Port of Mobile Turns to RCC for Expansion

U.S. cargo is expected to double in volume by 2020 and drastically exceed current terminal capacity.  To meet this challenge, Mobile Container Terminal LLC is developing a new container facility in the Port of Mobile, Ala., and turned to roller-compacted concrete (RCC) for the initial build-out of 95 acres.

RCC does not require forms, finishing, dowels, or steel reinforcement and, consequently, can be constructed quickly and economically. It is an excellent paving option where strength and durability are paramount but economics is still a driving factor. Container terminals, which deal with issues such as heavy point and static loads as well as significant end-user cost due to downtime, are an ideal application for RCC.

Although the design team was initially hesitant to specify RCC because most of their existing facilities were a combination of hot mix asphalt and conventional concrete, RCC’s positive attributes, and its excellent track record at other major terminals, convinced them to select RCC.

Pavement of the port began in May of 2008 with average paving widths of 30 feet and production rates routinely exceeding 2000 cubic yards per day.   Phase I paving was completed in August and the first vessel arrived to the Mobile Container Terminal on October 2, only five months after the start of paving. Test parameters have routinely been exceeded, with flexural strengths averaging over 800 psi and compressive strengths averaging 5800 psi at 28 days.

All RCC paving was constructed on 6-inch sand layer stabilized with 5 percent portland cement.  The project included 290,000 square yards of 8-inch thick RCC in medium-duty areas and 110,000 square yards of 15.5-inch thick RCC in heavy-duty areas.  The project required approximately 34,000 tons of cement.

Lehigh California Plant Honored

The Lehigh Permanente Cement plant in Cupertino, Calif., recently received an award for its participation in the Base Interruptible Program (BIP) by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).

The BIP offers incentives to business owners who curtail energy use during periods when demand is usually high.

The plant was presented an energy orb, which receives a wireless signal every 15 minutes. When power supplies are adequate, the energy orb remains solid blue.  When power supplies are running low, PG&E sends a remote signal to each business location which activates the energy orb to change colors and alert the company to curtail energy use.

Concrete Highway Use Expected to Grow

Department of Transportation (DOT) staff in more than 50 percent of the states expect concrete’s share of paving to increase during the next five years, according to a recent market research survey by PCA.  Respondents cited concrete’s life-cycle cost advantages and lower maintenance levels as reasons to expect an increase in its use.  Fifty-four percent of states considered life-cycle cost an important driver.

At the same time, the number of DOTs that consider concrete to have a higher initial cost than asphalt decreased by 22 percent compared to a similar survey conducted in 2005 (70 percent in 2008, 92 percent in 2005).

While the majority of respondents considered sustainability to have only a minor impact on material selection, that influence is expected to grow.

Fifty percent of state DOTs anticipate the influence of sustainable development on pavement material selection to grow within the next five years.  Concrete’s durability and recyclability will make it an attractive material when considering sustainability, according to survey respondents.

The survey was completed by employees from all 50 state DOTs to gain an understanding of their current opinions, attitudes, and direction relative to the use of concrete and cement-based systems in pavement.
Contact Ninab Maradkel

Sullivan Chosen to Lead SBIC Board

John J. Sullivan, Jr., PE., M.ASCE was recently elected chair of the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council’s (SBIC) Executive Committee.

Sullivan, PCA’s director of federal infrastructure markets, is a Founding Member of SBIC.  He previously chaired SBIC nearly 10 years ago when the Council transitioned from the Passive Solar Industries Council to the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council.  He championed the transition and provided valuable leadership and vision to the process. 

 “SBIC has been a national leader in defining the concept of high-performance buildings for nearly 30 years,” Sullivan said. “The Council now teaches the industry how to create facilities that integrate a more comprehensive range of design objectives and go Beyond Green™.  I am pleased to be asked to lead this effort.”

SBIC is an independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to unite and inspire the building industry toward higher performance—through education, outreach, advocacy and the mutual exchange of ideas. Council Membership is open to private and public organizations and individuals who share this mission.
Contact John Sullivan

Tutorials Round Out Educational Opportunities at Technical Conference

In addition to technical sessions, this year’s IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Industry Technical Conference, scheduled for
May 31 - June 4 in Palm Springs, Calif., will feature four practical tutorials on plant operations.

Bulk solids flow problems will be highlighted in the Fundamentals of Bulk Material Handling and Pneumatic Conveying Technology tutorial while SCADA and ISA 100 take center stage for A Review of Industrial Wireless Systems: Implications for the Cement Industry.

A unique panel session of vendors and producers will exchange information on everything from design to delivery of alternative fuels during the presentation of the Alternative Fuels Overview tutorial. And Bucket Elevator Design and Maintenance takes this mainstay to new heights.
For more information and to register, visit www.ieeepcaconference.org

MSHA Issues New Safety and Health Conference Procedures

MSHA published Procedure Instruction Letter I09-III-3(PIL-3) and Program Information Bulletin P-09-05 (PIB-05) on March 27, 2009. PILs are written primarily for the regulated community, and PIBs are issued to agency personnel. The two documents address new conference procedures that the agency is implementing to deal with the significant increase in cases that operators and contractors contest before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (FMSHRC, the 'Commission'). Also, civil penalty assessments have increased by a factor of almost 8 since the criteria for assessments were revised in April 2007. (From $25 million in 2005 to $194 million in 2008 across all regulated sectors.) The new policies allow operators to contest both the validity of an enforcement action as well as the assessed penalty in one conference.
Contact Thomas Harman

The Manual of Practice: This 28th Edition (2009) of the Manual of Standard Practice  for reinforcing steel presents recommendations and industry practices for estimating, detailing, fabricating, placing, and contracting for reinforcing steel and related materials. Suggested specifications for reinforcing steel are included.  The Manual delineates the industry conventions for reinforcing steel and provides a convenient reference source for the architect/engineer, the inspector, the detailer, and fabricator. Published by Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (LT142; $60.00, no discount).
More information