Full-depth reclamation (FDR) with portland cement was the clear choice in the recent rehabilitation of a 15,000 square yard parking area at the Hanes Mall of Winston Salem, N.C.

The parking area consisted of cracked and oxidized asphalt pavement in desperate need of repair. A regional office of Professional Service Industries, Incorporated (PSI) located in Charlotte, N.C., decided to include FDR in the contract bid as an alternate to the traditional “remove and replace” base reconstruction of the JCPenney parking area. When bids were opened, FDR was the overwhelming choice for the rehabilitation.

Propst Construction of Concord, N.C., reclaimed the parking area using 300 tons of portland cement at a rate of 40 pounds/square yard to a depth of 12 inches. Proof-rolling at a two- to three-day cure on sections of the reclaimed parking area revealed no movement and paving operations promptly began thereafter. From pulverization to pavement striping, the JCPenney parking area was completed in six working days and will now provide a solid foundation for holiday seasons to come.
Contact Tim McConnell

FDR/Soil-Cement Pavement Workshop a Success

More than 90 individuals from throughout the United States gathered in Arlington, Texas, last week to learn more on the rapidly expanding area of full-depth reclamation (FDR) with cement and soil-cement pavements. The attendees included contractors, equipment suppliers, material suppliers, and professional regional cement and pavement promoters.

The program provided a forum for those interested in expanding the market for FDR and soil-cement pavements to share experiences and ideas. It included discussions of the pavement materials and their construction, short presentations from local promoters on “What Works” in their region, interactive training of a recently developed pavement thickness design program, and a field trip to observe an innovative cement slurry process.

The successful two-day workshop was sponsored by PCA with the cooperation of the Cement Council of Texas.
Contact Greg Halsted

Concrete Construction Magazine Honors PCA Economist

Concrete Construction magazine honored Edward J. Sullivan, PCA’s chief economist and staff vice president of economic research, as one of 2007’s “Ten Most Influential People in the Concrete Industry.” The magazine, which features Sullivan on the cover, praised him as “the source of accurate, forward-thinking information in the concrete industry.”

Cited by the Chicago Federal Reserve for the past two years as the most accurate forecaster of economic growth among 30 top economists, Sullivan’s interpretation of cement production trends in both the U.S. and global economies are used throughout the construction industry. 

Concrete Construction applauded Sullivan for not just reporting numbers, but for “being a storyteller” and presenting the data in a simple, but thorough manner.  This approach is also appreciated in the media.  Sullivan’s forecasts have been covered by the Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Engineering-News Record, and several other industry publications.
Contact Ed Sullivan

November PPI: Steel Prices Up Sharply

In the wake of four straight monthly declines, steel prices rose a whopping 2.3% from October to November, according to the November Producer Price Index (PPI).

During the same period, asphalt prices decreased 0.3%, concrete increased 0.2%, and lumber declined 2.2% for the third consecutive monthly drop.

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

PCA Competition Challenges Students to Think Concrete for Sustainable Design

The Portland Cement Association (PCA) and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) announce the 2008 “Concrete Thinking for A Sustainable World” international student design competition.  Sponsored by PCA and administered by ACSA, the contest challenges students to investigate innovative applications of portland cement-based materials to achieve sustainable design objectives.  The competition is open to all ACSA-affiliated schools.

The competition offers two separate entry categories, each without site restrictions, for maximum flexibility:

• Recycling Center: Design an environmentally responsible Recycling Center focused on reusing today’s materials to preserve tomorrow’s resources. Students are encouraged to include numerous public and non-public zones within their design.
• Building Element: Design a single element of a building that provides a sustainable solution to real-world environmental challenges.

Winning students, their faculty sponsors, and schools will receive cash prizes and software totaling nearly $50,000. The prize includes a complete package of StructurePoint©, concrete design software, a retail value of $9,745, for each winning school. The design jury will convene in June 2008 to select winning projects and honorable mentions.

The deadline to register for the competition is February 8, 2008, and the deadline to submit final entries is May 14, 2008.
For a complete competition program guide, please visit www.acsa-arch.org
Contact David Shepherd

Architectural Record Highlights Cement’s Sustainable Efforts, Uses

The December issue of Architectural Record features the benefits of building with concrete and emerging concrete technologies. 

“Building even better concrete” discusses the cement industry’s goals for reducing CO2 emissions and increasing energy efficiency.  The U.S. cement industry is credited for reducing overall energy usage by 12 percent among other environmental improvements. 

The article also advocates “a whole-building approach to design” to maximize the wide range of environmental benefits provided by cement-based products and highlights several products where concrete and other cement-based products contributed to a building’s sustainable design.

The article offers continuing education credits for the design community.

Andy O’Hare, PCA’s vice president of regulatory affairs, and David Shepherd, AIA, director of sustainable development, were interviewed for the article.
Contact Patti Flesher

Ready Mix Foundation Releases Report on Pervious Concrete Performance

The results of a three-year study conducted at Cleveland State University confirms that pervious concrete pavement performs well in cold climates prone to freeze-thaw cycles.

The RMC Research & Education Foundation sponsored the study, “Portland Cement Pervious Concrete Pavement: Field Performance Investigation on Parking Lot and Roadway Pavements.”

Released last week, the final report includes a long-term field performance investigation on the use of pervious concrete under freeze-thaw conditions. Although the use of pervious concrete has increased significantly in southern climates over the last decade, its acceptance in northern locations has been hampered by concerns about its performance in cold weather. This new study validates that pervious concrete has performed well in freeze-thaw environments, with little maintenance required.
The full report is available at the Foundation’s Web site.
Visit www.rmc-foundation.org

VanGeem and Kanare Cited for Industry Leadership

Two CTLGroup staff members have been honored by the editors of Concrete Construction and Residential Concrete magazines. In their November/December 2007 issues, both magazines feature profiles of people whose work has made a difference to the concrete industry.

Principal engineer and manager of the building science and sustainability group, Martha VanGeem was chosen as one of "Five Who Are Influencing the Concrete Home Building Industry" by Residential Concrete. Editor Joe Nasvik says that VanGeem “focuses her studies on the areas of thermal mass, thermal conductivity, and moisture movement through materials. [She] has perhaps done more research on the performance of concrete in these areas than anyone else. Concrete home building systems are a direct beneficiary of her work."

Senior principal scientist Howard Kanare is featured in "Guiding Our Industry: The people who make a difference" published in Concrete Construction's December issue. Senior engineering editor Tom Klemens cites Kanare's "efforts to increase the understanding of all the parties involved [that] are steadily and significantly reducing the number of floor covering failures on concrete slabs."

Results from Last Week:
Awareness Remains Greatest Obstacle to Concrete Homes

What's the biggest barrier to greater market share for concrete homes?

>Higher initial cost of concrete construction: 29.8%
>Resistance to change: 22.04%
>Lack of awareness of concrete systems and benefits: 31.43%
>Lack of qualified contractors and labor 16.73%

Notable comments:
“It truly encompasses all those aspects, cost, resistance, lack of awareness, and lack of qualified contractors. I just finished building an ICF home in Alabama and it amazed me how many people were surprised at what I was doing and had very little understanding of the benefits of it.”

“The building community might be the most change-adverse industry in the U.S.”

“For the national builders, cost is everything. If there is not a clear cost savings for them, the product is ignored. The only way to get national builders to use this type of product is through direct marketing to consumers. When they start asking for something, the builders will comply. The drug companies use this approach to push drugs like Plavix, Viagra, and the one for restless leg syndrome. It works, but unfortunately, it’s expensive.”

“The big builders have not shown any interest in doing anything different. These slowdowns are good because they get builders to ease back on the throttle and maybe take a look where they are going.”

“The building industry is historically slow to change. Nevertheless, much progress has been made over the last decade. The current residential slowdown could actually give builders an incentive to differentiate themselves from their competition, by building concrete homes that are more energy efficient, disaster resistant and green than wood-framed homes. We need to make sure our industry continues to support this vital market.”