Hub Event Releases New Findings, Recaps Ongoing Research

More than 100 industry and PCA member representatives attended the Meet the CSHub@MIT event, held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on February 26-27.

The focus was threefold:

1. Review progress in ongoing new Hub research and in implementing past results

2. Establish new directions to meet industry needs and to pursue promising advances

3. Introduce and release the latest study on pavement-vehicle interaction (PVI).

The study bolsters and expands upon previous research, which found that using stiffer pavements decreases deflection and reduces fuel consumption by as much as three percent – a savings that could add up to 273 million barrels of crude oil per year, or $15.6 billion.

The report, titled Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Estimating the Impact of Deflection-Induced Pavement-Vehicle Interaction on Fuel Consumption, brings together the structural and material properties of pavement to support road designs that reduce fuel consumption. It’s available on the Hub web site and summarized in a PCA news release.

On Tuesday, February 26, the Industry Advisory Council met to assess progress on implementing Hub results. This “Taking the Hub to the Streets” initiative stresses outreach to decision-makers through education and direct engagement with state DOTs and other agencies or organizations.

Other highlights included reviews of the road map in the Hub’s three principle areas: concrete science, life-cycle cost assessment, and life-cycle cost analysis. This review was followed by a “rapid fire” session, in which MIT researchers presented five-minute reviews of their work.

In other news, the Hub announced that the MIT engineering school has invested $600,000 in a cement and concrete laboratory facility that will be part of the Hub. The lab will be operational in mid-March.
Contact Mark Justman

Gina McCarthy Nominated to be Next EPA Administrator

President Obama today nominated Gina McCarthy to replace Lisa Jackson as the next Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  McCarthy currently serves as the agency's assistant administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation.

As the new Administrator, she is expected to play a leading role in development of climate change policy, as President Obama has indicated this as a top priority for his second term administration. Since 2009, under McCarthy’s watch, the EPA greenhouse gas (GHG) permitting program was established as well as proposed GHG emission standards for new fossil fuel-fired power plants. 

McCarthy also oversaw the process which led to completion of the final portland cement NESHAP rule that appeared in the February 12, 2013 Federal Register (78 FR 10006). 
View Gina McCarthy's biography
Contact Ty Wilson

MIT Releases Research Brief on Belite Reactivity

The Concrete Sustainability Hub at MIT recently released the research brief “Properties of Polymorphs of Belite.” The brief discusses the reasons for slow belite reaction with water. Researchers believe information about polymorphs of belite, obtained by atomic scale modeling, can be used to develop clinkers with more reactive forms of belite. Information on surface energetics of different polymorphs can also shed light on grinding efficiency.

Belite typically constitutes 15 to 30 percent of cement clinkers and reacts relatively slowly with water compared to alite. Since the production temperature of belite is lower than that of alite, improving the reactivity of belite could result in lower energy requirements for clinker production without loss of cement performance.
View additional MIT Research briefs at web.mit.edu/cshub

PCA Initiates New Hill Communication Tool

On March 1, the PCA launched U.S. Cement Industry Update, a quarterly newsletter distributed to nearly 600 Capitol Hill staff members, reaching all members of the Congressional Cement Caucus and beyond.

The publication will provide elected officials and staff on Capitol Hill with an informative glimpse of the legislative and regulatory issues facing American cement manufacturers. The first edition featured updates on recently finalized environmental standards and the cement industry's efforts to promote resilient construction and comprehensive implementation of MAP-21 (highway bill).

Additionally, the update includes news on the recent growth of the Cement Caucus, information on how to join, and details on an upcoming Capitol Hill briefing hosted by the Caucus.
View the newsletter
Contact Collin Long

W. Gene Corley

W. Gene Corley died on Friday, March 1, 2013.  He was 77 years old.

Dr. Corley spent nearly 49 years at the Portland Cement Association and CTLGroup.  He joined PCA in 1964 after serving three years with the U.S. Corps of Engineers.  After CTLGroup became a subsidiary of PCA in 1986, Dr. Corley was named senior vice president of the corporation and contributed to the management and direction of the firm.

Dr. Corley is one of the world’s foremost experts in forensic engineering. He led the federal investigation into the September 11, 2001, collapse of the World Trade Center. He also conducted the investigation into the 1995 collapse of the Murrah Federal Building caused by the Oklahoma City bombing.

Dr. Corley’s legacy in the structural engineering industry is unparalleled as he was an innovative thought leader who consistently contributed generous amounts of his time and knowledge to the profession. Dr. Corley’s leadership in the development of CTLGroup’s renowned forensic engineering capabilities established a foundation for the firm to become the expert consulting engineering and materials science firm that it is today.

IEEE-IAS/PCA to Feature Training Panel

Representatives from the National Center for Construction Education and Research, Society of Maintenance and Reliability Professionals, and ACT present the panel discussion Preparing for the Training Bubble at the 55th IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Industry Technical Conference, scheduled from April 14-18, 2013, in Orlando.  ACT, known for its college admissions test, also issues National Career Readiness certificate credentials, the  most popular career-entry credentialing program in the United States.

Individual presentations will include: “Workforce Development Programs: Building Careers, Skills Assessment and Job Analysis: Finding and Fitting the Right People with the Right Job” and “Our Retiring Industrial Maintenance Workers: Qualifying a Level of Knowledge for their Replacements.” Speakers from PCA member companies will round out the panel by sharing their insights into this discussion.

The world’s premier cement conference, IEEE-IAS/PCA, will include presentations from the industry’s top technical people, addressing the diverse technical issues and proposing potential solutions to the many challenges facing the cement industry.
Register online at www.ieeepcaconference.org
Contact Rick Bohan

World of Coal Ash Registration Open

Online registration for the 2013 World of Coal Ash (WOCA) Conference, April 22-25, in Lexington, Ky., is now available.

An early bird savings of $175 is available to all who register before March 22.

WOCA is an international conference organized by the American Coal Ash Association and the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research. The 2013 conference will mark the two organizations' fifth joint biennial meeting.

It will again focus on the science, applications, and sustainability of coal ash worldwide. As such, it will encompass all aspects of coal combustion products as well as gasification products.
Register at WorldofCoalAsh.org