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Mutual of Omaha's Midtown Crossing
Tops One Million Square Feet
Omaha's Midtown Crossing at Turner Park—a
$250-million mixed-use development project including seven buildings
and more than one million square feet of space—will be
structural concrete.
 PCA's
Amy Trygestad and local allies worked with structural engineers
Nielsen-Baumert Engineering on a plan for post-tensioned concrete
construction, which reduces both cost and construction time
over steel options.
Developers Mutual of Omaha and ECI Investment Advisors say work
will begin immediately for a 2009 occupancy. Part of Destination
Midtown area rejuvenation, Midtown Crossing at Turner Park comprises
seven buildings with approximately 200,000 square feet of leasable
space for restaurants, retailers and entertainment venues as
well as 600 condominium and apartment units and the addition
of parking for approximately 2,200 vehicles. The site is near
Mutual of Omaha headquarters.
In addition to Midtown Crossing, Trygestad is involved in several
other major projects in Omaha. WallStreet Tower, a 32-story,
$122-million luxury condominium project, will be the third tallest
building in Omaha. In the planning stages is a new office building
for the Federal Bureau of Investigation with design critera
that includes protection from progressive collapse, blast resistance,
and LEED certification.
Visit www.midtowncrossing.com
Contact Amy Trygestad
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Call for Entries:
2007 PCA Education Foundation
Research Fellowships
PCA's Education Foundation is seeking nominations
for outstanding graduate students in the fields of engineering
and the physical sciences for the 2007 PCA Education Foundation
Research Fellowships. Each year the Foundation awards students
working on projects related to cement manufacturing, concrete
technology, residential, public works, masonry, and engineered
structures.
Honorees receive a $20,000 stipend, paid to the university,
to cover tuition and other related educational expenses. Applications
are due January 15, 2007.
The fellowships are open to any student completing studies towards
a masters or doctoral degree from an institution of higher education
within Canada or the United States that is accredited by a regional
or national agency. The applicant must be pursuing graduate
study in an engineering, science, material science, or architectural
program.
More
information at www.cement.org
Contact
Steve Kosmatka
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Cement Consumption by User Group
Available
PCA has released the Third Quarter 2006 Survey of Portland
Cement Consumption by User Group report.
The report includes a historical perspective of North American
portland cement consumption by sixteen user groups for the past
six years. It also includes information on cement kiln dust
(CKD) for soil-cement paving and waste solidification/stabilization
projects.
Cement consumption for the third quarter of 2006 was 34.18 million
tons, down 3% from third quarter 2005. Ready-mixed concrete
was the largest consumer with 72.4% of the total, followed by
brick and block (4.1%), and streets and highways contractors
(3.3%).
Contact
Madeline Krey
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PCA "Greenovates"
PCA exhibited at the National Building Museum’s
Greenovation: An Expo for the Home, on Nov. 18 in Washington,
D.C. The expo was part of the museum’s Green House exhibition,
which PCA sponsored. Aimed at the consumer, the show focused
on remodeling and renovation.
PCA was one of 28 participating organizations including the
U.S. Department of Energy, EPA, National Association of Home
Remodeling Industry, American Society of Landscape Architects,
and the Energy and Environmental Building Association.
Tom Evans, promotion director of the Maryland Ready Mixed Concrete
Association, staffed the PCA booth and spoke to nearly 1500
people about the environmental benefits of cement and concrete
products. Booth visitors received literature on concrete homes,
architectural finishes, and pervious concrete and were encouraged
to visit www.concretehomes.com
to learn more about how concrete fits into green building.
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Study: Pyramids are
Really Concrete
The New York Times reports that
a scientist from Drexel University has concluded that the Great
Pyramids of Egypt were made of cast concrete blocks rather than
quarried and cut limestone.
Materials engineering professor Michel W. Barsoum found evidence
that Egyptians used concrete blocks for the massive monuments
beginning at around 2550 B.C., making the pyramids the earliest
and most enduring example of concrete construction.
The study was published in The Journal of the American Ceramic
Society.
More
information
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Holcim Plant Wins
National Corporate Citizenship Award
The Council of State Governments (CSG) recently
recognized the Holcim (US) plant in Theodore, Ala., as the winner
of the 2006 CSG Associates Award for corporate citizenship for
the plant’s ongoing commitment to helping the community
rebuild after Hurricane Katrina.
The CSG award was presented to Holcim Plant Manager Joe McFalls
on Dec. 2 by Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry during a ceremony
in Phoenix, Ariz. During remarks, Gov. Henry highlighted two
specific projects Holcim undertook to help the community rebuild.
The first was a rural health clinic in Bayou, La., that serves
low-income residents in the Theodore community. The clinic was
destroyed by the hurricane and after being rebuilt, suffered
another blow when it burned down the day before it was scheduled
to re-open.
Holcim officials also coordinated with the local Habitat for
Humanity office to support efforts to build new homes for those
displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Holcim, in partnership with
other local industries, arranged to have the concrete donated
for all 11 Habitat for Humanity houses being built in the Belwood
subdivision in Theodore. Holcim employees also provided volunteer
labor on the building projects.
The CSG Associates Award is given in recognition of an association's
private sector members who have demonstrated exemplary partnerships
with the states, the communities they serve and CSG.
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Results from
Last Week:
Make Affordable Housing Part of Development Package
The lack of affordable housing is becoming a crisis in cities
like Los Angeles, where more than 88% of residents cannot
afford to buy a median-priced home. What's the answer?
Responses (percent)
- Mandate affordable housing units as
a condition for new development 38 (62.30%)
- Finance affordable housing programs
locally with initiatives such as bond issues 9 (14.75%)
- Step up private efforts through organizations
such as Habitat for Humanity 8 (13.11%)
- Increase federal involvement with
programs such as HUD 6 (9.84%)
Notable Comments
"Let the market work. If it is too expensive to live
in L.A., then people will move to areas where they can afford
to live."
"The true problem is that housing costs have increased
faster than salaries. Sending jobs to India and China don't
help this. High interest rates make it worse."
"The North American housing market is going through what
every maturing market goes thru eventually. It is time that
home owners start to realize that living in a big house in
the 'burbs is not environmentally friendly nor sustainable,
therefore more people will have to live in higher density
condos that are closer to where they work and having a smaller
foot print on this world."
Take
the current PCA poll
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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.
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Concrete:
Principles & Practices
February 12-15, 2007 |
Aggregates
and Chemical Admixtures for Use in Concrete
March 5-6, 2007 |
SCMs
and Ternary Blends in Concrete
March 7-8, 2007
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| Troubleshooting:
Solutions to Concrete Field Problems
March 19-21, 2007
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Mill
Grinding
March 19-21, 2007 |
Kiln
Process
March 26-29, 2007 |
Cement
and Concrete Overview
April 16-17, 2007
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Register
Free Online
Las Vegas, Nevada
Exhibits: January 23-26
Seminars: January 22-26
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National Concrete Masonry Association Annual
Convention
February 20-24, 2007
Orlando, Fla.
More
information
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Manufactured
Concrete Products Exposition
February 22-24, 2007
Orlando, Fla.
More
information
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Hardscape North
America
March 7-10, 2007
Nashville, Tenn.
More
Information |
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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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View or download
back issues |
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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 |
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©2006 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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Do
you think the Great Pyramids were constructed of cast concrete
blocks or cut limestone?
