Seattle Condo Project Seeks Wide Open Spaces

“Here’s to life without walls.” That’s how developer Vulcan Real Estate is promoting the clear spans and floor-to-ceiling windows of Rollin Street Flats, a condo project helping to anchor redevelopment of the South Lake Union District in Seattle, Wash.

Rollin Street is a market-rate condominium building scheduled for completion in early 2009.  The 11-story, 400,000-square-foot mixed-use project has 208 residential units and 20,000 square feet of ground floor retail space.

A cast-in-place concrete frame is an integral part the wide-open-spaces concept, with concrete exposed in the ceilings, columns, and some shear walls. Structure is 8-inch-thick post-tensioned flat-plate slabs, 18 x 24-inch concrete columns, and 24-inch-thick shear walls at elevator and stair openings.

Architects are Ankrom Moisan Architects, Portland, Ore., and HSW, Seattle. Structural engineer is Cary Kopczynski and Company, Bellevue, Wash.
Contact Attila Beres

PCA-RPG Alignment Moves Forward

Earlier this month, PCA’s Executive Committee unanimously endorsed a proposal to integrate the Regional Promotion Groups (RPGs) into the management and organizational structure of PCA. The goal is to maximize member company investments in industry associations at both the national and regional levels.

Integrating PCA and the RPGs will better align national and regional programs in promotion and advocacy while maintaining the autonomy of independent RPGs in setting dues and budgets. The move will also result in more efficient operations by centralizing administrative functions under PCA.

On February 20, 2008, key PCA staff members met with the executive directors of all ten RPGs to discuss the integration. The goal of the meeting was to clarify what the integration would mean for both the RPGs and PCA and to identify logistical issues.

Currently, the ten RPGs are independent from PCA but operate under a cooperative agreement that defines the roles and responsibilities of each group. Legal, administrative, and operational issues will be addressed at PCA’s spring committee and Board of Directors meeting, scheduled for April 28-30 in Chicago.
Contact George Barney

First PCA-Developed Standard Clears First Round of Code Hearings

The first standard ever developed by PCA, known as PCA 100-07, received initial approval for reference in the International Residential Code last week at the International Code Council's code development hearings, February 18-March 1, in Palm Springs, Calif. Final consideration will come at ICC's hearings in the fall.

The code change committee also approved two PCA-initiated code changes to update the concrete foundation wall and above-grade wall provisions in the IRC based on provisions in PCA 100-07.

The new standard, PCA 100-07 Prescriptive Design of Exterior Concrete Walls for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, facilitates the use of cast-in-place concrete wall systems built with either removable or stay-in-place forms, such as insulating concrete forms (ICFs). It applies to the construction of detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses. In most cases, it eliminates the need for builders to hire an engineer for the projects, saving thousands of dollars.

It was approved by PCA’s National Standards Development Committee last year utilizing the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited voluntary consensus process.

PCA 100-07 provides prescriptive designs for the construction of cast-in-place concrete footings, foundation walls, and above-grade concrete exterior walls, both loadbearing and non-loadbearing. The designs are based on the requirements of ASCE 7-05, Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, ACI 318-05, Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete, and tests results.

"We developed the standard ourselves because this market is just too important to wait for the normal standards development cycle," says George Barney, PCA's senior vice president of market development and technical services.

"Instead of going through conventional channels and waiting six or seven years, we became ANSI-accredited and developed the standard in two years."
Contact Steve Szoke
More on the standard

PCA Attracts Media Attention at IBS

Media coverage of the recent International Builders’ Show included several mentions of PCA staff.

The radio show At Home with Garry Sullivan interviewed Mike Collignon, PCA residential promotion manager, on the benefits of concrete home construction, with an emphasis on insulating concrete forms (ICFs). More than 120 markets, including Cleveland, Nashville, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Tampa, and XM satellite radio, air the show. 

Ed Sullivan, PCA chief economist, was interviewed by several publications as well, including the Wall Street Journal. He was featured on WKMG-TV (CBS, Orlando) discussing the Florida market, as well as the Orlando Sentinel and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Contact Patti Flesher
Download a podcast of Mike’s interview ( Feb. 16, hour 3, broadcast)

California Nevada Cement Association to Receive ACI Award
The American Concrete Institute (ACI) will honor the California Nevada Cement Association (CNCA) with its Distinguished Achievement Award at the opening ceremonies of the ACI Spring 2008 Convention in Los Angeles, Calif.

The award is given to nonmembers who have made notable contributions to the advancement of the concrete industry.  During the past two decades, CNCA has been dedicated to expanding the use of portland cement-based products throughout California and Nevada. CNCA has also been committed to providing educational programs and technical assistance to equip decision makers with the right tools and knowledge to design and construct projects of quality.

Furthermore, the organization successfully obtained amendments to the International Building Code (IBC) in California to protect life safety and market share of noncombustible building materials. ACI applauded CNCA for delving “into political activity to protect and improve the health of the cement and concrete industries in California and Nevada relative to climate change, building codes, urban heat island effect, stormwater management, and funding for infrastructure, highways, and water resources.”
More information about CNCA
More information on the Distinguished Achievement Award

Ash Grove Plants Included in
ENERY STAR® Class of 2007
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has again awarded Ash Grove plants in Kansas and Washington with the 2007 ENERGY STAR® designation. The award acknowledges facilities that have distinguished themselves for reducing energy use and protecting the environment through energy efficiency. Ash Grove’s plants in Seattle and Chanute, Kan. were recognized.

The awards honors plants whose energy performance score for the past 12 months is in the top 25 percent of the industry. The score, which is based on actual energy use, is calculated using a tool prepared by EPA called an energy performance indicator. In addition, the plants must have a three-year history of complying with all applicable federal environmental regulations.

NCMA Celebrates 90TH Anniversary

As part of the celebration of its 90th anniversary, the National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA) will host an Open House on May 15, 2008, at its Herndon, Va., headquarters. A highlight of the event will be the unveiling of the Association’s newly expanded and upgraded NCMA Research and Development Laboratory.

The NCMA Research and Development Laboratory is a world-class research facility dedicated to the scientific testing and research of concrete masonry and hardscape products and systems. Staffed by professional engineers and technicians, the laboratory performs research for the Association, compliance testing and product certification for individual companies, and contract-based product development research.

A major part of the upgraded NCMA Research and Development Laboratory facilities include the installation of a state-of-the-art concrete unit manufacturing line which is capable of producing concrete masonry units, concrete pavers, segmental retaining wall units, concrete brick and other related concrete products. The laboratory production environment provides the opportunity to record, document, and correlate production variables to resulting unit properties.

2006-2008 PCA Research and Technical Reports: The 21st edition of this annual report lists PCA’s Reach and Technical Service programs for the past two years by title and code number (MS375; no charge; PDF only).
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Effect of Density on Mechanical Properties and Durability of Roller- Compacted Concrete: Because it is difficult to prepare laboratory specimens of roller-compacted concrete (RCC) that represent field performance, this study examined materials and mix designs from two industrial paving projects to see the effect of using a gyratory compactor to prepare specimens.  Additionally, it studies the effects of density and specimen size on compressive and splitting tensile strength and the effects of water-cement ratio and degree of compaction on the freeze-thaw resistance of gyratory compacted RCC (SN2940; no charge; PDF only).
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Effect of Portland Cement Fineness on ASTM C1260 Expansion:  Portland cements with different fineness levels were used to test moderately and highly alkali reactive aggregates using ASTM C1260. The researchers found that as the cement fineness increased, the ASTM C1260 expansion also increased regardless of aggregate reactivity, clinker alkali content, and NaOH solution concentration (SN2963; no charge; PDF only).
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Long-Term Cement Consumption Outlook:  The Long-Term report takes a 20-year forward look at the industry. Cement consumption, cement usage, and population trends are discussed and projected in 5-year intervals through 2030 (ER388; $450.00, no discount; PDF free to members).
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Reinforced Concrete Design – Distance Learning Modules:  This PCA DVD contains five distance learning modules covering analysis and design of reinforced concrete. Topics covered include: reinforced concrete fundamentals; beams and one-way slabs; two-way slabs; columns; walls; and foundations. Requirements and background of the ACI 318 Building Code are introduced and discussed. Successful completion of each module merits a Portland Cement Association Certificate of Completion and 3.0 Professional Development Hours (DVD005; $85.00, less discount).
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ACI 318-08 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and Commentary:  This most recent edition of the ACI Building Code includes revisions to the 2005 edition. It provides minimum requirements for the design and construction of reinforced concrete structural elements. Written in such format that it may be adopted by reference in a general building code, the 22 chapters and four appendices include the latest revisions on a variety of topics. The fourth edition of the International Building Code (IBC 2009) will adopt ACI 318-08 by reference (LT311; $167.50, $101.00 member price).
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Lehigh Valley and Beyond: The Cement Industry in Photograph:  The remarkable history of the cement industry is captured in this DVD of nearly 700 images of cement plants and equipment, spanning over a century and capturing the dramatic change from the small cement-making factories of the past to the imposing plants of today. The DVD is searchable by location, company name, keyword, and decade. Images are presented in both low and high resolution (DVD009; $35.00, less discount).
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PCA 100 – 2007, Prescriptive Design of Exterior Concrete Walls for One- And Two-Family Dwellings:  This publication is the prescriptive design standard for exterior concrete walls for one and two-family dwellings. This new consensus standard applies to the design and construction of concrete footings, foundation walls, and above-grade concrete walls built with insulating concrete forms or removable formwork. Ideal for residential architects, designers, and contractors interested in building homes combining cast-in-place wall systems with light-frame interior construction, either cold-formed steel or wood framing. The first standard developed by the Portland Cement Association using an ANSI accredited process. 244 pages (EB560; $35.00, less discount)
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