PCA Executive Report

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Trump Builds Tallest in New Jersey Donald Trump is poised to build the two tallest luxury condominium towers in Jersey City, N.J. Trump Plaza at Washington and Bay Streets will consist of 55- and 50-story towers with a combined floor area of one million square feet. DeWitt Tishman Architects designed the towers; Bovis Lend Lease will manage construction. Work is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2006. The structure relies on a conventionally reinforced eight-inch flat plate concrete floor system. PCA has extensively promoted the use of flat-plate construction throughout the New York metropolitan area for its speed of construction and architectural flexibility. Contact Mike Mota

Storms Spotlight Dam Safety, Aging Infrastructure Recent hurricanes and the severe rains in New England that compromised area dams have focused renewed attention on our nation's aging water resource infrastructure. The American Society for Civil Engineering's annual infrastructure report card gives dams a D, noting that since 1998 the number of unsafe dams has risen by 33 percent to 3,500. The Association of State Dam Safety Officials is urging state leaders to address the most deficient dams under state regulation. The organization says that 95 percent of the nation's 79,000 dams are state-regulated; of those, 60 percent are privately owned. View state-by-state statistics More at www.damsafety.org

Student Design Competition Now Open Registration is now open for the “Concrete Thinking for a Sustainable World,” a student design competition sponsored by PCA. The contest challenges students to investigate innovative applications of cement-based materials to achieve sustainable design objectives. Designs should illustrate enhanced building performance from the use of cement-based materials and can be an element of the structure or an entire building of modest size. The contest is administered by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and is open to all ASCA member schools, domestic and international. The top three designs will share $10,000 in awards and receive a complete package of pcaStructurePoint software. The registration deadline is February 8, 2006, with submissions due May 3. The results will be announced in May 2006. Download an application

UC-San Diego Conducts First Full-Scale Seismic Test Designing concrete structures that adhere to seismic safety standards presents a challenge. Engineers currently have to resort to gross estimates in describing the complex dynamic, non-linear behavior of large structures. However, tests at the newly completed Englekirk Structural Engineering Center near University of California-San Diego will improve design methodologies and assist engineers in producing safer and more economical buildings. The center has performed the first full scale test on a 70-feet tall model of a reinforced concrete shear wall, simulating a low-impact ground motion for a seven-story structure. The test confirmed that this one-of-a-kind facility, equipped with the world's first outdoor shake table, works as intended. Next month, researchers will take the monumental cantilever-wall through a real ride, simulating violent ground motions that will test the concrete wall to its limits. PCA is sponsoring a blind-prediction competition, where leading practitioners and researchers will try to predict the performance and behavior of the tested wall. Englekirk Center is the only facility capable of verifying seismic safety of full-scale structural systems of these real magnitudes, enabling structural tests that have never been possible before. As a member of its Board of Advisors, PCA’s Attila Beres was present last week to discuss future goals of the laboratory. Contact Attila Beres

PCA Teams up with McGraw-Hill to Publish Handbook on Concrete Products PCA and McGraw-Hill have published an update to their decade-old Concrete Homebuilding Systems, which primarily covered above-grade walls. Concrete Systems for Homes and Low-Rise Construction is broader in scope to include concrete and cement-based products for walls, floors, roofs, exterior finishes, landscaping, and decorative products such as countertops. The 442-page hardbound book has more than 325 photos and illustrations. Cost is $75.00, no discounts. More information

PCA LEEDs the Way at Greenbuild 2005 PCA will be the guide to the latest in “Concrete Thinking” at U.S. Green Building Council's Greenbuild 2005 International Show and Expo in Atlanta, Ga., November 9-11. As host of the Concrete Solutions Pavilion, PCA’s booth will be the primary place at the show to learn about the array of concrete solutions for environmentally responsible building and design. Case studies, information, and resources about sustainable development are also available at www.concretethinker.com. Web site visitors are encouraged to share ideas about responsible building for the future. More about the Greenbuild Show More on PCA's sustainable development initiatives

Krey Named Market Research Analyst Madeline Krey has been promoted to Senior Market Research Analyst in PCA’s market research department. Her responsibilities include secondary market research and analysis projects, maintaining the PCA apparent use model, producing the quarterly survey of portland cement consumption reports, and managing market research Web content. Krey previously served as market research coordinator, a part-time position.

NAHB Offers Concrete Building Courses The National Association of Home Builders is offering two concrete-based education programs at its Building Systems Council’s Showcase program in November in Louisville, Ky. On November 9, “Cast-in-Place Concrete Foundations” gives builders the opportunity to learn more about best practices for removable formed cast-in-place basements. This half-day course supplies all the necessary information to construct a strong and secure foundation. On November 10, meeting attendees can participate in an introductory seminar on building with insulating concrete forms (ICFs). The full-day course covers the advantages and costs of ICF construction as well as components and materials used, design and planning considerations, the logistics of ICF construction and important business and marketing considerations of an ICF project. Jim Niehoff, PCA residential program manager, is leading the seminar. More information and to register

Assessment of Profiler Performance For Construction Quality Control: Phase I: This report documents a profiler verification experiment that tested the performance of inertial profilers on four pavement sections. The repeatability and reproducibility of lightweight profilers on new concrete with coarse texture were of particular interest. The study included six lightweight inertial profilers, three high-speed inertial profilers, two walking-speed profilers, a rod and level survey, and one profilograph. Tests were performed on four pavement types (SN2877; $15.00, PDF only; free to members). More information *U.S. and Canadian Portland Cement Industry: Plant Information Summary:* This publication contains comprehensive information on cement-manufacturing plants: capacities and the types of cement produced; capacity ranking tables by company, state, and plant; mill and kiln data; and detailed information on fuels, including waste fuels. Plant locations, parent company listings, and company ranking tables are included. A map of plant locations is located in the back of the book. Data are as of December 31, 2003. Contact Karen Arneson HPC Bridge Views, Issue No. 41, September/October 2005: For its largest and most complex bridge project ever completed, the South Carolina Department of Transportation set high design standards: 100 year service life at the lowest life cycle cost. This edition of HPC Bridge Views chronicles this project from the perspectives of the owner, designer, general contractor, and concrete supplier (uncoded; no charge). More information *HPC Bridge Views Issues Nos. 1–38:* The first 38 issues of HPC Bridge Views, are compiled in one volume published at the Seventh International Symposium on the Utilization of High-Strength/High-Performance Concrete held in Washington, D.C., last year. HPC Bridge Views is produced under a cooperative agreement between the Federal Highway Administration and the National Concrete Bridge Council (SP397; $5.00, no discount). More information *Guide Specification for High-Performance Concrete for Bridges:* This publication is intended to help in developing specifications for all high performance concretes supplied for highway bridges, whether produced by a ready-mix supplier, general contractor, or precast concrete manufacturer. The document provides mandatory language that the specifier can cut and paste into project specifications. It also includes guidance on what characteristics and limits should be specified to ensure satisfactory performance for a given element or environment (EB233; $30.00, no discount). More information PCI Design Handbook, Precast and Prestressed Concrete – 6th Edition: Published by the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, this handbook has been revised to reflect recent changes in the building codes and standards. The sixth edition provides easy-to-follow design procedures, newly formatted numerical examples, and both new and updated design aids using ASCE 7-02, ACI 318-02, the third edition of the AISC steel manual and IBC 2003. This edition also includes new and updated information on 15-Foot-Wide Double-Tee Load Tables; Seismic Design; Torsion and Shear Design; Load and Resistance Factors; Headed Stud Connection Design; and Fire Resistance (LT151; $260.00, no discount). More information Soil-Cement for Commercial Sites: This eight-page full-color promotional brochure provides an overview of soil-cement—its properties, key benefits, and how it is used for commercial applications. Benefits such as low cost, fast construction, strength, and performance are described in easy-to-understand language. (PL617; $20.00 for a pack of 25, no discount; PDF is free). More information *No-Crack CTB Rules in Florida:* This two-page publication describes how a cement-treated base (CTB) material is being produced in central Florida that develops virtually no cracks and has provided years of excellent service (PL618; $5.00 for a pack of 25, no discount; PDF is free). More information *Buttressing an Aging Gravity Dam With RCC to Remedy Flood Risk:* This four-page case study describes the rehabilitation of Loch Raven Dam, an old cyclopean concrete dam in Baltimore County, Md. To satisfy current safety requirements and significantly increase its spillway capacity, the dam was raised 21 feet while maintaining the existing spillway crest elevation. A total of 55,000 cubic yards of RCC was placed to complete the stilling basin and buttress sections and to raise the crest of the dam. The publication describes the planning, design, and construction procedures for the project (PL463; $7.50 for a pack of 25, no discount; PDF is free). More information Residential Banner Stands: Promote concrete homebuilding at trade shows, seminars, conferences, and show homes with these lightweight displays. Four banner stands are available for weekly rental: general use of concrete in residential construction; concrete wall systems; decorative flatwork; and use of cement-based products for roof tile, fiber-cement siding, stucco and more for exteriors. Each banner stand is 4-feet wide and 7-feet tall. Rental Price is $100.00 each per week (no discount). Code No. PL089 – General Code No. PL090 – Wall Systems Code No. PL091 – Decorative Flatwork Code No. PL092 – Exteriors *Exploring the Environmental Attributes of Concrete:* This reprint of a PCA-sponsored advertising section from the September 2005 issue of Environmental Design and Construction magazine highlights concrete as a sustainable solution (RP427; $1.00, no discounts). More information

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. For more information or to register, contact Julie Lisiecki.
Skokie Courses Microscopy of Clinker and Cement October 31-November 4, 2005 Troubleshooting: Solutions to Concrete Field Problems November 14-16, 2005	Cement Manufacturing for Process Engineers December 5-8, 2005

Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) Safety Conference November 1-4, 2005, Reno, Nev. Register online Contact Donna Wortman	PCA Fall Meeting November 13-15, 2005, Washington, D.C. Contact Jan Farnsworth
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 ©2005 Portland Cement Association All rights reserved

10.24.05

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.

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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.