Concrete Reconstruction of I-385 Provides Solid Savings for State

When construction of a 15-mile stretch of I-385 in Laurens County, South Carolina, is completed this fall, it will be a showcase for integrated concrete pavement technologies.

The project includes a 50-year design, 10-inch concrete pavement overlay on existing asphalt. The outside shoulders will be placed with roller-compacted concrete. In addition, to bring the route up to modern interstate standards, South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is paving the mainline 30 feet wide to include the inside shoulder with the same pull as the driving lanes. 

The road closures started in January 2010 and the route is expected to be re-opened by August or September this year. By maintaining southbound traffic and rerouting northbound travel, the project time was reduced from the typical three years to eight months. Closing northbound lanes saved SCDOT more than $30 million and provided the opportunity to replace a bridge on the route while the road is closed.

The road, which had never been built to interstate standards, was costing the state of South Carolina up to $1 million a year in asphalt repair.
Photo courtesy of Rob Thompson, SCDOT  
Contact Lori Tiefenthaler

PCA Meets with Leaders of Senate Climate Change Senate Legislation

Representatives of 14 industry groups—including PCA, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce—met Tuesday with Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) to discuss proposed Senate climate change legislation.

The three senators are attempting to design a bipartisan plan that would tailor emissions rules to fit the specific needs of different sectors of the economy.

"It was an extraordinarily productive meeting," said John Shaw, PCA senior vice president of government affairs. "It was unprecedented for three senators, each from a different political philosophy and background, to invite leaders from all different sectors to create a deeper level of dialogue with greater industry than we've seen before."

Additional attendees included the American Petroleum Institute, Edison Electric Institute, Nuclear Energy Institute, Farm Bureau, American Forest and Paper Association, American Railroads, and National Electric Manufacturers Association.

PCA continues to aggressively pursue our industry interests before the Congress as such legislation is developed as outlined in our approved climate change principles document.
Contact John Shaw
View PCA climate change principles (PDF)

California Legislators Gain New Perspectives on Cement, Concrete

California legislators got a new look at a traditional material last week, as industry representatives positioned concrete as a positive solution to economic, environmental, and infrastructure-related challenges.

In a California-Nevada Cement Association (CNCA) legislative outreach session on March 10, 15 cement company personnel from six companies joined CNCA staff and lobbyists  to visit 48 legislative offices.

“This was an unprecedented level of involvement in a legislative event in California,” says CNCA executive director Tom Tietz. “Our message was well received, even called ‘refreshing’ because we were discussing positive solutions.”

Among the key messages the group brought to Sacramento:
> The California cement industry is a vital contributor to the health of the State’s economy, infrastructure, and the business environment.
> Cement and concrete industry materials offer strong viable solutions for California infrastructure development, performance, and maintenance.
> Concrete roads and energy efficient concrete buildings are virtuous considerations for future legislation and regulations.
> Transportation and infrastructure funding are leading principles for California’s road to recovery.

Especially revealing was the reaction from Senator Alan Lowenthal, Chairman of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee, who commented about concrete pavement: “You win on both cost and carbon?”
Contact Tom Tietz

PCA Exhibits at Icon Expo This Week

PCA’s participation (Booth 563) in Icon Expo, March 19-20 in San Antonio, demonstrates cement industry support for concrete, concrete masonry, and related products, especially as they are used in low-rise building applications.

Ed Sullivan, PCA chief economist, will present an economic forecast for the closing keynote address.

The 2010 Icon Expo is an education-based trade show hosting events linking members, business partners and industry leaders. New this year is Green Scene, along with several pavilions on product trends and demonstrations.

Icon Expo is produced in union with affiliated industry groups and partners including the National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA), the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) and the Cast Stone Institute (CSI). Other supporting organizations include the Expanded, Shale, Clay & Slate Institute (ESCSI) and PCA.
Contact Jamie Farny
View full schedule of events

Novak Elected ACI Fellow

Lawrence Novak, PCA director of engineered buildings, was selected as a 2010 Fellow of the American Concrete Institute (ACI).

According to the ACI bylaws, Fellows have made “outstanding contributions to the production or use of concrete materials, products, and structures in the areas of education, research, development, design, construction, or management.” ACI will introduce the 2010 Fellows at their spring convention, March 21-25 in Chicago.

Novak serves on several technical structural committees and is an active ACI member.  His committee membership includes ACI Committees 130, Sustainability of Concrete; 130-A, Materials; 130-F, Social Issues; 130-G, Education and Certification.  Novak also was a member of the ACI Design Award Committee.
Contact Lawrence Novak

Thota Named PCA Information Services Director

PCA named Madhu Thota as director of information systems and project management.  He will focus on developing and executing an MIS vision and strategy for the association as well as information technology (IT) governance.  In addition, Thota will oversee technology collaboration initiatives with PCA member organizations.

A PCA consultant since last summer, Thota most recently was the technical director of Azavar Technologies where he oversaw the building of a cost-effective delivery model based on hybrid employee-offshore vendor teams. He was responsible for developing strategy and executing Web 2.0 solutions for clients in a variety of industries. His experience includes CRM implementations as well as monitoring project execution for a multimillion dollar portfolio of IT projects at Cardinal Health, a Fortune 20 company. 

Thota is a certified Project Manager and has earned a Master’s in Software Engineering with an emphasis on Software Verification and Validation from Kansas State University.
Contact Madhu Thota

Free Webinar Highlights Economy of Cement-Stabalized Bases

PCA will offer the free webinar "Save Money and Resources with Cement-Stabilized Bases and Subgrades" on March 18, 10-11 a.m. (CST).

With shrinking budgets and the need for longer lasting pavements, cement-stabilized bases and subgrades can provide agencies with sustainable and cost-effective pavement materials.

This webinar cover cement-stabilized base and subgrade applications, benefits, mix design, construction, and QC/QA. The cement-modification of soils will also be discussed.

All participants will receive a free PDF copy of PCA publications Soil-Cement Technology for Pavements: Different Products for Different Applications, and Evaluating the Performance of Soil-Cement and Cement-Modified Soil for Pavements: A Laboratory Investigation.
More information or to register