Show Home Showcase for Concrete Products

Construction is well underway on the 2009 New American Home, the official Show Home of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).   For the 6th consecutive year, concrete products will play an important role in the construction of The New American Home.

All of the exterior structural walls of the home, including the walk-out basement, will be built with energy-efficient insulating concrete forms (ICFs) provided by ARXX.  Selected interior areas of the home will feature polished concrete, while the exterior landscaping is expected to utilize retaining walls and pervious concrete pavers.  The exterior finish will be a combination of stucco and cultured stone.  The builder is applying for the highest level of “Emerald” status under the newly established NAHB Green Building Standard.

The home is being constructed by prestigious Las Vegas based builder and developer Blue Heron, Inc, and is designed by Danielan Associates.  The four-level home is located near McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, about 15 minutes from the convention center.  It will initially be open during the 2009 International Builders Show, Jan. 20-23, and is expected to remain open for some time as a model home for Blue Heron’s 14-lot development.
For more information on the home, visit www.tnah.com.

McCarthy Responds to USA TODAY Article

The June 13th issue of USA TODAY featured a letter to the editor from PCA President and CEO Brian McCarthy addressing the need to increase our nation's infrastructure to reduce congestion and the resulting wasted fuel and CO2 emissions.

The letter was sent in response to a June 5, 2008 article on how the high cost of asphalt is causing counties to reduce their road construction schedules.  McCarthy's response also addresses the sustainable advantages of constructing concrete roads.
View the letter.
View the original story.

Despite Some Strong Points in Data, Fundamentals Weak

While there are some bright spots in the recent data releases on GDP and unemployment, economic fundamentals remain weak, says PCA chief economist Ed Sullivan in a forecast update released last week as a YouTube video posted on the PCA Web site.

In the 9-minute video, Sullivan reviews recent releases of economic data and discusses how they impact  the outlook for economic growth, construction, and cement and concrete.

“I caution you not to focus on datapoints. Let’s talk about trends, and how those trends unfold in terms of PCA’s forecast," said Sullivan.

First-quarter GDP was stronger than expected, but still points to fundamental weaknesses in the economy. Sullivan attributes the recent hike in the jobless statistics to teens looking for summer jobs but expects the unemployment rate to top 6 percent by yearend.

High gas prices will act as a consistent drain on the economy. “At four dollars a gallon, you have almost wiped out the tax rebates.”

Cement consumption is down 10.8 percent on an annualized basis, consistent with PCA’s forecast levels.
Visit www.cement.org for the complete update.

PCA YouTube Channel Broadcasts Briefings

PCA has launched a YouTube channel featuring brief videos on industry issues, cement and concrete topics, and trends and applications. The video spots—typically five minutes or less—also appear on PCA‘s Web site in relevant locations.

PCA YouTube videos to date address the difference between cement and concrete, concrete homes, economic update, sustainable development, waste treatment, codes and standards, and market research.
Access the videos at www.youtube.com/concretethinking or www.cement.org.

CEMEX Helps Fight California Wildfires

Although recent California wildfires did not impact CEMEX property, employees at the Davenport plant were ready to help their neighbors.

Employees provided more than 3,000 gallons of water from the CEMEX quarry to the Bonny Doon Fire Department and the Big Creek Timber volunteer fire fighters to help supply engines fighting the Martin Fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California.  CEMEX also used its water truck to ferry more than 20,000 gallons of water back and forth to fire engines at the scene. Several off-duty employees were available to support local departments if additional assistance was needed.

Additionally, CEMEX’s security team helped direct traffic in areas where the roads were closed.

Holcim Responds to Iowa Floods

Holcim (US) Inc. and its employees have been active in relief efforts in Iowa after recent severe flooding.

The Holcim Mason City plant was able to continue operations at a reduced level after flood waters from a nearby creek flooded the main quarry last week.  The diversion of flood waters into the quarry reduced additional flooding of the Winnebago River downstream, including through Mason City.  The water will remain in the quarry until the flood subsides.

Approximately 80% of the 165 employee workforce at the Mason City plant were impacted in some way, including six employees who were evacuated from their homes.

Holcim has coordinated relief efforts for the employees, including providing employee work crews to assist with cleanup of flooded homes, meals, and emergency equipment throughout the week.  Work crews also have been able to provide much-needed assistance to other flood victims within the same neighborhood.  Holcim is giving its employees paid leaves of absence and has activated the company’s disaster relief fund.

Lafarge to Develop Non-Food Energy Crops

Lafarge North America Inc., recently announced a multi-year agreement with Performance Plants Inc., to grow and develop clean energy biomass grasses and woods for use as fuel at Lafarge’s cement plant in Bath, Ontario.

Non-food grass crops were planted in late May and early June on 25 acres of land adjacent to the Lafarge cement plant and owned by the company. These included the perennial species Miscanthus and switchgrass in addition to non-food, high biomass varieties of sorghum and maize. Poplar, willow and industrial hemp will be planted on suitable land later in the season. A local farmer who leases the land from Lafarge will supervise the growing and harvesting of the plants.

Harvested bales will be processed into fuel pellets that can be used by the Lafarge plant to fire its cement kiln. The company expects to conduct the first trial use in the fall of 2009.

John Gerretsen, MPP, Minister of the Environment for Ontario, praised the initiative, calling it “…exactly the kind of initiative that will contribute to achieving our greenhouse gas reduction objectives."

Novak Honored by SEAOI

The 2008 Structural Engineers Association of Illinois (SEAOI) honored Lawrence Novak, SE, SECB, LEED AP, PCA’s manager of building structures, at its annual banquet, June 7 in Chicago. 

Novak was the co-recipient of this year’s Meritorious Publication Award for his contribution to the paper “Engineer the World’s Tallest – Burj Dubai,” originally published in the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat 8th World Congress Proceeding’s, Tall & Green: Typology for a Sustainable Urban Future. 

This is Novak’s second time to be honored with this prestigious award.  In 2001, he was recognized for the paper “Structural Optimization of the 2000 ft Tall 7 South Dearborn Building,” which went on to receive the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations’ (NCSEA) Outstanding Structural Engineering Publication Award.
Contact Larry Novak

FAEC Summer Meeting Slated for Hilton Head

The summer meeting of PCA’s Financial and Administrative Executives Committee (FAEC) is scheduled for July 27-29, 2008, at the Westin Resort, Hilton Head Island, S.C.

The tentative program includes a mix of formal presentations, roundtable discussions, and breakout sessions. Results of the 2008 financial benchmarking survey will be reported. Also on the agenda are presentations by PCA president/CEO Brian McCarthy, chief economist Ed Sullivan, and John Shaw, senior vice president of government affairs.
For more information or to register, contact Michelle Nyquist.

ARXX Merges with American PolySteel

ARXX and American PolySteel, two major producers of insulating concrete forms (ICF), announced a merger last week.

The addition of PolySteel, according to an ARXX news release, will enable ARXX to expand into new markets and provide a greater range of ICF products.

Located in Albuquerque, N.M., American PolySteel has been manufacturing insulating concrete forms since 1978. A national network of independent distributors and a growing family of international licensees offers architects, designers, engineers, builders and homeowners with a complete line of ICF products. ARXX offers ICFs, recycled block, scaffold and alignment systems, and waterproofing membranes and accessories.
More at www.arxxbuild.com

PCA Honors Three with Extraordinary Contribution Awards

PCA’s Extraordinary Contribution Award program recognizes individual achievement that exceeds the normal scope of job responsibilities. The three latest recipients:

Charlie Saxe, senior network administrator, provides an exceptional level of problem solving ability and attention to detail that ensures PCA’s computers and other IT services run smoothly and problems are resolved quickly.

Several departments called on Anna Trzeciak, administrative assistant, for assistance and were rewarded with a high quality work product and her positive attitude.

Diane Vanderlinde, word processing specialist, also goes beyond the call of duty.  Most notably, her assistance with recent Economic Research and Waste Management projects, on very tight deadlines, saved PCA nearly thousands in outside consulting fees.