New Concrete Building Design Withstands Earthquake Simulation

A new technique for bracing high-rise concrete buildings recently withstood more movement than an earthquake would typically demand.

Engineers at the University of Michigan used steel-fiber-reinforced concrete to develop a better kind of coupling beam that requires less reinforcement and is easier to construct and simulated an off-the-charts earthquake in a laboratory to test the new technique.

Currently, coupling beams are difficult to install and require intricate reinforcing bar skeletons. The U-M engineers created a simpler version made of a highly flowable, steel-fiber-reinforced concrete.  The steel fibers were added to the concrete while it was mixed.

The engineers envision that their brand of beam would be cast off the construction site and then delivered rather than the current practice of constructing the beams bit by bit as they're building skyscrapers. 

The engineers performed their test in December on a 40-percent replica of a 4-story building wall. They applied a peak load of 300,000 pounds against the building, pushing and pulling it with hydraulic actuators. To quantify the results, they measured the building's drift, which is the motion at the top of the building compared with the motion at the base. In a large earthquake, a building might sustain a drift of 1 to 2 percent. The U-M structure easily withstood a drift of 3 percent.

The researchers are now working with a structural design firm to install the beams in several high rises soon to be under construction on the west coast.

This research is funded by the National Science Foundation under the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation Program.

More information at www.engin.umich.edu

CalPortland Earns Award for Fifth
Consecutive Year

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded CalPortland Company the National 2009 ENERGY STAR Award for Sustained Excellence in recognition of its continued leadership in protecting our environment through energy efficiency. CalPortland’s accomplishment over five consecutive years is a feat that has never been matched by any other U.S. building materials company.

Key accomplishments include:

In 2008, CalPortland reduced overall energy intensity by 6.5% compared to 2007.  This resulted in a reduction of 775,607,526 kBtu or a CO2 emission reduction of 75,234 metric tons which is the equivalent of providing electricity for 9,965 American homes.  The decreased energy intensity saved the company more than $3 million.

All three of CalPortland’s cement plants scored in the top 20% of cement facilities nationally based on ENERGY STAR’s EPI benchmarking tool.  This was accomplished through comprehensive energy assessments, a strong energy management organization, employee outreach at all levels and best practice replication. 

In 2008, CalPortland’s Mojave Plant completed a “behind-the-meter” wind project that represents the largest such renewable wind project serving a manufacturing facility in the world to date.  Eight three-megawatt wind turbines (24 Megawatts total) generate 60,000,000 kWh/yr of renewable wind energy and supply approximately 35% of the plant’s electricity needs each year.  This is a reduction of over 42,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions which is the equivalent of powering 5,255 homes for a year.” 

CalPortland has doubled the size of its operations in the past 3 years.  The company’s energy management system has grown as well to accommodate these new facilities.  The company actively participates in ENERGY STAR’s cement industry focus and ranks its cement plants’ energy efficiency nationally using the ENERGY STAR energy performance indicator.

“CalPortland is committed to helping protect the environment through our energy management program and sustainability practices,” said Jim Repman, President and CEO.  “Our long standing partnership with ENERGY STAR shows our organization’s commitment to energy efficiency. We understand that partnering with ENERGY STAR is an important step in improving the environment.”

Titan America Announces ENERGY
STAR Partnership

Titan America LLC last week announced its partnership with the EPA and the Department of Energy's ENERGY STAR Program.

Titan will submit to independent monitoring of its plants' energy efficiency that includes base lining, tracking, and benchmarking the company's energy performance, using tools offered through ENERGY STAR while continuing to implement their plan to reduce energy intensity across all of their operations using strategies provided by the program.

Last year, both of Titan's cement plants, Roanoke Cement Company LLC in Troutville, Va., and Pennsuco Cement in Medley, Fla., were recipients of the prestigious ENERGY STAR Award recognizing manufacturers' energy efficient solutions that save money while protecting the environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Roanoke Cement Company also received ENERGY STAR recognition in 2007.

"Titan has embedded corporate social responsibility and sustainability into all of its operations. These principles are based on the deeply-rooted belief that these are not only good business practices but an ethical responsibility," said Aris Papadopoulos, chief executive officer of Titan America.

Report Looks on States Impact of Stimulus Bill

With the signing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), a new PCA report assesses the impact of the bill on state construction levels and cement consumption.

By taking into account state apportionments, state deficits, and regional cement market dynamics and economic conditions, PCA has estimated state cement impacts generated from the stimulus bill.

Details of the stimulus impacts are provide by the following categories:

> Highway Investment: Direct construction/infrastructure investment
> Other Government Spending: Miscellaneous government spending not including infrastructure projects
> Income Tax Rebates: Tax relief
> Fiscal Aid-to-States: Funds to ease state deficit shortfalls
> Indirect Benefit: Momentum generated from overall economic improvement
Contact Dave Zwickie

NRMCA Launches New Concrete
Pavement Course

The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) has launched a new course on how to design and build concrete pavements.

“Design of Concrete Pavements” provides details of pavement design for streets and parking areas, including traffic loads and pavement stresses. In addition to details of conventional concrete streets and parking lots, this seminar will introduce innovative products such as pervious concrete, concrete overlays, and roller compacted concrete.

This course is intended for civil engineers, geotechnical engineers, public works officials, and architects involved in the design and layout of concrete parking areas. Concrete producers and concrete contractors will also benefit from this seminar.

Design of Concrete Pavements will debut April 30, 2009, in Indianapolis. The course is co-presented by NRMCA, PCA, and the Indiana Ready Mixed Concrete Association.
For more information and to register, visit www.nrmca.org/seminars

ICC Group on Balanced Fire
Protection Dissolves

A code group exploring expanded height and area limits for wood and steel buildings has disbanded.

The International Code Council (ICC) had appointed a study group and charged them with developing a different approach to the allowable height and area limits for buildings.  After three years of discussion and debate the group has made the decision to dissolve and cease its efforts.  The majority of the study group members,  including American Institute of Architects, Building Owners and Managers Association, General Services Administration , National Association of Home Builders, and the Multi-Housing Council  supported an approach that would have permitted the areas within wood and steel buildings to be more than 15 times larger than what is currently permitted in the building code.

PCA Codes staff was resolute in not allowing the current maximum allowable building areas for wood frame and un-protected steel construction to be increased.  In addition, successful testimony at the recent ICC code hearings by PCA and the Masonry Alliance for Codes and Standards urging the ICC voting membership to reject this approach and to continue using the current height and area tables contributed to the ability to keeping these efforts at bay.
Contact Jay Hall

Colorado Approves Additional
Infrastructure Funding

On Wednesday February 25th, the Colorado House approved SB 108 Colorado FASTER by a vote of 34 to 31. The Senate had approved the bill a week earlier. The bill will increase vehicle registration fees by an average of $40 and raise $250 million per year dedicated for transportation construction. In addition to the fee increase, the bill has provisions to facilitate tolling on existing highways and encourages Public Private Partnerships. The bill was signed by Governor Bill Ritter, Jr. on Monday, March 2, 2009.

The PCA-Rocky Mountain Concrete Council had a lead role in lobbying house and senate members for passage of the bill. Don Clem, executive director, testified regarding the impact of the bill on cement industry jobs in Colorado before three different legislative committees. Much of the job data was provided by Ed Sullivan, PCA chief economist.

“We pledged early on that we would work closely with the Colorado Contractors Association and the Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association, setting aside our differences, to pass this bill," said Clem. “If we had not joined together as a team, this bill would not have passed.”
Contact Don Clem

PCA Active at First International Concrete Expo

Last week offered a full schedule for those attending the International Concrete Exposition in Indianapolis, Ind. Among the week’s activities were plant tours for the block, paver, and Cast Stone industries, along with educational programs and committee meetings for those groups; an update on the economic outlook from PCA’s chief economist, Ed Sullivan; and testing demonstrations in NCMA’s Lab Booth.

PCA’s booth offered a sampling of literature on low-rise construction with concrete systems. These materials highlight the benefits of building with concrete and provide helpful tools for design and construction.
Contact Jamie Farny