Pervious Concrete Soaks Away Expenses, Environmental Impact

When the City of Leawood, Kan., implemented new regulations requiring developers to address stormwater runoff for the health of the community, local officials knew that their own construction practices would reflect the expected and required policies.

One of the first projects was a new parking lot in I-Lan Park. The park’s proximity to a creek meant that keeping oil, grease, and debris from entering the water and contributing to flooding was of utmost concern.

City officials selected pervious concrete for the parking lot for stormwater mitigation purposes.  They realized that “green” sustainable construction practices not only benefit the city, but can also be cost effective. The parking lot at I-Lan Park was originally designed to be six inches of asphalt on dirt. Based on similar asphalt lots, the City would have been providing maintenance to the lot every four to six years.  The City expects the pervious lot to last at least 20 years, with little maintenance.

Other cities in the Greater Kansas City metro area have taken notice. Olathe, Kan., recently bid a city parking lot for a recreation center with pervious concrete as a part of the project. On the other side of the state line, Kansas City, Mo., is working on a specification for city sidewalks to have a pervious concrete option.

In recognition of their efforts to promote sustainable development through the use of concrete- and cement-based products, Leawood Mayor Peggy Dunn and Joe Johnson, director of public works, are recipients of the 2008 PCA Sustainable Leadership Awards (see below).

Sustainable Development Leadership Award Winners Announced

As a major tenet in its ongoing commitment to green building and excellence in leadership, the PCA is pleased to announce the winners of the first PCA Sustainable Leadership Awards. The winners represent local leaders in eight cities who have enacted policies or completed projects that promote sustainable development through the use of concrete- and cement-based products.

The inaugural Award winners by category:

Leadership in Sustainability Policy
> Mayor Richard J. Daley, Sadhu Johnston of the City of Chicago
> Department of Streets Services, City of Dallas

Homes and Residential Building Projects
> Brad Reed of the City of Lubbock, Texas
> Dennis C. Kilfoil of the Marion County Housing Authority in Salem, Ore.

Infrastructure Projects
> Najib N. Fares, PE, of the City of Forth Worth, Texas
> Mayor Peggy J. Dunn; Joe Johnson, City of Leawood, Kan.
> Kurt Grassett of Hancock, N.H.
> Mayor Elaine M. Scruggs; Horatio Skeete; Cathy Colbath, City of Glendale, Ariz.

To learn more about the Awards and the winners, visit www.cement.org/newsroom.

September PPI: Asphalt Continues to Climb

For the ninth consecutive month, asphalt prices increased, up 3.1% from August to September. Steel prices declined for the first time in ten months, decreasing by 3.6% from the previous month.

Concrete prices had a slight increase in September, rising 0.8%. Lumber prices decreased by 0.6% from August to September.

During the last year, steel prices have increased 38.2% and asphalt prices have grown 51.2%.  Concrete prices are up 4.3% from last year.  Lumber prices have declined by 4.2%.

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 Ninab Maradkel

HUD Releases Prescriptive Method for Connecting Concrete Walls, SIP Roofs

A new study released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) shows builders how to improve the durability and energy efficiency of their homes by combining concrete wall systems and structural insulated panel (SIP) roof systems.

The Prescriptive Method for Connecting Structural Insulated Panel Roofs to Concrete Wall Systems includes connection details and engineering to give builders a reliable and consistent method for connecting the two systems in one- and two-family dwellings. 

In most cases, the new prescriptive guidelines will reduce the need for additional engineering during the design phase for projects using the two systems. This can often translate to lower costs for both builders and owners. 

Funding for the study was provided by HUD’s Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing program that aims to break down the barriers for innovative housing technologies. Support for the development of the study was provided by PCA and the Structural Insulated Panel Association (SIPA).

The Prescriptive Method covers all types of concrete wall systems, including insulating concrete forms (ICF), concrete masonry, removable form systems, precast wall panels, and autoclaved aerated concrete products. Homes built in high wind or seismic zones are not covered in the Prescriptive Method.
Contact Donn Thompson

Holcim Honors Top Sustainable Construction Projects

The winners of the second North American Holcim Awards Competition for Sustainable Construction projects were announced at a ceremony in Montreal last week. Total prize money of $270,000 was presented to nine projects from Canada and the United States that showcase the latest approaches to address critical topics including housing affordability, employment, renewable energy, and water efficiency.

The competition is run in parallel in five regions of the world by the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction. Almost 5,000 projects from 90 countries entered the contest which aims to promote sustainable construction.

Top North American winners were:

Gold: "Solar 2 Energy, Arts and Education Center," Christopher J. Collins, executive director. The center is New York City's first carbon-neutral building.

SIlver: "Self-contained Day Labor Station," Liz Ogbu, designer. The station in San Francisco establishes informal areas where day laborers meet and await work.

Bronze: "Living with Lakes Center," John Gunn, scientist, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario. The freshwater lake restoration and research facility is self-sufficient for electricity and heating needs.

For the first time, the Holcim Awards included a category of the visions of young architects and designers. MIT architect Neri Oxman and University of Michigan engineer John Hart were awarded the "Next Generation" first prize for their visionary building skin research using carbon nanotubes to develop materials that will be assigned specific structural, functional, and environmental properties.

Gold, silver, and bronze winners automatically qualify for the global Holcim Awards competition. The projects will be evaluated by a global jury and the winners will be announced in May 2009.
For complete results and more information, visit www.holcimawards.org

ACPA Offers Materials Incompatibility Webinar

Registration is still open for the next American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) webinar, "Materials Incompatibility." The program takes place October 28 at 1:00 pm (CDT).

Peter Taylor, P.E., Ph.D., associate director of the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center will lead the session which draws from the Integrated Materials and Construction Practices for Concrete Pavement: A State-of-the-Practice Manual (IMCP manual).

This is an important and valuable overview for contractors, agency personnel, consultants, materials and equipment suppliers, and anyone requiring a basic knowledge of concrete pavement materials, particularly with an emphasis on incompatibility.

An examination covering the key points of the presentation will be available online at the conclusion of the webinar. Successful completion of this examination is required to receive one Professional Development Hour (PDH).  Registration is $25.
To register contact Debbie Becker.