Concrete a Winning Choice for Montgomery County

Concrete’s economy, durability, and aesthetic potential made it the clear choice for a pedestrian bridge in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. 

When a highway project was needed to improve the intersection and approaches of Sumneytown Pike and Forty Foot Road (Route 63), the ultimate widening of Forty Foot Road to five lanes would inhibit pedestrian crossing or slow traffic if signals are used. The answer was a pedestrian bridge.

A cultural landscape symbol of a new Town Center, the 40-foot wide deck was designed as an attractive and comfortable environment for moving people and community activities safely.  Two architectural concrete fascia beams and three standard concrete box beams form the single span bridge structure.  The fascia beams completely integrate the engineering with the architectural design. 

A winner of the 2008 PCA Bridge Awards, the project was "a work of art," according to jurors, and an excellent example of concrete's ability to be molded into a variety of shapes.

Seminars, Booth Brandish PCA Technical Expertise at World of Concrete

“Ask the Expert” sessions, a press conference, seminars, and a bookstore on the exhibit floor showcased PCA’s technical resources to those attending last week’s World of Concrete and conference in Las Vegas, Nev.

PCA’s exhibit consisted of a bookstore with popular publications and DVDs. Featured was the new edition of Concrete Floors and Moisture, a reference discussing the sources of moisture, proper drying of concrete, methods of measuring moisture, construction practices, specifications, and responsibilities for successful floor projects.

PCA experts also conducted seminars at the trade show and, with authors of prominent PCA publications, were available for scheduled Q&A sessions at the PCA booth. PCA’s Michelle Wilson presented two seminars, “Adding Water on Site” and “Green Building and Sustainable Design.” Donn Thompson presented “Insulating Concrete Forms Installation” and “Sustainable Concrete Homes.”

At a PCA press conference at the show, Ronnie Pruitt, TXI, discussed PCA’s new approach to paving promotion (see below) while PCA chief economist Ed Sullivan presented his analysis of the economic stimulus package now before Congress (see below).

PCA Unveils Integrated Paving Market Development Program

At a press conference last week at the World of Concrete, Ronnie Pruitt, vice chair of PCA's Paving Committee, unveiled a PCA paving promotion initiative that benefits the industry, its customers, and ultimately the motoring public.

The program will ensure concrete and cement-based paving products realize their full market share potential, and that taxpayers are better served with a range of paving solutions.

In the past, concrete paving promotion efforts have been segmented among various regional and national groups. The new program builds upon those efforts and relationships and creates a more cohesive, inclusive approach.  As the umbrella organization for this effort, PCA has expanded its focus from roller-compacted concrete pavement and soil-cement applications such as full-depth reclamation to all concrete pavement options, including conventional concrete pavements and pervious concrete. This expansion will provide public works officials with a “one-stop-shop” for cement-based paving solutions and offer the product that best matches the unique needs of the community or state while increasing the use of concrete products throughout the nation.
Contact Mark Justman

Cement Consumption Could Increase with Stimulus Package

Quick passage of an economic stimulus package followed by the almost immediate start of “shovel ready” infrastructure projects in 2009 could increase projected cement consumption for this year and next, according to a recent report by PCA presented last week at the World of Concrete.

Without a stimulus package, 2009 cement consumption is expected to decrease 15.1 percent compared to 2008 levels, with an additional 8 percent decline forecasted for 2010.  However, with an economic stimulus package that provides for infrastructure funding as well as state aid, consumption in 2009 could only be down 8.6 percent and 2010 could see an increase of 5.3 percent.

The PCA report stressed that without substantial aid to states, the stimulus program could fail to revive the economy.  State revenues are falling at a rapid rate due to job losses and declining sales tax revenue, and this is hindering the states’ ability to address all its programs.  State balanced budget amendments will force tax increases, and spending cutbacks.  Without addressing state aid, PCA estimates that nearly 500,000 state employee jobs could be lost in 2009 and an additional 650,000 in 2010.

Ed Sullivan, PCA chief economist, presented this report during a February 3 press conference.  More than 25 journalists and editors attended the conference, including those from the Las Vegas Review Journal, Concrete Construction, Engineering-News Record, and Better Roads.

ICC Code Development Process Changes

To more efficiently handle the code changes considered for its 13 different code categories, the International Code Council (ICC) announced that it will begin to separate the development of the codes into two groups of hearings.  The new approach will result in four shorter meetings in a two-year period rather than four longer meetings over a three-year period.  An additional benefit may be that the attendees at hearings are likely to be more focused on their specific areas of interest and expertise.  ICC still plans to publish a complete set of codes on a three-year cycle.

The grouping has been identified as:

Group A (first year): International Building Code provisions related to egress, fire safety, general, and structural; International Fuel Gas Code, International Mechanical Code, and International Private Sewage Code.

Group B (second year): International Energy Conservation Code; International Residential Code, IBC Administration, International Existing Building Code, International Fire Code, ICC Performance Code, International Property Maintenance Code, International Wildland Urban Interface Code, and International Zoning Code.
Contact Stephen Szoke

World Class Athlete Skyruns the Empire State Building for TX Active®

World-class skyrunning athlete Daniela Vassalli ran for TX Active® cement at the Empire State Building Runup in New York City on February 3.

Skyrunning is defined as running in the mountains above 2000 meters (6500 feet) altitude where the climb difficulty does not exceed 2nd degree and the incline is less than 40%. Since 2004, Vassalli has participated in numerous skyraces, marathons, and half-marathons throughout the world.

Italcementi Group, Vassalli’s official sponsor through its new ecological product line TX Active®, has backed her worldwide for more than two years.

Participants of the Empire State Building Run-Up must climb 86 flights (1,576 steps) to end the race on the Observation Deck. Vassalli was the only Italian athlete selected by the race organizers, on the merits of her athletic ability and background.  In 2008 she won the Pirelli Building Run Up in Milan.

TX Active photocatalytic cement is produced in the U.S. by Essroc Italcementi Group.

Lafarge SA Named to Global 100

Lafarge SA has been named one of the 100 most sustainable corporations in the world by Corporate Knights Inc and Innovest Strategic Value Advisors.  The list, announced January 28 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, includes companies from 15 countries encompassing all sectors.

Companies were evaluated according to how effectively they managed environmental, social, and governance risks and opportunities relative to their industry peers. 

Forty-six of the 100 companies have been in existence for at least 100 years.
More information at www.global100.org

Bagga Promoted to Market Research Manager

PCA has promoted Alpa Bagga to manager, market research. A senior market research analyst for PCA for the past year, Bagga will assume all managerial responsibilities related to market measurement and informational support of market strategy development.

Prior to joining PCA, Bagga worked as an analyst for the McIlvaine Company in Northfield, Ill., and as a consultant. She has a bachelors degree in economics from University of Illinois, Chicago.
Contact Alpa Bagga

Masonry Veneer Stands Up Well to Strong Simulated Quake

Following more than 1-1/2 years of preparation, a masonry research team led by Dr. Richard Klingner (University of Texas at Austin) completed large-scale testing of a brick-clad wood-frame structure on January 26, 2009. Using the National Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) Large High Performance Outdoor Shaking Table facility at University of California at San Diego, the 20-by-20-foot wood-frame structure with masonry veneer was subjected to levels of shaking far in excess of the maximum considered earthquake for regions of high seismic activity (Seismic Design Category D). 

Among the most important observations are:

> Performance considerably exceeded that implied by current design codes. Constructed using Type N masonry cement mortar and attached with screws, the brick veneer stayed on the wall and remained essentially undamaged under ground motion surpassing the maximum considered earthquake for Seismic Design Category D. This is an event having a 2500-year return period.
> Masonry veneer seems to improve performance of wood-frame structures.
> Fasteners used to attach veneer to wood frame generally determined the system’s performance (smooth nails failed at much lower loading than screws). Researchers are evaluating the connector behavior with the objective of refining current design provisions.

Researchers continue to study the high-speed video of the test for additional information. Note that a companion building constructed with fully grouted concrete masonry and brick veneer is to be tested in the next few months. The project is cofounded by the National Science Foundation and several masonry industry organizations including PCA.
Contact Jamie Farny