Pioneer Green Developer Prospects
for LEED Gold in California

Last month, a 13-story building called the Elleven became the first condominium project to achieve LEED Gold certification in California.

Completed last year as part of the revitalization of the downtown Los Angeles business district, Elleven is the first new residential construction project in the area in 20 years. Its 176 units sold out in two days for more than one million dollars each.

Built by the South Group, a collaboration between Gerding Edlen Development and Williams, Dame & Atkins Development, Elleven is the first of three concrete-framed towers planned. The Evo and the Luma (rendering pictured) are underway.

Taking the green-minded developer’s success in Portland, Ore., to Los Angeles, the buildings incorporate an array of green features, from bamboo floors to operable windows and an energy-efficient utility system.

The South Group’s Gerding Edlen Development currently has 36 other LEED projects, either certified or in process, which is the highest number of any private developer in the nation.

Williams, Dame & Atkins Development is also a pioneer in sustainability, leading the development of Portland’s South Waterfront under the new LEED for Neighborhood Development Pilot Program.
Contact Attila Beres

Energy Efficiency Tops Green
Home-Building Priorities

A new survey conducted for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) confirms that a desire for greater energy efficiency drives consumers to choose a green-built home.

The survey was conducted the week of Oct. 15 by the respected national polling firm Public Opinion Strategies.

When 800 registered voters were asked how important certain items would be in their decision to either purchase a new green home or remodel their current home to be more green, nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of consumers polled said that "reduced energy costs" would be the most important. The second-highest scoring reason, at 55 percent, was "because it would be healthier." And 49 percent of those surveyed say it's "the right thing to do for the environment."

FDR Promotion Workshop Planned

PCA will present a workshop on the promotion of full-depth reclamation (FDR) and other soil-cement pavements on December 11-12 in Arlington, Texas.

The seminar will provide a forum for the cement industry and related stakeholders, such as contractors and equipment suppliers, to present promotion methods, learn about the market potential of FDR and soil-cement, and discuss constraints and other issues related to product promotion.

The two-day workshop includes several presentations and discussions designed to encourage the sharing of ideas from all participants as well as product reviews to provide background for those not familiar with processes. In addition, attendees will receive a comprehensive training program on PCA’s newly developed software program on soil-cement base design.

Registration fee is $100.
Contact Greg Halsted
Register at www.cement.org/pavements

PCA Staff to Present World of Concrete Seminars
PCA staff will be presenting several seminars at the 2008 World of Concrete in Las Vegas.

Michelle Wilson, PCA's manager of education and product development, will present three seminars. On Tuesday, January 22 at 8-11 am, she will lead “Impact of Cement on Properties of Concrete."  This seminar gives attendees skills to troubleshoot concrete field problems related to fresh concrete properties, hardened concrete properties and durability. 

On Wednesday, January 23, 8-11 am, Wilson will present “Adding Water on Site:  To Add, or Not to Add?” that explores the effects of adding water to concrete on the job site.

Wilson will also present “Myths in Concrete Construction – The Fundamentals” that provides a look at popular but mistaken ideas that still exist in concrete construction. The seminar will be January 25, 8-9:30 am.

Donn Thompson, PCA’s residential technology promotion manager, will present at two seminars:  “Residential Problem Clinic” on January 22, from 8-11 am and “Insulating Concrete Forms Installation” on January 24, 8-11 am.

“Residential Problem Clinic” helps attendees address common residential construction issues such as surface defects in flatwork, wall cracks, support for long walls, anchorage challenges and tolerances. The ICF session will provide thorough information and basic skills in the correct construction of walls using insulating concrete forms.

Holcim Theodore Plant Receives
Gulf Guardian Award

The Holcim (US) plant in Theodore, Ala., recently received a first place Gulf Guardian Award for its stormwater collection and treatment programs.

The Gulf Guardian Awards are presented by the Gulf of Mexico Program to recognize and honor the businesses, community groups, individuals, and agencies that are taking positive steps to keep the Gulf healthy, beautiful and productive.  

The Theodore plant’s stormwater ditches are strategically located to quickly collect the stormwater runoff for conveyance to the three initial basins for treatment.  The ditches that surround the plant also act as barriers, preventing water from leaving the site and contaminating the adjacent wetlands and the Theodore Industrial Canal.  Additionally, the plant utilizes collected stormwater in its production process.  In 2006, 100 percent of the collected storm water from the plant site was utilized as process conditioning water rather than being discharged to the Theodore Industrial Canal.

The Gulf of Mexico Program is underwritten by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is a non-regulatory, inclusive consortium of state and federal government agencies and representatives of the business and agricultural community, fishing industry, scientists, environmentalists, and community leaders from all five Gulf States.

Feng Joins CTLGroup

Dr. Xuiping Feng has joined the CTLGroup's Materials Testing and Analysis Group. Feng has an extensive background in the investigation of cement chemistry issues related to cement manufacture, cement hydration, and microstructure development. 

She previously held positions as research assistant at the University of New Brunswick, materials researcher at the Nationl Institute for Standards and Technology, and research associate at Purdue University.

Dr. Feng holds a BS in cement chemistry from Nanjing Institute of Chemical Technology, an MS in cement chemistry from Nanjing Technical University, and a PhD in material science from Nanjing Technical University. She recently completed a PhD in civil engineering from the University of New Brunswick.

Results from Last Week:
Schools Top Training Options

October 15-19 was Careers in Construction week. What's the best method of recruiting and training new people for construction trades?

• Vocational schools (29.09%)
• Union apprenticeship programs (24.55%)
• Industry groups and associations (21.82%)
• Immigration policies favoring workforce expansion (15.45%)
• Job Corps and other government programs (8.18%)

Notable comments:

"The iceberg is poor immigration planning and policies that have become an embarrassment for the US. Fix it or continue to be laughed at by Latin America."

"Quality apprenticeship programs, administered and taught by dedicated industry professionals regardless of affiliation, can provide the best combination of OJT and supplemental instructional education."

"The existing potential labor force-in-waiting could fulfill requirements with some aggressive education programs. The rush to computer jobs should turn around if the earnings potential was explained to the youths of America."

"I chose government programs because this is a good starting point. But industry, unions, and vocational schools also need to be heavily involved. So many young ones today think that a graduate degree is the only opportunity for a more secure job future. But many are not really interested in those fields and are missing out on great career opportunities that lay ahead of them within the skilled trades. I am trying to work with one of the local tech colleges that we are presently using at our facility to improve the skill sets of the workforce to put pressure on the state government to initiate an apprenticeship program. Many of these young ones whose circumstances do not allow them to attend college end up in low paying entry level jobs, when they could become skilled trades workers."