in a toothpaste-like shape in successive layers to form walls and domed roofs. Trowel-like attachments shape the concrete after it's extruded. Funded partly by the federal government and partly by Degussa, the USC team hopes to build a concrete-house with the device later this year. The technology is called Contour Crafting. Visit ContourCrafting.org Contact Attila Beres

Global Thinking at World of Concrete PCA's director of sustainable development David Shepherd will present a one-hour seminar at next week's World of Concrete, Las Vegas, Nev. Titled “Concrete Thinking,” the presention will look at the various influences in sustainable construction and how cement and concrete provide solutions. He will also outline what the industry is doing to improve the manufacturing process, material formulations, and in-place applications for sustainable development. The seminar is scheduled for Room N241 of the Convention Center, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m., Tuesday, January 18. Contact David Shepherd

Preliminary Schedule Announced for Joint Spring Meeting PCA's Joint Spring Meeting is scheduled for February 28-March 2, 2005, at Chicago's O'Hare Marriott Hotel. Most PCA councils and committees will convene at the meeting. A preliminary schedule and online registration are available on the Members Only section of PCA's Web site. Contact Michelle Nyquist Register online

Professional Promoters Workshop Builds on Success Coming off record attendance at last year's event, the Concrete Alliance has scheduled the 2005 Professional Promoters Workshop for May 3-5, 2005, at the North Shore Doubletree Hotel, Skokie, Ill. Organizers will continue to focus sessions and presentations on marketing challenges and opportunities and the best promotion practices at the local level. Contact Dan Sladek

Manufactured Concrete Products Expo Set for Indianapolis The third annual Manufactured Concrete Products Exposition (MCPX) is scheduled for February 11-13, 2005, at the Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis. The show is a collaborative effort of four trade groups: National Concrete Masonry Association, National Precast Concrete Association, Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute, and American Concrete Pipe Association. Contact info@mcpx.org Visit www.mcpx.org

Daly Heads Marketing at CAC Sharon Daly has been named director of marketing for the Cement Association of Canada. Daly, who as served as director of communications for the last six years in CAC's Ottawa headquarters, succeeds Lawrence Loh. Contact Sharon Daly



Conference on Natural Gas Shortage Scheduled The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources announced this week that 32 organizations have been invited to present and discuss their proposed solutions to the predicted U.S. shortage of natural gas at a half-day bipartisan conference scheduled for Monday, January 24, at 1 p.m. The conference will include panels on increasing natural gas supplies from on-shore and off-shore sources, the prospects for increased importation of liquefied natural gas (LNG), environmental and regulatory barriers to increasing production, and ways to reduce demand through conservation and efficiency measures as well as through diversification of energy sources for electricity generation. The Committee will use this conference to gather information and momentum before it considers a new energy bill during the 109th Congress. More information on the event including a list of participants Contact Mark J. Washko

Senate Committee Sets Schedule for Clear Skies Consideration The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) is planning its first hearing on Clear Skies, a bill supported by the Bush Administration to reduce emissions from power plants, in late January. A modified version of the Clear Skies Act is expected to be introduced late next week. The Clear Skies Act seeks to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury from power plants using a “cap-and-trade” system. It was initially introduced in the 108th Congress, but did not have enough support for approval by the Committee due to two competing measures, one sponsored by Ranking Member, Senator Jeffords (I-VT), another sponsored by Senator Carper (D-DE), both of which sought to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide as well. The issue of carbon dioxide emissions will be a factor again in the 109th Congress as the committee begins consideration of the bill. Late last week Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) announced that he would not support Clear Skies because it does not address carbon dioxide emissions. The Committee plans to hold two hearings, one at the subcommittee level (late January), one at the full committee level (early February) and mark-up (i.e., debate and vote on) the bill before February 19, when the Senate begins its Presidents’ Day recess. Contact Tom Carter or Mark Washko

Senate Announces Subcommittee Leaders for Environment and Public Works Earlier this week Chairman James Inhofe (R-OK) and Ranking Member James Jeffords (I-VT) of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works announced the following subcommittee assignments: Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate Change and Nuclear Safety: Senator George Voinovich (R-OH) will remain Chairman and Senator Thomas Carper (D-DE) will be Ranking Member; Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Senator Kit Bond (R-MO) will remain Chairman and Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) will be Ranking Member; Subcommittee on Superfund and Waste Management: Freshman Senator John Thune (R-SD) will be Chairman and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) will be Ranking Member; Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Water: Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), former Chairman of the Subcommittee on Superfund and Waste Management, will become Chairman, and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) will be Ranking Member. Information on full Committee and Subcommittee rosters Contact Mark Washko

President Bush Nominates Michael Chertoff to Head Homeland Security President Bush on Wednesday nominated Michael Chertoff, a former Assistant Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice, to be the next Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Chertoff, who currently serves as a judge on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, has also served as U.S. Attorney in New York and New Jersey. Chertoff already has been praised by Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, the committee that will consider his nomination. A hearing date has not been scheduled. Contact Mark Washko

U.S. Demand for Coal to Exceed Production in 2005 Domestic demand for coal in 2005 is expected to exceed production for the third straight year according the National Mining Association’s 2005 economic forecast. According to the forecast, the gap will be filled by drawing down stockpiles and increasing imports. The projected increase in demand is due increased coal use for electricity generation, the continuing high price of natural gas, and other factors. More information Contact Mark Washko



Register for World of Concrete through PCA and receive free registration and discounts on seminars. January 18-21, 2005 Las Vegas Convention Center
CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2005 March 15-19, 2005 Las Vegas, USA www.conexpoconagg.com



PCA's education and training group will conduct the following courses at PCA's Skokie, Ill., facility. Customized and off-site courses are also available. Plus, Web-based courses are available. For more information or to register, contact Julie Clausen.
Regional Courses Click on course titles for more information or to register. Combustion and Pollutant Formation (Day 1) Vertical Roller Mills for Raw Meal Preparation (Day 2) January 27-28, 2005 in Colton, CA February 24-25, 2005 in Midlothian, TX March 10-11, 2005 in St. Louis, MO
Skokie Courses Concrete: Principles and Practice February 7-10, 2005 Aggregates, Admixtures, and SCMs for Use in Concrete February 14-16, 2005 Microscopy of Clinker and Cement February 14-18, 2005	Cement and Concrete Overview March 7-8, 2005 Troubleshooting: Solutions to Concrete Field Problems March 9-11, 2005 Mill Grinding March 21-23, 2005 Kiln Process April 4-7, 2005

Portland Cement Association 5420 Old Orchard Road Skokie, Illinois 60077 847.966.6200 info@cement.org 1130 Connecticut Avenue, N. W., Suite 1250 Washington, D.C. 20036 202.408.9494 fax 202.408.0877 ©2005 Portland Cement Association All rights reserved

01.14.05

Washington Weekly
Education

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The Portland Cement Association conducts market development, research, education, and government affairs work on behalf of its members—cement companies in the United States and Canada.