 The
recent bridge tragedy in Minneapolis has brought increased
awareness of our nation's infrastructure. Which sector should
receive top priority from the government?
Take the PCA Poll
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 Cement
Trifecta at Runway 4
Three different
cement-based products are part of the construction of new Runway
4 at Dulles International Airport in Washington, DC:
- Soil-cement is used to stabilize the subgrade
- A course of cement-treated base (CTB) tops
the stabilized subgrade
- The runway surface is jointed concrete pavement
The new runway will be approximately 9,400 feet
long and 150 feet wide, not including accompanying taxiways.
The project started in 2006 and will be completed in 2008.
The cement stabilization of the subgrade will
provide a working platform for the entire project. When disturbed
after a rain, the existing subgrade turns to mud and causes
extensive and costly construction delays. The entire project
area will be treated with soil-cement.
The CTB will allow a gradual increase
in stiffness for the pavement structure, bridging between
the subgrade soils to the rigid concrete slab. In addition,
the CTB will be placed to precise elevations using laser grade
control, which provides a construction platform for paving
the concrete runway.
More at www.cement.org/pavements
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House Passes Highway and Transit
Technical Corrections Bill
The
U.S. House of Representatives introduced and then passed a new
technical corrections bill (H.R. 3248) that contains language
correcting the cost share of federally funded research from
50/50 to 80/20.
More
National Bank To
Evaluate, Finance Infrastructure Projects
The National Infrastructure Bank Act of 2007
bill was introduced by Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), chair of the
Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and
Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), last week.
More
House Passes $21-Billion Water Resources
Measure
The U.S. House of Representatives this
week approved by a vote of 381-40 the conference report for
H.R. 1495, the Water Resources Development Act of 2007.
More
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Bridge Collapse
Focuses National Attention on Infrastructure
The tragic collapse of the I-35 bridge
in Minneapolis, Minn., last week focused the national consciousness
on infrastructure and the need to adequately fund its maintenance
and renewal.
Long a concern of PCA, the cement industry, and other segments
of the construction industry, infrastructure investment, inspection,
and funding continues to dominate the news cycle.
Coverage centers on the condition of U.S. bridges as documented
by National Bridge Inventory data and statistics compiled
by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). ASCE's
2005 Report Card for America's Infrastructure indicated that
between 2000 and 2003, the percentage of the nation's 590,750
bridges rated structurally deficient or functionally obsolete
decreased slightly from 28.5% to 27.1%. However, it will cost
$9.4 billion a year for 20 years to eliminate all bridge deficiencies.
Also often cited in news coverage is CTLGroup's Gene Corley,
a forensic engineer with extensive experience investigating
failures of bridges and other structures.
PCA fielded media inquiries on the collapse as well, notably
a widely syndicated Associated Press story in which PCA chief
economist Ed Sullivan discusses the investment by the cement
industry in new capacity to meet the increasing demands of
infrastructure maintenance and renewal.
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PCA Forms Measurement Subcommittee
Based on recommendations stemming from the development of a
new strategic plan for the association, PCA has a new subcommittee
on measurement.
Reporting to the Regional Promotion Committee, the new group
is charged with providing guidance for the various measurement,
market research, and benchmarking projects at PCA and to assess
reasonableness and validity of data.
The subcommittee is chaired by Barrett Reese of TXI. Membership
consists of regional and local industry representatives and
PCA members with interest and expertise in market research.
The group recently met for the first time by conference call
and has identified the highway pavement benchmarks supplied
by R. S. Means as its initial evaluation issue. Subsequent activities
will address streets, local roads, and parking lots.
The group will next meet at 10 a.m. on Monday, September 10,
2007, in conjunction with the PCA Fall Committee Meetings at
the InterContinental Chicago.
Contact Mark
Justman or Craig Schulz
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Hard Housing Correction Softens
2007 Cement Consumption
Although the hard correction in the housing
market has weakened cement consumption in 2007, according to
the most recent forecast from PCA, the decline will be temporary.
PCA chief economist Edward Sullivan presented his summer forecast
last week at PCA’s Financial and Administrative Executives
Committee meeting in Chicago. He projected that cement consumption
this year will fall 4.4 percent lower than 2006 levels, but
anticipates a 2.2 percent cement consumption gain in 2008.
Sullivan expects a period of sustained growth to begin in 2009.
PCA’s summer forecast also adjusted its outlook regarding
cement intensities. Cement intensity measures the amount of
cement used per real dollar of construction activity. Originally
expected to increase and cushion the decline in cement consumption,
cement intensities have declined for ten straight months. PCA
now expects a modest decline, roughly one percent, in 2007 cement
intensities. Weather conditions, lower construction activities
in key regions, and other conditions are factors that may be
contributing to the erosion in cement intensity.
More at www.cement.org/newsroom
Contact Ed Sullivan
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Shaw Featured in
Beltway Pub
John Shaw, PCA’s senior vice president of government affairs,
was highlighted in the July 24 issue of Politico, a
semi-weekly Washington, D.C.-based publication. The article
focused on PCA’s lobbying efforts, especially regarding
emissions and infrastructure. It also reported on the importance
of PCA’s many alliances with related industries.
Contact John
Shaw
View
the Politico article
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Reminder: Deadlines
Loom for Fall Committee Meetings
PCA's Fall Committee
Meetings are scheduled for September 10-12, 2007, at Chicago's
InterContinental Hotel. Most committees of the Market Promotion
Council and Research and Technical Council will meet.
The cutoff for hotel reservations is August 13; program registrations
are due by August 31.
Contact
Jan Farnsworth
Visit
www.cement.org for a preliminary schedule and online registration
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| EPA, U.S. Business
Council
Commit to Sustainable Projects in China
To promote a healthy planet and the global
economy, EPA and the U.S. Business Council for Sustainable
Development (US BCSD) last week signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) to collaborate on international sustainable development
projects in China and other parts of the globe.
The initial focus will be on China, where EPA and the BCSD
will build on existing relationships with the China Business
Council for Sustainable Development and the Chinese State
Environmental Protection Agency. Specifically, the groups
will collaborate in three areas:
- Creating a sustainable strategy for cement
production in China, the world’s leading producer
- Expanding use of clean technologies to convert
waste to renewable energy
- Implementing by-product synergy that
allows companies from one industrial sector to use their
waste (by-products) as raw input materials for production
in another sector
The US BCSD is a non-profit business
association and a partner organization of the World BCSD,
a network of 180 companies from 30 countries.
More
on sustainability programs at EPA
More
on the US BCSD
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Results from Last Week:
Low- and Mid-Rise Buildings Hold Greatest
Potential
Which type of building
should the industry target for the promotion of concrete?
Low-rise (Less than four stories): 40.91%
Mid-rise (Four to seven stories): 45.45%
High-rise (Eight stories and above): 13.64%
Take
the current PCA Poll.
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For more information
or to register, contact Julie
Lisiecki.
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Pulverized
Fuel Guidelines for the Cement Industry
September 18, 2007
Bethlehem, Pa.
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Raw
Mix Chemistry
September 19, 2007
Bethlehem, Pa.
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Aggregates
and Chemical Admixtures for Use in Concrete
October 1-2, 2007
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Kiln
Process
October 1-4, 2007
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Mill
Grinding
October 22-24, 2007
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Concrete:
Principles & Practices
October 22-25, 2007 |
Troubleshooting:
Solutions to Concrete Field Problems
November 5-7, 2007
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Cement
Manufacturing for Process Engineers
November 5-8, 2007
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PCA
Fall Committee Meetings
September 10-12, 2007
Chicago, Ill.
More
information |
Bridge Professors'
Seminar
August 2-3, 2007
Skokie, Ill.
More
information |
Practical
Application of PCA Economic Forecast & Market Assessments
August 7-8, 2007
Skokie, Ill.
More
information |
IEEE West Coast Industry Technical
Conference
September 20-21, 2007
Sheraton Gunter Hotel
San Antonio, Texas
More
information
|
3rd Annual Joint Western
Regional Mine Safety and Health Conference
October 22-25, 2007
Las Vegas, Nev.
More
Information
|
2nd Annual Southeastern
U.S. Mine Safety and Health Conference
November 13-13, 2007
Pensacola Beach, Fla.
More
Information |
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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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