Concrete Allows Habitat Homes to See Green

Lafarge North America recently collaborated with a number of its customers to donate materials and labor to build the first three homes in Habitat for Humanity's Fairview Cottages project in Olympia, Wash. 

Working under the Washington State Evergreen Green Building Standards, the planned 15-home development will help Habitat achieve its goal to create sustainable housing while promoting the "green" benefits of concrete products.

The Fairview Cottages feature a wide range of sustainable benefits, including insulating concrete forms, an in-floor heating system, on-demand hot water heaters, and cement-fiber siding.

By using pervious pavement for pathways and parking areas, the project was classified as a "low impact development" where 55% of the land will be left natural and there is no need for ponds to handle the runoff water. Eliminating the ponds allowed 15 homes to be built in an area that otherwise would have held only six. 

The completed project will have twelve 2- and 3-bedroom cottage-zoned homes and three single-family (4-bedroom) homes, all two stories in height. The homes will range from 900 to 1200 square feet.

Additional sponsors include Miles Sand & Gravel, Logix ICF Block, James Hardie, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Lowe’s, WACA, Utility Vault, Pervious Concrete Inc., and Lumberman’s. Lori Peterson, Lafarge’s local office manager, and Scott Woodard, Miles sales representative, lead the building team.
Lafarge North America press release

PCA Announces New Standard on Concrete Walls

The National Standards Development Committee of the Portland Cement Association (PCA) has approved the first PCA standard utilizing the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited voluntary consensus process. 

The new standard, PCA 100-07, Prescriptive Method for Design and Construction of Residential Concrete Walls, facilitates the use of cast-in-place concrete wall systems built with either removable or stay-in-place forms, such as insulating concrete forms (ICFs).  It applies to the construction of detached one- and two-family dwellings.

PCA 100-07 provides a simplified approach for the design and construction of cast-in-place concrete foundation and above-grade exterior walls.  It is based on the requirements of ASCE 7-05, Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, ACI 318-05, Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete, and test results.

PCA anticipates that the standard will be referenced in the 2009 edition of the International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings (IRC), and will be available from PCA by the end of the year.
Contact Steve Szoke

Call for Entries: 2008 Promotion Progress Awards

PCA and the Cement Association of Canada are accepting nominations for the 2008 Promotion Progress Awards. The program honors the achievements of PCA members in promoting cement and concrete in construction markets plus activities in standards development, education, and public affairs.

New to the program is the Distinguished Partner Awards, which recognize national and regional individuals outside of the cement industry. Employees of cement company members of PCA and CAC are eligible for the Promotion Progress Awards. National and regional allies and promotion partners are eligible for the Distinguished Partner Awards.

Nominations are due December 14, 2007. Promotion activities in 2006 and 2007 are eligible.
Contact Mark Justman
Submit a nomination online

PCA Washington Office Earns LEED Silver for Interior

PCA furthered its commitment to sustainable development with the recent LEED® Commercial Interiors (CI) Silver certification of its Washington, D.C., offices. 

LEED for Commercial Interiors recognizes high-performance green interiors that are efficient to operate and maintain.  The building was the District's first LEED-certified new building, achieving a Silver Rating. 

Most of the materials used in the office design contain recycled materials, are manufactured within 500 miles of the office, and emit very low VOCs. 

The office space capitalizes on the building's access to daylight and views.  All interior offices have glass fronts, allowing daylight to penetrate the space and lessen the need for electricity. 

PCA’s offices exceed the water efficiency requirements by more than 30 percent and more than 70 percent of the appliances and office equipment are ENERGY STAR® rated.  

PCA worked with FOX Architects, a nationally recognized design firm, in Washington, D.C., to achieve the necessary elements for certification.

Sustainable Development Seminar Scheduled for New York: The New York City Concrete Promotion Council (NYCCPC) sixth annual symposium on October 30 is entitled "Concrete LEEDing the Future of NYC's Skyline.” Co-sponsored by NYCCPC and the New York U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) chapter, the event will include an industry panel of local experts discussing the use of concrete in the construction of sustainable building structures. The panel discussion will be moderated by Michael Fletcher, Essex Cement, and include representatives from the Mayor’s Office, USGBC, and local architects and engineers.  NYCCPC’s High-Rise Market Committee, chaired by PCA's Mike Mota, organized the event.
Contact Mike Mota
Registration information (PDF)

Emerging Trends in Concrete Construction Seminar Scheduled: PCA will again spearhead "Emerging Trends in Concrete Construction," a half-day presentation co-sponsored by PCA, California-Nevada Code Administration, California Construction and Industrial Materials Association, Precast/Prestressed Concrete Manufacturers Association of California, and the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute.  Presenters will include professionals from diverse fields ranging from research, design, and construction. The program will be held in Long Beach, Calif., on November 17. Attendees will receive complimentary PCA and CRSI publications.
Contact Attila Beres
Registration information (PDF)

Residential Promotion in Massachusetts: Jim Niehoff, director of PCA's Residential Department, gave two presentations on behalf of the Massachusetts Concrete and Aggregate Producers Association (MACAPA).  On September 19, he was a speaker at an Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) seminar in Plymouth that attracted more than 50 builders, architects and suppliers.  Attendees received an overview of ICF construction techniques, and visited with local contractors and ancillary product vendors.  On September 20, Niehoff gave an update on PCA promotion activities and programs at a general MACAPA membership meeting in Framingham.
Contact Jim Niehoff

Energis LLC Changes Name to Geocycle

Energis LLC, one of the largest providers of waste management solutions, has changed its name to Geocycle.  Geocycle is a wholly owned subsidiary of Holcim (US).

"Our new name, Geocycle, is consistent with our evolution into a waste solutions company. This broader, service-oriented business will help us strengthen our market access and our link to sustainable development," said Geocycle president Rob Davies.

Geocycle will continue to provide quality service to its customers including the co-processing of materials at Holcim cement manufacturing plants.
More at geocycle.us

Richard E. Reuss passed away on September 13, 2007, in Littleton, Colo. Reuss joined PCA in 1972 as director of accounting and finance and later served as vice president of administration and finance. He was president of PCA from 1978 to 1983.

Do you think the sub-prime crisis will lead to a recession in the United States?

>Yes: 57.6%
>No: 42.4%

Notable Comments:

"No, because it is a small segment of the national economy. There will be no domino effect!"

"The Fed has been way too slow in reacting to the crisis."

"It isn't much different from the savings & loan fiasco 20 years ago when the federal government rescued the economy by covering losses incurred from bad lending practices."

"Especially if Freddie Mac and Fannie May buy all the "bad" loans and the government backs this."

"Subprime is only the beginning. The value of homes have decreased by a significant margin therefore consumer confidence will drop followed by spending."

"The decline in the housing market, consumer confidence index, and increasing inflation due to surge in commodity prices could slowdown the U.S economy and consequently led to recession."

"I think other areas are strong enough to avoid a recession."

"Here in Las Vegas Building has come to a stop. For residential building, why don't we take care of our own before we fall flat on our face?"

Hydration of Cement: This 12-minute video demonstrates techniques used in ACBM laboratories and covers such topics as: recent advances in mathematical modeling of cement hydration; the exothermic process of hydration; an experimental approach for conducting calorimetry in a laboratory setting; methods used by researchers to monitor cement hydration; thermogravimetric analysis and electrical resistance measurements; changes in the flow properties of cement that occur with hydration; the effect of ambient temperature on hydration rate; and methods used to control the rate of hydration in field applications (DVD007; $25.00, no discount).
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Hydrologic Design of Pervious Concrete: The exploding interest in pervious concrete pavement for use as a stormwater management tool has created a need to understand its hydrological characteristics. This publication provides an overview and discussion of techniques that can be used for hydrological design, considering the interrelationship between runoff characteristics, materials characteristics, and site geometry. It also provides guidelines for the preliminary selection of appropriate pervious concrete characteristics for specific applications and environments (EB303; $30.00; PDF only; free to PCA members).
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Masonry Today, Summer 2007: This issue highlights the development of masonry cement and its ASTM Standard, C91. From the outset, there has been a synergy between development of C91 and C270 (the mortar standard). In many ways, C91 even led the way in standards development by establishing test methods and criteria that later became part of the property specifications of the ASTM mortar standard. The masonry cement specification was conceived for producing good quality, consistent mortar for masonry projects and remains that way today (PL1001; $1.50, less discounts; PDF is free).
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Clinker Microstructure and Grindability: Updated Literature Review: Much of the available literature on the relationship between clinker microstructure and grindability agree that the primary influential factors are alite and belite crystal size and content. Specifically, smaller crystals and more alite (less belite) result in easier to grind clinker. Numerous equations are found in literature to predict clinker grindability based on its microstructure, and although the equations vary somewhat, the relationship to alite and belite content and size previously described are consistent (SN2967; no charge; PDF only).
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Solar Reflectance of Concretes for LEED Sustainable Sites Credit: Heat Island Effect: This 94-page report presents the results of solar reflectance testing on 135 concrete specimens from 45 concrete mixes, representing a broad range of concrete mix designs. The purpose of this testing is to determine which combinations of concrete constituents will meet the solar reflectance index requirements in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for New Construction (LEED-NC) Sustainable Sites credit for reducing the heat island effect. Samples for each component (cement, fine and coarse aggregates, and supplementary cementitious materials) were selected to test the broadest range of color (light to dark) of readily available materials for concrete construction (SN2982; no charge; PDF only).
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Hexavalent Chromium in Cement Manufacturing: Literature Review: With regard to chromium and health and safety aspects, the water-soluble compounds of chromium in cement are most relevant, specifically compounds of the form Cr (VI). Chromium in the cement can originate from: 1) raw materials or fuel, 2) magnesia-chrome kiln refractory brick, if used, 3) wear metal from raw mill grinding process, if chromium alloys are used, and 4) additions such as gypsum, pozzolans, ground granulated blast furnace slag, mineral components, and cement kiln dust (SN2983; no charge; PDF only).
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Long-Life Concrete Pavements in Europe and Canada: Long-life concrete pavements require less frequent repair and rehabilitation and contribute to highway safety and congestion mitigation. The Federal Highway Administration, American Association of State Highway, and Transportation Officials, and National Cooperative Highway Research Program sponsored a scanning study to identify design philosophies, materials requirements, construction procedures, and maintenance strategies used in Europe and Canada to build long-life concrete pavements. Team recommendations for U.S. implementation include using two-lift construction to build pavements, developing pavement design catalogs, using better quality materials in pavement subbases, paying greater attention to cement and concrete mixture properties, using a geotextile interlayer to prevent concrete slabs from bonding to the cement-treated base, and using exposed aggregate surfaces to reduce noise (SN3033; no charge; PDF only).
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2007 North American Cement Industry Annual Yearbook: The starting place for a historical perspective on the U.S. and Canadian construction and cement industries., the Yearbook provides long-term historical tables and graphs for indicators most relevant to the cement industry. Sections include the economic environment, cement consumption and supply, industry operating characteristics, and international. Detailed historical data are provided on construction activity, company rankings, import trends, and energy consumption (ER375; $175.00; PDF only; free to PCA members).
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Cement 101, Version 4.0: A Guide to Careers in the Cement Industry: Cement 101 Version 4.0 is a brief introduction to the cement industry geared towards undergraduates in the engineering and natural sciences. The supplement is perfect for use in educational programs, recruitment efforts, and as a unique community outreach. The supplement is produced by Cement Americas magazine and PCA. Quantity discounts are available (PL081; $3.50, less discounts).
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Torsion Design of Structural Concrete Based On ACI 38-05: This reprint from September 2007 issue of Structural Engineer magazine is a part of the PCA Professional Development Series. Each part of the series gives the reader an opportunity to earn continuing education credits (CEUs) by reading specially focused, sponsored articles. Upon reading this article and completing the quiz, the reader should be able to understand the behavior and design of structural concrete members subjected to torsion. This article presents the American Concrete Institute s Building Code (ACI 318-05) design provisions and detailing requirements for torsion design (RP438; no charge; also available as PDF).
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Photocatalytic (Self-Cleaning) Concrete: Bibliography of Selected Publications: In the early 1990s, scientists at the Italcementi Group in Bergamo, Italy, produced a self-cleaning concrete that keeps buildings from tarnishing from pollutants in the atmosphere. They made the concrete by adding particles of the white pigment titanium dioxide to the cement component. When titanium dioxide absorbs ultraviolet light, it becomes highly reactive and breaks down pollutants that come into contact with the concrete's surface. The reactive material can kill bacteria and fungi as well as break down pollutants. The publications include journal articles, reports, conference papers, and patents, identified through searches of online scientific databases as well as the Library's collection (LB32; $15.00, PDF only; free to PCA members).
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Guide for Developing RCC Specifications and Commentary: The 78-page document including commentary provides a comprehensive reference for developing RCC specifications for embankment armoring and spillway projects. Prepared in specification format, the guide includes sections on materials, equipment, construction procedures, and quality control requirements. This new edition includes revised guidelines for quality control (EB214; printed copy is $18.00, less discounts; PDF is $7.00, free to PCA members).
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Guide to Full-Depth Reclamation (FDR) with Cement: This process involves rebuilding failed asphalt pavements by pulverizing the existing surface and base, and blending the reclaimed aggregates with cement to create a new cement-stabilized base, that is then given a new riding surface. The Guide describes the step-by-step process, from initial site investigation, to mix design, and construction. A recommended construction specification for FDR is included (EB234; printed copy is $8.00, less discount; PDF is $5.00, free to PCA members).
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Idaho Airport Beats the Clock with Cement Solution: Case study describes how the Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey, Idaho selected the use of full-depth reclamation (FDR) with cement to meet a master plan objective and economically re-open for air traffic in the shortest possible time span. FDR was selected over three other reconstruction options due to its ability to have the runway rehabilitated and operable in a 30-day maximum construction time save $1 million in construction costs (PL624; $10.00 for a pack of 25, no discounts).
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When Roller-Compacted Concrete Makes Sense: Reprint of the August 2007 cover story of Better Roads magazine describing how roller-compacted concrete (RCC) can be used for various street, highway, and industrial applications. Brief project profiles with photographs are presented on RCC applications including industrial pavements, inlay rehabilitation, highway shoulder reconstruction, and residential street paving (RP277; $18.00 for a pack of 25, no discounts).
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A Guide to Stained Concrete and More with Bob Harris: This step-by-step instructional two-DVD set from Bob Harris, world-renowned concrete artisan and president of the Decorative Concrete Institute, provides detailed information on stained concrete techniques, including surface preparation, problem solving, design, layout, grouting, site conditions, sampling, staining and faux finishing techniques, stains, dyes, sealers, coatings, floor finishes, floor wax, metallic epoxies, spectacular art pieces, and more (DVD008; $109, no discounts).
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