 Do
you think using full-depth reclamation with cement to recycle
roads and streets is a viable alternative to removal and replacement?
Take the PCA Poll
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FDR with Cement
Pays Off for Reno
Rising asphalt prices are making full-depth reclamation (FDR)
with cement an even more economical method of rehabilitating
roads and streets.
 A
case in point is Reno, Nev. With FDR, the city saved more than
50% over the cost of full removal and replacement of the roadway.
And the resulting cement-stabilized base permitted the city
to reduce the asphalt surface course from 3 inches to 1 inch,
saving an additional one million dollars.
FDR—a process in which old asphalt
roads are pulverized, mixed with cement, and compacted to form
a pavement base—also reduces construction time and traffic
by recycling materials on site.
Reno recently used FDR to
rebuild portions of three downtown streets that were experiencing
base failures and in need of immediate repair. The Regional
Transportation Committee mandated that the streets be repaved
within seven days to minimize traffic disruption and accommodate
events planned for the downtown area.
To
address concerns that cracking in the FDR base course could
reflect back up through the asphalt surface course, the contractor
used microcracking. Microcracking is the application of several
vibratory roller passes to a cement-stabilized base after a
short curing stage to create a fine network of cracks. This
fine cracking is intended to prevent wider, more severe cracks
from forming.
Each section of roadway was pulverized, blended with cement,
shaped, and compacted in one day, and then moisture cured for
48 hours. The microcracking process was performed at the 2-day
mark on each roadway, and all sections were paved within 12
hours of microcracking. This process allowed the roadways to
be back under traffic in half the time required by the Regional
Transportation Committee—an added bonus in an urban area.
Contact Greg
Halsted
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Board
Recognizes Green Plants, Outgoing Leadership
PCA's Board of Directors met March 18-20 at the Hyatt Regency,
La Jolla, Calif., for the association's Spring Meeting. The
Board heard committee reports, reviewed existing programs,
and considered new initiatives as part of the ongoing strategic
planning process. PCA met jointly with the annual convention
of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association.
PCA presented the Six-Annual Energy and Environment Awards
at a reception and awards dinner at the nearby Birch Aquarium
at Scripps. (See below.) The Board also recognized outgoing
PCA president John P. Gleason, Jr., who will retire July 1,
2007, and CTLGroup president Tony Fiorato, who will retire
June 1.
Speakers included PCA chief economist Ed Sullivan, who presented
his updated forecast for cement, construction, and the economy.
(See below.)
Also meeting were the Government Affairs Council, the Legal
Counsels Committee, and the Boards of CTLGroup and the Cement
Association of Canada.
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Cement Industry
Honors
Leaders in Environmental Improvement
Six cement plants received special recognition for their commitment
to improving the environment and their communities at the Sixth
Annual Cement Industry Environment and Energy Awards, presented
by PCA at its Spring Meeting in La Jolla., Calif., on Mar. 19,
2007.
The awards honor individual cement facilities that exemplify
the spirit of continuous environmental improvement and support
this spirit with action. These plants went beyond government
regulations and local laws to ensure that their processes and
policies contributed to making their communities better places
to live and work.
Six categories recognized plants throughout the United States
and Canada (listed by category, company, and plant location):
- Overall Environmental Excellence:
St. Marys Cement Inc., Charlevoix, Mich.
- Outreach: Holcim (US) Inc.,
Theodore, Ala.
- Environmental Performance:
St. Marys Cement Inc., Bowmanville, Ontario
- Land Stewardship: CEMEX,
Davenport, Calif.
- Innovation: CEMEX, Knoxville,
Tenn.
- Energy Efficiency: California
Portland Cement Company, Mojave, Calif.
The awards program honors activities conducted
during the previous calendar year, and the program is open
to any cement manufacturing plant in North America. Judges
for the awards represent independent groups such as PCA, Cement
Americas magazine, the Cement Association of Canada, World
Resources Institute, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
and the World Wildlife Fund.
More
at www.cement.org/newsroom
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| Housing
Expected to Drag Down 2007 Cement Consumption
The on-going correction in residential construction is expected
to drag down overall 2007 construction activity. According
to the most recent PCA forecast, despite a record 18% growth
since 2003, cement consumption this year is projected to decline
by 1.5%.
Chief economist Ed Sullivan presented his spring forecast
last week at the PCA Board of Directors Meeting in La Jolla,
Calif., and via Webcast. He expects gradual gains throughout
the second half of 2007, but not large enough to offset the
year’s first half weaknesses. The increased construction
activity that is expected to begin mid-year, however, will
carry over to 2008 and contribute to an estimated 3.9 % growth
in consumption.
Gains in nonresidential and public construction, says Sullivan,
will not be large enough to offset the harsh downward trends
in the residential market. Sullivan’s 2007 projection
reflects a nearly 6 million ton decline in residential cement
consumption levels compared to 2006.
Declines in construction are partially offset by rising cement
intensity—the increasing use of cement and concrete
in construction. Even with an overall decline in consumption,
Sullivan sees a 1.5% increase in cement intensity in 2007.
Cement intensity refers to the tons of cement per dollar of
construction activity.
View
press release/access the Webcast at www.cement.org/newsroom
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| Reminder: Hickory
Log Creek Site of RCC Course and Tour
PCA will conduct a seminar and construction tour of roller-compacted
concrete placement at the Hickory Log Creek Dam, April 25-26,
2007.
Seminar attendees will have the opportunity of visiting Hickory
Log Creek Dam and other RCC projects in the Atlanta area.
Southeast Cement Association is cosponsoring the seminar.
More
information and to register online
Contact Fares Abdo
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California Portland
Earns ENERGY STAR® Award
For the third straight year, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency honored California Portland Cement Company
as part of its ENERGY STAR 2007 Partner of the Year program.
California Portland was named a Sustained Excellence Partner
of the Year for its outstanding contribution to reducing greenhouse
gas emissions through effective energy management. The EPA recognized
California Portland Cement’s accomplishments at an awards
ceremony in Washington, D.C., on March 21. This is the third
straight year the company has been recognized by the EPA.
The award honored California Portland Cement for adopting smart
energy management practices and investments throughout its operations.
The company worked closely with ENERGY STAR to establish a corporate
energy management program in 2003. Since that time, the company
has significantly improved energy efficiency and has reduced
greenhouse gases through initiatives such as compressed air
optimization; motor management; lighting retrofits; process
optimization; and purchasing and inventory policies, among others.
The Partner of the Year Award is given to organizations to recognize
their efforts to use energy efficiently in facility operations
and to integrate energy efficiency into overall organizational
strategy. These Award winners are selected from thousands of
organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.
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St. Lawrence Cement
Lauded for
Cutting Greenhouse Gas Emissions
EPA
last week commended St. Lawrence Cement for achieving significant
greenhouse gas reductions (GHG) under EPA's Climate Leaders
program. The companies also extended their commitment by pledging
a second goal on measurable reductions.
St. Lawrence Cement met its goal by reducing global GHG emissions
by 16 percent per ton of cement-type product from 2000 to 2006.
St. Lawrence Cement pledges to reduce global GHG emissions by
20 percent per ton of cement-type product from 2000 to 2012.
Since 2002, the Climate Leaders program has provided valuable
guidance and recognition to leading companies across many industries
to help them develop and implement long-term comprehensive climate
change strategies. EPA estimates that the goals announced to
date through Climate Leaders will prevent more than 11 million
metric tons of carbon equivalent emissions per year –
equal to the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from more than
seven million cars.
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Results from Last Week:
High-Rise Building Curbs Sprawl
Building Up or Out: Should more cities
follow the lead of Ventura County and look at high-rise buildings
to accommodate growth as an alternative to the subdivision?
Notable Comments
"Building codes should be written
to encourage this, rather than encourage low density building."
"Let the market forces rule."
"Condos work in older land-locked suburban settings,
but will never replace houses on 1/4 acre lots."
"Depends on if the city or county is close to being fully
developed or not."
Take the current poll
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| For more information
or to register, contact Julie
Lisiecki. |
Kiln
Process
March 26-29, 2007 |
Cement
and Concrete Overview
April 16-17, 2007
|
Impact
of Cement Characteristics on Concrete Properties
May 15, 2007
Midlothian, Texas
September 19, 2007
Bethlehem, Pa.
|
Raw
Mix Chemistry
May 16, 2007
Midlothian, Texas |
Pulverized
Fuel Guidelines for the Cement Industry
September 18, 2007
Bethlehem, Pa. |
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IEEE-IAS/PCA
Cement
Industry Technical Conference
April 29-May 3, 2007.
Charleston, S.C.
More
information
|
12th
International Congress on the Chemistry of Cement
July 8-13, 2007
Montreal, Quebec
More
information
|
Pervious
Concrete—A Stormwater Solution
Detroit—July 10
Lexington, Ky.—July 12
Washington, DC—July 24
Pittsburgh—July 26
Minneapolis—Aug. 7
Milwaukee—Aug 9
More
information |
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Skokie, Illinois 60077
847.966.6200 info@cement.org
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7th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20001
202.408.9494 fax 202.408.0877 |
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©2007 Portland Cement Association
All rights reserved
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.
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