 The
Canadian version of the LEED rating system for green buildings
offers a credit for durability. Should the U.S. version follow
suit with a credit for a durable building envelope?
Take the PCA Poll
|
|
 |
 Signature
Tower Makes Mark on Nashville Skyline
Workers broke ground last month on Signature Tower, a 70-story
mixed-use building that will dominate the Nashville skyline
and stand as the tallest U.S. skyscraper outside of Chicago
and New York.
The $370-million project will include 58 stories of luxury condominiums,
office and retail space, and a Hotel Palomar. Completion is
scheduled for 2009.
Developer is Giarratana LLC; architect is Smallwood Reynolds,
Stewart, Stewart, and Associates; contractor is Turner Construction.
Structural engineering firm Walter P. Moore relied on post-tensioned
flat-plate floors and an outrigger-braced concrete core, with
eight outrigger walls spanning from core to perimeter at three
levels up the height of the tower. The concrete tower cantilevers
1,167 feet from the base to the top of the spire, resulting
in a slenderness ratio of 8.6:1. Occupant comfort in the upper
levels of the tower will be maintained with the use of a 200-foot-tall
steel spire, which will have a damper to reduce accelerations.
Contact
Mike Mota
|
 |
 July
PPI: Steel Down Sharply
Steel
prices fell 3.1% from June to July while asphalt prices rose
0.6% over the same period, according to the July Producer Price
Index (PPI). Lumber was up 1.6% from the previous month. Concrete
was unchanged.
Steel prices have increased by 3.2% over the last year. Asphalt
prices are up 5.3%, concrete prices have grown by 3.5% and lumber
prices are down 3.9% for the same period.
Source:
Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. The information
is provided by PCA to aid in the promotion of concrete and cement-based
products.
More
information
Contact
Craig Schulz
|
 |
San Francisco Lifts
High-Rise Moratorium
The San Francisco Building Commission recently reversed a ruling
that limited the use of concrete lateral framing systems for
high seismic design categories.
In November 2006, San Francisco building officials changed their
policy of allowing the use of performance-based design with
a case-by-case review, which allows structural designers to
use up-to-date research data and engineering judgment instead
of a strictly code-based prescriptive approach. Building officials
were reluctant to allow this “alternative rational analysis”
design approach in the absence of an industry-wide accepted
guideline.
Los Angeles designers, however, have for two years capitalized
on performance-based design and developed concrete structural
systems exceeding heights of 240 feet based on their own set
of guidelines accepted by the City of Los Angeles. Taking a
similar approach, the Structural Engineers Association of Northern
California developed new guidelines (Administrative Bulletin
083) incorporating performance-based design that was unanimously
accepted by the San Francisco Building Commission.
The vote effectively lifts the citywide moratorium on plan-check
of high-rise projects with performance-based principles, allowing
the second largest urban center of the Western U.S. to build
concrete high-rises efficiently.
Contact
Attila Beres
|
 |
Call for Entries: 2007 Safety
Innovation Awards
PCA and the Cement Association of Canada are cosponsoring the
2007 Safety Innovation Awards to honor innovative practices,
programs, and projects in the cement industry. The awards program
also seeks to communicate new ideas for improving safety and
to raise awareness of its importance.
Winning projects will be profiled in Cement Americas
magazine. Cement plants, grinding facilities, slag operations,
and terminals are eligible. Entries are due October 12, 2007.
Contact
Donna Wortman
Download
an entry form (PDF)
|
 |
PCA Economic Seminar
Provides Planning Tools
More than 30 cement
and concrete marketing professionals attended Practical Application
of PCA Economic Forecast and Market Assessments, a new PCA seminar,
on August 7-8 at the PCA headquarters in Skokie, Ill. This was
the first time PCA presented this seminar. The theme of the
seminar, "Managing Forecast Risk," provided insight
into how PCA creates its projections and how to best leverage
PCA reports and forecast information.
|
 |
Successful RCC
Workshops Continue
The Southeast Cement Association (SCA)
with PCA and the Great Lakes Cement Promotion Association
will present a one-day workshop on roller-compacted concrete
(RCC) pavements in Louisville, Ky., on September 25. The seminar
will provide information on design and construction procedures
for RCC and include an on-site demo and tours of a construction
project and cement plant. SCA presented a similar workshop
this spring in Nashville that drew more than 100 attendees.
More at
www.secement.org
Download
an entry form
|
|
Preventing Leaks
and Lawsuits
On August 10, PCA sponsored the first U.S.
presentation of “Achieving LEED Durable Building Envelopes
Everywhere – Preventing Leaks and Lawsuits” by
Robert Marshall, P.E., LEED AP, BDS.
Held in the Chicago Center for Green Technology, Marshall
shared the strategies he used for achieving the first LEED-Canada
credit for durable buildings. A complimentary tour of this
green building showcase was included after the presentation.
Most of the participating architectural firms plan to pursue
durability as a LEED innovation design credit using the templates
provided during the workshop.
Marshall chairs the Canada Green Building
Council’s Durable Building Task Force and is a primary
author of the Canadian LEED credit for durable building. His
background includes 22 years in forensic and building code
investigations.
Contact Dave
Shepherd at PCA or Robert
Marshall
|
 |
ACI Fall Convention Scheduled
for Puerto Rico
Registration is
now open for the American Concrete Institute Fall 2007 Convention
to be held in Puerto Rico at the El Conquistador Resort &
Spa, October 14-18, 2007.
With the theme: "Puerto Rico Bridges the Americas,"
this convention provides members with the opportunity to contribute
ideas on standards, reports and codes within the concrete industry
as well as network with key players in the industry.
More
at www.concrete.org
|
 |
Results from last week:
Bridges Neediest Segment of Infrastructure
The recent bridge tragedy in Minneapolis
has heightened awareness of our nation's infrastructure. Which
sector should receive top priority from the government?
>Aviation (8.73%)
>Bridges (36.51%)
>Dams and levees (23.02%)
>Highways (23.81%)
>Waste and water resources (7.94%)
Notable
Comments
"Let's stop billions of dollars going to foreign aid and
keep the money in the U.S. toward our infrastructure and other
programs."
"The industry is failing in quality control. States have
neglected QC-QA for some time now. Companies have put profit
over quality."
"We should not have to pay any more in taxes to fix the
failing infrastructure, as the majority of our taxes is being
wasted. Why entrust those greedy bastards with any more of our
tax dollars? Americans are paying plenty at the pumps in taxes
through the back door and they don't even realize it."
"Cars, planes, and sewers can all back up . . . and usually
do. But when bridges start collapsing . . . Houston we've got
a problem."
"More local and state governments need to play an active
role in learning about best management practices and maintenance
of all these types of structures, and the public needs to support
those efforts and communicate with their government officials
that it is viewed as a priority. Our state and local governments
are of the people and for the people. If more people took an
active role, our infrastructure might not fall into grave disrepair
before being rehabilitated."
Take
the current PCA Poll
|
| |
For more information
or to register, contact Julie
Lisiecki.
|
Pulverized
Fuel Guidelines for the Cement Industry
September 18, 2007
Bethlehem, Pa.
|
Raw
Mix Chemistry
September 19, 2007
Bethlehem, Pa.
|
ACI
Certification Program
September 21, 2007
|
Aggregates
and Chemical Admixtures for Use in Concrete
October 1-2, 2007
|
Kiln
Process
October 1-4, 2007
|
Mill
Grinding
October 22-24, 2007
|
Concrete:
Principles & Practices
October 22-25, 2007
|
Troubleshooting:
Solutions to Concrete Field Problems
November 5-7, 2007
|
Cement
Manufacturing for Process Engineers
November 5-8, 2007
|
| |
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
|
|
|
|
![]() |
| The
Executive Report is distributed free of charge to members
of PCA and to individuals interested in PCA activities or
the cement, concrete, and construction industries.
|
View or download
back issues |
 |
| |
5420 Old Orchard Rd.
Skokie, Illinois 60077
847.966.6200 info@cement.org
500 New Jersey Ave. N.W.
7th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20001
202.408.9494 fax 202.408.0877 |
 |
|
|
©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.
|
