There Is a PCA App for That

PCA will be using a mobile application for the Fall Meeting, August 25-26, at the InterContinental Hotel Chicago. The app will provide up-to-the-minute information such as the latest agenda, updates, speaker information, feedback opportunities, maps, an attendee list, and more.

PCA's app is password protected. Once you have accessed the app, attendees will be prompted to establish a password, using the e-mail that was used to register for the conference.

To get the PCA Meetings mobile app:

> iPhone and iPad users - search “PCA Meetings” on the Apple App Store.
> Android users - search “PCA Meetings” on the Google Play Store.
> Blackberry, Windows, others - go to this address on your computer or smart phones (omit www): https://pcameetings.gatherdigital.com

All meeting rooms at the hotel will have WiFi available.
Register for the meeting online

Ash Grove Cement Company Promotes Vance

Ash Grove Cement Company’s Board of Directors announced last week that J. Randall (Randy) Vance is promoted to president and chief operating officer, effective immediately.  Vance, who served three years as senior vice president of administration and chief financial officer, assumes responsibility for manufacturing and sales of the company’s cement operations, as well as continuing to lead its finance, accounting, risk management, information technology and human resources departments.

“Since joining Ash Grove, Randy has demonstrated outstanding leadership skills that fit well in the Ash Grove culture,” said Charles T. Sunderland, chairman of the board and chief executive officer. “Randy brings a breadth of business experience to Ash Grove, which gives us confidence that he will be a catalyst in guiding the company’s performance.” Sunderland will continue in his present role.

Before joining Ash Grove, Vance served as senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer of Interstate Bakeries Corporation.  Prior to Interstate Bakeries, Vance served in a number of corporate finance roles at Farmland Industries, Inc.  He is a graduate of the University of Missouri – Kansas City where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s in business administration.

The company has launched a search for a new chief financial officer.

Essroc’s Nazareth Cement Plant Earns EPA’s ENERGY STAR

Essroc’s cement plant in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR® certification which signifies that the facility performs in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and meets strict energy efficiency performance levels set by the EPA. Energy efficiency is one of the important aspects of Essroc’s sustainable development goals.

“Essroc is pleased to accept EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification in recognition of our energy efficiency efforts,” said Paul Stewart, Essroc’s Nazareth plant director. “Through this achievement, we have demonstrated our commitment to environmental stewardship while also lowering our energy costs.”

Earning ENERGY STAR certification highlights Nazareth’s improvement in its energy performance by managing energy strategically across the entire organization and by making cost-effective improvements to its plant such as meters, LED and low voltage lighting, timers, and sensors.

To earn ENERGY STAR certification, the Nazareth plant established a local energy team to discuss actions to be implemented to lower energy consumption, established an action plan, and reviewed progress of those being implemented.

Job Growth Key to Regional Recoveries

The recent GDP report realigns economic growth with many indicators suggesting continued, steady improvement. Based on a fourth quarter average, GDP has grown at a 2.4 percent annual rate compared to the previous reading of 1.9 percent. Despite the below-potential economic growth, the strong job growth and easing of lending standards suggest further acceleration.

PCA’s 2014 job creation expectations of 2.491 million are beginning to look conservative as growth is averaging 2.8 million on an annualized pace. In terms of construction, the residential market will remain the largest construction growth contributor this year while also playing an important role in job creation. Improved job growth will benefit commercial construction and will eventually assist the public construction sector. However, the current tight fiscal conditions will constrain public growth. PCA expects public construction activity to grow roughly one percent in 2014 with slightly above trend activity in conservation, sewers, and water supply systems, partially driven by the housing recovery.

The level and degree of the obstacles slowing the construction recovery vary widely by state and region. Due to the broad nature of the criteria, individual state inconsistencies will likely emerge due to project type variation, cement intensity, policy/promotion actions, and other unique drivers. Overall, North Dakota, Texas, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa have the strongest relative construction fundamentals.
Contact Dave Zwicke

City of West Linn, Oregon Specifies Concrete Pavement

West Linn, Oregon, will have four of their first concrete residential streets this summer thanks to the proactive efforts by PCA. In October 2013, the local West Linn newspaper ran an article about a proposed new path along the Willamette River, the waterway that runs North – South from Portland through the Willamette Valley. Matt Wood, Ash Grove Cement Company, and Michael Wagy, CalPortland Company, jumped on the opportunity to discuss building these paths in concrete with the Public Works Director, Lance Calvert, PE.

During the meeting, Calvert shared that funding for the paths was uncertain; however, the residents of West Linn passed a street fee two years earlier. This fee would generate $1.5 million for road maintenance and reconstruction, and Calvert was beginning the planning and design for these local streets. A priority for the city was to reconstruct these roads with minimal disruption to residents, and after construction, Calvert did not want to touch the streets again for the rest of his career. 

During the next seven months Diane Warner, regional pavement engineer, PCA Northwest, and Calvert discussed the benefits of both roller-compacted concrete (RCC) and traditional concrete pavement for 2,000 feet of residential roads set for reconstruction in the summer of 2014. In June 2014, 6,600 square yards of concrete paving were bid, with RCC as an alternate. Construction of concrete streets began in July with completion set for September.
Contact Diane Warner

Resources Available to Combat Joint Deterioration in Pavements

While the vast majority of concrete pavements provide excellent long-term performance, a portion of these pavements have shown premature joint deterioration due to freezing temperatures and the use of deicers. An Overview of Joint Deterioration in Concrete Pavement: Mechanisms, Solution Properties, and Sealers, a report from Purdue University, addresses the issue. This report presents the importance of the level of concrete saturation on freeze-thaw damage, the influence of deicing salts on drying and wetting of concrete, field observations, and discusses the use of soy methyl esters polystyrene blends (SME-PS) as a potential method to extend the service life of concrete pavements by limiting the ingress of salt solutions.

Additional resources include the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center report, Guide for Optimum Joint Performance of Concrete Pavements, which helps practitioners understand how to optimize concrete pavement joint performance. The Deleterious Chemical Effects of Concentrated Deicing Solutions on Portland Cement Concrete – Implementation Guide, a South Dakota department of transportation report prepared by the Michigan Tech Transportation Institute, investigated the effects of concentrated brines of magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, sodium chloride, and calcium magnesium acetate on portland cement concrete. Fly ash and slag cement were evaluated as a mitigation strategy. Additionally, siloxane and silane sealants were effective at reducing distress.
Contact Steve Kosmatka