JE Dunn Picks Concrete for New Headquarters

JE Dunn will break ground this month on its new 204,000 square-foot headquarters in downtown Kansas City, Mo.

JE Dunn is one of Kansas City's top 50 businesses, the largest contractor in the metro area, and the fifth largest building contractor in the country.

The headquarters building will house 520 employees. The $40.5 million, 5-story office building will include an adjacent $18.3 million parking structure to serve 780 vehicles.

The building will be the first LEED Gold certified corporate headquarters project in Kansas City. An exterior of precast concrete will also serve as the interior face of the perimeter wall; no dry wall will be used for the interior perimeter walls. To conserve energy, no office space will be more than 22.5 feet away from natural light. To conserve water, all irrigation for the site and property will be from collected rainwater or "gray water.” Gray water is collected water from sinks and showers and used for landscaping irrigation.

The structure is a 66-inch-wide modular pan-and-joist system spanning to post-tensioned girders.
Contact Amy Trygestad

PCA Products, Promotions Showcased at World of Concrete

The World of Concrete 2008 held in Las Vegas, January 21-25, provided PCA with several opportunities to promote its people, services, and products. The PCA bookstore-type booth continued to be a popular exhibit. Featured items at this conference included the latest editions of Concrete Masonry Handbook for Architects, Engineers, Builders and Concrete Floors on Ground.  The booth hosted a special Q&A section on these topics Thursday, January 24.

During a January 22 press conference, PCA announced an initiative to recognize public officials who take the lead in "green" building. The annual Sustainable Leadership Awards will honor government leaders who advance sustainable development in their communities through the use of concrete and cement-based products. (See below.)  Also presented was PCA’s long-range economic forecast. (See below.) More than 20 journalists and editors attended the conference, including those from Concrete Construction, Engineering-News Record and Roads and Bridges.

PCA staff was very visible at WOC educational and special sessions.  Michelle Wilson, PCA's manager of education and product development, presented three seminars during the meeting. In addition to these educational sessions, Wilson took part in the Women in Concrete panel luncheon.

Donn Thompson, PCA’s residential technology promotion manager, presented at two seminars:  “Residential Problem Clinic” on January 22, and “Insulating Concrete Forms Installation” on January 24.
“Residential Problem Clinic” addressed common residential construction issues.

Ed Sullivan, PCA chief economist, gave his current forecast at WOC’s "Concrete Producer's Economic Summit" on January 23. The two-hour lunch program brought together experts in the cement, residential building, and aggregate industries for their views on the overall U.S. economy and the outlook for the commercial, residential, and public works. Sullivan was also honored as one of the Top 10 Influencer's by Concrete Construction magazine.

David Shepherd, PCA's Director of Sustainable Development presented "Setting the Record Straight" as part of the new GREENSITE area on January 24.
Contact Michelle Wilson
Contact Donn Thompson
Contact David Shepherd

PCA Launches Sustainable Leadership Awards

At a press conference held at on Tuesday, January 22, at the World of Concrete, PCA president and CEO Brian McCarthy announced an initiative to recognize public officials who take the lead in "green" building.

The annual Sustainable Leadership Awards will honor government leaders who advance sustainable development in their communities through the use of concrete and cement-based products.

"There are few, if any, construction materials that offer concrete's wide range of sustainable and environmental benefits," said McCarthy. "This award will recognize government officials who share our passion for green construction and recognize concrete’s unrivaled benefits in terms of energy efficiency, durability, and ability to be recycled."

Four categories will be recognized. The Leadership in Sustainability Policy Award honors public officials who advance policies that promote the concept of sustainable development by advocating for and promoting the use of concrete and cement-based products in their communities.

Additionally, three award categories honor specific projects in three areas: Homes and Residential Building, Non-Residential Building and Infrastructure. These Awards honor public officials who utilize cement or cement-based products to achieve sustainable benefits for projects in each of these categories.
For more information and to access the nomination form, visit: http://www.cement.org/SustainableLeadership

Population Increase Expected to Fuel Cement Consumption Increases    

By 2030 the U.S. population is expected to reach 363.5 million persons. Supplying the needed housing, buildings and roads will lead to a 43 percent growth in U.S. cement consumption by that year.

Annual cement consumption will hit 183 million metric tons, reflecting a 55 million metric ton increase compared to the past cyclical peak level in 2005.

The PCA long-range cement consumption forecast was presented last week at the World of Concrete in Las Vegas.

While 50 percent of the rise in cement consumption is due to population growth, the remaining half will be driven by per capita cement consumption.

For example, highway construction will probably experience large gains. To meet the demand of the expected additional 49 million drivers, at least 400,000 additional lane miles of highway must be added by 2030. Efforts to reduce congestion and “wasted” fuel and its associated emissions could further increase the number of miles.

Additionally, energy and environmental concerns are predicted to boost cement intensities, the tons of cement per dollar of construction activity. As more homeowners and builders seek energy efficient houses, the insulated concrete wall market share is expected to increase to 30 percent all new homes, compared to its seven percent share today.
Contact Ed Sullivan

ACI Releases New Edition of Structural Design Requirements

ACI has released ACI 318-08, Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete.  Some of the major changes introduced in the latest edition of the Code include:

• Permit design of cast-in-place footings, foundation walls, and slabs-on-ground for one- and two-family dwellings, and townhouses by using the ACI 332-04, Requirements for Residential Concrete Construction.
• A completely revised Chapter 4 on Durability of Concrete, where concrete requirements depend on exposure categories and classes to be assigned by the designer.
• Permit use of headed bars to reduce development length.
• Expanded seismic design provisions to comply with the International Building Code (IBC) requirements.

The fourth edition of the International Building Code, IBC 2009, will adopt the ACI 318-08 standard by reference. 

Copies of ACI 318-08 are available through the PCA Bookstore.

Contact Basile Rabbat

Lafarge Modernizes and Expands Cement Manufacturing Facility in Illinois

Lafarge announced a project to modernize its Joppa, Ill., cement plant. When the $415 million modernization is complete in 2010, the plant will produce 2 million tons of cement annually. The construction effort is part of the company's emphasis on cost reductions. In addition, the changes will enhance the plant's environmental performance in terms of alternative fuels and emission control.

The new kiln will use the most modern processes and will increase operating efficiency, reduce energy use, reduce costs, and enhance environmental protection.

Lafarge’s Joppa Cement Facility has been a major employer and community partner for over forty years. The expansion is part of a long-standing partnership between Lafarge and the Southern Illinois community. It provides a significant economic impact in the region and helps ensure the long-term future of the Joppa facility.

“Green” Services Highlight Capabilities at WOC

Seminars, exhibits, and special presentations raised the profile of CTLGroup at last week’s World of Concrete in Las Vegas.

In addition to its booth, CTLGroup participated in Greensite, a pavilion geared to sustainable development and green building. Medgar Marceau addressed two topics—Energy Conservation with Concrete and Sustainability of Concrete: a Life-Cycle Perspective.

Howard Kanare was honored as one of the Top 10 Influencer's by Concrete Construction magazine. Kanare also presented an education session on floors.

CTLGroup’s George Seegebrecht spoke to enthusiastic attendees on the topic "Creative Techniques to Repair Common Construction Defects."
More at www.ctlgroup.com

Masonry Handbook for Architects, Engineers, Builders:  The sixth edition reflects state-of-the-practice for concrete masonry construction presented in a new layout style. More than 200 color photos describe designing and building with concrete masonry. Nine chapters cover design and construction, the structural behavior of masonry elements, and information on applications for concrete masonry structures, finishes such as paint and plaster (EB008; $50.00, less discount).
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Concrete Floors on Ground:  This expanded fourth edition describes the design, construction, and repair of concrete floors on ground for a variety of floor classifications. The approach described emphasizes attaining the best possible balance among service requirements, cost, and maintenance. In addition to an updated thickness design procedure, the text includes a discussion of concrete drying shrinkage, joint stability, floor flatness and levelness, moisture testing and floor coverings, concrete durability, floor maintenance and repair, special floor types including white concrete floors, and a glossary of slab-on-ground terms (EB079; $50.00, less discount).
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Pisos Industriales De Concreto:  Spanish edition of PCA’s third edition of Concrete Floors on Ground (EB075). This easy-to-understand publication serves as design guide, construction manual, and authoritative reference. It contains more than 100 color photographs and 75 tables and graphs, along with several examples that demonstrate the thickness design process. The technology applies to floors of all types and sizes: small-area floors in a residence or light industry, medium-sized warehouse floors, heavy industrial plants, and storage facilities. The approach described emphasizes attaining the best possible balance among service requirements, costs, and maintenance (EB175; $50.00, less discount).
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Portland, Blended and Other Hydraulic Cements:  This publication discusses the raw materials and manufacture of portland cement and different types of hydraulic cements. It also discusses masonry and expansive cements, and the chemistry of cement and includes graphs and charts illustrating effect of cement type on sulfate attack, strength development versus cement type, length change of shrinkage-compensating concrete, and the wet and dry process of cement manufacturing. (IS004, $21.00, less discount; PDF free to members).
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Masonry Today Newsletter, Winter 2007/2008:  This issue discusses construction inspection, specifically, special inspection in masonry construction. It discusses why construction is inspected, what the role of the inspector is, what should be inspected, how often inspection should occur, and the role of building codes (PL1002; $1.50, less discount; PDF free).
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Effect of Use of Limestone on Various Properties of Portland Cement – Part II:  The study presented in this report concentrates on multi-laboratory comparison of compressive strengths of mortar cubes conducted in accordance with ASTM C109. All cements evaluated in this study were plant produced under normal operating conditions to comply with ASTM C 150-04, Standard Specification for Portland Cement. The results presented in the report include ASTM C109 mortar cube compressive strength testing at ages of 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days, as well as an examination of the effect of limestone addition on water demand or flow (SN2891a; no charge; PDF only).
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Concrete for Artificial Reefs: A Selected Bibliography:  One of the less-commonly mentioned but highly innovative and successful uses of waste concrete is the construction of artificial reefs. As natural coral reefs have slowly disintegrated due to pollution, shipping activities, and natural disasters, the artificial concrete reefs are able to provide effective and environmentally friendly habitats for fish and fauna. This bibliography cites a number of studies demonstrating the successful use of concrete for artificial reefs (LB34; $5.00, no discount, PDF free to members)
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Builder’s Guide to Stucco, Lath & Plaster:  Primarily a technical “how-to” book, it covers plaster base (lath) and flashing; mixing and application basics; plaster finishes and how to achieve them; decorative plaster work; structural, thermal, water-resistant, and acoustic properties of cement plaster; typical causes of plaster failure, and remedies; and more. It also offers information on codes and specifications, history, and safety guidelines, and includes a glossary. A companion CD-ROM of the complete book is included. (LT309; $49.95, no discount)
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The Right Choice for Tough Duty: RCC Pavement:  This revised CD includes a 5-min. video describing the complete construction sequence for an RCC project—mixing, placing, compacting, and curing. Also on the CD are several technical publications including a suggested specification, thickness design and production guide, and case studies describing various applications. Includes IS009, IS233, IS328, IS332, IS692, PL397, PL614, PL620, and PL623. Windows format only (CD034; $4.00, no discount, quantities of 100 or more receive 50% discount).
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Building Homes with Removable Concrete Forms (RCFs):  This comprehensive manual, produced by the Concrete Homes Council of the Concrete Foundations Association, introduces contractors and builders to the concept and methods of building with removable concrete forms. The manual is also designed to help existing foundation contractors transition into above-grade concrete construction. Items covered include how to communicate and market those RCF benefits to homeowners, installation tips, an introduction to details of the RCF building system, and information about codes, cost benefits, environmental policies, and tax implications for concrete builders (LT310; $25.00, no discount).
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