Kansas Park Rededicates to Sustainable Design with Pervious Concrete

The city of Olathe, Kan., recently rededicated a 30-year-old park that has one of the newest sustainable pavement technologies.

The recent renovation of Oregon Trail Park included the addition of a 41,295 square-foot pervious concrete parking lot, thought to be one of the largest in the Midwest.  The pervious lot and its drainage system collect the stormwater and keep it out of conventional storm and sewer pipes.  The water is then redirected to a newly renovated detention pond on the park grounds where it is cooled and filtered before being discharged into local wetland areas.

The eight-inch thick pervious concrete parking lot uses perforated drain pipe wrapped in filter fabric to channel stormwater to the wetland areas.   The lot has a 24-inch deep rock base and parking spaces for 138 cars.

Additionally, an older concrete parking lot drains into the pervious parking lot.

The Concrete Promotional Group, Inc., in Overland Park, Kan., held an open house, case study panel, and water and maintenance demonstration of the parking lot on May 8, the day before the park was rededicated by the city.  More than 120 engineers, landscape architects, architects, consultants, municipal officers, and contractors attended.

Rough Roads Costing Motorists
Hundreds More Per Year

Driving on rough roads costs the average American motorist approximately $400 a year in extra vehicle operating costs because of accelerated vehicle deterioration, increased maintenance, additional fuel consumption, and tire wear caused by poor road conditions, according to Rough Roads Ahead:  Fix Them Now or Pay for It Later, a report released last week by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and TRIP.

The report uses the latest government statistics to show pavement conditions in all 50 states and vehicle operating costs by state and urban areas. The report also finds that:

> 30 to 60 percent of the roads in the nation’s largest urban areas are in poor condition.
> 36 percent of the roads in the Detroit urban area are in poor condition compared to the Los Angeles area and surrounding communities, which have 64 percent of their roads in poor condition.
> 61 percent of rural roads are in good condition.
> 72 percent of the Interstate Highway System is in good condition, but age, weather conditions and burgeoning traffic are eroding ride quality.

The report points out that traffic growth has far outpaced highway construction, particularly in major metropolitan areas.  The number of miles driven in this country jumped more than 41 percent from 1990 to 2007—from 2.1 trillion miles in 1990 to 3 trillion in 2007. In some parts of the country, dramatic population growth has occurred without a corresponding increase in road capacity, placing enormous pressure on roads that, in many cases, were built 50 years ago. 
Visit  http://roughroads.transportation.org for a copy of the full report.

Canadian Outlook Continues to Weaken

The U.S. recession, weak energy prices, and high consumer debt will lead to double-digit declines in Canadian construction spending and cement consumption this year, according PCA’s Canadian forecast.

With a weakening residential sector coupled with nonresidential construction that has been hurt by tight credit and a pullback in demand, PCA expects overall construction spending in Canada to decline by 14.7 percent this year. Cement consumption will decline by 19.7 percent this year and 3.7 percent in 2010. There is substantial downside risk in the current outlook.

Overall growth expectations for the Canadian economy have been substantially weakened from the fall outlook. Real GDP growth is forecast to decline 1.3% this year. With moderate growth in the U.S. beginning to develop in 2010, coupled with an attendant but moderate rise in energy prices and consumer spending, Canadian output is expected to increase by a subdued 1.6% in 2010.

PCA’s forecast also included provincial and regional outlooks.
Contact Dave Czechowski

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.
Register for the Webcast at https://portlandcementevents.webex.com/

U.S. Construction Pulse Brings Economic
Data Together

The new U.S. Construction Pulse, from the PCA Economic Research department, provides cutting-edge information and insight into the U.S. construction industry.

The monthly report includes PCA’s monthly economic releases as well as U.S. economic indicators, construction indicators, and 35 real and nominal sector and subsector construction spending.  The report provides a one-year historical data look back with more than 20 presentation-ready graphs.  Additionally, the Construction Pulse contains forecast estimates for the current year.

Construction Pulse is sent with presentation-ready charts and graphs in a PowerPoint package as well as databases in EXCEL and summaries in PDF format.  It is an invaluable tool for analysts within and outside of the industry to identify risks and opportunities with advance notice while gauging market share and penetration.
Contact Karen Arneson

PCA's Novak Presents at Chicago Museum of Science and Industry

Lawrence Novak, director of engineered structures at PCA, presented to a standing-room-only crowd at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry’s “Science Works! Cool Jobs and Hot Careers,” on May 2.

The presentation, geared toward high school students and their parents, revealed the secrets behind designing, building, and testing the materials used in the world’s tallest structures.  Novak, with his son Alex, tested concrete beams to failure and discussed the forces which act on tall buildings.  The community outreach program was designed to encourage high school students to study math, science, and engineering.
Contact Lawrence Novak