New CAS Is a Vision of Green Concrete Beauty

The new home of the California Academy of Sciences (CAS) in San Francisco is a testament to the convergence of sustainable building systems and environmentally responsible technologies.

The CAS, being rebuilt after suffering extensive damage from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, is aiming for LEED platinum certification and would be the largest public space to achieve this distinction.  At 410,000 square feet, the building will be larger than its predecessor yet will sit on a smaller footprint, returning an acre of green space to Golden Gate Park.

Beyond the traditional role of concrete framing as a structural skeleton, the building’s mechanical system capitalizes on its inherent thermal mass. Concrete also was essential to the special needs of the Academy’s exhibits. For example, the complex geometry of the aquarium was molded into shape with cast-in-place concrete. High-end exposed concrete walls serve as the architectural finish of the exhibit halls.

The concrete mix incorporated 50 percent supplementary cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag. The building also includes a 197,000 square foot green roof that is expected to keep the building’s interior temperature 10 degrees cooler than a conventional black tar-and-asphalt roof.

The new facility, which will include a planetarium, aquarium, and natural history museum, is scheduled to open during fall 2008, just over three years since the groundbreaking on September 12, 2005.
Contact Larry Novak

August PPI: Asphalt, Steel Prices Continue to Soar

Asphalt prices logged another large monthly gain, increasing 9.8% from July to August, while steel prices rose 2% over the same period for the tenth straight monthly hike, according to the August Producer Price Index (PPI). (Click on graph to enlarge.)

Lumber prices increased 0.6% in August. Concrete declined slightly (0.1%).

Over the last year, steel prices are up 40.8% and asphalt has increased 46.6%. Concrete prices are up 3.6%, and lumber prices are down 5%.

Source: Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. PCA provides this information to aid in the promotion of concrete and cement-based products.
More information
Contact Craig Schulz

PCA Announces 2009 Schedule of Courses

PCA's 2009 course schedule continues its commitment to offering seminars that address current industry concerns and challenges. Programs use a combination of practicing professionals with solid experience and the latest in simulations to enable participants to master the skills they need. The courses stress discovering and understanding real-world problems through laboratory experiences that reinforce practical and immediate solutions.

Scheduled courses include:

> Kiln Process  - February 10-13; September 22-25
> Design & Control of Concrete – February 23-26; October 19-21
> Mill Grinding – March 3-5; October 27-29
> Troubleshooting: Solutions to Concrete Field Problems – March 9-11; November 2-4
> Cement & Concrete Overview – April 2-3
> Cement Manufacturing for Process Engineers – December 8-11
For more information, visit www.cement.org/learn

Five CEMEX Plants Earn ENERGY STAR

Five CEMEX USA cement plants were awarded the top U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognition for their outstanding leadership in energy management. CEMEX's plants in Clinchfield, Ga.; Davenport, Calif.; Louisville, Ky.; Knoxville, Tenn. and Wampum, Pa. received the ENERGY STAR.

CEMEX is the first cement company in the nation to achieve five ENERGY STAR awards. This is the second consecutive year CEMEX's Louisville, Davenport, and Clinchfield plants received the award.

The ENERGY STAR indicates that each plant is in the top 25% of cement plants in the nation in terms of energy efficiency.  EPA's national energy performance rating system provides a 1-100 scale that helps organizations assess how efficiently their facilities use energy relative to similar facilities nationwide. A plant that scores a rating of 75 or higher is eligible for the ENERGY STAR.

Ash Grove Cement Company Plants Earn ENERGY STAR Award

Ash Grove Cement Company manufacturing plants in Chanute, Kan., and Seattle, Wash., earned the federal government's prestigious ENERGY STAR Award for the company's superior performance in management of energy use.

Each Ash Grove facility received the award for the third consecutive year and was singled out for successful efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions while also lowering overall energy consumption.

As part of the company's commitment to environmental stewardship, Ash Grove has aggressively implemented a new energy reduction program at each of the company's nine cement production facilities. By 2012, Ash Grove's energy management process (AGem) is expected to reduce thermal energy use by 17 percent per ton of cement produced and electrical energy use by 10 percent per ton of cement produced. Ash Grove has also set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 percent from the 2004 baseline level.

Holcim Sets Benchmark in Sustainability for Fourth Year in a Row

For the fourth consecutive year, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index has named Holcim a "Leader of the Industry" in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Holcim was acknowledged as the company with the best sustainability performance in the building materials industry.

The recognition rewards the company’s continued and further strengthened commitment to sustainable development as an important part of Holcim’s strategy. Holcim's recycling strategy, its dialogue with stakeholders and its efforts in human resources development received top scores.

Holcim has been included in both the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the Dow Jones STOXX Sustainability Index for six years.

Italcementi Confirmed in Dow Jones Sustainability Index

Italcementi has been re-confirmed as an organization in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index of the best performers.   Italcementi, which this year has also improved its rating, is the only Italian company active in construction materials and one of four operators in the worldwide industry listed in the prestigious corporate social responsibility index.

The Italcementi Group consolidated its sustainability activities in 2000 when it joined the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), a group of 180 international groups who uphold common principles regarding sustainable growth. Within the WBCSD, Italcementi subscribes to the Agenda for Action, the first formal pledge coupling the business operations of cement manufacturers with Sustainable Development Policies.

Free Registration to World of Concrete

World of Concrete 2009 will be held in Las Vegas on February 2-6, 2009.  The largest show for the concrete industry features more than 1,800 exhibitors with more than 150 seminars and conference sessions.

As a co-sponsor, PCA offers free admission and a discount on seminars to anyone who registers through our Web site.  Additionally, PCA receives a rebate from Hanley-Wood based on the number of pre-registered attendees who come to the show.
For free registration and discounts on seminar fees, click here

On-Line Aggregate Course Offered

The World Center for Concrete Technology at Alpena Community College is rolling out an online Aggregates Basics course beginning October 6.  The course runs eight weeks and will be taught by Oscar Tavares, who developed the course.  U.S. citizens can take the course tuition-free due to grant support by the United States Department of Labor.

Aggregate Basics studies the entire aggregates industry.  The purpose and function of fine aggregates (sand) and coarse aggregates (gravels, crushed stone, etc.) and their relationship to the construction industry will be examined.  Industrial standards for testing evaluation will also be covered.
For more information, contact Vicki Cripps or call 989-358-7238.