PCA’s Board of Directors will meet November 16-18, 2014 at the Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Sam Wyche, considered one of the most innovative coaches in the NFL, will deliver the luncheon keynote address on November 17. Wyche's inspiration was the key to one of the biggest turnarounds in NFL history when the Cincinnati Bengals went from 4-11 in 1987 to the Super Bowl the next year. 

In addition, Peter Hoddinut, executive vice president of performance from Lafarge SA will open the meeting at a group breakfast, and Chris Poland, Chris D Poland Consulting, and Josh Shank, Eno Center for Transportation, will present. Committee sessions include meetings of the Education Foundation, Government Affairs Council, and PCA’s 100th Anniversary Planning Committee, among others.

The meeting will kick off with a golf tournament on Sunday, November 16.  Spouse hospitality programs include a tour of Taliesin West.

Meeting and hotel registration is available in the Members Only Section of www.cement.org. The deadline for hotel reservations is Wednesday, October 22.
Contact Jan Farnsworth

MIT Researchers Take a Closer Look at Cement

Changes to the molecular structure of cement could yield stronger, more durable concrete while reducing industry-generated greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 60 percent.

So conclude researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Concrete Sustainability Hub after an exhaustive five-year analysis of the molecular structure of concrete, the most widely used construction material in the world.

The findings suggest that reducing the ratio of calcium to silica would decrease greenhouse gas emissions in two ways:  lowering the energy required to produce cement, and reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released from limestone during the manufacturing process.

Moreover, concrete made with the new formulation of cement could have as much as twice the strength of conventional concrete.
Read more at Think Harder. Blog

2014 Cement Industry Yearbook Ready

The PCA 2014 U.S. Cement Industry Annual Yearbook is now available. The Yearbook is the starting place for the historical perspective on the U.S. construction and cement industries. It provides long-term historical data tables and graphs for indicators most relevant to the cement industry and shows the development of trends.

The publication contains detailed information covering U.S. economic activity, cement consumption and supply, infrastructure, industry operating characteristics, and international economic trends. In addition, the Yearbook has an analysis of construction activity trends, company rankings, cement trade, and energy consumption.
Contact Karen Arneson

Life-Cycle Thinking: India Opts for Concrete Roads

According to recent media coverage, India is abandoning asphalt and moving to concrete roads for new construction as part of shift to life-cycle costing.

The reason: concrete lasts longer than asphalt and reduces maintenance costs. All new road construction projects in the pipeline, say Indian officials, will be concrete if the cost of construction is not more than 20 percent higher than asphalt.

Transport minister Nitin Gadkari announced the switch to concrete last week. The ministry has also changed the model for assessing the project cost. Projects will now be evaluated on the basis of the life-cycle cost of the project rather than the initial cost of construction.
Read more at Think Harder. Blog

Sustainable Lighting Reaps Rewards for Salt River

Keeping with their commitment to sustainable business practices, Salt River Materials Group (SRMG), Tempe, Arizona, contracted U.S. Energy Recovery to remove 170 metal halide fixtures from interior and exterior and install interior and exterior LED fixtures including motion controls in the maintenance shop. LED fixtures have increased their lighting efficiency by 77 percent, displaced 4,496 tons of CO2 and is the equivalent to planning 846 acres of trees. An incentive from APS Energy Services for $17,659 paid for a portion of this turnkey solution.

“Besides the energy savings, the new fixtures have greatly improved the lighting in the old plant areas where we installed them. This has made these areas safer to work in. Additionally, the service life of these fixtures has reduced our labor costs and safety risks due to their high reliability and longevity,” said Gregg St. Clair, SRMG vice president cement operations.

In addition, U.S. Energy Recovery made a donation of $1,116.57 in the name of Salt River Materials Group to Verde Valley Christian School to support the school’s technology efforts.

High-Rise Building Webinar Stresses Design "Rules of Thumb"

As part of the S.K. Ghosh & Associates formal Lecture Series, Larry Novak (pictured), PCA’s director of structural engineering, presented the national webinar “High-rise Building Design” on September 24.

High-rise building design is complex, multifaceted, and often requires the utilization of high-end analysis and design software tools. Following the philosophy of “never run a program without first knowing the answer,” the seminar presented the state-of-the-art “hand tools” and “rules of thumb” for estimating the design and behavior of high-rise structures. Diverse structural system types were presented as well as comprehensive hand calculation methods to be able to understand the behavior of a high-rise structure. This practical approach is convenient for both concept planning and checking the final computer output.  A special segment gave recommendations in the critical initial layout of the high-rise structural system.  

In addition to information on lateral load resisting systems, the record number of on-line participants gained knowledge in sustainability, resilience, codes & standards, creep and shrinkage behavior/compensation, economics, and the unique human response to the motions of structures. The seminar was geared toward engineers, architects and professors. 

Per S.K. Ghosh, the seminar “was a big hit, as I expected. All the evaluations I have read are very positive.” Per the written evaluations, the attendees valued the “practical preliminary design methods presented” and “appreciated the expertise” of the speaker.
Contact Larry Novak

Demonstrate Your Artistic Talents in Concrete at World of Concrete

Applications are being accepted for the 2015 World of Concrete Artistry in Decorative Concrete Demonstrations, February 2-6, 2015.

CONCRETE SURFACES magazine's 13th annual Artistry in Decorative Concrete Demonstrations competition is a live-action event that features industry artisans who share their techniques and experiences with attendees. Located in the CONCRETE SURFACES Decorative Pavilion, the first two days of demonstrations will feature artist works-in-progress; the final one and a half days feature completed project displays.

Artists selected for the demonstrations will be eligible for one of two cash prizes awarded to first- and second-place Experts’ Choice winners.

World of Concrete 2015 is the largest, most comprehensive commercial concrete and masonry event for the concrete industry and features more than 1,500 exhibitors and more than 100 seminars and conference sessions.

As a cosponsor, PCA offers discount admission to exhibits. By registering through PCA and using promo code A32, exhibit admission is only $20, a $40 savings.

Additionally, PCA receives a rebate from Hanley-Wood based on the number of pre-registered attendees who come to the show.
For discounted registration, click here