 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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FDR Beats the Clock
for
Runway Construction
When an airport has only one runway, repaving means shutting
down, and speed of construction becomes the top priority.
Friedman Memorial Airport in the central Idaho town of Hailey
beat the time crunch and saved a million dollars along the way
by selecting full-depth reclamation (FDR) with cement to rebuild
its only runway. The airport shut down for only 30 days and
FDR was well below the cost of other resurfacing options.
Based upon airplane traffic and underlying soils, engineers
at first considered three different asphalt-based pavement options.
Conventional concrete was not considered because the airport
will be replaced in 10 years. A standard Federal Aviation Administration
design was considered along with two other pavement options.
When none of the first three could be constructed within a 30-day
period, engineers requested consideration of full-depth reclamation.
FDR with cement is a pavement rehabilitation process where a
failed asphalt pavement is pulverized, blended with cement,
and compacted. After curing, the cement-stabilized material
forms a new base for the pavement.
Using FDR cut 18 work days off the schedule. The bonus was that
it also cut construction costs by more than a million dollars.
FDR also proved to be the most sustainable option; by recycling
the existing pavement in place, the process eliminated nearly
4,000 truck trips to haul out old material and bring in new.
More at www.cement.org/pavements
Contact John Arroyo,
Northwest Cement Producers Group
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Bush Announces Meeting to
Set Emissions Reduction Goal
The
White House announced late last week that the United States
will lead discussions with high-level representatives from 15
nations, the European Union, and the United Nations as the first
step toward setting a global "goal" for cutting greenhouse
gas emissions after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
More
Congress Passes Landmark Lobbying Reform Bill
Before
adjourning, Congress passed and sent to the President for signature,
S.1, The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007.
The bill passed the House on Tuesday with a staggering 411-8
vote, and then Thursday in the Senate with similar results,
83-14.
More
Federal Officials Respond to Bridge Collapse
Several measures are moving forward in an
attempt to provide federal aid following the bridge collapse
on Interstate 35W in Minneapolis on August 1.
More
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Editorial Highlights Need
for Commitment to Inspections
Basile Rabbat, PCA’s manager of transportation structures
and structural codes, authored “The Lessons of Laval
and Minneapolis,” an editorial that appeared in the
August 7, 2007, issue of La Presse, Canada's largest
French-language newspaper in Montreal, Quebec. The editorial
discussed recent bridge collapses in the U.S. and Canada and
explained how bridges in the United States are inspected and
prioritized for repair. It also stressed the importance of
committing resources to inspection programs and the development
of inspection technology.
Contact
Basile Rabbat
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Record Attendance at Building
and Bridge Professors’ Seminars
Twenty-nine
architectural, civil, and construction engineering professors
from US and Canadian universities met at PCA for the 16th Annual
Building Professors’ Seminar, July 30-August 1.
The goal of the seminar is to enhance concrete curriculum by
providing educators with up-to-date resources on the design
and construction of concrete buildings. Topics included teaching
the fundamentals of structural concrete design, economic aspects
of design and construction, new design standards, and seismic
design and detailing. Forums and open discussions enabled participants
to compare notes on successful methods of teaching structural
concrete building design.
In addition, 29 structural engineering educators attended the
Ninth Annual Bridge Professors’ Seminar, August 2-3. The
focus of the concrete bridge design seminar is on the latest
AASHTO bridge design specifications, which contain design requirements
significantly different than those of the ACI 318 Building Code.
PCA and allied groups hosted the seminars; regional promotion
groups, Cement Association of Canada regions, and other local
industry groups sponsored the professors. Each attendee received
handout materials provided by the speakers and publications
related to the seminar topics to assist them in updating existing
or introducing new courses.
Contact Shri
Bhide and Basile Rabbat
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| Additional Pervious
Concrete Seminars Scheduled
PCA and the National Ready Mixed Concrete
Association have teamed with Land Development Today
magazine to continue their successful series of regional pervious
concrete seminars.
Pervious concrete is recognized by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) as a best practice for stormwater
management. The seminars will provide detailed instruction
on how to implement pervious concrete pavements as a solution
for reducing stormwater runoff from building sites and other
paved areas.
Attendees will learn the details of the systems, engineering
properties, and construction techniques. The course is ideal
for civil engineers, architects, and landscape architects
looking for the necessary project specifications for pervious
concrete pavement systems.
Cost is $245. Attendees will earn 6.0 Professional Development
Hours (PDHs) and the seminar is registered with AIA Continuing
Education System.
Six seminar dates are scheduled.
- Indianapolis — October 25
- Chicago — October 26
- Portsmouth, N.H. — November 2
- Jersey City, N.J. – November
5
- Jackson, Miss. – November 16
- Atlanta – November 19
Call 888-388-8787 or register
online
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Structural
Concrete in New Mexico: Concrete took the center-stage
at the Annual Conference of the Structural Engineers Association
of New Mexico in Albuquerque on August 19. PCA joined forces
with the Rocky Mountain Cement Council to provide complementary
copies of the PCA's Simplified Design of Concrete Structures
to the 60 people in attendance. Presentations focused on
the merits of prestressed as well as post-tensioned concrete
structures.
Contact
Attila Beres
Concrete Bridge Design in Washington:
PCA in cooperation with the Northwest Cement Producers Group
and the Washington Department of Transportation presented a
seminar on the design of concrete bridges by the AASHTO LRFD
Bridge Design Specifications in Olympia, Wash., on July 24.
The seminar was attended by more than 65 engineers representing
Washington DOT, FHWA, and consulting engineers firms. The focus
of the seminar was on new design concepts introduced in LRFD
that are significantly different than those of the ACI 318 Building
Code. To be eligible for federal funds, all bridges to be built
after October 1, 2007, must be designed by LRFD.
Contact
Shri Bhide
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PCA Staff
Members Complete Management Training: Several PCA staff
members recently graduated from Institute for Organization Management,
a four-year nonprofit leadership training program. Ed
Alsamsam, Stephen Szoke,
and Steve Kosmatka completed
the sessions, held at Villanova University in Villanova, Pa.,
July 29–August 2, 2007. Institute is a four-year program
administered by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Graduates of Institute
receive the IOM recognition, signifying completion of 96 hours
of course instruction in association, chamber, and nonprofit
management.
Cook Joins Nebraska
Paving Group: William E. Cook, P.E., has joined the
National Concrete Paving Association as pavement engineer. Cook
previously held positions within the Iowa county system and
the Iowa Department of Transportation. In his new position,
he will assist designers and decision-makers in making value-engineered
pavement selection determinations.
NECSA's
Steffek Earns LEED Accreditation: Heather Steffek,
marketing assistant for the Northeast Cement Shipper Association,
is now a LEED® Accredited Professional. A rating system
of the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED—short for Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design—has emerged as the
standard for sustainable development.
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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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ACI
Certification Program
September 21, 2007
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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
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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 |
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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