Beaverton Parking Garage Comines Concrete Technologies for the Win

The Beaverton Round Parking Garage in Beaverton, Ore.,  showed how a combination of precast and cast-in-place concrete can drastically reduce construction time and cost, while giving the owner a nice looking, low-maintenance, durable structure that is user friendly and will last many years.

These concrete technologies enabled the builders to meet a fast-paced schedule and overcome a confined on-site working space.

The 168,000-square-foot, 400-car, eight-story parking garage was constructed of cast-in-place and precast concrete shear walls with a precast double tee & hollowcore floor system, precast spandrels, precast columns and beams.  The cast-in-place portion of the project consisted of the lower level shear walls, foundation and site work, along with a 3-inch topping slab over the precast double tees. 

While site issues were being accommodated and the cast-in-place portion of the project was being built, the precast supplier casted the pieces for the balance of the structure.

It took 54 days to erect the 750 pieces of precast. Once the precast was erected, the contractor started pouring the topping slabs.  This system drastically cut down on jobsite forming and curing time.

After completion of the structure, the exterior of the garage was painted to blend with the professional appearance of the surrounding Beaverton Round complex, which includes a multi-use office complex, shopping, and fitness center.

The garage was a recent winner of the Oregon Concrete and Aggregate Producers Association's "Excellence in Concrete" awards.

Second PCA Infrastructure Webcast Scheduled

PCA will present the second in a series of infrastructure-related Webcasts, “The Stimulus Plan: When Will We See The Impact?” on June 30, 11 am CDT.

The U.S. construction industry will no doubt be boosted by the historic $787 billion economic stimulus plan, but it may take some time before the impact is felt – both in actual infrastructure spending and in job creation. In this 60-minute Webcast, Ed Sullivan, PCA chief economist, will share his most recent economic forecast and his assessment of the stimulus plan.

A white paper on the topic will also be available for download.
Register on-line
Contact Bruce McIntosh

Study Determines Concrete Use
in Subdivision Streets

In 2007, a total of 25.9 million cubic yards of concrete was used in subdivision streets, gutters, curbing, municipal sidewalks, and collection boxes, according to a recent PCA-commissioned study.

On average, 26.4 cubic yards of concrete are used for single-family homes in residential developments, while 4.1 cubic yards are used per multi-family unit.

Approximately 18 percent of homes built in 2007 were on concrete streets.

PCA commissioned the study with the NAHB Research Center to obtain estimates on the volume of concrete used in single-family and multi-family residential developments.
Contact Alpa Bagga

Outlook: Green Shoots Or Still Looking for the Bottom?—Economic Forecast Webcast Available

Recent news that job losses have slowed and home sales have increased has given some analysts cause for optimism. What does this mean for the cement industry and concrete construction?

In this 40-minute Webcast, PCA Chief Economist Ed Sullivan assesses what the latest economic indicators mean for construction in the near-, mid- and long-term.
Access the Webcast here

Economic Research On the Money

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago has again honored Ed Sullivan, PCA's chief economist, with a Certificate in Forecasting Excellence. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, PCA provided the most accurate real gross domestic product (GDP) and best overall U.S. forecasts for 2008. 

This is the third time he has received this honor.

PCA received this recognition at the recent Economic Outlook Symposium, held in Chicago.  

The Symposium drew participants from manufacturing, banking, consulting and service firms, and academia. This year, 35 individuals provided forecasts for major components such as real GDP and other key statistics for the US economy.
Contact Ed Sullivan

Last Week to Submit Nominations for 2009 Sustainable Leadership Awards

Nominations for the 2009 Sustainable Leadership Awards are due June 20.

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.
For more information and to access the nomination form, visit www.cement.org/SustainableLeadership.

PCA Conducts Successful Webinar on RCC Pavements

On June 11 PCA conducted a 90-minute Webinar on roller-compacted concrete (RCC) pavements. The program, led by Fares Abdo, market manager, pavements, covered applications, design, construction, and performance aspects of RCC pavements.

Eighty-eight registered attendees from across the U.S. as well as from countries including Canada, France, Mexico, Venezuela, Columbia, and Australia, were presented the latest information about this exciting material. The one-hour formal presentation was followed by a 30-minute Q&A session.  

A survey of the attendees taken following the Webinar indicated the program was very well received with more than 80 percent of respondents indicating it was either very or extremely informative. More than 95 percent of the respondents indicated that they expect the use of RCC to increase during the next five years.

The PCA Webinar series continues with the next session scheduled for August 13 on cement-stabilized bases and subgrades. It will discuss the properties, design and construction aspects of cement-treated bases and cement-modified soil.
Contact Wayne Adaska

Whitetopping at Cobb County Airport Named Airport Project of the Year

The Cobb County Airport-McCollum Field Runway 9-27 Widening and Overlay, Phase II, was named Airport Project of the Year in the General Aviation Category by the American Association of Airport Executives, Southeast Chapter, on May 5, 2009, in Washington, D.C.

The Cobb County Airport-McCollum Field is the first General Aviation facility within the FAA-Southern Region-Atlanta ADO to use whitetopping on a runway.

Greg Dean, director of airports for the American Concrete Pavement Association, Southeast Chapter, nominated this project and was present to observe the award presentation to Karl Von Hagel, AAE, Airport Manager of the Cobb County Airport-McCollum Field.