Austonian Rises Above Development Concerns With Green Design

In a city famed for its green building standards and anti-development sentiments, the 56-story 683-foot-tall Austonian will stand out in more ways than one.

Scheduled for completion in 2009, the residential and retail tower will dominate the skyline as the tallest building in Austin, Texas. It also stands out as a commitment to green building and sustainable development by encouraging high-density, urban living downtown and complying with Austin’s stringent Green Building program.

The 500,000 square-foot, $200-million project will have 188 residential condominiums plus parking and retail shops. The building is structural concrete with post-tensioned, flat-plate construction.

Green features include a rainwater capture system, a green roof, low-E glass walls with Mechoshades, and Energy-Star rated appliances.

Ziegler Cooper Architects designed the elliptical-shaped tower.
Contact Amy Trygestad

PCA Chief Economist to Deliver Spring Forecast

PCA Chief Economist Ed Sullivan will present an updated 2008 economic forecast via Webcast on Thursday, May 29 at 11:00 am CDT. The outlook will cover economic factors affecting construction; the forecast for residential, commercial, and public works markets; and how the performance of these markets will impact cement and concrete consumption this year and in 2009.

The Webcast will be archived.

More information or access the Webcast

Code Council Names Skalko Associate of the Year

The Region VIII Chapter of the International Code Council named PCA’s Steve Skalko Associate of the Year at its annual meeting on May 3, 2008, North Myrtle Beach, SC.  It was the first time the award was presented. Region VIII, one of 12 regional chapters under the ICC organization’s umbrella, is made up of code officials from Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee.  The chapters give code officials opportunities to participate in ICC activities on a regional basis.

PCA is active in both chapter and national meetings to foster relationships with code officials and to seek support for code initiatives of interest to cement-based products.
Contact Steve Skalko

Lafarge Participates in Earthquake Rescue Efforts

Lafarge, which runs cement and gypsum operations in Sichuan Province, recently hit by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake, has been active in rescue efforts in the region.  Two of its 27 Chinese plants were damaged - the cement plants of Dujiangyan and Jiangyou. Lafarge is doing everything possible to ensure the well-being of its employees and re-start production at these two plants as soon as possible.

The Group has provided shelter and support for more than 3,300 people at the two plants, supplying food, water, sanitary facilities and temporary shelters. Meanwhile, around 100 Lafarge employees are working side by side with local rescue teams.  The Group made available equipment such as quarry vehicles to assist in rescue efforts and transport food supplies into the affected regions.

Additionally, Lafarge has donated 1.5 million euros to the cities of Dujiangyan and Mianyang and launched a donation drive among its 16,000 employees in China. The Group will match the amount donated by employees.
More information at Lafarge.com

Fire and Concrete Structures Explored at 2008 Structures Congress

The 2008 ASCE/SEI Structures Congress, held April 24-26, in Vancouver, British Columbia, featured “Fire and Concrete Structures,” a paper and poster presentation by David Bilow, PCA director of engineered structures, and Mahmoud Kamara, senior structural engineer.

The Congress was attended by more than 1,300 engineers, executives, professors, contractors and engineering students. With an emphasis on the practicing engineer, technical sessions explored the many changes that have occurred in design standards and codes.

A co-sponsor of the event, the PCA booth offered attendees answers to technical questions, discussions about concrete use and PCA publications. 
Contact David Bilow

Have Concrete Canoes, Will Travel

Civil engineering students from universities throughout North America are packing up their projects and heading to Montreal for the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) 21st Annual National Concrete Canoe Competition, June 19-21.

After coming out on top in regional competitions throughout the spring, the best and brightest from 22 top engineering schools will match wits and skills in four categories:

> the aesthetics and structural integrity of their canoe
> a technical design paper highlighting their planning, development, testing, and construction
> an academic presentation covering their canoe’s design, construction, racing ability and other innovative features
> the performance of the canoe and its paddlers in five different races

The event is being hosted by the École deTtechnologie Supérieure and is sponsored by the American Concrete Institute; Baker Concrete Construction; BASF – The Chemical Company; Bentley Systems, Incorporated; the Construction Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers; Holcim (US) Inc.; ICS Penetron; Kiewit; and U.S. Silica Company.
For more information on the National Concrete Canoe Competition, visit: ASCE.

Infrastructure Funding Vital

In a recent survey, PCA Board members said that the most important market development issue facing the industry was infrastructure funding at the federal and state levels. Do you agree?

> Yes: 86.67%
> No: 13.33%

Notable comments:
“Nothing pumps concrete like a worried fed... and an enabling state treasury.”

“Transportation infrastructure funding has been such a struggle to get passed even at its grossly inadequate levels. Once it is passed, it is then pork barreled and cut to the point of being worthless.”

“Massive waste by federal agencies (e.g., Iraq, Dept. of Energy) as well as at the state and municipal levels continues to prevent necessary infrastructure investment and reinvestment.”

“Unless we are successful in convincing state and local governmenst to build longer lasting concrete pavements, infrastructure funding will simply continue to be used for quick fix solutions—asphalt overlays.”
Take this week’s PCA Poll

Summary of Control Techniques for Nitrogen Oxide: This document provides current information on NOx technologies available to the cement manufacturing industry and describes the variability of NOx emissions from cement kilns. The report describes cement kiln operations and principles of NOx formation/emissions; evaluates a range of control techniques, including feasibility of SNCR and SCR; and analyzes the cost-effectiveness of removal techniques (SN3049; no charge; PDF only).
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Air Emissions Data Summary for Portland Cement Pyroprocessing Operations Firing Tire-Derived Fuels: This report highlights data concerning the impact of tire-derived fuel (TDF) firing on the emissions of a variety of air contaminants from pyroprocessing operations. The database includes emission test data applicable to 31 of the 43 cement plants presently firing TDF. Previous studies of TDF-related air emissions  conducted by governmental agencies and consulting engineering firms have indicated that TDF firing either reduces or does not significantly affect contaminant emissions from cement kilns. This PCA TDF air emission study confirms the previous studies (SN3050; no charge; PDF only).
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Canadian Forecast: Combination offer includes all three Canadian Forecasts for 2008 – Spring, Summer, and Fall. The Canadian Forecast provides a five-year analytical and data perspective of provincial economic growth, construction spending, and cement demand. Forecasts of key provincial economic indicators in the labor and housing markets are reflected in a provincial forecast for construction spending and cement demand by 18 individual market segments (ER387; $450.00, free to PCA members; PDF only).
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Bibliography on Application of Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials in Concrete: For construction industries, especially concrete and portland cement, experts suggest that nanotechnology, with its “engineering of complex structures of cement-based materials, will result in a new generation of concrete, stronger and more durable, with desired stress-strain behavior and possibly with a whole range of newly introduced ‘smart’ properties.” This comprehensive annotated bibliography, compiled by leading scientists in the field, presents the state-of-the-art in this technology for concrete and will be of major importance to anyone interested in this developing field (LB37; $20.00, free to PCA members; PDF only).
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The Engineering Guide to LEED-New Construction: Sustainable Construction for Engineers: This book gives the reader a solid understanding of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED-NC rating system, while also offering a practical text for use in real-world applications.  Liz Haselbach, a LEED-accredited engineer and professor at the University of South Carolina, begins with an introduction to sustainable construction and the USGBC LEED-New Construction rating system. She then delves into the specific prerequisites and credits used for LEED certification. Finally, she discusses indoor air quality, explains the integration of stormwater management into the LEED process, and presents several examples of sustainable construction within specific sectors (LT314; $99.95, no discounts).
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Sustainable Concrete Solutions for LEED for Homes: This Tech Brief (No. 20) is intended to inform the building industry and consumers about how concrete homebuilding technologies can help homes qualify under the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED for Homes (LEED-H) program. By using concrete systems and finishes, homebuilders and designers can more easily achieve LEED-H certification. Whether through contribution based on the resource categories outlined in this Tech Brief, or through accepted submissions for sustainable innovation credits, a concrete home provides the long-term, high-quality residential performance the USGBC is striving to encourage (IS319; $15.00 for a pack of 50, no discounts; PDF is free).
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