Innovative Concrete Bridge Wins Quality Initiative Structure Award

The Jakway Park Bridge in Buchanan County, Iowa, has earned the right to be called innovative.  It is the first North American highway bridge built with a new generation of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) pi-girders, the first highway bridge to incorporate batching of UHPC in a ready-mix truck, and only the second in North America built with UHPC girders.

The project received an "Iowa Quality Initiative Structures Research Merit Award" from the Associated General Contractors of Iowa and the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Lafarge's ultra-high performance concrete, "Ductal®", was used for the project.  The cement provided a combination of superior properties including ductility, durability, aesthetics, and strength.  It offers compressive strengths up to 30,000 psi and flexural strengths up to 6,000 psi.

The bridge is 24 feet, 3 inches wide and 112 feet, 4 inches in length.  The UHPC center span is 51 feet, 2 inches.  It is a combination of cast-in-place, simple span slabs with a center span consisting of a series of precast UHPC pi-girders.

Funding was granted through the TEA-21 Innovative Bridge Construction Program, managed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), to construct a highway bridge with an optimized UHPC pi-girder section. The bridge opened to traffic on November 26, 2008 and an official ribbon cutting ceremony took place on April 15, 2009.

E&E Awards Headline Spring Meeting

Six cement plants received special recognition for their commitment to improving the environment and their communities at the Eighth Annual Cement Industry Environment and Energy Awards presented at  PCA's Spring Meeting in Chicago, April 28, 2009. (See below.) Held at Chicago’s Marriott O’Hare, sessions included committee meetings, Board meetings, and some special events and forums.

Among the highlights:

> PCA chief economist Ed Sullivan presented his updated forecast for construction and cement at PCA’s Board meeting on Wednesday, April 29. (See below.)
> Aris Papadopoulos (Titan) moderated a session on imaging and branding that featured the results of message development and testing that will form the foundation of an ongoing program.
> Jim Repman (CalPortland) moderated a session on pending climate change regulations and legislation and how they will affect the cement industry.
> Jim Braselton (Lafarge North America) presented an update on a new pavement promotion program that integrates cement-based applications and products and better aligns national and regional priorities.
> PCA legal counsel updated the group on PCA’s antitrust compliance policy
> Craddock Communications presented a session on spokesperson training  to hone presentation skills and work more effectively with the media.
> Elizabeth Dutrow, who heads EPA ENERGY STAR Awards, presented the 2009 Partner of the Year award to CEMEX and the Sustained Excellence award to CalPortland. (See below.)
Contact Jan Farnsworth or Andy O'Hare.

Cement Industry Honors Leaders in Environmental Improvement

Six cement plants received special recognition for their commitment to improving the environment and their communities at the Eighth Annual Cement Industry Environment and Energy Awards, presented by PCA and Cement Americas magazine at PCA's Spring Meeting last week in Chicago.

The awards honor individual cement facilities that exemplify the spirit of continuous environmental improvement and support this spirit with action. These plants went beyond government regulations and local laws to ensure that their processes and policies contributed to making their communities better places to live and work.

Six categories recognized plants throughout the United State (listed by category, company, and plant location):
> Overall Environmental Excellence: Titan America LLC/Roanoke Cement Company, Troutville, Va. (pictured above)
> Outreach: Holcim (US) Inc., Theodore, Ala.
> Environmental Performance: Holcim (US) Inc., Holly Hill, S.C.
> Land Stewardship: CEMEX, Knoxville, Tenn.
> Innovation: Buzzi Unicem USA, Greencastle, Ind.
> Energy Efficiency: CalPortland, Mojave, Calif.

Twenty-five cement plants in the United States and Canada were nominated for the awards.
More information.

PCA Expects Stimulus Package to Impact Cement Consumption in 2010

Although all market segments and all regions are expected to record significant declines in cement consumption during 2009, stimulus program-related spending and a stabilizing economy in 2010 will lead to stronger gains, according to the most recent  PCA economic forecast, presented last week at its Spring Meeting.

PCA expects cement consumption to decline 17 percent during 2009 to 77 million metric tons.  However, the weakness is expected to be concentrated during the first half of 2009 and by 2010 with a stabilizing economy and job creation, consumption will grow seven percent to a level of 83 million metric tons. 

According to the forecast, by the second half of 2010, stimulus spending should enter a phase that includes more traditional infrastructure projects that carry higher cement intensities.

According to PCA, the potential for a large volume increase in cement consumption for 2011 could be amplified by enactment of a new surface transportation law.  With the Obama Administration’s commitment to infrastructure improvement as well as the likelihood that unemployment will be at extremely high levels at the time of the legislation’s negation, a large increase in infrastructure spending is expected to be incorporated. This will contribute to cement consumption reaching 97 million metric tons by the end of 2011 should the legislation be enacted in a timely manner.
Contact Ed Sullivan.

ENERGY STAR Awards Presented at Spring Meetings

Elizabeth Dutrow, who heads EPA ENERGY STAR® Awards, presented the 2009 Partner of the Year award to CEMEX and the Sustained Excellence award to CalPortland at the PCA Spring meetings last week.

The awards, originally presented at the National EPA ENERGY STAR Awards dinner in March, recognize efforts to make facility operations energy efficient and to integrate superior energy management into overall organizational strategy.  Award winners are selected from more than 12,000 organizations.

The EPA named CEMEX a 2009 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for outstanding energy management and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. (See Executive Report, March 16, 2009.)  In 2008, five CEMEX plants received EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification.

CalPortland received the National 2009 ENERGY STAR Award for Sustained Excellence for the fifth consecutive year.  This honor recognizes continued leadership in protecting our environment through energy efficiency.  (See Executive Report, March 2, 2009).  All three of CalPortland’s cement plants scored in the top 20-percent of cement facility national based on ENERGY STAR’s benchmarking tool.

PCA Schedules First Infrastructure Webcast

PCA will present the first in a series of infrastructure-related Webcasts on May 13, 11-11:30 am CDT. During "Paving the Way for Economic Recovery" Brian McCarthy, PCA president and CEO, will discuss how a paradigm shift in the cost of building materials has made concrete the clear cost-effective choice in building the road to economic recovery.

The $787 billion Economic Stimulus Plan in the U.S. provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rebuild our nation's infrastructure. With $28 billion in funds targeted to building our nation's highways and bridges, it is incumbent on decision-makers to spend this money wisely—to create jobs, reduce energy consumption and build a solid foundation for the future.

A white paper on the topic will also be available for download.
Contact Bruce McIntosh.
To register.

Concrete Associations Unite in Joint
Sustainability Initiative

PCA, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, American Concrete Institute, Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, National Concrete Masonry Association, and Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute have signed a memorandum of understanding to align sustainable development activities.

As a group, the organizations will concentrate on the sustainable development applications of all concrete structures, which it defines as all vertical and horizontal applications and concrete products.  The memorandum outlines eight specific social values that these structures provide: resource efficiency, safety/protection, financial responsibility, operational continuity, longevity/durability, byproducts reduction, esthetics and societal connectivity.

The agreement aligns all the groups with the goal of providing advocacy, technology, and educational resources to convey the social value of concrete structures.  It allows the industry to leverage the particular strengths and expertise of each organization to pursue an integrated program on concrete structures.
Contact David Shepherd.

Nominations Extended for 2009 Sustainable Leadership Awards

PCA is extending its call for nominations for the 2009 Sustainable Leadership Awards.

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 The Homes and Residential Building, Non-Residential Building and Infrastructure awards honor public officials who utilize cement or cement-based products to achieve sustainable benefits for projects in each of these categories.

This annual initiative identifies and honors government leaders who advance sustainable development in their communities through the use of concrete and cement-based products.

To be eligible for consideration, buildings and activities must have occurred between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2008. The deadline to submit final entries is June 20, 2009.
For more information and to access the nomination form, visit www.cement.org/SustainableLeadership.