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Fall 2006 - National Ready Mixed Concrete Association

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infocus<strong>Concrete</strong><strong>Concrete</strong> inFOCUSis published for:<strong>National</strong> <strong>Ready</strong> <strong>Mixed</strong><strong>Concrete</strong> <strong>Association</strong>900 Spring StreetSilver Spring, Maryland 20910Phone: (301) 587-1400Fax: (301) 585-4219www.nrmca.orgChairman: Peter BrewinPresident:Robert A. Garbini, P.E.Managing Editor:Kathleen Carr-Smith<strong>Association</strong> Editor:Frank CavalierePublished by:contents<strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2006</strong>, Vol. 5, No. 3features6 <strong>Ready</strong> <strong>Mixed</strong> <strong>Concrete</strong> Plant Certification:A Mark of Quality17 <strong>2006</strong> NRMCA Fleet Benchmarking andCosts Survey32 Promoting <strong>Concrete</strong> on the Internet43 Economics of Lithium Technology for ASR Controlvs. Alternatives55 Making Pervious <strong>Concrete</strong> Placement Easy Usinga Novel Admixture System67 How to Go from Outstanding Salesperson toSuperior Sales Manager: Part 2Naylor, LLC5950 NW 1st PlaceGainesville, Florida 32607Phone: (352) 332-1252(800) 369-6220Fax: (352) 331-3525www.naylor.comPublisher: Chris HodgesEditor: Ruth Ellen RascheAdvertising Sales Manager:Cardie ConyersProject Manager: Tom SchellResearch: Tim LineyAdvertising Sales TeamLeader: Jamie WilliamsAccount Representatives:Pam Blasetti, Janet Corbe,Krys D'Antonio, Ryan Griffin,Mary Johnston, Rick Jones,Norbert Musial, Christine Ricci,Rick Sauers, Eric Singer,Paul WalleyLayout and Design:Brenda NowosadAdvertising Art:Effie Monson©<strong>2006</strong> Naylor, LLC. All rightsreserved. The contents of thispublication may not bereproduced by any means, inwhole or in part, without theprior written consent of thepublisher.departments13 Producer Profile:Georgia Aquarium Makes a Big Splash with the Public41 Environmental Scene:NRMCA's Environmental Course is an Eye Opener53 Truck Tracs: The Future of <strong>Ready</strong> <strong>Mixed</strong> <strong>Concrete</strong> DriverTraining…is Being Conducted Every Day!61 Corporate Suite: Transform Your Organization fromHigh Turnover to High Retention63 Capitol Comment:Cracking Building Codes on Capitol Hill65 Education Matters:Big Deal! NRMCA's CCSP Turns 1071 Tech Talk:The Impact of Fly Ash on Air-Entrained <strong>Concrete</strong>73 Safety First:<strong>2006</strong> NRMCA Enhanced Safety BenchmarkingSurvey Results81 Index to Advertisers82 Workforce Issues Q & A82 Advertiser.comPublished September <strong>2006</strong>NRC-Q0306/5284CONCRETE in focus ı 5


NEW Mixer Performance Standards!BUY CPMBMEMBERSBesser CompanyC & W Mfg. and Sales Co., Inc.CON-E-COErie Strayer Co.ODISA <strong>Concrete</strong> EquipmentRexCon, LLCSimem AmericaStephens Mfg.Terex RoadbuildingVince HaganWAM USABUY QUALITYEach of the CPMB members participates in establishing thehighest standards for our industry. When you buy a concrete plantwith a CPMB plate, you know it’s built with the best in quality anddesign.Our new performance-rated mixer plates will now be accepted bythe NRMCA Plant Certification Program (with visual inspection) asan alternative to uniformity testing of your mixers.Join construction industry leaders who for nearly 50 years havelooked to CPMB when choosing precision and value in concreteplants and components.Call the <strong>Concrete</strong> Plant Manufacturers Bureau for moreinformation.Endorsed by and Affiliated with:<strong>Concrete</strong> Plant Manufacturers Bureau900 Spring Street • Silver Spring, MD 20910Office (301) 587-1400 • Fax (301) 587-1605www.cpmb.orgCPMB Supports


feature• Section 5 deals with the inspection of thedelivery fleet, which may be truck mixers,agitators or non-agitating units. Inspectionand certification of the delivery fleet is arequirement of the certification programsince it is part of the production and deliveryprocess. At least 90 percent of the fleetoperating from the plant must be acceptableto qualify for certification of the productionfacility. Delivery fleet can be inspected bythe company with an audit by the inspectingengineer or the complete fleet can beinspected by the inspecting engineer.The Future of Plant CertificationAs evidenced by the increasing quality focusand demands by users of concrete, certificationprograms are only going to see increased use.The push toward performance specificationswill support this and other certification programs.While state highway agencies traditionallyhave inspected concrete productionfacilities, constrained resources are makingthem consider adopting national certificationprograms such as the NRMCA program.The NRMCA RES Committee continuallymonitors the requirements of the NRMCAplant and truck certification program to ensureit conforms to revisions of the referenced standards.Since it represents a minimum industrystandard, the program serves to raise the bar forthe industry so all companies are operating atan equal level. Revisions are being considered toaddress the use of new material technologiesand production processes. Items that are beingconsidered for revision include achievablebatching tolerances, evolving control systemsand data recordation, cold weather operations,consistent procedures for calibration of scalesand volumetric measuring devices.Another important initiative currentlyunderway is the development of a guide forplant inspections that will provide additionaldetails and information to both plant inspectingengineers and company production andquality control personnel. It is anticipated thatthe RES Committee will make this requiredreading for potential “NRMCA-approved”inspectors.As a condition for adopting the NRMCAprogram, the state highway agency of SouthCarolina required the Carolinas <strong>Ready</strong> <strong>Mixed</strong><strong>Association</strong> to conduct a training program forplant inspectors. NRMCA facilitated a one-daytraining program with a plant visit and anexamination to qualify inspectors in the state.The requirement for a licensed engineer stillexists in order to establish the credibility of theprogram.■Figure 1. Example of a NRMCACertificate of ConformanceInformation on details of the NRMCA certificationprogram for concrete production facilitiesand a copy of the Plant Certification CheckList are posted on the NRMCA website atwww.nrmca.org.BATCHTRON• Touch screen and PLC basedcontrols for extreme reliability• Special features tailored to readymix,precast, block and pavers• Fast and accurate, reduces cement costs• Records manual additions• Detects unauthorized use• Instant service 24/7 via Internet• Training & support via Internet• Less hassle, more profit for youRADARTRON• NEW- Microwave moisture sensorwith digital output, compatible withall batching controllers• Guarantees consistent slump and strength• Eliminates need for manual tests• 5 year wear guarantee, best in theindustrySICOMA MIXERS• More in use than any other, worldwide• Countercurrent model gives moreproduction and higher quality thanothers of same size• Twin-shaft model has strongest framefor longest life, plus triple shaft seals,electronic alarm unit, electric greasepump, all included in priceREDILINK READY-MIXMANAGEMENT SOFTWARE• Over 400 installed systems• Suitable for any size operation, anynumber of plants and trucks• Powerful but especially easy to useREDILINK MIX-DESIGN & QC• Save major dollars on material costs• Automate and organize your QC labsMIXTRON MIXER MOISTURE• NEW – Accurate digital microwave sensor• Built-into batch controller to givebest performance at lowest cost• Hi-tech sensor cap, so hard it outlaststhe life of the sensorSILOWEIGH.NET• Never run out of cement again• View silo weights through webpages on company network• View complete company data onInternet sitePerfecting the Art of <strong>Concrete</strong> ProductionOffices in U.S. and Canadawww.scaletron.com • marianne@scaletron.com • 1 800 921 7559 • 727 559 2336CONCRETE in focus ı 11


producer profileGeorgia AquariumMakes a Big Splash with the PublicThe viewing tanks at the Georgia Aquariumare among the largest in the world; some areas high as 30´ tall and 4´ thick at the base.By Frank Cavaliere, Communications Manager, NRMCAWalking through downtown Atlanta one is used to seeing crowds waiting to enter theWorld of Coca Cola exhibit and the CNN Studio Tour. Since November 2005,however, those well-known Peachtree State attractions have fallen a notch in popularity.That’s because of the opening of the Georgia Aquarium, an architecturally stunningcomplex within walking distance of the Georgia capital’s other sights, such as the Coca Colaand CNN headquarters building, state capitol building and Centennial Olympic Park.What the throngs of visitors who enter the aquarium and marvel at the species containedwithin probably don’t realize is that constructing such a landmark had its unique challenges,challenges that with much planning, ingenuity and diligence were met by NRMCA membercompanies Lafarge North America and Grace Construction Products.CONCRETE in focus ı 13


Your company’s reputation – andfuture orders – are depending onyour performance today.Buying only equipment with TMMBrating plates ensures that yourequipment will perform up-to-specT M M Btime after time.The manufacturers of the TruckMixer Manufacturers Bureauguarantee that mixers have specifiedcapacity, accurate water control,precise mixing speed and uniformmixing performance to ensurequality concrete is delivered that way.In fact, in many states TMMB ratedequipment is required on state jobs.Contact us to learn more about theTMMB advantage.confidenceBeck IndustrialContinental Mfg. Co.London MachineryMcNeilus CompaniesOshkosh Truck Corp.Schwing AmericaSummit Performance SystemsTerex <strong>Concrete</strong> Group900 Spring Street • Silver Spring, MD 20910Tel: 301 / 587 - 1400 • Fax: 301 / 587-1605www.tmmb.org


featureReport of:<strong>2006</strong> <strong>National</strong> <strong>Ready</strong> <strong>Mixed</strong><strong>Concrete</strong> <strong>Association</strong> FleetBenchmarking andCosts SurveyJohn Carew, Carew <strong>Concrete</strong>NRMCA OES CommitteeChairmanTerry Green, US <strong>Concrete</strong> Inc,NRMCA OES Committee ViceChairmanAl Benjamin, Maricopa <strong>Ready</strong> MixNRMCA Operations Task GroupChairmanPaul Moore, Catalina PacificNRMCA Operation Task GroupCo-ChairGary M. Mullings, NRMCASenior Director of Operations andComplianceIntroductionThe <strong>National</strong> <strong>Ready</strong> <strong>Mixed</strong> <strong>Concrete</strong> <strong>Association</strong> Fleet Benchmarking and Costs Survey was established to provide concrete producerswith information to evaluate ready mixed concrete fleet maintenance and utilization. This survey form was developedand responses analyzed by the NRMCA Operations, Environmental and Safety (OES) Committee. For the ready mixed concreteindustry, those involved in the day to day management of a fleet of mixer trucks are confronted with an ever changingarray of business decisions. The competitive nature of the business and long construction seasons makes operating a fleet of trucks verydemanding. The industry has witnessed a dramatic shift to one that includes high expectations with no tolerance for unsatisfactory performance,forcing ready mixed concrete fleet managers to attain exceedingly high levels of reliability and cost efficiency for their fleets. Mostsuccessful ready mixed concrete producers have always measured themselves in one way or another, relying primarily on financial accountingprinciples.Fleet operating statistics are measured to quantify current performance and to plan and budget for future improvements. Thechallenge is to know what to measure and to know what constitutes good performance. Benchmarking allows the fleet manager toidentify and compare cost and other performance factors with industry averages as obtained from this survey. Once the fleet’smanagement strategies and performance have been successfully benchmarked, the fleet manager has a tool to identify the unsatisfactory aswell as the excellent performance areas of their fleet.Benchmarking fleet statistics allows the manager to identify the areas that require change and facilitates continuous improvement ofthe fleet. Lacking complete understanding of the fleet’s cost components and a strategy for adequate fleet replacement schedules is asignificant issue in fleet management.ConfidentialityThe <strong>National</strong> <strong>Ready</strong> <strong>Mixed</strong> <strong>Concrete</strong> <strong>Association</strong> keeps all individual company datasubmitted for the survey strictly confidential. After verification of all data entry andcalculations, the <strong>Association</strong> destroys the entry forms and all tabulation records that specificallyattribute data to a producer, division and plant. This policy was established to help elevate thelevel of participation and enhance the statistics through a strong sampling of the industry.CONCRETE in focus ı 17


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feature<strong>2006</strong> FleetBenchmarking SurveyThe <strong>2006</strong> Fleet Benchmarking SurveyForm was sent to NRMCA membercompanys’ fleet managers and financialofficers in January <strong>2006</strong> and posted onNRMCA’s website. An electronic format fileof the survey form was distributed via emailto the NRMCA membership. The deadlinefor all survey responses was May 1, <strong>2006</strong>.The survey (attached in the appendix of thisreport) consisted of 62 fill-in-the-blank typequestions. The survey response representsdata for calendar year 2005. The fleetmanagers/financial officers were instructed tosubmit information to the extent available, ifall questions could not be answered. The 62survey questions were distributed in thefollowing 10 sections:Survey ResponsesResponses from 56 companies or divisionswere received for the <strong>2006</strong> survey (an increaseof 20% over 2005). The usefulness of thesefleet performance statistics are enhanced bythe level of participation in the survey. SomeTable 1: Geographical Distribution of Survey Responses by PercentUS Region Percent US Region PercentEastern 20% North Central 4%Southeastern 20% Rocky Mountain 7%Great Lakes/Midwest16% Pacific Northwest 5%South Central12% Pacific Southwest 16%items were not responded to by allparticipants. The percentage response isreported in each of the following sectionsand it is suggested that a response less thanabout 30% may not be statisticallysignificant. Results of the survey arecompiled nationally. Responses came fromeight geographical regions which are mappedin the appendix of this report.• Region• Mixer Maintenance• Mixer Fleet• Tire Information• Chassis Configuration• Preventive Maintenance• Fleet Performance• Front-End-Loaders• BenchmarkingMixer FleetsA total of 11,591 concrete mixer trucks arerepresented in the <strong>2006</strong> survey. This iscompared to an estimated 80,000 ready mixedconcrete trucks currently operating in theUnited States. Based on data submitted, theaverage number of mixer trucks percompany/division is 207. This numbercontinues to grow every year due toconsolidation, mergers and demographics ofthose who participate in this survey. Themedian number (which may be more typical)for truck mixers in a fleet is 97. This meansthat about half of the companies whoresponded to the survey have 97 truck mixersor less.The average age of a fleet by company andaverage age of the individual trucks was lowercompared to 2005. The average fleet age forthe 55 companies/divisions who responded tothis question was 6.5 years, while the averageage of individual truck was calculated to be6.2 years. These numbers reflect industrypurchases of mixer trucks prior to new EPAengine regulations that take effect in 2007.Rear discharge mixers still dominate thesurvey, representing 77% of all mixers. Frontdischarge mixers make up the remaining 23%of the truck mixers. It is interesting to notethat 50% of all companies/divisions reportingdo have some front discharge mixers.Considering previous trends with fleets thatTable 2: Mixer Fleet StatisticsItem Description CompaniesReporting(Percent)1 # Trucks 56(100%)2 Age, Years 55(98%)3 Front Discharge 28(50%)4 Rear Discharge 42(75%)5 All Wheel Drive 21(38%)6 Conveyor Equipped 7(13%)7 Trailer Mixers 5(9%)include at least one mixer truck with aconveyor system attached, these data suggestthat this frequency is about one in eight ofChassis ConfigurationsOver the last several decades manyvariations in axle configuration have beendeveloped in response to varying state weightlaws. In addition to the data below, twocompanies reported a total of 5 two-axlemixers. These mixers commonly do notrequire a driver with a commercial driver’slicense (CDL). According to the <strong>2006</strong> FleetSurvey, three-axle and four-axle booster orpusher configurations are most common.TotalNumber11,591Average percompanyreportingHigh Low Median207 1502 29 976.5 13 2.0 6.12513 90 600 11 669,017 215 1430 1 973095 147 691 1 8675 10.7 37 3 456 11 35 2 6the participating companies. Finally, 9% ofthe participating companies reported trailermixers as part of their fleets.This accounts for about 78 percent of theoperating mixer trucks. In order to meetfederal bridge weight restrictions and increaseload carrying capacity, more ready mixedconcrete trucks are using four or more axles.In the four-axle category, tail axles outnumberpushers by nearly 4-to-1. These datamay be biased by the geographicaldistribution of responses and the pertinentstate and local weight restrictions.see configuration graph on page 21CONCRETE in focus ı 19


Even if you needan admixture that helpsyour mix set slowly,Steve works fastto get the job done.Steve AllenderDistrict Mgr.,Columbus,OHYour concrete mix may need to set slowly. Or set quickly. Or maybe youneed to increase workability, or to enhance durability — or all of the above.Whatever your needs, Sika experts like Steve are constantly working to findthe perfect admixture for each customer. Throughout his 21-year career(all of it with Sika), Steve has made customers his top priority. So whena customer needs his expertise or to place an order as soon as possible,Steve gets the job done. That’s the way all of us at Sika work all of the time.Find out for yourself by contacting us today.Visit us on the Web at www.sikaconstruction.comor call 1-800-933-SIKA (7452).©2005 Sika Corporation. All rights reserved.


featureTable 3: Summary of Chassis ConfigurationsItem Description8 3-Axle9 4-Axle/Booster10 4-Axle/Pusher11 5-Axle12 6-Axle13 7-AxleCompaniesReporting(Percent)25(45%)27(48%)17(30%)20(36%)14(25%)3(5%)TotalNumberAverage percompanyreportingHigh Low Median4578 183 1435 1 59.53581 133 1029 2 82896 53 282 4 341769 88 387 2 66650 46 273 1 1230 10 78 2 5Table 4: Summary of Fleet PerformanceItemDescription14 Annual Miles/Truck15 Annual Engine Hours16Avg. One-Way HaulDistance, miles17 Avg. Load Size, cu. yd.18Typical Full Load Size,cu. yd.CompaniesReporting(Percent)49(88%)41(73%)44(79%)49(88%)55(98%)Fleet PerformanceThe survey represents ready mixedconcrete trucks that traveled more than 137million miles. The average annual mileage ona ready mixed concrete truck was 18,896Average percompanyreportingHigh Low Median18,896 50,000 7,500 17,4082,001 3,500 1,250 1,90012.1 26 3.96 11.98.2 11.2 6.5 8.19.8 11.2 8.0 10.0miles last year. This statistic is about 1000miles higher than the 7 year historical averageof the survey and may be directly related toincreased yardage delivered per truck (item#56).The average haul distance a truck mixermust travel will vary depending on location,type of construction, and commitment tocustomers. The average one-way hauldistance for the 44 companies that reporteddata was 12.1 miles.For this survey the average load size was8.2 cubic yards and the average full load was9.8 cubic yards, up slightly from a year ago.Important to a ready mixed concreteproducer is the “load size coefficient” whichcan be calculated by dividing average load sizeby typical full load size and multiplying times100 to convert to a percentage. In general,the higher the load size coefficient, the lowerthe cost of trucking per cubic yard. Of the 37companies reporting both numbers, thecalculated average load size coefficient was84%, with a high of 99% and a low of 53%.Fuel ConsumptionOne of the major costs in operating aready mixed concrete fleet is fuelconsumption. In 2004 and 2005 we haveseen unprecedented price hikes for diesel andgasoline in the U.S. Fuel consumptionfactors can be measured in many differentways. Typical “miles per gallon” (mpg) is usedas a measure by many “long haul” truckingcompanies. In the ready mixed concreteindustry although most companies track mpgdata, it does not provide a true picture of fuelusage considering that a mixer truck spendsvarying amount of time at idle, mixingconcrete or off-road travel. In this survey,81% of those companies who reported fuelconsumption data, reported mpg while 89%reported fuel consumption in “fuel cost peryard”. The price paid per gallon of fuel canalso be calculated from data reported byTable 5: Summary of Fuel UsageItem DescriptionCompaniesReporting(Percent)19 Miles Per Gallon43(77%)20 Fuel, gal./hr.24(43%)21 Fuel, gal./yd 3 37(366%)22 Fuel, $/yd 3 47(84%)companies on the basis of both “Gallon perCubic Yard” and “Fuel Costs per CubicYard”:i.e. Price per Gallon = Fuel Cost per yd 3 /Gallons per yd 3The average fuel cost according to thissurvey was $2.29 per gallon; an increase of$0.27 or 13% over the average fuel cost inAverage perCompanyReportingHigh Low Median3.60 6.5 0.32 3.52.96 5.5 1.23 2.90.99 2.53 0.36 0.95$2.15 $4.90 $0.69 $2.062004. Important to this industry is thepercentage of fuel usage for power take-off(PTO) energy use. This information,however, cannot be determined from thereported data. NRMCA is currentlyundertaking a study on PTO fuel usage andestimates it to be approximately 20 to 25%of total fuel consumption.CONCRETE in focus ı 21


featureTable 6: Summary of Fleet Maintenance CostsItem DescriptionCompaniesReporting(Percent)23 Parts: $/ yd 3 53(95%)24 Shop: $/ yd 3 50(89%)25Outside Repairs: 39$/ yd 3 (70%)26 Radio: $/ yd 3 37(66%)27Tires & Tubes: 52$/ yd 3 (93%)282929B3030BTOTAL(23-27)51(91%)Wrecker Costs: 27$/ yd 3 (48%)Wrecker Costs:$/eng hr8(14%)Accident Repair 23Cost: $/ yd 3 (41%)Accident RepairCost: $/eng hr6(11%)Average perCompanyReportingHigh Low Median$ 0.98 $ 2.86 $ 0.16 $ 0.86$ 1.26 $ 5.24 $ 0.04 $ 1.16$ 0.39 $ 2.17 $ 0.01 $ 0.23$ 0.09 $ 0.69 $ 0.01 $ 0.06$ 0.31 $ 0.79 $ 0.17 $ 0.29$ 2.70 $ 6.60 $ 0.28 $ 2.78$ 0.02 $ 0.10 $ 0.01 $ 0.01$ 0.09 $ 0.50 $ 0.01 $ 0.03$ 0.06 $ 0.30 $ 0.00 $ 0.04$ 0.07 $ 0.14 $ 0.03 $ 0.07Fleet Maintenance ExpensesMaintenance costs associated with fleetoperations represent a major expense to theready mixed concrete producer. In pastyears, data reveal that cost of fleetmaintenance is directly related to theaverage age of the fleet. The totalmaintenance cost is calculated by the sumof cost of parts, outside repair services, shopexpenses, cost of tires, and cost for mobilecommunication.TiresTires are an essential factor indetermining costs associated with readymixed concrete fleets. Of the 56companies who reported, none allowrecaps on the steer axle tires while all butone company allow the use of recaps onthe drive or trailer axle tires. Themaximum number of recaps allowed on acasing ranged from one to six with anaverage of just over two.The survey also provides an estimate ofthe cost to the producer for a breakdowndue to a tire failure. After removing twooutliers, this average cost was $162.15 in2005, an increase of $15.00 over 2004.Another interesting number derived fromthe data is road-calls per truck per year. Onaverage, a ready mixed concrete companymakes 1.16 road calls related to tire failuresper year for every truck in its fleet.Table 7: Summary of Tire InformationItem31DescriptionRecaps for steer tires32 Max # recap/casing33=YES=NORecaps for drive tires & lift axles=YES=NO34 If yes to 33, max # of recaps per tire35Capitalize cost of tires/new mixers?=YES36 Avg#roadcalls/month37 Avg lost hours./road call38 Avg cost/tire-related breakdown3940=NOTire pressure checked(interval in days)Tire check done by:Driver / Mechanic or BothVendorCompaniesReporting(Percent)056 (0%)(100%) 56(100%)0(0%)5455 (95%)(96%) 1(5%)51(91%)2555 (44%)(98%) 30(54%)48(86%)49(88%)41(74%)52(93%)5054 (89%)(96%) 4(7%)Average perCompanyReportingHigh Low Median0 0 0 02.5 6 1 219.4 225 0.6 58.59 90 0.5 2.0$162.15 $500 $40 $12511 45 1 7CONCRETE in focus ı 23


NEVER POLISH YOUR WHEELS AGAIN.JUST CLEAN WITH SOAP AND WATER.©<strong>2006</strong> Alcoa Inc. Dura-Bright ® is a federally registered trademark of Alcoa Inc.Alcoa Dura-Bright ® wheels have a patented surface treatment – not a coating –so they won’t chip, crack, peel or corrode. And they never need polishing. Noother manufacturer can offer you that. Find out more at www.dontpolish.com.Every Alcoa Dura-Bright ® wheel comes with a five-year limited warranty.


BUILD IT SAFER.600,000 pounds. That’s a typical landing weight for a large, commercialaircraft. And when that plane touches down, the only thing standingbetween it and the ground is the runway.That’s why the engineer chose concrete over asphalt to replaceone runway and extend another at Houston’s George Bush IntercontinentalAirport. <strong>Concrete</strong> is better at withstanding the weight oflarge planes, reducing maintenance costs. It’s easier to see from theair. And it provides better traction, so the plane’s tires can grip thepavement more securely, especially in wet weather.ThepeopleofCEMEXmet the challenge of supplying more than150,000 tons of cement for the entire airport project, on time andon budget. The result? Today, seat backs, tray tables and runways areall prepared for landing.We invite you to learn more about this and other unique CEMEXprojects at www.cemexusa.com.


featureTable 12: Participating CompaniesCompany Reported By Company Reported ByAdvance <strong>Ready</strong> Mix Company J. Wild Florida Rock Ind., Inc. R. HowellAggregate Industries, North Central J. Stretch Flynn Group T. FlynnAggregate Industries, Northeast G. Fowler Fred Hill Materials, Inc. M. BlevinsAggregate Industries, Mid-Atlantic V. Sykes Frontier Materials <strong>Concrete</strong> A. BlankenshipAltaview <strong>Concrete</strong> Inc. S. Bigler Fulton <strong>Concrete</strong> B. BeuzurBerks Products R. Bucklew Geiger <strong>Ready</strong> Mix Co., Inc. R. TuckerBirdsall Sand & Gravel M. Greear Glacier Northwest, Inc. I. ParrillaBuilder's <strong>Concrete</strong> & Supply Co., Inc. B. Wiley Harper <strong>Ready</strong> Mix J. HarperC&D <strong>Concrete</strong> D. Williams Kentucky <strong>Concrete</strong>, Inc. J. BlankleyCalaveras Materials, Inc. M. Kaur Lafarge Building Materials G. PruittCapital <strong>Concrete</strong> Inc. J. Bolton Maricopa <strong>Ready</strong> Mix A. BenjaminCardinal-Virginia <strong>Concrete</strong> Co., Inc. D. Meetre Metro <strong>Ready</strong> Mix <strong>Concrete</strong>, Inc. M. ZagulaCarew <strong>Concrete</strong> J. Carew Ocean Const. Supplies LTD J. CaruthCarolina Sunrock LLC E. Pfohl Ozinga Illinois RMC, Inc. T. NelsonCatalina Pacific <strong>Concrete</strong> P. Moore Ozinga Indiana RMC, Inc. J. MiazgaCemex, East L. Bruffy <strong>Ready</strong> Mix <strong>Concrete</strong>-US <strong>Concrete</strong> J. RookardCemex, Central L. Bruffy <strong>Ready</strong> Mix Inc., Las Vegas M. HaleyCemex, West L. Bruffy <strong>Ready</strong> <strong>Mixed</strong> <strong>Concrete</strong> Co., Denver J. SeayCemstone <strong>Ready</strong> Mix, Inc., MN J. Dewall CSR Rinker R. FritzCemstone<strong>Ready</strong>Mix,Inc,WI J.Dewall RockSolid F.AmosCentral <strong>Concrete</strong> Supply-US <strong>Concrete</strong> J. Conquest Smith's <strong>Ready</strong> Mix, Inc. H. SmithChandler <strong>Concrete</strong> Company J. Hinkle Standard <strong>Concrete</strong> Products Inc. S. GriffithChaney Enterprises D. Williams Superior Materials-US <strong>Concrete</strong> G. Lowell<strong>Concrete</strong> Company of Springfield G. Bills Tilcon Connecticut, Inc. C. Latvis<strong>Concrete</strong> Supply of Topeka J. Marney Titan America J. BetzConsumers <strong>Concrete</strong> Corp. A. Cope TXI - Dallas R. WeltonCrider & Shockey, Inc. T. Shenk Vulcan Materials Co. E. CenterEastern <strong>Concrete</strong> Materials, Inc. B. Steele Western Rock Products B. McCoy175303_Westcon.indd 17/31/06 11:52:14 AMCONCRETE in focus ı 29


Stationary and portable chillers,200-1,500 yds./day.High volume chillers, 1,500-6,000 yds./day.Hot water systems, 3,000-30,000 galloncapacity. Heats up to 120,000gals./dayPortable, combination heater and chiller systems.Storage tanks for heating/coolingrecycled “gray water”.MORE PRODUCT/MORE PERFORMANCEMORE RELIABILITY/MORE INNOVATIONIn just 20 years, we’ve grown from a startup to number one for concretewater heating and cooling equipment, versus all other brands. Thereason is simple. The industry believes our products offer superiorperformance and the highest ROI. That’s why almost 75% of ourcustomers are repeat customers!We also invest heavily in R&D—to continually come up with new andbetter answers. For example, our unique tank system for recycled water.It’s the first to combine storage with heating and cooling, for a lowmaintenance, high efficiency solution to what was a water managementproblem. Another is a new series of steam generators, that encompass“best feature” capabilities for greater efficiency and reliability. Ourproduction facility for air cooled water chillers has also been expandedto handle increased demand. Plus customers can always count on acrack technical team of inside people and a national network of dealersand representatives.So when plans call for water temperature control and storage systemsfor concrete production—look to Pearson. We are the number onesource that’s on the move and on target for you!HEATERS CHILLERS RECYCLED WATER TEMPERATURE CONTROL TANKS ACCESSORIESCelebrating our 20th year!213 Hess Road, Grasonville, MD 21638 • (410) 827-8027 • Fax: (410) 827-3047http://www.pearsonsystems.com • e-mail: pearsonsystems@dmv.com


featureAppendixCompilationMixer Fleet StatisticsCONCRETE in focus ı 31


featurePromoting <strong>Concrete</strong>on theInternetBy Glenn Ochsenreiter, Vice President of Marketing, NRMCABy providing near-instant access to a world of information, theInternet has become the tool of choice for professionals seekinginformation. Now that “to Google” has found common usageas a verb, it is time for the concrete industry to take increased advantageof the Internet as a low-cost, high-visibility engine for concreteinformation, promotion and customer creation.No organization is too small to deliver an effective Web presence,nor too large to entrust effectiveness to outsiders who do not fullyunderstand the evolving goals of the organization.In representing the ready mixed concrete industry, NRMCA hasbeen active in developing Internet marketing strategies and practices— we have made our share of mistakes in finding what works and areglad to share what we have learned with members and partners interestedin expanding Internet marketing effectiveness.Deliver a Well Organized Site or Series of SitesEvery organization can and should have a credible Web site, andthe good news is that sites can be affordable and effective for everysize organization. The starting point is to select a motivated employeewith good knowledge of the organization to take responsibility forlearning enough about Web marketing and presentation to see the jobthrough. If you are a one-person operation — that would be you!Although much work can be outsourced, no organization can affordto totally entrust this key marketing function to outsiders.Fortunately, low-cost tools are available to enable the creation ofeffective sites without the requirement for personnel with a graphicsdesign or IT degree. By utilizing Web-authoring programs, templates,stock photos and other useful aids, a dedicated employee willing tospend time educating him or herself can put together a competentsite with a reasonable amount of content within a few dozen hours.The Web itself is a great place to get that education and there aremany books on the subject. The key is to keep it simple, not just initially,but in the long run. Good organization enables visitors to havea useful experience — flashy sites are frequently distracting and counterproductive.As long as the project is overseen internally by a competentemployee with an understanding of Web design and marketing basics,outsourcing is a good choice for many organizations, especially as talenteddesigners and programmers can be brought into the project atreasonable cost to enhance the site. The key to cost effectiveness is touse professional help as needed to ensure a professional look, whichcan be captured in a template that requires little additional tweakingPerviousPavement.org is one of NRMCA's six "Websites for the Industry,"all targeted to specifiers. Visitors are invited to click for projectand planning assistance.over time. Then the content of the site can be “built out” over timewithout the need for such specialized talents. Although NRMCA isfortunate to have professionals with those skills on staff, much of theeffort in implementing our sites has been provided by student interns.We have built our sites with Microsoft’s FrontPage Web design program,which is relatively easy for new users to work with, and we keepour sites simple and easy to add on to and update.Be sure to think through who the information on your site is targetedto and adopt a tone that is appropriate for that audience. A site32 ı FALL <strong>2006</strong>


featureThis screen shot illustrates one of the benefits of search engine advertising. For the search "porous asphalt," illustrated here, no concrete site wouldbe likely to ever come up in the regular search returns (in the left column). However, NRMCA's ad for pervious concrete is the second adreturned in the right column ("Pervious <strong>Concrete</strong>"). Google advertisers are charged only when their ads are clicked on, ensuring a well-targetedaudience for the linked information. Advertisers bid for ad placement by setting a maximum amount they will pay for a click on specific ads anda maximum expenditure per day. NRMCA currently pays between 5 and 65 cents per click.CONCRETE in focus ı 33


featureoften has information intended for various audiences, which requirescareful organization. NRMCA has taken the approach of creatingdedicated sites for specific audiences.One final recommendation — no matter what stage of development,think of your site as a work in progress. Don’t make the mistakeof investing a lot of time and effort with the expectation that thesite will be done upon project completion. Regardless of assurancesfrom even the most expensive consultants, it is only upon “completion”that you are likely to understand what you really need, and thebeauty of the Web is that it is easy to make adjustments. Better tothink of your site as always evolving over time, becoming more andmore effective.Take Steps to Assure an IncreasingNumber of Visitors to the SitePublishing a high quality site is not an end in itself. No matterhow well you build it, without additional effort, they won’t necessarilycome. The key to increasing site visitors is to gain links to yoursite from other sites and from search engines.Search engines determine the position of your site in their searchresults through complicated and proprietary algorithms that considermany factors, but one stands above all the others — how manysites, and which ones, link to your site. Google and other searchengines maintain a record of which sites link to your site by “crawling”the entire Web recording not just the content of pages but alsothe links they provide.This was the conceptual breakthrough originally adopted byGoogle that has enabled them to gain a greater market value thanGM and Ford combined: based on the assumption that sites providelinks to other sites that they consider of value to their visitors, theWeb can be used as a “voting platform” to point to the best sites forcategories of information. Therefore, the key to gaining site visitorsis to be linked to by other sites — both because visitors on thosesites can click on those links directly and because the links elevateyour site value in the eyes of search engines, raising your position insearch results.Getting other sites to link to yours takes effort and perseverance.One way to do it is to offer a link from your site in return for a linkto your site.In addition to getting all the direct links you can, there are otherspecific steps and strategies you can follow to raise the ranking ofyour site in search results — this endeavor is known as “search engineoptimization.” Practices include determining which search words aremost important for your site, including those terms liberally in yourcontent and in certain positions in the Web programming code.Gaining links to your site, and optimizing your site for goodsearch engine placement is as important as building a good site. Thatis why this responsibility is also too important to outsource — someonewho really cares needs to understand the key methods and practicesto ensure you have a steady stream of visitors. Good results taketime — fortunately there are simple tools available to track visitorsand your position in search engine results for given search terms.Turn Visitors into CustomersCongratulations, you now have a good Web site and are bringingin more visitors every day. Think the job is done?Unfortunately, too many organizations leave out a critical piece —using the Web site to develop a relationship with visitors that leads tonew or happier customers and an increase in business. One way tothink of the opportunity is to remember that the Web is a two-waydevice and comments and responses from your visitors can help gaugethe impact of the site.Some sites have no facility at all for feedback, and others offer onlyemails to the Webmaster. You need much more. Think of your site asa device for generating highly targeted prospects that can be convertedto customers. This can be done by offering sign-ups for free printed orelectronic newsletters or just by making it clear that visitors are invitedto ask questions. Be creative. On NRMCA’s Web sites, we offer free“project assistance” to commercial specifiers. This approach is producingmany leads that we pass along to our promotion partners aroundthe country. So go ahead and ask the visitor for a response, which providesan opening for developing a customer relationship.Consider Search Engine AdsThe ideal place to appear on a search engine page is near the topof the search results list for a given search, or at least on the first pageof results. But gaining that position takes time. You might also wantCONCRETE in focus ı 35


How muchare you payingfor pigment?Plug in your numbers and see.Probably too much.With liquid colors, you pay for processing pigment with water, plus more forshipping all that water. Instead, let your color metering system make the liquidcolors using dry Bayferrox ® granular pigments and your water. Just pick theshade you want, then batch by batch when you need color the enclosed systemmixes the pigment granules with water and transfers the slurry to your mixeror truck. It's fast, accurate, simple, and totally automatic.Many companies in various industries have learned that with Bayferrox pigmentsand a dry-to-wet color metering system, they can reduce their pigment andfreight costs, cycle times are the same, and the pigment disperses in theconcrete mix quickly and evenly. You really ought to check it out.For more details, call LANXESS at 1-888-422-9337 or visit us at Bayferrox.com.Bayferrox ® is a registered trademark of Bayer AG, Germany.


featureto pursue marketing opportunities presentedby searches that your site will never bereturned for, such as “asphalt.” At a cost,search engine advertising can get your sitelink on prime search result pages regardless ofyour search engine optimization practices.The first thing to understand aboutsearch engine advertising is you are notcharged for an ad that is placed unless theend user clicks on it. This means when youpay for an ad it is for someone to visit yoursite that is likely well targeted to your messageand service, if you constructed your adproperly — why else would they click?Through Google’s Adwords program, youare bidding against other advertisers toappear on the page of an end user who hassubmitted a specific search term. You specifythe search terms you want to appear withand the maximum amount you will pay fora “click” on your ad, as well as the maximumamount you will pay for clicks in aday for all your ads, thereby controllingyour advertising expenditure. The challengeis to figure out what search terms potentialcustomers will use. Experimenting with allthe program variables is easy and essentialfor establishing a successful as campaign.Ad clicks are only useful if they comefrom prospects in your trading area —Google and other search engines offerregional and local advertising options thatlimit ad placements to users in specifiedgeographic areas.Google provides comprehensive informationabout advertising results, includingthe number of times it is displayed andclicked on and the average position of yourad when it is placed. It is advisable to bidhigh enough to get your ad in the top eightpositions, the number of ads that normallyappear on the first search results page.In selecting the ads to place on a givenpage, Google is not simply placing thosewith the highest bid — they are selectingads that will generate the highest revenuefor it. A 10-cent add that gets clicked onoften will be placed above a 20-cent adthat is rarely clicked on. The key to gettingclicked on is having an ad that is relevantto the search term connected with that ad.At NRMCA we are currently paying from5 to 65 cents per click for different ads.Sixty-five cents is not a lot to reach aNRMCA Web Programs Can Boost Your TrafficAn upcoming article in <strong>Concrete</strong> In Focus will provide details of NRMCA’s Internetmarketing strategy and how members and partners can participate for mutual benefit.Here is a summary of the strategy, including opportunities for immediatecollaboration:Websites for the IndustryNRMCA has launched five “Websites for Industry” that each focus on a leadingready mixed concrete application. These sites are targeted to commercial specifiers:• www.<strong>Concrete</strong>Parking.org• www.PerviousPavement.org• www.FlowableFill.org• www.<strong>Concrete</strong>Buildings.org• www.GreenRoofTops.orgThese sites are intended to serve as comprehensive information sources so that ourmembers and partners can simply link to them to educate their site visitors about theseapplications. Linking to the sites also elevates them in search engine rankings helpingensure that Web searchers get access to sites that offer complete and well-presentedinformation on these topics. Three of the NRMCA sites are already the #1 sitereturned by Google for their topic (the other two newer sites are climbing fast).NRMCA also returns the favor of a link to our sites with a link back to referringsites. These links generate traffic back to referring sites, often specifiers looking forregional or local information. Such links boost search engine results of our participatingmembers and partners — a link from a top-rated site for a given topic is particularlyvaluable in Google’s site-value algorithm.Specifier Project and Planning AssistanceAll these sites prominently offer free project and planning assistance to specifiers.We list each of our non-profit promotion partners in North America that have joinedour project assistance network for that application. Many of the specifier assistancerequests represent significant promotion and sales opportunities. On the <strong>Concrete</strong>Parkingsite, email links are also provided (on request) for concrete promoters who havebeen trained to conduct presentations using <strong>Concrete</strong> Parking Analyst software.State affiliates and non-profit concrete promotion organizations that want to participatein our mutual link program or join our project assistance network should contactJenna Burnworth at jburnworth@nrmca.org or 240-485-1157. Jenna also fieldsrequests for listings of CPA-trained pavement promoters.NRMCA producer and associate members interested in mutual links can contactMichelle Barringer at mbarringer@nrmca.org or 240-485-1143.Information on mutual linking with NRMCA sites is available at www.NRMCA.org/link.Web Outreach to Specifiers: The CenterpieceNRMCA’s most recent Web project is www.<strong>Concrete</strong>Help.org. This is the capstoneof our efforts to provide value and gain interest from specifiers.The new site serves as the central hub that we direct specifiers to that need assistanceon any ready mixed concrete topic. Comprehensive information is provided onconcrete benefits in general and links are provided to all our application-specificsites. Specifiers can learn about NRMCA national account services as well as the“green” characteristics of concrete, among many other topics. The idea is that thisone URL will provide easy access to most everything a specifier may want to knowabout concrete, no matter how general or specific. We expect to build out this siteconsiderably over time and welcome suggestions for content and services that mightbe valuable to specifiers.CONCRETE in focus ı 37


featureprospect who is building a parking garageand wants to learn more about cast-inplaceconcrete.One of our most successful 5-cent adsis for pervious concrete, linking to PerviousPavement.org.,which frequentlyappears for Google users who enter“porous asphalt.”Tweak and Measure, thenTweak and Measure Again…One of the satisfactions in developing aneffective Web strategy is that many successfactors can be measured. Successful programsevolve over time and are documentedby Web measures such as site visits, visitorresponses and marketing parameters such asprospects created and converted.The most important lesson from ourexperience is that the Internet matters moreall the time but most organizations are notgiving it the “mindshare” and creativeattention it deserves — rewarding opportunitiesare wide open for those willing tomake these very reasonable investments. ■MAXIMIZE YOUR PAYLOADwith Reduced Weight and Improved DurabilityTru-Track AlumiliteTru-Track Super AlumiliteThe new Alumilite series from Watson &Chalin allows you to haul more loadwhile reducing your maintenancecosts. These two newly designed modelsoffer significantly reduced weight whileincorporating more durable components tolower your life cycle costs.The SL-1190 Tru-Track Alumilite, with anincreased capacity to 13,500 pounds, islighter and more durable than previousmodels. This self-steering lift axle isdesigned to reduce your maintenanceexpense through the use of extended lifebushings and preloaded locking fasteners.Add in our unique ride height adjustmentfeature and you can see why this lift axle isthe choice of vocational fleets and owneroperators. With light weight wheel ends,this durable lift axle tips the scales at just 819pounds.For applications of 8,000 pounds or less, theSL-0890 Tru-Track Super Alumilite is theself-steering lift axle of choice weighing inat just 848 pounds including wheels andtires. Incorporating the same features as theSL-1190 Tru-Track Alumilite, this lowercapacity model is ideal for “bridgeformula” configurations allowing you tocarry increased payloads and improveyour bottom line.For more information on these products andmore, visit us at www.WatsonSuspensions.comor call us at 1-800-445-0736.800.445.0736 • FAX: 972.542.00972060 Couch Drive McKinney, Texas 75069LEADERSHIP IN SUSPENSION TECHNOLOGYCONCRETE in focus ı 39


To grow profitably, it helps tothink in 3 dimensions.Run your ready mix operations smarter...with Integra by SystechMore cubic yards per man hourOur Integra suite of integrated batch, dispatchand office software turns data into informationyou can act on. You see what’s really happeningwith each plant, truck, customer and job, so youcan adjust business processes and practices inreal time to improve your bottom line.Lower break-even cost thresholdsIntegra Batch lets you remote batch from anystation on the network. So you can operate moreplants at lower labor costs – driving downbreak-even cost barriers to expansion. Plus,our wireless options lower maintenance costs.Expanded fleet capacityWhen you enhance truck fleet operationswith our best-in-class Integra Dispatch, theproductivity boosts are dramatic. It’s like adding“virtual” trucks to your fleet – without the hardcosts associated with buying and maintainingnew vehicles.INTELLIGENCE. INTEGRATION. INTEGRITY.Learn how to manage the growth of your ready mix operation more profitably.www.systech-inc.com/smartgrowth9014 Heritage Parkway • Woodridge, IL 60517-4939 • Ph: 630.515.0200 Fax: 630.515.0214


NATIONAL READY MIXED CONCRETE ASSOCIATION •environmental sceneCertified<strong>Concrete</strong> SalesProfessionalNRMCA’s EnvironmentalCourse is an Eye OpenerBy Douglas E. Ruhlin, ResourceManagement AssociatesEnvironmental compliance in the concrete industry has comea long way, or has it? High level topics include ISO 14001,Environmental Management Systems and LEEDS, yet it stillseems like a day hardly goes by without another concreteproducer somewhere being penalized, fined (or worse!) for someinstance of environmental non-compliance. Too often, the cause of thissituation was simply that the producer in question “didn’t know thelaw,” or “didn’t know what they were and were not supposed to bedoing.” It seems like it’s the basics that continue to be lacking.Now, what would you call a course tailored specifically for theconcrete producer that covers virtually all aspects of environmentalcompliance and can help keep producers one step ahead of theregulators and potential liability? While some might call it timely andmuch needed in the concrete industry, course attendees at this coursehave called it “excellent commonsense and user-friendly instruction,”“in depth,” “an eye opener,” “a course that enables me to put the piecestogether into the big picture,” “excellent overview of environmentalprograms with details and references to apply at home,” “a lot ofinformative and correct information covered in short time” and “anexcellent program, possibly the best I have attended in either theconcrete or other industries.”The NRMCA Environmental Course was developed to provideconcrete producers a complete agenda of items specific to the concreteindustry, taught by instructors with in-depth knowledge of theindustry. In this way, the course presents the first real alternative forconcrete producers hungry for real “hands-on” information on the rulesand regulations that they need to follow. The course, geared toeveryone within the concrete industry from upper management toplant personnel (to date 500 concrete industry personnel have attendedthe course), have nearly all agreed that not only did they learn atremendous amount of information specific to the concrete industry,but that they also plan on recommending others from their companyto attend upcoming courses.During the 2.5 days of the course, topics covered include a widevariety of the issues that concrete producers must be familiar with intoday’s complex regulatory world. A key focus of the course is topresent this information in a way that the producer is able to bringback with them to their own particular job conditions. One of themain components of the course is actual “hands-on” experience, whichis gained during both a plant layout design exercise and an actualcomplete environmental audit exercise conducted at a real workingready mixed concrete plant. During these exercises, course attendees areable to put into action the ideas they’ve heard during the course,making them much better able to utilize course information when backon the job at their own companies.The course is taught by an experienced, knowledgeable team ofEnvironmental Short Course TopicsThe course has been designed to provide a solid introduction toall the major issues facing the concrete industry today, in a practicalmanner capable of being used at each attendee’s own plant. Coursecontent includes:• Water Quality Permitting• Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWP3) Development• Water Quality Management• Returned <strong>Concrete</strong> & Solids Management• Petroleum & Admixtures Management• Spill Prevention, Control & Countermeasure (SPCC) Plans• Jobsite & Drivers’ Issues• Maintenance Shop Activities• Hazardous Materials Management• Hazardous Materials Reporting• Air Quality Management• Noise• Environmental Auditing• Environmental Management Systems• Plant Aesthetics• Plant Layout Exercise• Environmental Audit Field Trip Exerciseexperts in the concrete field. Primary course instructors are DougRuhlin, principal environmental consultant, Resource ManagementAssociates, Inc., an environmental consulting firm specializing in theconcrete industry; and Scott Hammersley, past vice president,Newington <strong>Concrete</strong>/New Rock Materials, past NRMCAEnvironmental Excellence Award winner and past chairman onNRMCA’s Operations, Environmental and Safety (OES) Committee.Other course instructors include Gary Mullings, NRMCA seniordirector of operations and compliance, and several guest instructors.Companies serving as host for the concrete plant field exercise haveincluded Cemex, Lafarge, CSR Rinker, Morse Bros., Hanson <strong>Concrete</strong>,Aggregates Industries and Central <strong>Concrete</strong> Supermix.The next Environmental Short Course is scheduled forNovember 15-17 in Louisville, KY. If you haven’t taken advantage ofthis comprehensive training course for the concrete industry,this represents your next chance to get into this quick-to-selloutcourse. Take advantage of the opportunity — what you can learncould be the difference between environmental compliance andenvironmental fines.■Douglas E. Ruhlin is principal environmental consultant forResources Management Associates, Inc. in Forked River, NJ, an environmentaland operational consulting firm specializing in serving the concreteindustry nationwide. Ruhlin may be reached at (609) 693-8301 or(800) 964-3250.CONCRETE in focus ı 41


You gotta love all the choices Terex <strong>Ready</strong>-Mixtrucks and Terex | Johnson-Ross concretebatch plants from Terex Roadbuilding give you.Select mixers, capacities, plant designs andtruck models and options to create a matchmade in heaven for your application.The Strength of Many. The Power of One.1-888-TEREXRB • www.terexrb.com


featureEconomics of LithiumTechnology forASR Control vs. AlternativesBy Claudio Manissero, Sales and Marketing Manager, FMC Corporation, Lithium DivisionRandall Stewart, Lithium Technology Manager, The Euclid Chemical Company<strong>Concrete</strong> durability, and more specifically Alkali Silica Reactivity(ASR) is fast becoming an item of great concern toowners following research conducted under the StrategicHighway Research Program (SHRP) and more recentlythe Innovative Pavement Research Foundation (IPRF). Even thoughthe issue of ASR has been around for several decades this research hasshown that traditional ways to address the issue were not as effective asoriginally thought, and field evidence of ASR occurrences in concretehave proven this, resulting in agencies and owners having to modifytheir specifications incorporating new technologies to minimize therisk of ASR.Why is this of concern to the ready mixed producer? After all, ASRdoes not show up as cracking and expansion for years, considerablyafter the concrete has been placed and paid for by the owner. To quoteJC Roumain, Holcim Cement, “The biggest competitive threat toconcrete is BAD concrete.” In other words, if the concrete placed doesnot meet the design life expectancy, or if the concrete placed requiressignificantly more maintenance than planned, then the life cycle costarguments that clearly show that concrete is the material of choicebecome suspect, and force the owners to seek alternatives. One of thefirst steps taken is to change the specifications by requiring tightertesting procedures, but allowing options on how to meet thestandards. One of the new options that is appearing in a number ofspecifications is the use of lithium admixtures. Since this is new, it is alargely unknown option thus very difficult to evaluate with regards todeveloping bids utilizing this option. In addition, the rumor in themarketplace is that lithium is “too expensive”. As a consequence aproducer is too often likely to ignore this option and bid using betterknown options, at times ending up losing the bid to a more savvyproducer who took the time to fairly evaluate all options and realizedthat the lithium option is not only an economical option, but at timesthe lowest cost option available to meet the specification requirements.It is the purpose of this article to dispel rumors regarding lithiumtechnology and assist the producer in fairly evaluating optionsavailable to meet ASR requirements, and producing bids that will becompetitive and profitable.According to state-of-the-art specifications, the options available forASR mitigation are:1. Use of non-reactive aggregates;2. Use of suitable pozzolans;3. Use of lithium admixtures; and4. Use of combinations of pozzolans and lithium.ASR Options Calculator SpreadsheetLow Alkali CementNonreactiveAggregatePozzolan OnlyASR Mitigation Options - Materials CostsLithium OnlyLow Alkali CementLithium PlusPozzolan$0.00 $20.00 $40.00 $60.00 $80.00 $100.00NOT VIABLEVIABLENOT VIABLEExample of Comparative Chart from ASR CalculatorWhile obviously not exhaustive, these examples demonstrate that lithiumtechnology is a practical, economically viable alternative that should beconsidered when allowed in spite of its reputation of being “tooexpensive”. Like all other new technologies, the reputation came from thefact that it is difficult to understand the cost of the technology withouthaving considered all aspects, and providing a means to evaluate its costcompared to the other alternatives available. The purpose of this paper isto dispel these rumors and provide the ready mixed producer a betterunderstanding of how to evaluate relative costs and make the besteconomical decisions in the bidding process.VIABLEVIABLECONCRETE in focus ı 43


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featureIn the new specs, these options must pass tests that are specified,which are usually modifications of ASTM C 1260, Test Method forPotential Alkali Reactivity of Aggregates (Mortar-Bar Method). Whendeicing compounds are used that are salts of sodium or potassium,such as on airfield pavements, additional testing requirements mayinclude a further modification of this test that incorporates the deicerin the soak solution used in the test. A number of researchersrecommend that ASTM C 1293, Test Method for Determination ofLength Change of <strong>Concrete</strong> Due to Alkali-Silica Reaction, be used toevaluate mixes, but this test takes two years for the results andtherefore is not practical for construction purposes and, even thoughallowed on some specifications, it is very seldom adopted.A traditional way of combating ASR was to utilize low alkalicement at below 0.6% sodium oxide equivalent (Na 2 O eq.). Over theyears it has become apparent that this approach did not work aseffectively as was previously thought. The important parameter shouldhave been total alkali of a mix rather than the alkali percentage of thecement component. In addition, this approach cannot compensate forexternal sources of alkali such as some deicing salts. In some areaswhere very low alkali cements are available (e.g. 0.4% Na 2 O eq. orlower), and the aggregates are moderately to mildly reactive and thereare no sources of external alkali, this approach is still a viable option.When the ready-mix producer is faced with having to bid on aproject with specifications for ASR allowing those options, care shouldbe taken in evaluating and costing out each option prior to submittinga bid. This evaluation may take some effort at first, but once theproducer has determined his costs using locally available materials, thisevaluation becomes significantly easier for future bids. This evaluationwill improve the chances of winning the bid based on the mosteconomical option for the particular job, and allows the producer toincrease his/her margins by minimizing risk and variabilityencountered when actually producing a job. Let’s examine what thecost factors are with each option.1. Use of non-reactive aggregates (both coarse and fine)This sounds like an obvious solution, however tests have gottentougher over the years so that some aggregates that historically passedthe tests are now deemed to be potentially reactive. Historical data fora particular aggregate is proving, at least in some instances, not to be areliable indicator due to changes in the aggregate characteristics indifferent parts of a quarry. Availability of non-reactive aggregates hasalso decreased over time, as their use was preferred in the past. Sincereactivity of the aggregate is due to its mineralogy, it is unlikely that ifa particular aggregate were determined to be potentially reactive otheraggregates from nearby sources would test as non-reactive. In manycases, non-reactive sources may need to be imported from distantlocations. Cost of transportation of aggregates must be taken intoaccount and at present fuel prices this can significantly impact thetotal cost. The producer must bear in mind that trucks must get to theaggregate supplier empty and return full, thus transportation costsmust be figured at twice the distance. In addition, the cost of theaggregates will most likely be higher if they are not from the standardsupplier or the producer’s quarry, and provisions must be made toisolate the nonreactive aggregate from the aggregate normally used atthe plant. Finally, in most cases it is prudent to test your mix with thenew aggregates and adjust accordingly to avoid any potentialproduction issues.2. Use of suitable pozzolansThe most common pozzolan that can be used to prevent ASR is flyash. However, not all fly ashes are alike. The most suitable ashes areClass F fly ashes with a low lime (less than 8% CaO) content. In mostcases Class C fly ash is not acceptable or allowed. When using Class Fashes with a medium to high lime content (e.g. greater than 8%)testing must be conducted and the amount needed may be so high as tocause real issues in set time, strength gain and in obtaining thenecessary amount of air in the mix (mostly dependent on the LOI ofthe ash). In addition, due to recent changes in the Clean Air Act thatresulted in changes that power plants had to make in order to meet thenew regulations, availability of good Class F ash has been decreasingand is more difficult to get. Pricing of good quality Class F ash has alsobeen increasing due to demand outstripping supply. The amount ofClass F ash needed is based on the reactivity of the aggregates andshould be determined by testing.Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) may not be anoption in cases where it is not readily available or the amount needed istoo high to combat ASR where the new deicer ASR testing is used forairfield pavements (See Northwest Mountain Region Federal AviationAdministration specification P-501, modified June, <strong>2006</strong>), scaling is anissue or there are concerns with finishing and curing concrete if nothandled properly.Silica fume can be effective, however, care must be taken to ensureproper mixing and dispersion in the mix because clumps of silica fumein a mix can be the cause of ASR. Price of silica fume is also higher thancement, thus its use will in most cases increase cost significantly.Natural pozzolans can be very effective, but their availability is veryscarce throughout the US. If a pozzolan is used, in order to fullyevaluate the costs the producer should ensure availability, determine if asilo is available for the material or make arrangements for one to beinstalled, and mix design testing should be conducted.3. Use of lithium admixturesLithium admixture (nominal 30% lithium nitrate solution) can beused with any aggregate source and allows the use of any local materials.Amount of admixture needed is based on the alkali content of the mixfrom the cement. Manufacturer recommendations for most aggregatesis 0.55 gallons of admixture for each pound of alkali supplied in a cubicyard of concrete, so the amount needed is based on both the quantity ofcement used and the alkali content (Na 2 O % equivalent in the millreport). This is referred to as the 100% dosage. Certain aggregates mayrequire more than the 100% dosage, which can be ascertained byconducting the required testing. Using low alkali cement can minimizecost for this option. Lithium can be added as any other admixture andin most cases addition of lithium will have minimal effect on theproperties of the mix except for a slight acceleration of setting time.Care must be taken to ensure that according to manufacturerrecommendations, 0.85 gallons of water must be removed for eachgallon of admixture added to maintain the proper w/c ratio.4. Use of combinations of pozzolans and lithiumThis option combines the good qualities of both of the otheroptions while reducing the cost of the mix. In general, it is possible toCONCRETE in focus ı 45


featuresubstantially reduce the amount of lithium needed in the mix by using itin combination with a suitable pozzolan. The most common practice isto use it in combination with Class F fly ash. The concept is to maximizethe amount of Class F fly ash used while meeting needed set times andstrength gain requirements, then top it off with lithium to achieve thedesired ASR testing results. As a guideline, dosage can be reduced to 52%of the dosage when the mix includes 25% (by weight of cementitiousmaterials) low CaO content Class F fly ash. Lithium dosage is alsodecreased by the fact that it is calculated on the basis of portland cement;therefore it is lowered by the fact that a portion of the cement wasreplaced with the pozzolan.It is possible to design a mix incorporating Class C fly ash by theaddition of lithium; however with most Class C fly ashes the lithiumdosage will have to remain at 100% and in fact can be higher than thestandard dosage. Of course in these cases the amount of lithium will bedecreased by the fact that the mix will have lower cement content.Testing must be conducted in order to determine if a mix with Class Cfly ash is a real option with locally available materials.Lithium can also be used in combination with silica fume, thoughdue to price of silica fume this is mainly applicable only to bridge decks.No testing has been conducted on the use of lithium in combinationwith GGBFS, so testing must be conducted in order to determine iflithium dosage can be decreased.So how do you put all the information together and develop figuresfor cost of the mix for the different options so you can decide how to bida particular project? Let’s look at a couple of examples and work throughthem to demonstrate the methodology. The figures in these examplesare fictitious for illustrative purposes only - so you should adjust thefigures to reflect your actual costs of materials and manufacturing.The actual bid price should be established based on other costs andanticipated margin. While the examples are based on actual recentspecification requirements, any reference to a specific project shouldbe avoided and is not implied. Each circumstance and each job willbe different.1.) Example 1 – Pavement in a southern state.Requirements – Mix must meet ASTM C 1567, Test Method forDetermining the Potential Alkali-Silica Reactivity of Combinations ofCementitious Materials and Aggregate (Accelerated Mortar-BarMethod)¸ testing with a maximum expansion of 0.10% at 14 days.(This procedure is a modification of ASTM C 1260 that evaluatescementitious aggregate combinations.) Standard mix requires 6.5sacks of cement (611 lbs) for the desired strength at 0.45 w/c. Theproject has tight timelines and penalties for lateness. The fouroptions discussed above are allowed. Class C fly ash is not allowed.Note: Both aggregates (coarse and sand) you have available aremarginally reactive as measured by ASTM C 1260 at 14 days. Thecement you have available is low alkali cement at 0.48% Na 2 O eq..You have a silo for fly ash, which presently holds Class C fly ash. Agood low lime (5.0% CaO) Class F fly ash is available.Your standard mix (without the Class C fly ash) for 6.5 sacks is asfollows:INDEPENDENCEPRYOR★★★MARYNEALOGLESBY ★★ GREENCASTLE★■ BETHLEHEMSELMA★ ★CAPE GIRARDEAU★CHATTANOOGASTOCKERTOWN▲New OrleansBUZZI UNICEM USA ®100 Brodhead RoadSuite 230Bethlehem, PA 18017610.882.5000★▲■Cement PlantSlag Grinding PlantCorporate Office*2004 Combination of RC Cement and Lone Star Industries46 ı FALL <strong>2006</strong>


Quantity Unit Cost Cost/cu ydCement 611 lbs $ 86.00/ton $ 26.27Coarse agg 1884 lbs $ 7.00/ton $ 6.59Sand 1541 lbs $ 6.00/ton $ 4.62Admixtures, etc. $ 0.50Material waste 2.5 % $ 0.95———Total $ 38.93Assume that the following are your additional costs/cu ydInterest on money (90 day pay, 6.0 % PA)$0.58Operating costs $3.00Delivery cost (20 miles) $3.00Fixed/Capital costs $20.00———Subtotal $26.58Total cost per cu yd $65.51Option 1 - Nonreactive aggregateEstimate your transportation cost. Excellent rates from a commoncarrier currently run around $ 0.20/ton/mile on the low end. For acaptive truck fleet to carry out the hauling, this cost should includefuel cost (minimum of $ 0.035/ton/mile), cost of a driver, andamortization of truck, taxes, insurance, maintenance cost and a usagefactor. A conservative estimate is $ 0.12/ton/mile.The closest source of nonreactive coarse aggregate you find is 45miles (90 miles roundtrip). Since it is a new source your cost is$ 9.50/ton. Therefore your coarse aggregate cost becomes:(Amount of aggregate x cost of aggregate) + (transportation cost xdistance)(1884 lbs x (9.50/2000)) + (1884 x (0.12/2000) x 90) = 8.95 +10.17 = $ 19.12The closest source of nonreactive sand you find is 55 miles (110miles roundtrip). Since it is a new source your cost is $ 7.25/ton.Therefore your sand cost becomes:(1541 x (7.25/2000)) + (1541 x (0.12/2000) x 110) = 5.58 + 10.17 =$ 15.75Finally your operating costs would increase an estimated$ 0.50/cu yd if you take into account that you will have to store andmanage separate piles of aggregates.So if you total in the changesQuantity Unit Cost Cost/cu ydCement 611 lbs $ 86.00/ton $26.27Coarse agg 1884 lbs $19.12Sand 1541 lbs $15.75Admixtures, etc. $0.50Material waste 2.5 % $1.54———Total $ 63.18We stand behind the strengthof our technical service and theperformance of our productswith the passion to meet theneeds of our customers.As one of the largest suppliers of portlandcement in the United States, you can counton our support. Holcim - a global companyproviding local solutions.Corporate HeadquartersHolcim (US) Inc.6211 Ann Arbor RoadDundee, MI 48131(800) 854-4656www.holcim.us149205_Holcim.indd 1CONCRETE 7/31/06 in 9:40:47 focus ı AM 47


<strong>Concrete</strong> Admixturesand FiberManufacturers of <strong>Concrete</strong> Admixtures andConstruction Products with Operations in LatinAmerica and Gulf Coast States, USA.Ask about our monthlycomponent specialComplete line of :<strong>Concrete</strong> Admixtures, Epoxies, Curing Compounds,Form Releases, Sealers, Joint Sealants,Waterproofing Compounds, Grouts, BondingAgents, <strong>Concrete</strong> Colors, and Decorative <strong>Concrete</strong>SuppliesINTERNATIONAL MATERIALSINDUSTRIES. L.L.C.2131 Peters Road • Harvey, Louisiana 70058Phone: (504) 227-9944 • Fax: (504)227-9040277400_WAM.indd 17/31/06 12:21:33 PMAttention <strong>Concrete</strong> <strong>Ready</strong> Mix Producers!Are you tired of...➢ Paying High Energy Bills?➢ Replacing Boiler Heat Exchanger Coils?➢ Waiting for Hot Water?➢ Acid Cleaning Boiler Tubes?➢ Rodding out Boiler Tubes?➢ Boiler Inspections?➢ High Maintenance Costs?➢ Water Heating Equipment Corrosion?Ludell Manufacturing Company recommends you...Replace your old, out-dated, inefficient water heating system with a 99% energyefficient Ludell Direct Contact Water Heating System!Low stack temperatures, highly energyefficient (energy is used to heat water, notoutside air!)Burner Combustion Box (Ensures completeCombustion of incoming fuel, highly energyefficient)Heavy Duty Power Burner,including pre-piped Gastrain and pre-wiredcontrols (easy to install!)No Heat Exchanger Tubes (water is heateddirectly with the hot exhaust gases)Stainless Steel Construction(Built for Longevity!)Automatic Controls, Simple toOperateOperates at AtmosphericConditions (no certified boilerinspection or pressure vesselpermits!)Hot Water storage reservoir(hot water is availableinstantly)Ludell Manufacturing Company has been helping companies heat up their energysavings and maximize their profits since 1948. Whether you need a waterheater, storage tank, pumping system or complete water heating system,please call...Ludell Manufacturing Company or your local Representative. We can save you money!5200 W. State Street, Milwaukee, WI 53208800/558-0800 414/476-9934 Fax: 414/476-9864gthorn@ludellmfg.com Website: www.elliscorp.com293878_Envirochute.indd 48 ı FALL <strong>2006</strong>17/31/06 2:22:37 PM


featureAssume that the following are your additional costs/cu ydInterest on money (90 day pay, 6.0 % PA) $0.95Operating costs $3.50Delivery cost (20 miles) $3.00Fixed/Capital costs $20.00————Subtotal $27.45Total cost per cu yd $90.63Option 2 - Use of suitable pozzolansYour price for Class F fly ash is $ 65/ton delivered. You can onlypass the ASR testing using 30% ash substitution. At this level youcannot obtain the strength using 1:1 substitution, therefore you haveto resort to 1.2 lbs of fly ash for each pound of cement replaced.Since the testing showed that to control ASR you needed 30% byweight of cementitious materials; the amount of fly ash you will needis 611 x 0.3 = 183 lbs, the amount of cement in the mix will be 611 –(183/1.2) = 459 lbs cement.In addition, you do not have a silo so you must install a new siloadding to the fixed/capital costs. You also need to plan to increase theamount of air-entraining admixture to maintain air.Your costs can be expected to be as follows:Quantity Unit Cost Cost/cu ydCement 459 lbs $86.00/ton $19.74Class F Ash 183 lbs $65.00/ton $5.95Coarse agg 1884 lbs $7.00/ton $6.59Sand 1541 lbs $6.00/ton $4.62Admixtures, etc. $1.00Material waste 2.5 % $0.95———Total $38.85Assume that the following are your additional costs/cu ydInterest on money (90 day pay, 6.0 % PA) $0.58Operating costs $3.00Delivery cost (20 miles) $3.00Fixed/Capital costs $21.00————Subtotal $27.58Total cost per cu yd $66.43Option 3 - Use of lithium admixturesUse a price of $ 15/gal as a budget price. This is a figure used byowners in recent RFP documents, which allow lithium. This figuredoes include a fair margin for the ready mixed producer. Actual pricingis dependent on quantity and location for freight from manufacturingsites. Product is readily available nationwide. To calculate amountneeded:611 lbs cement x 0.48% Na 2 O equivalent x 0.55 gals = 1.6 gals of30% lithium nitrate solutionUse of lithium allows the use of the local aggregates, does notaffect properties of the mix, and will not require any capitalinvestment (material storage and feeding systems supplied by theadmixture company).Quantity Unit Cost Cost/cu ydCement 611 lbs $86.00/ton $26.27Coarse agg 1884 lbs $7.00/ton $6.59Sand 1541 lbs $6.00/ton $4.62Lithium 1.6 gal $15.00/gal $24.00Admixtures, etc. $0.50Material waste 2.5 % $1.55———Total $63.53Assume that the following are your additional costs/cu ydInterest on money (90 day pay, 6.0 % PA) $0.95Operating costs $3.00Delivery cost (20 miles) $3.00Fixed/Capital costs $20.00————Subtotal $26.95Total cost per cu yd $90.48Option 4 - Use of combinations ofpozzolans and lithiumIn this combination, the ASR tests can be met by lowering theClass F fly ash needed to 25% of the cementitious material andtopping off with a reduced amount of lithium. At this level of ashwhen combined with lithium the strength gain requirements can bemet using 1:1 substitution of cement. The amount of lithiumrequired is expected to be 52% of the 100% dosage, even thoughtesting should be conducted to confirm this. To determine theamount of lithium needed first calculate the amount of Class F flyash used in the mix which will be 611 x 25% = 153 lbs of ash. Fromthat determine amount of cement, 611 – 153 = 458 lbs. Then use theformula with the reduction factor to calculate the amount of lithium:458 lbs x 0.48 % alkali x 0.55 gals/lb alkali x 52% reduction =0.63 gal lithiumYour costs can be expected to be as follows:Quantity Unit Cost Cost/cu ydCement 458 lbs $86.00/ton $ 19.69Class F Ash 153 lbs $65.00/ton $4.97Coarse agg 1884 lbs $7.00/ton $6.59Sand 1541 lbs $6.00/ton $4.62Lithium 0.6 gal $15.00/gal $9.45Admixtures, etc. $1.00Material waste 2.5 % $1.15—————Total $ 47.47Assume that the following are your additional costs/cu ydInterest on money (90 day pay, 6.0 % PA) $0.71Operating costs $3.00Delivery cost (20 miles) $3.00Fixed/Capital costs $21.00————Subtotal $ 27.71Total cost per cu yd $75.72CONCRETE in focus ı 49


featureSummaryIn this example, it is clear that if all the other requirements of the jobcan be met with the use of the Class F fly ash, then this alternative is themost cost effective (Option 2). However, it can also be seen that if you gowith straight lithium admixture the cost would be approximately thesame as using non-reactive aggregate. The combination of pozzolan andlithium is significantly less than the use of non-reactive aggregates. This isgenerally true if the aggregate has to be transported any distance. In factin this example if you work though the numbers this is true if theaggregates have to be transported 10 miles or more.When would using lithium be a better option overall? In some cases,the lithium is a separate line item that can be charged separately. In thesecases it can be seen that the combination of pozzolan and lithium is themost cost effective alternative, and your margin would be larger becauseof the additional margin to be gained from the lithium at the budgetedprice. What would be the best alternative if no Class F fly ash wereavailable? In this case it probably would be the lithium alone, becausethere are other advantages to using your standard supply of aggregates,you can better predict how the mix will perform, and you have the builtin margin for the lithium.2.) Example 2 - Airfield pavement in the MidwestIn this example the basic mix is based on 7.5 sacks of cement forstrength gain at 0.4 w/c. ASR testing requirements include passing amodified ASTM C 1260 at 28 days at 0.1% expansion, and the newexperimental deicer evaluation test 1 (a modification to C 1260 wherebythe bar is immersed in deicer solution). The strength requirements are for7-day flexural strength of 650 psi. The job has strict timetables andsignificant penalties for delays. No Class C fly ash or GGBFS areallowed. All four options previously discussed are allowed. Lithium ispaid separately at a budget price of $ 15 / gal.Note: all materials available and costs are the same as the first example,except that the Class F fly ash available has moderately high lime content(e.g. > 7.5%). Testing indicates that with locally available allowed pozzolans,no mix with straight pozzolan will pass both the flexural strengthrequirements and the ASR testing. Real options are: 1) non-reactiveaggregates, 2) lithium, 3) combination of lithium with Class F fly ash.Using the same methodology as above the following are the relative costs:Option 1 - Non-reactive aggregateQuantity Unit Cost Cost/cu ydCement 705 lbs $ 86.00/ton $ 30.32Coarse agg 1874 lbs $19.01Sand 1533 lbs $15.68Admixtures, etc. $0.50Material waste 2.5 % $1.64———Total $ 67.15Assume that the following are your additional costs/cu ydInterest on money (90-day pay, 6 % PA) $1.01Operating costs $3.50Delivery cost (20 miles) $3.00Fixed/Capital costs $20.00————Subtotal $27.51Total cost per cu yd $94.66Option 2 - Lithium admixture100% dosage of lithium would be705 lbs cement x 0.48% Na 2 O equivalent x 0.55 gals = 1.9 gals30% lithium nitrate solutionCement 705 lbs $ 86.00/ton $30.32Coarse agg 1874 lbs $7.00/ton $6.56Sand 1533 lbs $6.00/ton $4.60Lithium 1.9 gal $15.00/gal $28.50Admixtures, etc. $0.50Material waste 2.5 % $1.76Total $72.24Assume that the following are your additional costs/cu ydInterest on money (90-day pay, 6% PA) $1.08Operating costs $3.00Delivery cost (20 miles) $3.00Fixed/Capital costs $20.00————Subtotal $27.08Total cost per cu yd $99.32Option 3 - Combination of lithium with Class F fly ashAmount of F Ash 705 x 0.25 % = 176 lbsAmount of cement 705 – 176 = 529 lbsAmount of lithium529 lbs x 0.48% Na 2 O equivalent x 0.55 gals x 52% = 0.73 galCement 529 lbs $86.00/ton $22.75Class F Ash 176 lbs $65.00/ton $5.72Coarse agg 1874 lbs $7.00/ton $6.56Sand 1533 lbs $6.00/ton $4.60Lithium 0.7 gal $ 15.00/gal $10.95Admixtures, etc. $0.50Material waste 2.5 % $1.27———Total $52.35Assume that the following are your additional costs/cu ydInterest on money (90-day pay, 6 % PA) $0.78Operating costs $3.00Delivery cost (20 miles) $3.00Fixed/Capital costs $20.00————Subtotal $26.78Total cost per cu yd $79.13From these calculations it is obvious that the combination of Class Ffly ash with lithium is the most cost effective. Even though straightlithium appears a bit more expensive than nonreactive aggregates, it isstill the second best option because lithium is paid separately as a lineitem, which is not available with the non-reactive aggregates option.ConclusionsWhile going through the process for determining what the actual50 ı FALL <strong>2006</strong>


costs of alternatives provided in thespecifications to address ASR are, anunderstanding of the methodology and usingit to cost out a project may make thedifference between winning or losing a bid. Inaddition, the methodology can help to insurethat all costs are taken into account duringthe bidding process and you do not findyourself in the situation of having bid too lowand risk losing money on a project. TheEuclid Chemical Company and FMCCorporation have collaborated to develop aspreadsheet that allows comparison of thealternatives and develop accurate costs for allthe alternatives avoiding a lot of thepaperwork. While this spreadsheet is in a Betaversion, representatives of either company canaccess the worksheet to help you implementthe methodology.■To reach the authors, contact:Claudio Manissero, FMC Corporation,Lithium Division, 2801 Yorkmont Road,Suite 300, Charlotte, NC 28208, 704-868-5305, Claudio_manissero@fmc.comRandall Stewart, The Euclid ChemicalCompany, 19218 Redwood Road, Cleveland,OH 44110, 775-324-1590, RStewart@euclidchemical.comThe views and opinions expressed in thisarticle are those of the author and do not necessarilyreflect the views and opinions of the<strong>National</strong> <strong>Ready</strong> <strong>Mixed</strong> <strong>Concrete</strong> <strong>Association</strong>.All you need to knowabout concrete color.Just one call is all it takes to learn how Davis Colors can provide youwith the number one concrete color brand in America, the mostwidely used automatic dosing systems, and the personalizedmarketing tools that will help you build your business. Call800-356-4848 ext. 323 or visit www.daviscolors.com.1 This evaluation and specification requirement isprimarily in the FAA P-501 specification and is inresponse to aggressive deterioration, attributed to ASR,as a result of the use of newer pre-snow deicingchemicals, such as potassium acetate. The evaluationof the cause of deterioration and mitigative testingprocedures is currently being researched.#1 IN SYSTEM INSTALLATIONS WORLDWIDETel: 800-356-4848 Fax: 323-269-1053 www.daviscolors.com© 2004 Davis Colors, a brand of Rockwood Pigments, Inc.PIGMENTSFor more informationplease check out ourweb site at www.nrmca.orgCONCRETE in focus ı 51


ALL SCIENCE. NO FICTION.INTRODUCING THE NEW MACK ® GRANITE ® MP ENGINE SERIES.TAKE A TOUR AT WWW.MACKTRUCKS.COM©<strong>2006</strong> Mack Trucks, Inc. All rights reserved.


truck tracsThe Future of <strong>Ready</strong> <strong>Mixed</strong><strong>Concrete</strong> Driver Training…is Being Conducted Every Day!By Michael Zagula, Metro <strong>Ready</strong> Mix <strong>Concrete</strong> Inc. and Gary Mullings, Senior Director ofOperations & Compliance, NRMCAWhy Simulation training?Because it works!AverageRetentionRatesLectureReadingAudio VisualDemonstrationDiscussion GroupPractice by DoingOthers or ImmediateUse of Learning5%10%20%30%50%75%90%Simulation TrainingSource: <strong>National</strong> Training Laboratories. Bether MaineIIn today’s busy, fast-paced society, there are increasing numbersof vehicles on the road each day. To the ready mixed concreteproducer that means their drivers have to be more knowledgeableand focused on the task at hand than ever before. Tenured andmore experienced mixer drivers are retiring at a record rate. Thepotential driver shortage coupled with the unprecedented rapidgrowth that the ready mixed concrete industry is experiencing putsthe industry in a challenging situation. New drivers have to be hired,trained and put on the job at a rapid pace. In many cases, these driverslack the critical skills needed to handle the special challenges ofheavy loads, high center of gravity, moving payloads and off-roaddriving. It takes a special kind of individual to handle a mixer truck.<strong>Ready</strong> mixed concrete companies need to train drivers by allowingthem time behind the wheel on actual road conditions. The reality ofthe situation is that this type of training poses a potential liability tothe company from an employee and public safety standpoint. Further,it is not possible to train drivers in a variety of seasonal conditionsand vehicle operational hazards.During the last 10 years, the <strong>National</strong> <strong>Ready</strong> <strong>Mixed</strong> <strong>Concrete</strong><strong>Association</strong> has discussed the feasibility of driver training usingsimulation methods to ensure drivers can be evaluated for the skillsneeded to handle a ready mix truck. Early inquires by our industryrevealed that simulator technology was not financially viable formost companies and the costs and logistics proved to be beyond thereach of their national trade association. The industry anticipated thefuture for an affordable mixer truck-based simulator to be availablefor driver training.Well, the future is now, and the “affordable” simulator with fullmotion capabilities is a reality in our industry. We need to look nofurther than Metro <strong>Ready</strong> Mix <strong>Concrete</strong> Inc. in Nashville. Here inthe heartland of the country, Metro <strong>Ready</strong> Mix decided to getcontrol of the liability faced every day when dispatching a mixer tothe jobsite. The full motion simulator and the curriculum of trainingcourses that are offered in conjunction with the technology are aresult of years of study. The simulator development community hascome to understand and rely on a system of education that involvesthree levels — instructional lead, followed by computer basedtraining and then finally hands-on experience. Educational studieshave shown that in a classroom setting where instructors lecture, astudent on average only will retain about 5% of the material taught.In computer based or audio-visual training, the same studies showthe retention of a student increases to about 20%. Amazingly, handsontraining results in a 75% retention rate. Most of us can relate tothis type of learning in our own educational experiences. Classroomand theoretical learning is extremely important, but the real learningbegins once we get a chance to touch and feel.That’s where simulation training pays big dividends. Unlikebehind-the-wheel, on-the-road training, the simulator has thecapability to change road conditions while driving to any givenscenario. You can change the climatic conditions from a bright sunnyCONCRETE in focus ı 53


truck tracsday to heavy rain, or from heavy snow to iceand then add fog and wind. The simulatorat Metro <strong>Ready</strong> Mix has options that canblow out a left or right steer tire, make thebrakes overheat or cause the engine tomalfunction. In addition, the computersimulation has the capability to insertnumerous challenges that are faced every dayby drivers in real world experiences. Whiledriving the full motion simulator, thehydraulics allow a driver to feel the roadvibrations inside the cab, tilting forwardwhen brakes are applied, tilting back whiledriving up an incline and “bumping” whenyou drive up on a curb. These are all part ofthe driving experience in a simulator of thistype.Metro <strong>Ready</strong> Mix’s tri-screen, full sizesetup uses a trainer to monitor a driver’stime in the simulator. The trainer, who isstationed at the operator’s console justbehind a wall adjacent to the simulator, hasFor High Performance <strong>Concrete</strong>Internal CuringImproves The Performance(Less Cracking and Less Permeable)HYDR CURE®More Water Available For HydrationProven By X-Ray MicrotomographyMakes <strong>Concrete</strong>• Stronger• More Crack Free• More Durable• Less PermeableNORTHEAST SOLITECORPORATIONJohn W. RobertsPhone: 804.200.1428 Fax: 804.200.1172Email: johnsolite@aol.comnumerous monitors that allow him to see thedriver and view everything the driver sees.The trainer can also communicate verballywith the driver while still in the simulator.One of the computer scenarios has the rightfront tire of the mixer truck blow out todetermine how the driver reacts. The trainercan repeatedly replay the computer scenarioand guide the driver to overcome itsobstacles. The experience enables drivers tobecome better decision makers in the event ofa real life emergency. How many times in ourindustry does a mixer truck drop the reartandems off the shoulder of a road and thedriver immediately whips the steering wheelback, losing control and resulting in theindustry’s most catastrophic accident, a rollover?Now this new technology can allow thedriver to experience that same situationthrough simulation. This is where thesimulator training pays big dividends.Both military and major airline pilots aretrained through the use of simulators. Pilotslog hundreds of hours in the simulator andthen spend time in classroom instructionuntil they become proficient in handlingpractically any situation. As a result, air travelis the safest it has ever been. Now with theavailability of simulators, the concreteindustry has the capability to lower itsaccident and injury rates to the lowest theyhave ever been.Metro’s simulator was purchased fromMPRI, an L3 company based out of SaltLake City. MPRI’s data from over-the-roadcarriers shows 25% reduction in accidentsfrom drivers trained in the company’ssimulators. The fuel management programhas resulted in a 2% reduction in fuelconsumption. Simulator training has made apositive impact to the bottom line for thesecompanies and will for our industry.The ready mixed concrete industry, likemany other industries, looked to the futurefor simulation-based training to developbetter drivers and lower accident and injuryrates. And the future is now!■Metro <strong>Ready</strong> Mix <strong>Concrete</strong> Inc. will bepresenting a full report of their experienceswith this new technology this October atNRMCA’s <strong>2006</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> Conference & Expo inOrlando. For more information, contact GaryMullings at gmullings@nrmca.org.54 ı FALL <strong>2006</strong>


featureMaking Pervious<strong>Concrete</strong> Placement EasyUsing a Novel Admixture SystemBy Mark A. Bury, BASF Admixtures, Inc.Christine A. Mawby, BASF Admixtures, Inc.Dale Fisher, PCI Systems, LLCIntroductionThough it may be new in some areas of the country, perviousconcrete technology has been utilized since the 1970s in variousparts of the U.S. as an alternative to complex drainagesystems and water retention areas. Its most common applicationsinclude parking lots, driveways, sidewalks, streets and other lighttraffic areas. Recently, there has been renewed interest in pervious concretedue to changes in the U.S. regulatory environment. The EPA recognizespervious concrete as a Best Management Practice (BMP), andbuilding owners are realizing better land utilization and LEED creditswith pervious concrete parking lots (Tennis, Michael & Akers 2004).Pervious concrete consists of portland cement, coarse aggregate,water and admixtures. The absence of sand in the mix creates voids inthe pore structure which allow water and air to pass through the concrete.Through laboratory and field testing, an admixture system (consistingof a polycarboxylate-based water-reducer, cement hydrationcontrolling admixture and viscosity-modifying admixture) has beendeveloped to help in the placement and consolidation of pervious concrete.This paper provides a description of the chemical admixturesused to improve the mixing, handling and performance of perviousconcrete. Test data is presented, along with two test methods used toevaluate the hardened performance of pervious concrete. The paperalso contains a case study to illustrate the effects of the admixturesystem on the placement of pervious concrete.Pervious <strong>Concrete</strong> ChallengesAcross the nation, pervious concrete pavements are gaining in popularityas practical stormwater management systems. Both local andnational concrete promotional groups have had successes in projectsusing pervious concrete. However, there have been instances in whichclaims and expectations regarding pervious concrete have not beenmet. For pervious concrete to be successful, it needs to be properlydesigned according to appropriate specifications for the application,and placed by experienced contractors.Removing the fine aggregate (sand) from the mix designs of perviousconcrete mixtures creates a connected void structure in the hardenedmix. However, such a mix is harsh and can create problems onthe jobsite through challenges in placement. The open void structurecan create rapid and premature moisture loss, resulting in stiffening anda very narrow working window for material placement. The low waterto-cementitiousmaterials ratio and lack of fines make discharging thematerial difficult and slow, aggravating the already critical placementwindow. In addition, real world conditions such as hot weather, lowhumidity, travel delays (as the use of pervious concrete increases in metropolitanareas), project congestion and logistics further complicate theplacement of pervious concrete. <strong>Concrete</strong> producers have reported difficultiesin discharging the stiff and rocky mix from the truck, whilecontractors have battled a short working time window, the need to retemper,and a labor-intensive effort in placing and compacting perviousconcrete. Chemical admixtures can play a key role in overcoming thesechallenges by controlling workability and set times and by improvingthe long-term durability of pervious concrete.Pervious <strong>Concrete</strong> Admixture SystemThrough laboratory and field experience, Degussa Admixtures hasidentified a system of novel admixtures that helps producers and contractorsto overcome the mixing, delivery and placement issues typicallyassociated with pervious concrete. The pervious concrete admixture systemconsists of a combination of a polycarboxylate-based mid-rangewater-reducing (MRWR) admixture, a hydration controlling admixture(HCA), and a viscosity-modifying admixture (VMA). When perviousconcrete is placed in areas exposed to certain conditions of freezing andthawing, an air-entraining admixture should also be used (NRMCA2004a). Each of the admixtures in the system enhances the performanceof the mix in specific ways, leading to a positive overall effect onthe handling and placing of pervious concrete. The role of each admixturecomponent in the system is described below.MRWR: Achieving a desired strength is sometimes a challenge withpervious concrete because of its inherently high void content, in therange of 15 to 25%, which negatively affects strength. Therefore, it isimportant to create a strong paste to coarse aggregate bond by maximizingcement hydration with the available cement and water. Thenovel polycarboxylate-based MRWR is a superior cement dispersantthat allows pervious concrete to be produced with low water-to-cementitiousmaterials ratios in the range of 0.27 – 0.30. This relatively highCONCRETE in focus ı 55


featurelevel of water reduction and efficient cement dispersion maximizesthe strength potential of pervious concrete mixes. Alternatively, apolycarboxylate-based high-range water-reducer or lignin-basedMRWR designed for pervious concrete can be used.HCA: As discussed, pervious concrete has a low water content anda relatively open void structure. Under these conditions, the cementpaste tends to hydrate quickly and the mix dries out, thereby shorteningthe available working time required for placement. The use of aHCA extends the life of fresh pervious concrete mixes by slowing therate of hydration. By controlling the rate of hydration, the paste fractionof the pervious concrete remains plastic longer. With a longerworking window for placement, the tendency to retemper the mix onthe job site, which can lead to variability in performance, can bereduced or eliminated. A dosage of 5 fl oz/cwt (325 mL/100 kg) ofthe HCA provides approximately 60 – 90 minutes of working time at70˚F (21.1˚C) ambient temperature conditions from the time ofbatching. The dosage of the HCA can be modified to achieve thedesired level of working time for placement.VMA: Compared to conventional concrete, pervious concrete is aharsh mix because it contains little or no fine aggregate. In theabsence of fine aggregate, a unique, commercially available VMA hasbeen developed to add body and help lubricate pervious concretemixes. The result is better flow, faster discharge time from a truck,and easier placement and compaction of an otherwise dry, harsh mix.In addition, the use of a VMA provides insurance against paste draindown. Paste drain down is a condition in which too fluid a cementpaste in pervious concrete migrates to the bottom of the slab, due togravity, and seals it. This sealing of the bottom surface makes the perviousconcrete functionally useless and can be avoided through use ofa VMA. The VMA also increases compressive and flexural strength inlow compaction pervious concrete mixes by enhancing the paste toaggregate bond.It should be noted that while all VMAs alter the rheology, or flowbehavior, of a concrete mix, each VMA can have a differing effect onthe mix based on its specific chemistry. Some VMAs have been usedin pervious concrete with less than desirable results. Certain VMAswork by binding water in a concrete mix, thereby changing itsviscosity. However, with pervious concrete, this mechanism worksagainst the system by making the concrete even more difficult toplace because of increased stiffness characteristics. Therefore, it isimportant to use an admixture with the appropriate chemistry developedspecifically for modifying the rheology of pervious concrete.The combination of these specific admixtures has significantlyimproved the mixing and handling of pervious concrete. As withmost concrete, admixture dosages can be varied to achieve the desiredproperties for the application.Testing Pervious <strong>Concrete</strong>Three key performance characteristics have been identified forpervious concrete. These include density (unit weight), compressivestrength, and void content. Pervious concrete is not specified oraccepted based on strength. Acceptance is usually based on the density(unit weight) of the in-place pavement. The density (unit weight)of pervious concrete typically ranges from 100 to 125 lb/ft 3 (1600 to2000 kg/m 3 ). An acceptable tolerance is plus or minus 5 lb/ft 3(80 kg/m 3 ) of the design density. The fresh density (unit weight) ofpervious concrete is measured using the jigging method described inASTM C 29 (NRMCA 2004b). The compressive strength of perviousconcrete is usually between 500 and 4,000 psi (3.4 and 27.6 MPa),depending on the application, and the void content is typicallyspecified at 15 to 25%. However, because there are currently no standardtesting procedures for measuring these parameters, test methodsto determine the compressive strength and void content havebeen developed.Compressive StrengthIn practice, pervious concrete is compacted using different equipmentand methods compared to those used for conventional concrete.In general, pervious concrete is either highly compacted by using apaving machine or a heavy, weighted hand roller, or lightly compactedusing a hand roller with no ballast. The method of compaction chosenfor a given project is dependent on the actual application as well asthe desired strength and void content. Therefore, two methods ofconsolidation of cylinders have been developed for testing thecompressive strength of pervious concrete, based on either high or lowcompactive effort.The basic casting method for cylinders to measure the compressivestrength of pervious concrete was developed following verbal communicationswith Dr. Crouch, professor of civil engineering, TennesseeTechnological University (TTU) in Cookeville, TN. Using 4 in. x 8in. (100 mm x 200 mm) steel cylinder molds, pervious concrete testspecimens are compacted using a Marshall hammer conforming tospecification AASHTO T 245, and shown in Figure 1. The followingprocedures describe the casting of cylinders for pervious concrete.1) The sample of pervious concrete from which test specimens aremade shall be representative of the entire batch. It shall beobtained in accordance with Practice C 172.2) The user has the option of casting test specimens designed to beplaced by either high or low compaction procedures.a. High Compaction Placement Method: Place the mold on a flat surface.From the sample of concrete obtained in accordance withPractice C 172, immediately fill the mold in 3 lifts. Using theMarshall hammer, deliver 26 blows to each layer to consolidate theconcrete as shown in Figure 1. For the third layer, fill the concreteabove the top of the mold prior to consolidation to achieve anoverall cylinder height of approximately 8 in. (200 mm).b. Low Compaction Placement Method: Place the mold on a flat surface.From the sample of concrete obtained in accordance withPractice C 172, immediately fill the mold in one lift. Using theMarshall hammer, deliver 5 blows to consolidate the concrete.Fill the concrete above the top of the mold prior to consolidationto achieve an overall cylinder height of approximately 8 in.(200 mm).3) Complete sample casting within 20 minutes.4) Demold the samples after 24 hours and wet cure the samples for aminimum of 7 days.5) Cap and test the cylinders using Practice C 617 and test for compressivestrength following Standard Test Method C 39.56 ı FALL <strong>2006</strong>


Figure 1: A Marshall hammer is used to compactpervious concrete for compressive strength testing.Void ContentAs previously discussed,typical air void content forpervious concrete rangesfrom 15 to 25%. Effectiveair voids, however, are thosethat are accessible from thesurface and affect perviousconcrete permeability. Tomeasure the effective voidcontent of pervious concrete,the following procedurewas developed. Theprocedure was adaptedbased on the previously publishedwork by Crouch(Crouch et al. 2003):1) Cast 4 in. x 8 in. (100 mm x 200 mm) cylindrical specimensfollowing the procedures described for making compressivestrength samples for pervious concrete.2) After 7 days of moist curing, oven dry the sample to a constantmass.3) Determine the mass of the dry sample to the nearest 0.05 oz. (1gram). Place the sample into a plastic bag and then insert into aInstrotek Corelok System, as shown in Figure 2, to vacuum theair from the sample and seal the bag. Determine the mass of thesealed sample in the plastic bag to the nearest 0.05 oz. (1 gram).4) Place the sealed sample in water and determine the mass of thesample submerged in the water to the nearest 0.05 oz. (1 gram).5) Cut the bag and allow the water to enter the bag and saturatethe pervious concrete for a period of 8 minutes. Determine themass of the submerged, water-saturated sample to the nearest0.05 oz. (1 gram).6) Test a minimum of 2 samples for each pervious concrete mixbeing evaluated.7) Calculate the bulk specific gravity of the pervious concrete as follows:Bulk specific gravity = A[B – E – (B – A)/F t ]where:A = mass of the dry sample in air before sealingB = mass of the dry sealed sampleE = mass of the sealed sample in waterF t = apparent specific gravity of the plastic sealing material at 77 ˚F(25 ˚C), when sealed, (provided by the manufacturer)Calculate the apparent specific gravity of the pervious concrete asfollows:Apparent specific gravity = A[B – C – (B – A)/F t1 ]where:C= mass of the unsealed sample in waterF t1 = apparent specific gravity of plastic sealing material at 77 ˚F (25˚C),when opened underwater, (provided by the manufacturer)Calculate the effective air void content of the pervious concrete usingequation 3:Effective Air Void Content (%) = 100 * (1 – G mb /G mm )where:G mb = bulk specific gravity of the pervious concreteG mm = A(A – C)Figure 2: A Corelok system is used to vacuum airfrom the pervious concrete sample.Laboratory Test DataAn informal industry survey has indicatedthat about 80 to 90% of perviousconcrete is placed by hand and uses lowcompaction methods during installation.The use of the unique VMA is designed tofacilitate the ease of pervious concreteplacement by adding body and lubricatingthe mix, thus increasing flow, workabilityand assisting in the compaction process. Toevaluate the dosage effect of the VMA oncompressive strength and effective voidcontent of pervious concrete producedwith low compaction, several mixes weremade in the laboratory. The strength andvoid contents were measured by using thetest methods described earlier. For thisstudy, the MRWR and HCA dosages were held constant. Thesedosages were determined by trial mixes which showed excellent cementdispersion and working time. Both the concrete and ambient temperatureswere held constant at 70 ˚F (21.1 ˚C) during this evaluation. Thematerial properties for this study are shown in Table 1.Table 1 Material PropertiesMaterialCementCoarse Aggregate1 lb/ft 3 = 16.02 kg/m 3PropertiesType ISpecific Gravity: 3.15Particle Shape: Rounded GravelBulk Specific Gravity: 2.61Dry Rodded Unit Weight: 99.20 lb/ft?Void Content (ASTM C29): 39%The design mixture proportions consisted of a cement content of600 lb/yd 3 (356 kg/m 3 ), 2,600 lb/yd 3 (1,543 kg/m 3 ) of coarse aggregate,a water content of 162 lb/yd 3 (96 kg/m 3 ), and an air content of 23%.CONCRETE in focus ı 57


featureThe yielded mixture proportions for this study are shown in Table 2.Visually, the mixes containing the VMA appeared to have moreTable 2 Mixture ProportionsMaterial Mix 1 Mix 2 Mix 3 Mix 4Cement (lb/yd 3 ) 600 606 600 616Coarse Aggregate, #89 (lb/yd 3 ) 2608 2630 2608 2675Water (lb/yd 3 ) 162 163 162 171w/cm 0.27 0.27 0.27 0.28AdmixturesMRWR (fl oz/cwt) 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0HCA (fl oz/cwt) 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0VMA (fl oz/cwt) 0 2.0 5.0 10.01 lb/yd 3 = 0.5933 kg/m 31 fl oz/cwt = 65.2 mL/100 kgbody and were more workable than the reference mix without the VMApresent.The test results from this study, shown in Table 3, indicate that thedensity and effective voids of the four mixes were typical of perviousconcrete. The data also indicates that as the dosage of VMA increases,there is a corresponding increase in both compressive and flexuralstrength of the pervious concrete.Table 3 Test DataPlastic Properties Mix 1 Mix 2 Mix 3 Mix 4Density (Unit Weight) (lb/ft 3 ) 125.0 125.0 125.0 127.0Effective Voids (%) 24.8 26.4 25.5 28.1Hardened PropertiesCompressive Strength (psi)7 day 1,340 1,730 1,600 2,20028 day 1,670 2,120 1,950 2,200Flexural Strength (psi)28 day 300 430 500 4901 lb/ft 3 = 16.02 kg/m 3145 psi = 1 MPaCase StudyProject: East Atlanta LibraryLocation: Atlanta, GADate: June, 2005Contractor: PCI Systems, LLCProducer: Thomas <strong>Concrete</strong>Details: 10,000 ft 2 (929 m 2 ) / 185 yd 3 (141 m 3 ) @ 6 in.(150 mm) pervious concreteBase:6 to 24 in. (150 to 610 mm) of #57 stone withnon-woven geo-textileSoil Type: ClayFigure 3: Artist’s rendition of theEast Atlanta Library (see above next column)For this project, shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, the Fulton Countygovernment worked collaboratively with the construction managementFigure 3:team to specify pervious concrete because of the material’s environmentalbenefits and to facilitate LEED (Leadership in Energy &Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System certification.LEED certification recognizes building projects that demonstratea commitment to sustainability and meet the highestperformance standards.There were many constructability concerns on the project,including ambient temperatures exceeding 90˚F (32.2˚C), a smallcongested site, and potential travel delays. However, the issue of mostconcern was the slope of the parking lot. The parking lot was approximately60 ft x 170 ft (18 m x 52 m) at a slope of 3-5% along itslength. It consisted of a single travel lane with parking on both sides.Because there was only a single entry to the parking lot, the strategywas to place the 20 ft (6.1 m) wide parking stalls from the bottom ofthe slope to the top on two different days. On day 3, placement ofthe travel lane would be accomplished by backing the ready-mixtrucks up the slope and pouring from the top of the slope down.Though the positive slope would speed placement of the parkingstalls, the negative slope would hinder the placement of the travellane.For the uphill placements, concrete discharge times of 30 minutesor less and little re-tempering were expected, but the downhill placementof the travel lane was of concern. It was anticipated that thepervious concrete would not discharge due to the negative slope ofthe travel lane and the relatively flat chute position. Two options wereconsidered for the downhill placement of the travel lane: use of eithera conveyor or a VMA in the pervious concrete mix. Because conveyersmay have a tendency to separate the stone from the cement andproduce an inconsistent finish, the option of using a VMA in thepervious concrete was chosen.The placement of the pervious concrete parking lot occurred overthree days. On the first day, 60 yd 3 (46 m 3 ) were placed on the firstrow of parking stalls with a slope of 3-5%, with placement occurringfrom the bottom to the top of the incline. On average, each truckwas re-tempered using 4 to 8 gal (15 to 30 L) of water and dischargedin approximately 20 to 25 minutes.The following day, 60 yd 3 (46 m 3 ) were placed on the second rowof parking stalls with a slope of 3%, again being placed from the bottomto the top of the incline. On average, each truck was re-temperedusing 8 to 10 gal (30 to 38 L) of water and discharged inapproximately 25 to 30 minutes.On the third day, 5 yd 3 (4 m 3 ) were placed on the travel lane witha slope of 4%, with placement occurring downhill. However, because58 ı FALL <strong>2006</strong>


of the negative slope, the pervious concrete would not dischargeeasily and the remainder of the placement was cancelled.On the final day, VMA was introduced into the mix and 63 yd 3(48 m 3 ) were placed on the travel lane with a slope of 4%, pouringdownhill. On average, each truck was discharged in 20 to 25 minwith no re-tempering.For each day’s pour, a Bunyan Striker ® was used to screed andcompact the pervious concrete to 18% voids. A hydration stabilizerand water reducer were used to facilitate placement and improveworkability.The combined use of a high quality MRWR, HCA, and VMAwas instrumental to the success of this project.Figure 4: Close up view ofpervious concreteFigure 5: Finished perviousconcrete parking lot(see top picture next column)Figure 4ObservationsBased on the lab and field data presentedin this paper, the following observationscan be made.1. Test methods for determining the compressive strength and effectivevoids of pervious concrete have been developed.2. The use of a novel admixture system provides extended workingtime and facilitates the ease with which pervious concrete can beplaced.3. In low compaction placement procedures, the use of the uniqueVMA provides an increase in both compressive and flexuralstrength of pervious concrete.4. The case study has shown that in the field, the novel admixturesystem helps in the placement and consolidation of pervious concrete.Future Work:The authors believe that additional research is necessary to furtherdevelop the compressive strength and effective void test methodsdiscussed in this paper. Testing is currently underway to examine theeffect of several variables on the test results and to develop a precisionstatement for the methods.Additional work is also underway to further research the effects ofadmixtures on the resulting properties of pervious concrete.The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of theauthor and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the<strong>National</strong> <strong>Ready</strong> <strong>Mixed</strong> <strong>Concrete</strong> <strong>Association</strong>.References:Codes and Standards:ASTM C 29 Standard Test Method for Bulk Density (“UnitWeight”)ASTM C 39 Standard Test Method for Compressive Strength ofCylindrical <strong>Concrete</strong> SpecimensASTM C 172 Practice for Sampling Freshly <strong>Mixed</strong> <strong>Concrete</strong>ASTM C 617 Practice for Capping Cylindrical <strong>Concrete</strong> SpecimensAASHTO T 245 Resistance to Plastic Flow of Bituminous MixturesUsing Marshall ApparatusCitations:Crouch et al. (2003). “Measuring the Effective Air Void Contentof Portland Cement Pervious Pavements.” Cement and <strong>Concrete</strong>Aggregates, Vol. 25, No. 1, 5 pages.<strong>National</strong> <strong>Ready</strong> <strong>Mixed</strong> <strong>Concrete</strong> <strong>Association</strong> (NRMCA).(2004a). “Freeze Thaw Resistance of Pervious <strong>Concrete</strong>.” SilverSpring, Maryland, May 2004a, 17 pages.<strong>National</strong> <strong>Ready</strong> <strong>Mixed</strong> <strong>Concrete</strong> <strong>Association</strong> (NRMCA).(2004b). “What, Why, and How? Pervious <strong>Concrete</strong>.” <strong>Concrete</strong> inPractice Series, CIP 38, Silver Spring, Maryland, 2 pages.Tennis, P.D., Michael, L., and Akers, D.J. (2004). “Pervious<strong>Concrete</strong> Pavements.” EB302. Portland Cement <strong>Association</strong>, Skokie,Illinois, and <strong>National</strong> <strong>Ready</strong> <strong>Mixed</strong> <strong>Concrete</strong> <strong>Association</strong>, SilverSpring, Maryland, 36 pages.■List of Figures:Figure 1: A Marshall hammer is used to compact pervious concretefor compressive strength testing.Figure 2: A Corelok system is used to vacuum air from the perviousconcrete sample.Figure 3: Artist’s rendition of the East Atlanta LibraryFigure 4: Close up view of pervious concreteFigure 5: Finished pervious concrete parking lotList of Tables:Table 1: Material PropertiesTable 2: Mixture ProportionsTable 3: Test DataTo reach the authors, contact:Mark A. Bury, FACI, Degussa Admixtures, Inc., 23700 ChagrinBlvd., Beachwood, OH 44122; (216) 839-7266; mark.bury@degussa.comChristine A. Mawby, Degussa Admixtures, Inc., 23700 ChagrinBlvd., Beachwood, OH 44122; (216) 839-7803; christine.mawby@degussa.comDale Fisher - President & CEO, PCI Systems, LLC, 2300 LakeviewParkway, Suite 250, Alpharetta, GA 30004, (877) 612-0272;dalefisher@pervious.comCONCRETE in focus ı 59


NRMCA - Education, Certification, Advocacy, Promotion$350 * to join NRMCA could save you,and make you, many thousands more.Get member discounts on state-of-the-artpublications and educational opportunitiesto help you make more and save more.NRMCA publications and educational opportunitiesincrease efficiency. Whether it’s programs that reduce yourrisks of fines for non-compliance with Federal regulations,workshops that improve plant operations, the industry’s besttraining workshops, easy access to technical experts, or any ofhundreds of publications, certification and educationalchoices, membership in NRMCA pays for itself with a provenROI. Find out for yourself.Join today. Complete the application below and fax to (301) 585-4219 or mail to NRMCA, 900 Spring Street, Silver Spring, MD20910. Call Kathleen-Carr-Smith NRMCA Membership Directorat 1-888-846-7622, ext 1145, kcarr-smith@nrmca.org.Compute your NRMCA DuesMultiply your company and its subsidiaries’ 2005 cubic yardproduction by .0175. * Minimum dues (for all membersproducing less than 20,001 cubic yards: $350)X 0.175 = $2005 cubic yard production 1.75 cents per Your <strong>2006</strong>(if over 20,000 cyd.) cubic yard membership duesChoose your payment optionAnnual Payment—Full year payment enclosedQuarterly Payment—First payment enclosed(Total dues must be greater than $1,000)Payment TypeBy Check (please make payable to NRMCA)Charge to Amex VISA MasterCardPlease type or printCompanyName/TitleAddressCity/State/ZipPhoneEmailFaxCard #Name on CardExp DateSignaturewww.nrmca.org888-84NRMCA.


corporate suiteTransformYour Organization fromHighTurnover toHigh RetentionBy Gregory P. SmithEach year U.S. businesses spend billions of dollars recruitingand replacing their employees. Individually, it costsbetween $2-11K to replace an hourly employee, andupwards to $40,000 to replace a manager. One Silicon Valleycompany estimates the cost of replacing an employee is over$125,000.As you know, it is getting difficult to attract and keep skilledemployees. Many businesses and industries are desperate for helpand can’t find good people with the right skills and attitudes.While many leading companies place more effort in employeeretention, most are clueless. They accept employee turnover as a normalpart of doing business. High turnover organizations spend disproportionateamounts of resources on recruiting and replacing theirworkforce, while smart organizations invest in employee retention.Yes, there is going to be turnover no matter what you do, but blindlyignoring the reasons for turnover is foolish and expensive.Employees quit for many reasons but, in general, there are fiveimportant areas that motivate people to leave their jobs.1. Poor match between the person and the job2. Poor fit with the organizational climate and culture3. Poor alignment between pay and performance4. Poor connections between the individual, his or her coworkersand the supervisor5. Poor opportunities for growth and advancementThese five Ps can be addressed successfully. Employee retentionbegins by paying attention to what causes low job satisfaction as wellas what attracts, retains and motivates your workforce. Here are afew items to consider:Identify and weed out poor managers. The relationship withthe employee’s front-line manager is the most common reason peopleleave. La Rosa’s is a large restaurant business with over 3000employees. As part of its employee retention strategy, all employeesevaluate their bosses twice a year using a special report card. It asksthe employees to give their managers a letter grade from A to D infour categories. Any score less than a “B” requires a specific commentfrom the employee. After it’s completed, they tabulate thecomments and design action plans for improvement.Hold managers accountable for turnover. Set specific responsibilitiesfor human resources, supervisors and executives on what theirspecific role is in employee retention. Train managers so they understandwhat leads to higher retention and greater job satisfaction.Hold managers responsiblefor retention intheir departments, setturnover goals for eachmanager and trackaccordingly. Promotemanagers whose behavioris consistent with the organization’s values and philosophies.Create a positive work environment. Money and benefits maybring employees through the front door, but poor work conditionsdrive them out the back.In its <strong>National</strong> Study of the Changing Workforce, the Families andWork Institute showed earnings and benefits have only a 3 percentimpact on job satisfaction. “Job quality” and “workplace support”have a combined 70 percent.Develop an “onboarding” program for the first 90 days on thejob. Don’t hire and abandon your new employees. Insure they get thesupport, training and assistance they need. Quint Studer, CEO of theStuder Group, a consulting firm in Gulf Breeze, Fla., finds companiesthat take steps to “re-recruit” new employees can improve performanceand reduce turnover in their first three months by as much as66 percent.Enhance connections between co-workers, managers and theorganization. To build stronger bonds between top management andemployees, one corporate office practices something called EmployeeScavenger Hunt. Once or twice a year, they give every executiveor manager five names of employees. They find each person, meetthem and learn about them as individuals. The process builds abetter bond, improves communication and builds trust within theorganization.Hire the best and avoid the rest. Research shows those organizationsthat spend more time recruiting high-caliber people earn 22%higher return to shareholders than their industry peers. Cisco CEOJohn Chambers said, “A world-class engineer with five peers can outproduce200 regular engineers.” Instead of waiting for people toapply for jobs, good organizations are always on the lookout for highcaliberpeople.Provide learning opportunities. For many people, learning newskills is as important as the money they make. Identify career pathsand provide developmental opportunities for employees early in theirjobs with the organization. Promote ongoing, two-way communica-CONCRETE in focus ı 61


corporate suitetion between employees and their immediatemanagers regarding career progress. In astudy by Linkage, Inc., people said theywould consider leaving their present employerfor another job with the same benefits ifthat job provided better career developmentand greater challenges.Make people feel appreciated. Peoplewant to be paid well, but also would like tobe treated with respect and appreciation.Find creative ways to make people feel goodabout their job. We have helped organizationsset up something called “peer recognition.”Peer recognition allows people toreward each other for doing a good job. Itworks because employees are in the best positionto catch people doing the right things.TD Industries in Dallas helps its employeesfeel valued by using one wall within the companyto place photographs of all employeeswho have been with them more than fiveyears. They also try to make everyone feelINDUSTRY CONSOLIDATION CONTINUESTIMETOSELL?For 25 years, FMI Corporation has been aleader in providing merger and acquisitionservices to the construction materials industry.Our professionals have the industry perspectiveand specialized expertise to help you maximizethe value and attractiveness of your company.We provide Mergers and Acquisitions, CapitalPlacements, and Financial Advisory services.Please Contact:• George H. ReddinManaging Director5151 Glenwood AvenueSuite 100, Raleigh, NC 27612919.787.8400 • greddin@fminet.com• Will HillPrincipal55 Madison StreetSuite 410, Denver, CO 80206303.377.4740 • whill@fminet.comFor access to constructionindustry data, visit FMI Sourceat www.fmisource.comIf you are an owner or potential seller of a ready-mixed concrete company, and arethinking about buying or selling, please call us.equal and have no reserved parking spacesfor executives. That is one reason why TDIndustries was listed by Fortune magazine asone of the top 100 best places to work.Measure attitudes of your workforce.High-retention workplaces are usingemployee climate assessments to measurethe attitudes and feeling of their workforce.Every organization should conduct someform of climate assessment periodically duringthe year.Focus on individuals. You must manageretention one employee at a time.Focus on the key jobs that have the mostimpact on profitability and productivity.Everyone has a different set of needs andexpectations about their jobs. By conductingan individual retention profile, managerscan quickly identify the employee’sunique motivations, goals, level of job satisfaction,as well as other expectations.Focus on the family. One small companygives their employees’ children a $50Savings Bond twice a year when they getstraight As on their report cards. Anothersurvey of 1,000 companies showed half ofthem let workers stay home with mildly illchildren without using vacation or sickdays. Two-thirds permit flextime defined asallowing employees to adjust work hours ona daily basis.Visit our website to download a freeemployee retention assessment and a cost ofturnover calculator to determine how muchturnover is costing your business. Please goto: http://www.highretention.com/cost-ofturnover.html■Gregory P. Smith shows executives andbusiness owners how to reduce employeeturnover and build high retention workplaces.He is the author of Here Today HereTomorrow: Transforming Your Workforcefrom High Turnover to High Retention.He speaks at conferences, conducts managementtraining and is the president of a managementconsulting firm, Chart Your Course International,in Atlanta. Phone him at (770)860- 464 or send an email at greg@chartcourse.com. More information and articles areavailable at www.ChartCourse.com andwww.HighRetention.com.275974_FMI.indd 62 ı FALL 1 <strong>2006</strong>7/28/06 12:02:23 PM


capitol commentCracking Building CodesonCapitol HillBy Robert Sullivan, Vice President of Government Relations, NRMCAFollowing last year’s hurricane season,NRMCA led the way on CapitolHill in touting mitigationefforts as the best approach toreducing future losses from natural disasters.According to a study by the MultihazardMitigation Council of the <strong>National</strong> Instituteof Building Sciences, every dollar spent onmitigation saves society an average of fourdollars. Indeed, the December 2005 studyexamined federally funded hazard mitigationdollars spent over a 10-year period andfound that mitigation results “in significantbenefits to society as a whole, to individuals,to states and to communities – in terms ofreduced losses and significant savings to thefederal treasury in terms of future increasedtax revenues and future reduced hazardrelatedexpenditures.”Perhaps the most effective mitigationtool is the building code, which requires thata structure be located, designed andconstructed so that any threat to the life,health and welfare of its occupants isminimized or prevented. Time and again,the adoption and enforcement of effectivebuilding codes has had the greatest impacton the quality of construction and howstructures will withstand the forces ofnature. NRMCA believes that whenconsidering issues of strength, cost andeconomies of scale, building codes supportconcrete construction. Yet, the adoption andenforcement of building codes are auniquely local land use concern and as suchare rightly within the jurisdiction of stateand local governments. Thus, the challengefor NRMCA has been to advocate for agreater federal role in supporting buildingcodes without appearing to support thefederalization of building codes.NRMCA was the first trade group toidentify congressional initiatives to reformthe <strong>National</strong> Flood Insurance Program(NFIP) as the best available opportunities tomake the case for building codes at thefederal level. The NFIP was established withthe passage of the <strong>National</strong> Flood InsuranceAct of 1968 and it enables property ownersin participating communities to purchasefederally subsidized insurance as a protectionagainst flood losses in exchange forcommunity floodplain managementregulations that reduce future flooddamages. The community floodplainmanagement regulations must comply withfederal floodplain management criteria thatmake communities responsible for reviewingproposed development in flood hazard zonesto ensure that structures have the integrity towithstand flood events. Virtually allcommunities in the United States are insome sort of flood hazard zone.While there is no federal requirementthat communities participate in the NFIP,most communities choose to do so to makeflood insurance available to their citizens.The problem with the NFIP is that theaggregate amount of the flood insuranceclaims resulting from Hurricanes Katrinaand Rita have exceeded the aggregateamount of all claims previously paid in thehistory of the NFIP, leaving the program$23-$25 billion in the red. One of the majorcontributors to the financial insolvency ofthe NFIP is the subsidized rates that aquarter of the properties insured under theprogram still receive. The subsidizedbuildings are the oldest structures within theprogram, and are the most likely to incurmassive damage because they are not built tomodern codes and standards. Furthermore,the subsidized structures receive a crosssubsidyfrom the structures paying the fullstandard rate.As of this writing, the pending Houseand Senate NFIP reform legislation is gearedalmost exclusively toward debt forgivenessand the gradual phase-in of actuariallycorrect rates for subsidized properties.However, neither chamber’s legislationaddresses the true underlying cause for theprogram’s insolvency, namely substandardconstruction in flood hazard zones.Recognizing this, NRMCA is lobbyingCongress to consider the feasibility ofintegrating nationally recognized buildingcodes into the NFIP’s federal floodplainmanagement criteria. Such a requirement, ifenacted, would necessitate that all 50 statesadopt the most current building codes toensure that the 20,000-plus communitiescurrently enrolled in the NFIP remaineligible for the program. If NRMCAsucceeds in amending the NFIP, it will bethe first time Congress has officiallyendorsed building codes and will serve asanother milestone of NRMCA’s efforts tomake concrete the building material ofchoice across the nation.■For more information, contact Sullivan atrsullivan@nrmca.org or 240/485-1148.CONCRETE in focus ı 63


This fall,NRMCA isunveiling anew concreteprofessionalcertificationprogram thatprovides acareer path tothe highestdesignation inthe industry.Look for moreinformation atnrmca.org/steps


education mattersMi x e dC o n cr eBig Deal!NRMCA’s CCSP Turns10A Decade of Sales Learning & Enhancement for <strong>Concrete</strong> Sales ProfessionalsR e a d yli o n aCertified<strong>Concrete</strong> SalesProfessionalt• N ai o nt ei atA s s o cBy Eileen Dickson, Director of Education, NRMCA<strong>Fall</strong> always means back to school forstudents as well as career professionals.This year, the start of thenew training season holds specialsignificance for NRMCA because it will celebratethe 10th anniversary of the Certified<strong>Concrete</strong> Sales Professional (CCSP) program.Since its inception, more than 6100mid-level concrete industry staff from allover the United States and Canada, with allkinds of job titles, have attended at least oneof the four topic-specific modules. An elitegroup of about 1000 sales reps have completedthe entire series and earned the prestigiousCCSP certification designation.That’s a lot of people in a comparativelysmall industry.Success breeds success: annual cubicyardage dramatically increased over the past10 years as ready mixed producers continuedto funnel staff through the CCSP workshops.What time could be moreappropriate than now to reflect back uponthe attributes that define a top-notch readymixed concrete sales rep?CCSP was the brain child of a significantnumber the industry’s most successfuland bright senior-level executives. With alot of forethought, they took a significantamount of time out of their grueling schedulesto work together to define knowledgethat would not only assure their successorswere competent by mastering industry-specificknowledge, but also give them thetools to manage an evolving, challengingbusiness environment.Clearly their leadership vision was correct.As the ready mixed concrete industrybusiness grew over the past 10 years, manycompanies found they were successfullyhandling larger, more complex sales ratherthan smaller transactions. With the opportunityfor higher potential profits, how asale was handled had a lasting impact on theproducer as well as the specifier and contractor.Many less-experienced sales repsfaced challenging, large, complex selling situationssooner: they sold a highly technicalproduct with material tested for compliance;they worked on sales that may havetaken several years to close; they might havehad to arrange partnerships or their companymerged with competitors to meet thevolume demand; and regulatory agenciesand customers insisted on more complexperformance-based, environmentally friendlyspecifications. The joke about salespeopleclosing the deal based on a day at the golfcourse was dead as a doornail. Success wasall about short- and long-term strategic professionalism.A study recently released about sales performanceoptimization (CSO Insights, SanFrancisco) stated many organizations expectto increase the number of new sales staffhires this year. Companies also noted theywant them to be experienced and knowledgeable.The survey further indicates thatthe greater the average tenure of the salesstaff, the higher the percentage of reps makingquota, the higher the average deal sizeand the shorter the average sales cycle. Howdoes this happen? Successful sales peopledevelop a systematic approach that facilitatesclosure as well as develops long-termaccount relationships. Easier said than done.And that is where CCDSP comes into play— it’s one of the tools that make our industry’ssales staff so competent.According to studies over the years, agood sales rep has three basic qualities:empathy, ego and the ability to see rejectionas opportunity. In fact, one psychologist’sstudy found that many a successful salesrep’s personality archetype is the “HappyLoser,” that is he/she relishes rejectionand actually seeks out jobs that provideopportunities to be turned down. Rejectionkeeps the fire in the belly in a culture likeours where beating the odds is highly prized(and praised).Empathy, the ability to feel as the customerdoes without necessarily agreeing, istough. As sales reps engage in the salesprocess, they simply cannot sell successfullywithout getting facts and understanding thecustomer’s circumstances. The invaluableand irreplaceable ability to get powerfulfeedback from the customer, yet understandingthe difference between being sympathetictoward the customer versus beingempathic, is where the professional readymixed concrete sales person shines. Ego alsodrives good sales reps, not necessarilyCONCRETE in focus ı 65


education mattersbecause of the possible money reward, butfor many, because he/she is driven towardpositive closure. That process of makingthe conquest improves self-perceptionand esteem.These attributes make managing salesreps a very different challenge than managingthe rest of the staff. Sales managersunderstand that attributes like empathy andego have real implications on how they hire,train, manage, coach and retain sales folks.In today’s environment, technical sales personslike those in our industry need morethan empathy, ego and a tough skin. It iscritical that they be able to delve even deeper,answer more technical questions, providesolid business analysis and assesssustainability and the all over performanceimpact to the contractor or specifier. Thathappens through a continual learningprocess.The good news is that companies’Developing the Next GreatLeaders in the <strong>Concrete</strong> IndustryCONCRETE INDUSTRY MANAGEMENTThe expanding <strong>Concrete</strong> IndustryManagement (CIM) program – abusiness-intensive program thatawards students with a four-yearBachelor of Science degree in<strong>Concrete</strong> Industry Management – isyour resource for future leaders ofyour company. To help meet thegrowing needs of the concreteindustry around the country, theCIM program – which was foundedat Middle Tennessee State University– has expanded to Arizona StateUniversity, New Jersey Institute ofTechnology and California State University,Chico. To learn more about theprogram, and to support its continuedgrowth, visit www.<strong>Concrete</strong>Degree.complanned training investments are up thisyear, as reported by the American Society forTraining and Development. Training consistsof not only building knowledge andexpertise about product but also about customerrelations. As a sales rep gains a widerrange of knowledge, his/her relationshipwith a customer moves from just beinganother vendor to a preferred seller, on to aconsultant and finally to a contributingpartner in the customer’s business. The levelof reward also increases as the relationshipdevelops. Increased trust and credibility, easieraccess and repeat business provide a producerthe potential for greater margins.Keeping our industry healthy requiresthat we continue to create career paths forthe sales personnel who bring home the(industry’s) bacon. While many times seenas the company mavericks, they want to bepart of the whole team. When they see positivesales results, they enjoy the hunt evenmore because they relish the role as thecompany provider. Those attributes areexactly what CCSP imparts to our industry’ssales staff. NRMCA hopes in the next 10years, the program’s strength and popularityremain a vital component for the readymixed concrete industry’s continual growth.So here’s a congratulatory toast to the6100 folks who already walked the walk andnow talk the talk! And NRMCA extends asincere invitation to the many other midlevelindustry personnel to partake in anincredible career growth opportunity.The four CCSP modules are part of theNRMCA Career Track certification program.CCSP classes run throughout the year in variouslocations throughout the country. Pleasevisit NRMCA’s website for more detail or callthe NRMCA Education Department. ■Bibliography:David Mayer and Herbert M. Greenberg,“What Makes a Good Salesman,” HarvardBusiness Review, July-August, <strong>2006</strong>.“Leveraging the Psychology of the SalesPerson, a Conversation with Psychologist andAnthropologist, G. Clotaire Rapaille,”Harvard Business Review, July-August, <strong>2006</strong>.Benson P. Shapiro and Ronald S. Posner,“Making the Major Sale,” Harvard BusinessReview, July-August, <strong>2006</strong>.CIM_ad.indd 66 ı 1FALL <strong>2006</strong>8/4/06 11:44:09 AM


featureHow toGo from Outstanding Salesperson toSuperior Sales Manager: Part 2Managing the Sales PipelineBy A. Vance Pool, <strong>National</strong> Resource Director, NRMCAAs mentioned in the last edition of <strong>Concrete</strong> in Focus, making the transitionfrom being an outstanding salesperson to being a superior sales managerrequires new skills as well as some key attributes that make a person a salesteam leader. Work ethic and attitude are very important traits that some willargue are inherent in the person and cannot be taught or easily motivated. Sofor the basis of this discussion, we’ll assume the sales person has those capabilities in order tobe promoted to sales manager. Among the skills that can be taught are a number of processdrivenactivities. Today we are going to look at managing the sales pipeline, one of the mostcrucial elements in the success of a new sales manager and a company.What is the sales pipeline? Some people like the term ‘sales funnel’ others like the term‘sales pipeline.’ You say tomato I say tomato. I tend to favor pipeline because a team I led inthe mid 1990s obligated Siebel, the largest CRM and sales force automation software supplier,to add a pipeline representation to its product. Wait a minute, this article is not aboutimplementing these processes with technology. We need to take a step back and define whatthe sales pipeline is!Business is driven by successfully closed deals, contracts, orders, whatever term you like.As a sales person you need to deliver enough of those deals to meet your budget or quota.CONCRETE in focus ı 67


featureDeals that aren’t yet closed that a salespersonis working on are in their ‘pipeline.’ Thegoal is to push those deals through the sellingprocess pipeline to become closed dealsand add revenue and profits to your company.Sounds a whole lot easier than it is.To effectively manage a sales pipeline,you need to define the steps in the process.This allows everyone to have a commonvocabulary as well as the added benefit ofdefining a mechanism to enable better measurementand management. The process canvary by industry or even by company in anygiven industry. Think of the process as aseries of gates you have to pass through thatenable you to identify where you are in thepipeline. For our discussion here, I will usea fairly generic example of a process to illustratethe point:Selling process1. Lead identified2. Lead qualified (Not all leads identified aregood or worthy of valuable selling time)3. Customer needs defined4. Solution to needs proposed5. Closed (won/loss)6. ReferralIt seems pretty straightforward. You canadd as many steps to the process as makesense, but in essence this is pretty much thebasis of the selling process in many industries.Leads enter the pipeline and sales exitthe pipeline. In a perfect world every leadthat enters the process would exit as a sale.Unfortunately competitors and a large numberof other factors, including how well wetell our story to the right people, effect whatpercentage actually exit as sales.Good sales team members know how toask the right questions to identify the qualityof a lead. They know how to ask the rightquestions and position the solution to theircustomers needs based on their knowledge,training and experience. They know how topresent the business case their product orservice solves within the framework of theircustomers’ needs. And they know how toclose the deal. Having done all those thingsand assuming customer service and order fulfillmentprofessionals execute properly, ahappy customer becomes a reference as wellas an ongoing customer. Again, it sounds alot easier than it usually is in practicality.So having been a successful salesperson,our new sales manager probably has a thoroughunderstanding of how to execute thatselling process. He or she understands thetactics, questions and messages thoroughly tohave performed well enough to become thesales manager. So what is different now?Even many an outstanding salesperson donot proactively manage their sales pipeline. Asalesperson should know about what percentageof leads they convert into sales. In acompetitive marketplace a 33% (1 in 3) winrate might be fairly common (at least for thesake of this discussion). Let’s say that theannual sales budget is $1 million for thissalesperson. If they win 33%, then $3 milliondollars has to pass through their pipelinein order to attain their annual goal of $1million. If there is only $1 million in thepipeline, then more leads (potential deals)need to be added. Another option is toincrease the win rate by more effective sellingand closing, but that warrants an entire discussionall by itself. Proactive managementof the sales pipeline is an effective way for a286619_Merts.indd 168 ı FALL <strong>2006</strong>7/31/06 9:35:29 AM


sales manager to manage both the team andthe ultimate outcome, a predictable revenuestream to the company.So as a salesperson managing the pipelinethey may have been done so intuitively orwith a defined process. You also need tomanage the person based on his or her traitsand mannerisms. Whether they are processdriven or intuitive in nature will define howyou have to manage them individually. As asales manager it is important to have arobust, repeatable process in place to makesure you have your arms around a number ofsales team member territories and thatyou can see that as a group you have thecompany’s pipeline adequately filled. Whileone salesperson may have a shortage, anothermay have an abundance of qualified leads.Yet another may try and hide a few outsideof sight for whatever sandbagging reason heor she might have. In any event, good salesmanagers have a strong grasp of what is inthe pipeline and when it may convert intoan order. Projecting when it may happen isanother science and done properly it candrive supply chain and logistics costs andresources.By managing the sales pipeline of histeam members, a sales manager also has ameasurable way of coaching and discussingindividual performance. Why does one repclose 50% while another closes 25%? By diggingto the underlying reasons why, you cancoach that 25% to become a 50%. Or youmay find that the 25% performer has amuch more competitive territory for anynumber of reasons. In any event, won/lossrates as well as the volume in the pipelinebecome high-level performance metrics thatare not as subjective as many other ways salesperformance is measured.So now that we have discussed thepipeline generically, let’s look at an examplein the ready mixed concrete industry. SalespersonA has a budget of $1million, wins33% of her deals and has a pipeline of $3million. Everything looks pretty good on thesurface. But when we dig down deeper wesee she has $1.5 million in her pipeline intwo deals, and the remaining $1.5 million in10 potential deals. Ether she will have a reallygreat year and exceed budget by landingone or more of the large deals or a really badyear if she doesn’t close any of them. That isone of the things a sales manager has tolearn, how to move from the tactical layerwhere the $3 million looks great to thinkingstrategically and coaching that rep to makesure she focuses time and resources properlyto increase the odds of actually making budget.Coaching and teaching are another areawe will address in a future article.So what have we learned about salesmanagers and the sales pipeline? It is anextremely important tool in the sales manager’stool box. New sales managers maySTOPLOSINGBUSINESS!Don’t let hot water shortages slow you down,ensure your hot water supply keeps up withYOUR demand.268210_Bekaert.indd 1The RM99 Direct Contact Water Heater• 99.7% fuel efficient• Instantaneous hot water• Stainless steel, non-pressurized unit• Convenient 4-point connectionTo schedule an on-site plant analysis orfor information contact Kemco Systems800.633.7055www.kemcosystems.comsales@kemcosystems.comneed to be coached to take a strategicapproach to proactive pipeline management.Individual sales people’s pipelines aswell as the sum of all pipelines impact therevenue stream of your company. Having aproactive, robust process in place canimprove your business results. ■For more information on NRMCA’s promotionprogram, contact Pool at 281/702-4557or email vpool@nrmca.org.Kemco Systems is a proud memberand supporter of the NRMCAKEMCO SYSTEMS7/28/06 9:30:07 AMRM99DirectContactWaterHeater254429_Kemco.indd 17/31/06 9:38:12 AMCONCRETE in focus ı 69


Who to Callat NRMCANRMCA STAFF LISTINGLOCAL: (301) 587-1400TOLL-FREE: 1-888-846-7622WEBSITE: www.nrmca.orgCOMMUNICATIONSFrank Cavaliere (240) 485-1141fcavaliere@nrmca.orgCONCRETE PROMOTIONGlenn Ochsenreiter (240) 485-1140gochsenreiter@nrmca.orgDan Huffman (503) 292-7729dhuffman@nrmca.orgVance Pool (281) 557- 8415vpool@nrmca.orgMike Zaldo (770) 271-4090mzaldo@nrmca.orgPhil Kresge (610) 966-7220pkresge@nrmca.orgENGINEERINGColin Lobo, Ph.D., P.E. (240) 485-1160clobo@nrmca.orgKarthik Obla, Ph.D., P.E. (240) 485-1163kobla@nrmca.orgLionel Lemay, P.E., S.E. (847) 918-7101llemay@nrmca.orgENVIRONMENTALGary Mullings, (240) 485-1161gmullings@nrmca.orgFINANCIAL ACTIVITIESMichael Forster (240) 485-1130mforster@nrmca.orgGOVERNMENT AFFAIRSBob Sullivan (240) 485-1148rsullivan@nrmca.orgKerri Leininger (240) 485-1159kleininger@nrmca.orgINDUSTRY RELATIONSNicole Maher (240) 485-1158nmaher@nrmca.orgINFORMATION TECHNOLOGYLawrence Afable (240) 485-1167lafable@nrmca.orgMARKETINGPaul Laporte (240) 485-1142plaporte@nrmca.orgMEETINGSJennifer Leonard (240) 485-1156jleonard@nrmca.orgMEMBERSHIPKathleen Carr-Smith (240) 485-1145kcarrsmith@nrmca.orgKimberly Pittmon (240) 485-1146kpittmon@nrmca.orgOFFICE OF THE PRESIDENTRobert Garbini, P.E., President (240) 485-1139bgarbini@nrmca.orgDeana Angelastro (240) 485-1138dangela@nrmca.orgOPERATIONS/EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCEGary Mullings (240) 485-1161gmullings@nrmca.orgPUBLICATIONSJacques Jenkins (240) 485-1165jjenkins@nrmca.orgRMC RESEARCH FOUNDATIONJulie Luther (240) 485-1150jluther@rmc-foundation.orgJennifer LeFevre (240) 485-1151jlefevre@rmc-foundation.orgSAFETYTom Harman (240) 485-1155tharman@nrmca.orgTRAINING/EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONEileen Dickson (240) 485-1164edickson@nrmca.orgTamara Waugh (240) 485-1166twaugh@nrmca.orgBest Sellers from the NRMCA Bookstore2PCP – Pervious <strong>Concrete</strong> Pavements1. – Pervious concrete as a paving materialhas generated tremendous interest due toits ability to allow water to flow throughitself to recharge groundwater and minimizestormwater runoff. This introduction to perviousconcrete pavements reviews its applicationsand engineering properties, includingenvironmental benefits, structural properties,and durability. Both hydraulic, andstructural design of pervious concrete pavementsare discussed, as well as constructiontechniques. ($15 members, $15 nonmembers)2187 – Compilation of ASTM StandardsRelating to <strong>Concrete</strong> – Con-2.tains 43 ASTM specifications, practices, andtest methods relating to cement, fly ash, slag,silica fume, admixtures, aggregates, and concrete.Included in the ASTM Manual ofAggregates and <strong>Concrete</strong> Testing. Reprintedby NRMCA in January 2005, it contains themost recent versions of the ASTM standardsat that date. ($45 members, $100 nonmembers)2PCPE50 <strong>Concrete</strong> Parking (Engineer-Focused)Brochure (Pkg. of 50)3.-Based on the content of a previously-distributedPCA brochure, and updated withthe most current information, this attractiveand informative 4-page 8.5˝x11˝ promotionbrochure is a condensed summary of engineeringbest practices for concrete parkingareas, including very useful illustrations andtabular data. <strong>Concrete</strong> parking areas’ manyattractive features will win converts if theyare pointed out. These brochures should be apart of every promotion and sales call! Alsosold in bundles of 250 and 500. ($57 members,$57 non-members)2PSD9 – Hand Signals for Mixer &4. Contractor Guides- Don’t compromiseon safety, place one on every truck. 8˝ x10˝ adhesive decal containing nine of themost common hand signals (Enter, Back In,Back Up, Pull Forward, Stop, Raise/LowerChute, Start Pouring, More Water, StopPouring) with English and Spanish text. ($5members, $8 non-members)2PLEED – LEED Reference Guide –5. Much new public construction, andmore and more private sector constructionis now required to be LEED* Certified.This guide will help you educate specifiersabout the energy saving and pro-environmentalbenefits of concrete and how it mayfit into projects that are to be LEED Certified.It also supports your profitability withinformation to help you improve your business’and concrete’s environmental performance.*LEED, the Leadership in Energyand Environmental Design ® program, isdesigned to promote the construction ofhigh-performance, sustainable buildings.(1-5 copies $20 each; 6-25 copies $15 each;26 or more copies $10 each; members andnon-members)2PICF50 – Commercial ICF PromotionBrochure (Pkg. of 50) -6.This attractive and informative 4-page8.5˝x11˝ promotional brochure, designedfor commercial building owners, lenders,engineers, specifiers and others, outlinesthe many economic and “green” benefits ofInsulating <strong>Concrete</strong> Form (ICD) technology.Developed through the NRMCA-sponsored<strong>Concrete</strong> Collateral Working Group,the brochure covers ICFs’ many advantages,with helpful illustrations and appealingphotos of complete projects. ICFs areattracting more and more attention everyday, winning converts from competing wallsystems. Make these brochures a part ofevery promotion and sales call. Also sold inbundles of 250 and 500. ($57 members,$57 non-members)2PCIP100 – <strong>Concrete</strong> In Practice7. Package - <strong>Concrete</strong> in Practice Sheetsare short 1-page discussions on various concretetopics and are written in a “What?Why? And How” scheme and are intendedto provide information on a non-technicalformat. The CIP topics are researched andwritten by members of NRMCA’s ResearchEngineering and Standards Committee.These are a great resource to give to yourcontractors and customers. English CIPFull Set 2PCIP100 - contains 20 sets of eachCIP topics 1-39. Spanish CIP Full SetBest Sellers continued on p.7270 ı FALL <strong>2006</strong>


tech talkThe Impact ofFly Ash onAir-Entrained<strong>Concrete</strong>By Russell L. Hill, Boral Material Technologies andKevin J. Folliard, University of Texas<strong>Concrete</strong> Air Content (%)Influence of fly ash LOI value on air entrainment of concrete.Impact of Fly Ash LOI (carbon) on Air Entrainment1098765432100 1 2 3 4 5 6Loss on Ignition (LOI) %Source BSource CSource DSource HSource CSource EThe use of fly ash to produce moredurable concrete is a well-establishedpractice. The judicious use of fly ashresults in reduced heat of hydration,increased later age concrete strengths, andreduced permeability. The use of appropriatedosages of fly ash enhances durability by providingmitigation of alkali-silica reactions, resistanceto sulfate attack, and reduced ingress ofpotentially deleterious materials such as chlorideand water. The widespread use of fly ash inhigh performance concrete (HPC) was confirmedin a survey of state highway agenciesconducted by the FHWA. The survey indicatedthat 70 percent of the respondents incorporatedfly ash in HPC mixtures exposed to aggressiveenvironments.Perhaps one of the most significant issuesthat must be considered when utilizing fly ashin concrete is the potential impact this materialcan have on air entrainment. Special chemicalair-entraining admixtures (AEAs), which arebased on surfactant chemistry, are used toentrain the correct air-void system in plasticconcrete. These chemicals are very effective andonly small dosages are generally required;however, the system represents a rather delicatebalance of many factors. The Manual onControl of Air Content in <strong>Concrete</strong> (1) listsover 40 parameters that can influence concreteair entrainment. Fly ash is one item on the list,but depending on the nature of the ash, it canhave a major influence on air entrainment.The reason fly ash has such a critical roleregarding air entrainment is not due to the ashitself but is related to a potential contaminantthat exists in much of the ash produced today.As a by-product of coal combustion, fly ashoften contains a small proportion of unburned,residual carbon. This carbon is typicallymeasured by performing a loss on ignition (LOI)test. The carbon component of fly ash can act asan adsorbent of organic material (just asactivated carbon is often used to purify water).Fly ash carbon has a strong tendency to interactwith the surfactants used as air-entrainingadmixtures. As the LOI value of fly ash increases,the dosage of air-entrainment chemical requiredto produce a given air content will generallyincrease as well. Furthermore, fluctuations in flyash LOI (carbon) result in fluctuations inconcrete air content. This situation requirescarefully quality control by the concrete producerand frequent adjustments to admixture dosages.Because of the negative influence of fly ashcarbon on air entrainment, AASHTO M 295 –Coal Fly Ash and Raw or Calcined NaturalPozzolan for Use in <strong>Concrete</strong> stipulates amaximum LOI value of 6 percent for fly ash tobe used in concrete without further qualification.Many specifying agencies and fly ash supplierswill impose more restrictive LOI limits in anattempt to improve quality.The past decade has marked changes in theutility industry that have further complicated theuse of fly ash for air-entrained concrete.Environmental regulations designed to reduce thequantity of acid rain promoting air pollutantsthat utilities generate have been broadlyimplemented. As a result, many utilities areretrofitting plant equipment to operate undernew combustion regimes. Unfortunately, thecombustion conditions that lead to reduced airemissions can result in increased fly ash carboncontents. For instance, the retrofitting of autility’s combustion units to reduce NOxemissions will often cause the LOI of a given flyash produced by the facility to more than double.To further complicate this issue, the modifiedcombustion systems not only impact the amountof carbon available in the ash, but the activity ofthe carbon as well. The adsorption capacity offly ash carbon for air-entraining admixtures is afunction of carbon mass and other carboncharacteristics such as carbon surface area,carbon pore size distribution, and carbonsurface chemistry. Modification of any of theseparameters can impact the adsorption capacityof the fly ash carbon.In practical terms, this means that certainchanges made by a utility to combustionconditions can result in minimal impact oncarbon mass or LOI but will still significantlymodify the influence that a fly ash has on airentrainment. This occurs because changes inthe carbon’s surface area or surface chemistrylead to a change in the carbon’s adsorptioncapacity. Data presented in the figure depictsthe influence of LOI (carbon content) on airentrainment for a number of fly ashes collectedfrom different utility sources. It is readilyapparent that fly ash from Sources C and E willbe the most problematic for air entrainmenteven though these ashes possess the lowest LOIvalue of any tested.The impact that various pollution controltechnologies will have on fly ash quality variesbased on the specific modifications made at aplant, the fuels being fired, the combustionregime already in existence, and the compliancerequirements mandated for a particular source.In many situations, the impact may beminimal, but in other cases the quality of theash will be changed drastically. As future airquality emission standards become morerestrictive, it is probable that more fly ashsources will be impacted by these types ofcombustion modifications.In order to better manage fly ash qualitywith respect to air entrainment, manycontinued on p.72CONCRETE in focus ı 71


The Impact of Fly Ash continued from p.71Best Sellers continuedsuppliers no longer rely strictly on LOI valueas a measure of quality. Performance-basedtesting such as the foam index test (referencedin ACI 232.2) and mortar air testing(AASHTO T 137) are often used to determineproduct acceptance. Measuring the surface areaof fly ashes, using methods such as BETabsorption, can generate useful data for thoseashes in which the surface area of the carbonhas been increased through modified burningprocesses, but this testing regime is not feasibleas a quality control test in most cases. Themost direct means for determining a fly ash’spotential to impact air entrainment is toperform laboratory or field trial mixtures inconcrete with the job specific materials.Additional advances in the fly ash industryinclude the development of new beneficiationtechnologies designed to minimize the impactthat fly carbon has on concrete performance.Carbon burn out is one such technology that is incommercial operation. In this system, the carboncontaminatedfly ash is processed through afluidized bed combustion unit to remove theresidual carbon content to an acceptably lowlevel. The processed, reduced-carbon fly ash willhave little impact on air entrainment. Anothermethod of reducing carbon in fly ash is the use ofelectrostatic separators that selectively remove thecarbon from the fly ash and subsequently usethis removed carbon as a fuel for the combustionprocess.Another commercially available technologyis based on fly ash carbon treatment (FACT).In this technology, a proprietary chemicalformulation is applied to the ash that acts as asacrificial agent. The sacrificial agent has noinfluence on concrete air entrainment otherthan its strong tendency to interact with flyash carbon and thus reduce its adsorptioncapacity for AEAs. By “sacrificing” to thecarbon, the FACT chemicals effectivelyreduce fluctuations in air entrainment thatwould normally be associated with changes incarbon mass or activity.Research is being conducted by a numberof universities, agencies and suppliers tobetter understand the interactions betweenfly ash carbon and chemical surfactants.Results from these studies will be usedto allow for better utilization of fly ashto produce durable concrete for allenvironments.ReferenceWhiting, D. A. and Nagi, M. A., “Manualon Control of Air Content in <strong>Concrete</strong>,”Bulletin EB116, Portland Cement <strong>Association</strong>,Skokie, IL, 1998, 48 pp.See HPC Bridge Views Issue No. 32,March/April 2004Reprinted with permission from HPC BridgeViews Newsletter Issue No. 43, published by theFederal Highway Administration (FHWA) andthe <strong>National</strong> <strong>Concrete</strong> Bridge Council (NCBC) -http://www.cement.org/ridges/br_newsletter.asp2PCIP100es - contains 20 sets of each CIPtopics 1-36. ($200 members, $750 nonmembers);English Single Set 2PCIPS &Spanish Single Set 2PCIPSes ($25 members,$100 non-members)2DEMO – Pervious <strong>Concrete</strong> at8. the LEED - Mini-CD-ROM - Theperfect promotional tool for perviousconcrete! This mini-CD provides a compellingcomputer-animated case-study onthe design and building of the LEEDcertifiedEast Atlanta Library. The buildingincludes an innovative stormwatersystem of light-colored pervious concreteparking lot, eliminating polluted stormwater run-off, and contributing to coolerbuilding systems. ($5 members, $5 nonmembers)2HYDRO – Pervious Hydrological9. Software Resource CD-ROM –An important pervious concrete referencetool, filled with technical and promotionalresources, including Pervious<strong>Concrete</strong> Pavements, an outstanding referencewhich covers pervious applicationsand engineering properties, environmentalbenefits, structural properties, anddurability. The CD also includes ananalysis tool on hydrological design,based on the Pervious <strong>Concrete</strong> HydrologicalAnalysis Program, which illustratesthe behavior of pervious concretesystems in relatively simple situations.(1-5 copies $25 members, $35 nonmembers);(6 or more copies $15 members,$25 non-members)2P188 – Truck Mixer Driver’s10. Manual – This manual educatestruck mixer drivers about concrete andcustomer relations. Completely updatedfor 2004, it also highlights driver duties,safety precautions, equipment inspectionand maintenance procedures, and whatthe driver should do in case of an accident.This 64-page manual is easy tounderstand and contains common senseinformation every driver should know.($12 members, $48 non-members);(20 or more copies $10 members, $40non-members)260619_Vibco.indd 72 ı FALL1<strong>2006</strong>7/31/06 12:23:26 PM


safety firstSafety Task Group Survey<strong>2006</strong> <strong>National</strong> <strong>Ready</strong> <strong>Mixed</strong> <strong>Concrete</strong> <strong>Association</strong> EnhancedSafety BenchmarkingSurvey ResultsBy: John Carew, OES Committee ChairmanTerry Jones, Safety Task Group ChairmanLynn Downey, Safety Task Group Vice-ChairmanThomas Harman, NRMCA Liaison, Safety Task GroupExecutive SummaryThe <strong>National</strong> <strong>Ready</strong> <strong>Mixed</strong> <strong>Concrete</strong><strong>Association</strong> surveyed member companies tocompile the <strong>2006</strong> Safety BenchmarkingSurvey Report. The report is based oninformation contained in the OSHA 300Asummary log of member companies thatresponded to the information request.Twenty-five companies responded, and theycollectively reported more than 38.5 millionemployee hours. (This number of hoursequals approximately 19,300 employeesworking for member companies.) This year’sreport includes a 3-year standard based onall responses since calendar year 2003. Table4 illustrates the metrics derived from thisyear’s survey responses, which summarizecalendar year 2005.The companies are divided into threecategories based on the number of employeehours: less than 1 million; 1 million-3million; and more than 3 million employeehours. The lost-time incidence rate istermed days away from work injury andillness (DAFWII), and days away from workand restricted duty/job transfer arecombined to represent the lost work daysinjury and illness (LWDII). DAFWII is ameasure of the number of cases that involvedays away from work, and LWDII includescases with days away from work plus caseswith job transfer, restricted and/or both.Fifteen companies reported in the lessthan 1 million hours category. Sixcompanies reported in the 1 million-3million hours category, and four companiesreported in the greater than 3 millionhours. Collectively, companies reported 18illnesses, with the largest category being‘other,’ which accounted for 10 illnesses.The combined industry severity rate (SR)was 40, which is more than a 50% decreasefrom last year, indicating that injuries andillnesses required less time away from workin 2005 than in the prior year. This meansthat 40 lost days occurred as a result ofinjury or illness in calendar year 2005 forevery 100 employees. All metrics’measurements improved this year over2005, indicating that respondents overallperformed better in managing injury andillness at the job site and on the road.The most common type of injurycontinues to be strains and sprains. Morethan half of all reported injuries were strainsor sprains. Seventeen percent of injuriesoccurred when an employee was struck by anobject, and 30% occurred when theemployee fell, either on the same level orfrom a different level.Definitions of termsused in tables(All rates are based on incidents per200,000 employee hours)• The total case incidence rate (TCIR)represents the number of lost dayinjuries/illnesses, restricted duty dayinjuries/illnesses and injuries/illnesses thatrequire professional medical treatmentwithout lost or restricted duty days.• The days away from work injury/illnessincidence rate (DAFWII) illustrates thenumber of injuries/illnesses that result inthe employee being away from work forone or more full day(s) of work.• The lost work days injury/illnessincidence rate (LWDII) shows the numberof injuries/illnesses that result in either lostdays, restricted duty days or both.• The medical case incidence rate is ameasure of incidents where employeesseek professional medical treatment andmiss no work days and have no restrictedduty days.The following formula is used to arrive atincidence rates:(Number of Incidents)(200,000)Number of Employee HoursThe following formula is used to arrive atseverity rates:(Number of lost work days)(200,000)Number of employee hoursDiscussion of Rates ofCompanies Reporting 3 MillionHours or MoreFour companies reported more thanthree million employee hours. There were91 injuries/illnesses that incurred days awayfrom work, and 382 cases resulted in theemployee being either transferred to anotherjob or on restricted duty. There were 123incidents that required professional medicaltreatment but incurred no time away fromwork, and there were 2,716 days lost as aresult of injury/illness.CONCRETE in focus ı 73


safety firstTable 1 Data for companies reporting more than 3 million employee hoursTotal Injuries/ Lost Work days Lost Work days/ TCIR DAWFII LWDII Medical Case SeverityIllnesses Injuries/Illnesses Restricted duty Incidence Rate Ratedays Injuries/Illnesses20,800,950 574 91 382 5.5 0.9 3.7 1.2 26Discussion of Rates of Companies Reporting Between 1 Million-3 Million Employee HoursSix companies reported 12,468,560 employee hours in the 1-3 million category. There were 148 injuries/illnesses that resulted in days away from work, and 111 withjob transfer or restricted duty. There were also 110 cases where professional medical treatment was called for but resulted in no days away from work, job transfer orrestricted duty. There were 4,445 days away from work.Table 2 Data for companies reporting 1 – 3 million employee hoursEmployee Total Injuries/ Lost Work days Lost Work days/ TCIR DAFWII LWDII Medical Case SeverityHours Illnesses Injuries/Illnesses Restricted duty Incidence Rate Ratedays Injuries/Illnesses12,468,560 367 148 111 5.9 2.4 1.8 1.8 71Discussion of Rates of Companies Reporting Less than 1 Million HoursFifteen companies reported 5,303,736 employee hours. This group represents the largest category of respondents. There were 38 cases that incurred lost days and74 incidents resulted in job transfer or restricted duty. There were 67 medical cases with no lost work days. There were 649 days away from work.Table 3 Data for companies reporting less than 1 million employee hoursEmployee Total Injuries Lost Work days Lost Work days/ TCIR DAFWII LWDII Medical Case SeverityHours /Illnesses Injuries/Illnesses Restricted duty Incidence Rate Ratedays Injuries/Illnesses5,303,736 161 38 74 6.1 1.4 2.8 2.5 24Comparison of Industry SurveyData Among IndividualCategoriesThe most significant change this year isin how category size is determined and howmetrics are reported. Rather than considercompanies with more than 5 million hours,a new category has been chosen to includecompanies that report at least 3 millionemployee hours. Similarly, another categoryhas emerged to consider companies thatreport in the 1-3 million hours range. Thechange in reporting categories is notexpected to adversely impact the overallinjury and illness rates.In the combined industry data, allmetrics were lower in 2005 than in 2004with the exception of the medical caseincidence rate and the SR. The medical caseincidence rate posted a gain of 0.5; thismetric indicates that professional medicaltreatment (doctor visit) was required, butthat no days were lost and that there was norestricted duty work. The most significantreduction came in the SR. Best known asthe measure of how serious an injury orillness is, the SR dropped from 82 in 2004to 40 in 2005. The SR is also an indicator ofworkers’ compensation resources that arededicated to rehabilitating an employee inreturn to work programs.Companies that reported in the lessthan 1 million hours and in the greaterthan 3 million hours performed well inmanaging return to work. The SRs for thesecategories were 24 and 26 respectively.Companies reporting in the 1-3 millionhours category posted an SR of 71.In comparing the three-year standardsfor 2004 and 2005, both the TCIR and theDAFWII rates are identical. The LWDIIand the medical caseincidence rates are veryslightly reduced thisyear relative to 2004.The three-year standardSR is also identical.Fifty-three percentof all injuries are sprainsor strains, almost thesame as last year. Thirtypercent are falls, eithertripping or slipping onthe same level or fallingfrom a different level.Seventeen percent of all% of Total6050403020100injuries are the result of the employee beingstruck by some object.The Type of Incident chart illustrates thetypes of incidents that the <strong>2006</strong> SafetyBenchmarking Survey captured. As in pastyears, strains and sprains continue to be themost common type of injuries, followed byinjuries resulting from same and differentlevel falls and finally injuries resulting fromemployees being struck by an object.Companies can use this information incrafting employee safety education programsto prevent occurrence of these types of events.InjuriesStrains and Sprains Struck By Same Level/DifferentLevel <strong>Fall</strong>sType of Incident74 ı FALL <strong>2006</strong>


Table 4 – All Industry Data <strong>2006</strong>Number of Category by Number of Number of Number of Lost Number of Lost Total Case DAFWII 4 LWDII 5 Medical Case SeverityEmployee Hours Company Size Injuries/ Lost Workday Injuries/ Workday and Incidence Rate Incidence Rate 6 RateIllnesses Workdays Illnesses 1 Restricted Duty (TCIR) 3Injuries/Illnesses 238,573,246 All Industry 1,102 7,810 277 567 5.7 1.4 2.9 1.6 40Data5,303,736 Less than 161 649 38 74 6.1 1.4 2.8 2.5 241 MillionEmployee Hours12,468,560 1 Million – 367 4,445 148 111 5.9 2.4 1.8 1.8 713 MillionEmployee Hours20,800,950 More than 574 2,716 91 382 5.5 0.9 3.7 1.2 263 MillionEmployee HoursNot available BLS Statistical Not available Not available Not available Not available 7.2 2.9 4.8 2.4 Not availableData forNACIS 32732in 2004141,987,847 All Industry 4,317 36,535 1,093 2,652 6.1 1.5 3.7 2.0 51Data – CY 2003,2004, 20051 Lost work day injuries and illnesses are those cases where the individual employee was away from work for one day or more excluding the day of injury.2 Restricted duty injuries/illnesses occur when an employee cannot perform his/her normal work activities for one day or more excluding the day of injury.3 The total case incidence rate is calculated by summing fatalities, lost day injuries/illnesses, restricted duty injuries/illnesses and medical cases, multiplying by 200,000,and then dividing by employee hours for the period of time, in this case for calendar year 2005.4 DAFWII = (#cases with days away from work)(200,000)/employee hours in calendar y ear 20055 LWDII = (#cases with days away form work plus those with job transfer, restricted duty, or both)(200,000)/employee hours in calendar year 20056 Medical Case Incidence Rate = (# of cases that required professional medical attention with no lost days or restricted duty)(200,000)Employee hours, in this case for calendar year 2005Table 5 – All Industry Data 2005Number of Category by Number of Number of Number of Lost Number of Lost Total Case DAFWII 10 LWDII 11 Medical Case SeverityEmployee Hours Company Size Injuries/ Lost Workdays Workday Injuries/ Workday and Incidence Rate Incidence Rate 12RateIllnessesIllnesses 7 Restricted Duty (TCIR) 9Injuries/Illnesses 839,580,018 All Industry 1,206 16,257 323 792 6.1 1.6 4.0 2.1 82Data8,413,499 100,000- 375 3,528 95 227 8.9 2.3 5.4 3.5 841 MillionEmployee Hours19,040,320 1 Million – 542 8,077 210 374 5.7 2.2 3.9 1.8 855 MillionEmployee Hours12,126,199 More than 289 4,652 18 191 4.8 0.3 3.2 1.6 775 MillionEmployee HoursNot available BLS Statistical Not Not Not Not 6.8 2.9 4.2 2.6 NotData for available available available available availableNACIS 32732in 2003156,124,791 All Industry 4,795 39,545 1,150 3,026 6.1 1.5 3.9 2.3 51Data – CY 2002,2003, 20047 Lost work day injuries and illnesses are those cases where the individual employee was away from work for one day or more excluding the day of injury.8 Restricted duty injuries/illnesses occur when an employee cannot perform his/her normal work activities for one day or more excluding the day of injury.9 The total case incidence rate is calculated by summing fatalities, lost day injuries/illnesses, restricted duty injuries/illnesses and medical cases, multiplying by 200,000,and then dividing by employee hours for the period of time, in this case for calendar year 2004.10 DAFWII = (#cases with days away from work)(200,000)/employee hours in calendar y ear 20011 LWDII = (#cases with days away form work plus those with job transfer, restricted duty, or both)(200,000)/employee hours in calendar year 200412 Medical Case Incidence Rate = (# of cases that required professional medical attention with no lost days or restricted duty)(200,000)Employee hours, in this case for calendar year 2004CONCRETE in focus ı 75


safety firstTable 6 – All Industry Data 2004Number of Category by Number of Number of Number of Number of Lost Total Case DAFWII 16 LWDII 17 Medical Case SeverityEmployee Company Size Injuries/ Lost Workdays Lost Workday Workday and Incidence Rate Incidence Rate 18 RateHours Illnesses Injuries/Illnesses 13 Restricted Duty (TCIR) 15Injuries/Illnesses 1463,834,583 All Industry 2,009 12,468 493 1,293 6.3 1.5 4.1 2.1 39Data247,188 Less than 12 33 6 11 9.7 4.9 8.9 0 27100,000Employee Hours14,210,698 100,000- 636 8,399 218 455 9.0 3.1 6.4 2.5 1181 MillionEmployee Hours24,591,256 1 Million – 690 8,020 163 418 5.5 1.3 3.4 2.1 655 MillionEmployee Hours24,785,441 More than 671 4,036 106 409 5.4 0.86 3.3 2.1 335 MillionEmployee HoursNot available BLS Statistical Not available Not available Not available Not available 9.0 3.6 5.3 3.7 NotData foravailableSIC 3273 in 2002154,858,369 All Industry 5,515 38,329 1,318 3,363 7.1 1.7 4.3 2.7 50Data – CY 2001,2002, 200313 Lost work day injuries and illnesses are those cases where the individual employee was away from work for one day or more excluding the day of injury.14 Restricted duty injuries/illnesses occur when an employee cannot perform his/her normal work activities for one day or more excluding the day of injury.15 The total case incidence rate is calculated by summing fatalities, lost day injuries/illnesses, restricted duty injuries/illnesses and medical cases, multiplying by200,000, and then dividing by employee hours for the period of time, in this case for calendar year 2003.16 DAFWII = (#cases with days away from work)(200,000)/employee hours in calendar y ear 200317 LWDII = (#cases with days away form work plus those with job transfer, restricted duty, or both)(200,000)/employee hours in calendar year 200318 Medical Case Incidence Rate = (# of cases that required professional medical attention with no lost days or restricted duty)(200,000)Employee hours, in this case for calendar year 2003Table 7 – All Industry Data 2003Number Category by Number of Number of Number of Number of Lost Total Case Lost Days Recordables Medical Case SeverityEmployee Hours of Company Size Injuries/ Lost Workdays Lost Workday Workday and Incidence Rate Incidence Incidence Incidence RateIllnesses Injuries/ Illnesses 19 Restricted (TCIR) 21 Rate 22 Rate 23 Rate 24Injuries/Illnesses 2052,710,190 All Industry 1,580 10,820 334 941 6.0 1.3 3.6 2.4 41Data666,382 Less than 29 566 14 18 8.7 4.2 5.4 3.3 170100,000Employee Hours7,153,105 100,000- 258 1,773 60 168 7.2 1.7 4.7 2.4 501 MillionEmployee Hours21,607,870 1 Million – 595 4,896 149 376 5.5 1.4 3.5 1.9 455 MillionEmployee Hours23,282,833 More than 698 3,585 111 379 6.0 0.95 3.3 2.7 315 MillionEmployee HoursNot available BLS Statistical Not available Not available Not available Not available 10.2 4.0 5.7 4.5Data for SIC 3273in 2001Not available19 Lost work day injuries and illnesses are those cases where the individual employee was away from work for one day or more excluding the day of injury.20 Restricted duty injuries/illnesses occur when an employee cannot perform his/her normal work activities for one day or more excluding the day of injury.21 The total case incidence rate is calculated by summing fatalities, lost day injuries/illnesses, restricted duty injuries/illnesses and medical cases, multiplying by 200,000,and then dividing by employee hours for the period of time, in this case for calendar year 2002.22 Lost Days Incidence Rate = (# of injuries/illnesses that incurred lost days)(200,000)/employee hours, in this case for calendar year 2002.23 Recordables Incidence Rate = (# of injuries/illnesses that incurred lost days + # of injuries/illnesses that resulted in restricted duty/job transfer)(200,000)Employee hours, in this case for calendar year 200224 Medical Case Incidence Rate = (# of cases that required professional medical attention with no lost days or restricted duty)(200,000)Safety First Evaluation - SAFE76 ı FALL <strong>2006</strong>


Products & ServicesMarketplace 225749_Riviera.indd 1CONCRETE in focus ı 777/31/06 10:44:30 AM


Products & ServicesMarketplace156923_SafeTStrap.indd 1VNICE HAGAN PLANTS<strong>Concrete</strong> Plants For Sale & In-StockHagan HT12400B-65/312 Cu. Yd. Batch, 400 BBL In Truss, $65 Ton Agg., 3" meter, Twin 10" Screws. 199,000 USD“NEW”IN STOCKStephens T Bred12 Cu. Yd. Batch, Portable, 70 Ton3 Compartment Agg., 528 BBL Silo,Air Compressor, 3" Water Meter.USD $ 199,000OPTIONS 30" x 85” RadialStacking Conveyor w/25 Ton DumpHopper, 25 HP Electric, Dual End Fold,Swivel Wheels, 5th Wheel Pin.USD $ 68,000606 BBL Silo. Portable, Drive Thru Legs,Baghouse, 12" X 15" Transfer Screw.USD $ 51,000“NEW”IN STOCKSTEPHENS PLANTSask for JOHN OR ANDREW 1 (905) 841-8888 • 1 (905) 727-8949OPTIONS Auxiliary Silo.400 BBL, In Truss Portable Silo,10" Transfer Screw, Single Axle.$58,000 USD30' X 65' Radial Stacking Conveyor.5 Yd. Agg. Hopper, Radio Remote.$42,000 USD“USED”Ross 1004 Yd. Batch, 3 Agg., Baghouse,2" Neptune, 5HP Copressor,New Tires and Brake Lines,New Paint.USD $ 66,000Century 60M2 Yard Premix, Portable,In Truss Cement, Silo,2 Compartment Agg.,Dual Axle, DigitalReadout, SpareParts Incl.$61,000 USDWA500-3 (2003)EROPS, A/C, New29.5 XR25 XHA Tires, CentralLube, Ride Control, Joy StickSteering, 7 Yd. GP Bucket.CALL7/31/06 11:01:31 AM— SPECIALS —Dillion (used)Semi Portable 10 Yd., Batch Plant,3Compartment Overhead Agg. bins, 60-75Tons, 10 Yd. Cement Batch, 40 Ton Silo.$ 62,000 USD(2) x CON-E-CO Lo Pro 1010 Yd. Twin 10 Screws, 1800 & 2200 Cu. Ft.Top hats, 30" Discharge, 3" Water Meter,Low Pressure Blower, Fully Reconditioned.Opt: 4 aux. silos for above plants.$ 135,000 USDHagan HS 10 / 300Portable 10 Yd., 300 BBL in Truss Silo,60 Ton / 3 Comp. Agg. CALL.KOMATSU LOADER“NEW”Stevenson Equipment Ltd.e-mail: Sales@stevensonequipment.com • www.stevensonequipment.comWA380-5 (<strong>2006</strong>)EROPS, A/C, 23.5 x R25 XHATires, Ride Control, CentralLube, 4.25 Yd. GP Bkt.,Heated Seat, Supp. Steering.USD $ 167,000293337_Stevenson.indd 178 ı FALL <strong>2006</strong>8/10/06 4:26:36 PM


Water Flow Monitoringfor <strong>Concrete</strong> TrucksRugged, Reliable, and Field ProvenULTRA SURFACE ® PRODUCTS• REPAIR• 1/4" STAMP• COLOR FLAKEREPAIR• RESURFACE• SPRAY-TOP®• TUFF-GRIT®RESURFACE• TEXTURE• ACID STAIN• STENCILAdd to your Business OpportunitiesTRAINING CLASSES EVERY MONTHSPRAY-TEXTURE$130.00 list$50.00 listFlowmeter with localindication, Model SFI-100T• Pulsed output for flowrate and totalization• Weatherproof and UV resistantconstruction• Field replaceable electronicsFlow proving switch,Model V-11• Switch contact to proveflow or no flow• Weatherproof construction• Field replaceable switch288595_<strong>Concrete</strong>.indd 11/4" STAMPINGCOLOR FLAKESPRAY-TOP®Toll Free (800) 232-8311www.concretesolutions.comAsk For Our Free Introduction PacketGAITHER's3-in-1 Tire ShopInnovative Tools for Tire ServiceGB-8A Bead BoosterUS Patents 7,017,642 & 7,000,667Automatic valve & foot pedal trigger releasesan instantaneous blast of air to seat tirebeads, allowing for easy inflation. Uses lesspressure than manual units, making it easier& safer for you!J1 Mounting/Dismounting SystemThe perfect tool for dismountingand mounting tubeless trucktires without having to lift thetire/wheel assembly! Donewhile tire is flat on the ground!Ph: 1-800-452-5010www.gaithertool.com6/13/06 2:06:57 PMLift BagPatented German designRevolutionizes how vehiclesare lifted! Lifts any vehiclefor instant maintenance!Safe on uneven surfaces & idealfor low profile vehicles. 20 ton capacity.W.E. Anderson - A Div. of Dwyer Instruments, Inc.•Phone: 1-800-872-914 •Fax: 219-872-9057•e-mail: lit@dwyer-inst.com •www.dwyer-inst.comConditioned AggregateAIR INTAKEBLOWERFUELELECTRICPC CONTROLBURNERCONTROL PANELHEATED AIRSTONEWorks Better!SANDVENTAgFlow is the ultimate aggregate control system – it heatscold material, conditions wet material and chills hot material toreduce weather related production losses.• New or Retrofit• Individual control for Up to 8 Bins• Manual to Integrated PLC/PC• Automatic Controls• EconomicalTo learn more just give us a call1-800-756-4937www.mixersystems.comProducts & ServicesMarketplace293053_Gaither.indd 19/6/06 8:16:09 PMCONCRETE in focus ı 79


Products & ServicesMarketplace1-800-284-041420303 Alfalfa Dr., Lago Vista, TX 78645292900_Tire.indd 120/7/06 5:57:40 PM289499_VMFiber.indd 80 ı FALL <strong>2006</strong> 17/10/06 11:06:02 289581_<strong>Concrete</strong>careers.indd AM16/28/06 1:12:35 PM


index to advertisersADMIXTURE AND ADDITIVE DISPENSERSChryso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10ADMIXTURESChryso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10International Materials Industries, LLC . . . . . .48Master Builders, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Sika Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Solomon Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22AGGREGATE EQUIPMENTStevenson Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78AGGREGATE HEATING EQUIPMENTMixer Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79AGGREGATE SEPARATORSStephens Manufacturing Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . .14ALUMINUM WHEELSAlcoa Wheel Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24BATCH PLANTSBesser Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44Merts, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68Mixer Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79Simem America LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Stevenson Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78BLADES, MIXERMixer Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79BRUSHESRiviera Brush Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77BUTTERFLY VALVESWAM, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48CEMENTBuzzi Unicem USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46CEMEX USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Holcim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47CEMENT SCREW CONVEYORSWAM Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48CEMENT SILOSMerts, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68CHUTE CLOSURE DEVICESForfam, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82CHUTE WASH SYSTEMSEnvirochute. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48CHUTESGladstone Metals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18COLORED CONCRETEInternational Materials Industries, LLC . . . . . .48COMPUTER SOFTWARESystech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40TMT Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18CONCRETE1-800 <strong>Concrete</strong> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12CONCRETE ADDITIVESInternational Materials Industries, LLC . . . . . .48CONCRETE BATCH MIXERSR & S Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Schwing America, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4CONCRETE BATCH PLANTS<strong>Concrete</strong> Plant Manufacturers Bureau . . . . . . .8CONCRETE CHIPPINGCoast 2 Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Jim’s <strong>Concrete</strong> Chipping Service, Inc. . . . . . . .80CONCRETE COLORANTSDavis Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51CONCRETE FIBERBuckeye Building Fibers LLC . . .inside front coverInternational Materials Industries, LLC . . . . . .48CONCRETE FIBER REINFORCEMENTBuckeye Building Fibers LLC . . .inside front coverCONCRETE PRODUCTIONScaletron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11CONCRETE PRODUCTSTarmac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82Titan America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82CONCRETE PUMPS & PLACING BOOMSConcord <strong>Concrete</strong> Pumps . . .outside back coverSchwing America, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4CONCRETE RECLAIMERSStephens Manufacturing Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . .14CONCRETE RECOVERY SYSTEMSStephens Manufacturing Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . .14CONCRETE RECYCLERSSchwing America, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Stephens Manufacturing Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . .14CONCRETE RESTORATIONInternational Materials Industries, LLC . . . . . .48CONVEYORSMerts, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68Mixer Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79Westcon MFG Inc. THEAM conveyors . . . . . . .29CURING INTERNALLYNortheast Solite Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54DECORATIVE CONCRETE<strong>Concrete</strong> Solutions Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79DRUM MIXERSBMH Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82DUST COLLECTION SYSTEMSC&W Manufacturing & Sales Co. . . . . . . . . . . . .3Stephens Manufacturing Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . .14WAM Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48EMPLOYMENT SERVICES<strong>Concrete</strong>careers.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80ENVIRONMENTALEnviro-Port, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82Prime-A-Pac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77EXECUTIVE SEARCH<strong>Concrete</strong>careers.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80FIBER REINFORCEMENTBekaert Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69Buckeye Building Fibers LLC . . .inside front coverVM Fiber Feeder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80INVESTMENT BANKERSFMI Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62LIFT AXLESWatson & Chalin Manufacturing, Inc. . . . . . . .39MANAGEMENT CONSULTINGFMI Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS/INVESTMENTBANKINGThe Greystone Group, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38MIXER LINERSArgonics, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34MIXER TRUCKSCustom Truck & Equipment,L.L.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .inside back coverTruck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau . . . . . . . . .16MIXERSBMH Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82Mixer Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79PAVING EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERSTerex Roadbuilding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42PERSONNEL<strong>Concrete</strong>careers.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80PIGMENTSLANXESS Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36READY MIX PLANTSBesser Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44Merts, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68Mixer Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79REVERSING DRUM MIXERBMH Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82SAFETY EQUIPMENT/FALL PROTECTIONSafe-T-Strap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78SILOS, CEMENTMixer Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79SLIDE GATE VALVESWAM Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48STAFFING<strong>Concrete</strong>careers.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80TIRE CHANGING TOOLS & LIFT EQUIPMENTGaither Tool Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79TIRE SALES & SERVICESTire Pressure Control International Ltd. . . . . . .80TRUCK MIXERSCustom Truck & Equipment,L.L.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .inside back coverSchwing America, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4TRUCKSCustom Truck & Equipment,L.L.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .inside back coverMack Trucks, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52USED EQUIPMENT SALESStevenson Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78VENTILATION SYSTEMSStephens Manufacturing Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . .14VIBRATORSVibco Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72WATER HEATERS & CHILLERSPearson Heating Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . .30WATER HEATING EQUIPMENTKemco Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69Ludell Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48WATERFLOW MONITORINGDwyer Instruments, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79CONCRETE in focus ı 81


workforce issuesPlease note: The column contained here should in no way be considered a substitute forcompetent legal counsel. It is only meant as a guide to help employers know when it is necessary toconsult an attorney on issues pertaining to labor-management relations and other workplace issues.classifiedsCHUTE CLOSURE DEVICEShute Shutter® by Forfam Incorporated1642 Las TrampasAlamo, CA 94507-1824Tel:(925) 831-6118 / Fax:(925) 837-1484E-mail: sales@forfaminc.comWebsite: www.forfaminc.comShute Shutter ® , the fully automatic chute closuredevice, stops spills, concrete theft, windshield &damage claims, saves time & money & reducesinsurance costs. Utilize Close & Go if washoutsare not allowed.advertiser.comQMy state has adopted intrastate drivers’ hours-of-service(HOS) tolerance guidelines. Can I allow my drivers to operateunder these guidelines?Yes, but only if they operate exclusively in intrastate com-A driver who normally operates in intrastate com-Amerce.merce is subject to the federal HOS regulations for thefollowing 7 or 8 days (depending on whether the driver is ona 7 or 8 day schedule) after he or she makes an interstatetrip. For example, both North and South Carolina have adoptedintrastate tolerance guidelines. A driver based at a plant in North Carolinamaking a delivery across the border in South Carolina would have tooperate under federal HOS rules for the next 7 or 8 days after crossingthe state line because he or she engaged in interstate commerce. ■CONCRETE PRODUCTSCompany Website PageAlcoa Wheel Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.marcusthomasad.com . . . . . . . . . . .24Argonics, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.argonics.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34Bekaert Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.bekaert.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69Besser Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.besser.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44BMH Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.bmhsystems.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82Buckeye Building Fibers LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ultrafiber500.com . . .inside front coverC&W Manufacturing & Sales Co. . . . . . . . . . .www.cwmfg.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3CEMEX USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.cemexusa.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Chryso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.chryso-online.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Coast 2 Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.C2C-chipping.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Concord <strong>Concrete</strong> Pumps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.concordpumps.ca . . . . . . . .Back cover<strong>Concrete</strong> Plant Manufacturers Bureau . . . . .www.cpmb.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8<strong>Concrete</strong> Solutions, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.concretesolutions.com . . . . . . . . . . .79<strong>Concrete</strong>careers.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.concretecareers.com . . . . . . . . . . . .80Custom Truck & Equipment, L.L.C. . . . . . . . . .www.cbodyllc.com . . . . . . .inside back coverDavis Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.daviscolors.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51Dwyer Instruments, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.dwyer-inst.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79Envirochute. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.envirochute.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48Enviro-Port, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.enviro-port.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82FMI Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.fminet.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62Forfam, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.forfaminc.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82Gaither Tool Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.gaithertool.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79Gladstone Metals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.gladstonemetals.com . . . . . . . . . . . .18The Greystone Group, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.thegreystonegroup.com . . . . . . . . . .38Holcim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.holcim.com/us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47International Materials Industries, LLC . . . . .www.imiadmixtures.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48Kemco Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.kemcosystems.com . . . . . . . . . . . . .69LANXESS Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.us.lanxess.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36Ludell Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.elliscorp.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48TarmacP.O. Box 2016Norfolk, VA 23501Tel:(757) 858-6500 / Fax:(757) 855-2919Website: www.tarmacamerica.com224064_Tarmac.indd 1Tarmac serves customers in Florida from more than30 ready-mixed concrete plants throughout the statemaking us one of the top ready-mix producers in theU.S. Our mission is to be the preferred supplier ofready-mixed concrete in all our served markets. Thisgoal is achieved by meeting our customers' mostimportant demand - a product of the highest qualitysupplied on schedule. With customers in both thepublic and private sectors of construction, Tarmacconcrete can be found in projects ranging fromheavily traveled highways and bridges, to downtownskyscrapers and backyard patios.7/31/06 10:40:30 AMTitan America1151 Azalea Garden RoadNorfolk, VA 23502Tel:(757) 858-6473 / Fax:(757) 855-7707Website: www.titanamerica.comTitan America, one of the 224061_Titan.indd top producers 1 of ready-7/31/06 10:39:01 AMmixed concrete in the United States, servescustomers in Virginia from more than 15 ready-mixplants throughout the state. A complete Value AddedProducts line presents many options to ensure theright concrete for any project. With customers in boththe public and private sectors of construction, TitanAmerica concrete can be found in projects rangingfrom heavily traveled highways and bridges, todowntown skyscrapers and backyard patios.DRUM MIXERSBMH Systems71 Du TremblayBoucherville, QC J4B 7L6 293005_BMH.indd 1 7/24/06 8:42:18 AMTel:(450) 449-4770 / Fax:(450) 449-4898E-mail: bmh@bmhsystems.comWebsite: www.bmhsystems.comBMH Systems is expert in the design andmanufacturing of Central Mix Plants and <strong>Concrete</strong>Mixers. The company is focused on providing tailormadesolutions to meet the specific needs of eachcustomer. Always aiming for our customers to be thebest of their league, we put an emphasis on theexcellent quality and consistency of your concrete.BMH's RollMaster ® reversing drum mixer is the mostprofitable type of mixer for the ready-mix industry. Itprovides you with an edge over your competition byoffering supreme consistency, very low operatingcosts and superior durability. RollMaster ® isguaranteed for 3 years or 500,000yd.ENVIRONMENTALENVIRO-PORT offers 100% ready-mix reclamation forthe <strong>Ready</strong>-Mix and Precast producers. Enviro-Port willhelp manage your plant's process and storm water.New is our add-on system for producers that haveexisting reclaimers and/or pit systems that desire100% reclamation with gray water rebatching. Visitour website at: www.enviro-port.com.253678_EnviroPort.indd 1 7/28/06 10:57:30 AMCompany Website PageMack Trucks, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.macktrucks.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52Master Builders, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.masterbuilders.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Merts, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.merts.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68Mixer Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.mixersystems.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79Pearson Heating Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . .www.pearsonsystems.com . . . . . . . . . . . .30Prime-A-Pac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.primeapac.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77R & S Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.randsinc.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Riviera Brush Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.rivierabrush.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77Safe-T-Strap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.safe-t-strap.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78Scaletron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.scaletron.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Schwing America, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.schwing.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Sika Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.sika-corp.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Simem America LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.simemamerica.com . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Solomon Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.solomoncolors.com . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Stephens Manufacturing Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . .www.stephensmfg.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Stevenson Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.stevensonequipment.com . . . . . . . . .78Systech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.systech-inc.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40Tarmac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.tarmacamerica.com . . . . . . . . . . . . .82Terex Roadbuilding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.terexrb.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42Tire Pressure Control International Ltd. . . . .www.tireboss.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80Titan America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.titanamerica.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82TMT Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.tmtsoftware.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau . . . . . . . .www.tmmb.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Vibco Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.vibco.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72VM Fiber Feeder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.vmfiberfeeder.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80WAM, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.waminc.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48Watson & Chalin Manufacturing, Inc. . . . . . .www.WatsonSuspensions.com . . . . . . . . .39Westcon MFG Inc. THEAM conveyors . . . . . .www.theamconveyors.co . . . . . . . . . . . . .29TM82 ı FALL <strong>2006</strong>


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