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Concrete
Primed for Positioning at Builders’ Show
 Beginning
with The New American Home 2004, concrete and cement-based
products take the stage at the International Builders’
Show next week in Las Vegas, Nev.
Already featured in Builder and The Wall Street
Journal this week, the concrete-rich New American Home
(TNAH) is likely to turn a lot of heads at the upcoming
annual convention sponsored by the National Association
of Home Builders (NAHB). The official show house features
various cement-based applications including insulating concrete
forms, decorative concrete floors, patios and decks, concrete
masonry finishing, and stucco.
Bus tours of TNAH leave every 30 minutes from the Las Vegas
Convention Center and free tickets are available at the
Main Registration Hall.
Additionally, PCA chairman Dan Harrington will present a
check to the NAHB Building Systems Council Board of Directors
to mark the creation of the NAHB Concrete Home Building
Council on Wednesday.
PCA’s David Shepherd will offer an introductory educational
session on ICF technology, also scheduled for Wednesday.
The Concrete Pavilion is the final piece of the puzzle at
this year’s show. Once again, PCA is spearheading
the pavilion with its 31 Pavilion Partners. PCA is located
in booth N2061.
More
on The New American Home 2004
More
on the Concrete Home Building Council
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Spring Brings
Regional Economic Outlook Seminars
PCA chief economist Ed Sullivan will
present a series of regional economic outlook seminars beginning
in late February. (Full schedule is available
here.)
To enhance support to member companies, the series of five
conferences will focus on the outlook for economic, construction,
and cement activity within each regional grouping.
Senior management and personnel responsible for corporate
planning are encouraged to attend. There is no fee to attend
but the sessions are open only to individuals from PCA member
companies.
Contact
Karen Arneson to register.
More
on the seminars
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New York-area High-Rise
Residential Remains Promising
The January cover story of McGraw-Hill’s
New York Construction reports that one of the few
bright spots in construction over the past several years
has been residential construction. “In New York City,
where the housing market has remained hot despite the weak
economy, high-rise apartment and condominium construction
projects are rising with frequency.”
Last year saw several new concrete high-rise residential
towers completed. The MARC tower, The Helena, The Hubert,
SoHo 25 and the Morton Square combine for a total floor
area exceeding 1 million square feet and approximately 25,000
tons of cement. An additional 1 percent increase in construction
spending is anticipated in 2004 for New York, New Jersey
and Connecticut where the market is favorable to concrete.
Contact
Mike Mota
Read
more
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Dredge Used as Cement Supplement
The January issue of Civil Engineering
reports that the EPA and the New Jersey Department of Transportation
recently sponsored a pilot test using contaminated dredge
from New York Bay as an ingredient in cement.
The test used a process developed by the Gas Technology
Institute called cement lock. The dredge is heated in a
rotary kiln, passed through a carbon filter, and cooled
into a glass-like product called Ecomelt, which is then
ground into a fine powder and added to portland cement.
Researchers compare it to granulated blast furnace slag.
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ASTM Takes
on Homeland Security
The American Society for Testing and
Materials (ASTM) has organized a new committee (designated
E 54) on Homeland Security Applications. PCA will work
with the subcommittee on building and infrastructure protection
to assure appropriate consideration of robustness of structures
and cement-based products to resist terrorist attacks.
Although most people attending the first meeting of the
committee represented government agencies, the goal of
the effort is to develop anti-terrorism standards and
guidelines for commercial buildings as well.
Contact
Stephen Szoke.
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Concrete
Products Roll into MCPX
Jointly sponsored by four concrete
product associations, the Manufactured Concrete Products
Expo (MCPX) brings together the precast, concrete pipe,
paver, and concrete masonry industries into one trade
show. The event is scheduled for February 4-6 at Atlanta's
World Congress Center. PCA's exhibit will feature masonry-related
information products.
More
on MCPX
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GCC
Consolidates U.S. Holdings
Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua (GCC) has announced the reorganization
of its two U.S. companies—GCC Rio Grande and GCC
Dacotah—into a new organization called GCC America.
Enrique Escalante is president of GCC America. Steve Zellmer,
who headed GCC Dacotah, is sales and marketing vice president.
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Paul Sunderland,
1896-2004
Cement industry pioneer Paul Sunderland
died in his Kansas City, Mo., home on January 9, 2004. He
was 107. Sunderland joined Ash Grove Cement in 1917 and
succeeded his father as Chairman of the Board from 1946
to 1967, when he became Honorary Chairman. He was the father
of Jim Sunderland, Ash Grove's Honorary Chairman of the
Board, and grandfather of Charlie and Kent Sunderland, current
Chairman and Vice Chairman of the company's board of directors.
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Wednesday
is TEA-21 Call-In Day
PCA urges its members to participate
in a “National Call Congress Day” set for
next Wednesday, January 21, to demonstrate broad support
for passage of legislation reauthorizing the surface transportation
programs, known as TEA-21. Congress begins its 2004 session
on January 20 and it is important that TEA-21 reauthorization
be the first thing members of Congress hear about when
they return to Washington, D.C.
With regard to the House of Representatives, callers are
asked to urge their Representative to cosponsor and support
immediate passage to reauthorizing legislation (H.R. 3550).
When speaking to Senate offices, callers are asked to
urge support for immediate consideration and passage of
the bill reported by the Senate Environment and Public
Works Committee (S. 1072). Call-in instructions and a
suggested script are available.
Contact
David Hubbard.
View
or download instructions and scripts
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Chicago
Climate Announces First-Ever Trading Results
The Chicago Climate Exchange recently
announced the results of trading during December 2003.
The Exchange—the first multi-national, multi-sector
market for trading credits for greenhouse gas emission
reductions—opened for business on December 12, 2003.
During the 12 trading days remaining in the month, more
than 31,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide were traded
on the exchange, for an average of 2,592 tons per day.
Contact
Tom Carter.
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| EPA
Urges Supplemental Environmental Projects
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released
guidance documents on how to measure the value of supplemental
environmental projects (SEPs). In many enforcement cases,
violators are given the option of paying off all or part
of their fine by conducting SEPs of an equivalent value.
The projects are designed to provide a positive impact
on the environment to counterbalance any negative impact
resulting from the violation. The guidance documents will
be available at
EPA’s Web site, but they have not been posted
as of today.
Contact
Tom Carter.
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EU
and Other Nations Seek to
Shoot Down ‘Byrd Amendment’
The European Union and other U.S. trading partners (including
Canada and Mexico) asked the World Trade Organization
(WTO) for permission to impose sanctions on the U.S. to
address perceived inequities resulting from the so called
Byrd Amendment. The amendment allows U.S. firms to collect
from the U.S. treasury funds collected pursuant to successful
dumping duty claims.
The WTO found last year that the practice was illegal
under its rules. The EU and Japan have threatened to impose
sanctions on certain U.S. imports equivalent in amount
to the duties being paid by companies in their nations
that export to the U.S. The WTO will discuss the sanction
request at a meeting slated for January 26. A final decision
is expected in the spring.
Contact
Andy O’Hare.
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Senate,
Trading Commission Look into
High Natural Gas Prices
After reviewing natural gas trading from mid-November
through the end of December, the Commodity Futures Trading
Commission (CFTC) found that the increased prices (rising
from $4.50/Btu to $7.00/Btu before settling at $5.50/Btu)
are correlated with an uncertain and tight market and
are not the result of market manipulation. The Senate
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is planning
to hold a hearing on energy prices, including natural
gas, in late February or early March. The Senate Committee
on the Judiciary is also interested in this issue, but
likely will allow the Energy Committee to take the lead.
Contact
Mark Washko.
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Congress
to Take Up Spending Bill on Return
Congress is set to return Tuesday to
begin the Second Session of the 108th Congress. The Senate
will resume consideration of the Omnibus spending bill
for FY 2004 appropriations. Among other issues, Congress
will resume its attempt to approve comprehensive energy
legislation. President Bush will deliver the annual State
of the Union Address Tuesday evening at 9:00 p.m. EST.
During the address, President Bush will outline his policy
priorities for 2004. Look for a review of the President’s
address in next week’s Executive Report.
Contact
Mark Washko.
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Regional
Economic Seminars
|
| Date and Place |
Regional Focus |
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Crowne Plaza
February 24, 2004 |
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
Delaware, Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia
|
Miami, Florida
Miami Airport Marriott
March 23, 2004
|
Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina,
Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky
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Dallas, Texas
Dallas/Fort Worth Airport Marriott
April 20, 2004
|
Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, New
Mexico |
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles Airport Marriott
May 18, 2004
|
California, Oregon, Washington, Montana,
Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada |
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City Airport Marriott
June 22, 2004 |
Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota |
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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.
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Concrete: Principles
and Practices
March 8-11, 2004
Cement
and Concrete
Overview
January 19-20, 2004
|
Logistics
for the
Cement Industry
January 21-23, 2004
Kiln
Process
February 9-12, 2004
Microscopy
February 16-20, 2004
Troubleshooting
February 2-4, 2004
Aggregates
and Admixtures in Concrete Mix Designs
February 23-25, 2004
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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
©2003 Portland Cement Association
All rights reserved |
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