e-News: News Archive

School construction changes after storms with 'mandatory safe spaces'

rgemelaris@ncma.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:04:01 GMT

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School construction changes after storms with 'mandatory safe spaces'
Deseret News
Matt Taylor works on a wall at the site of the new Hatton High School in Hatton, Ala., Wednesday, May 29. The large amount of rebar and concrete on the construction site at Hatton High is not there by accident. Instead, it represents a change in how schools are constructed in Alabama. Three years after eight students died when a tornado hit Enterprise High School in 2007, the Alabama Building Commission started requiring mandatory safe spaces in new K-12 public schools.

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Date: 6/13/2013

2013 NCMA Midyear sponsorships available

rgemelaris@ncma.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:20:45 GMT

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MEETING AND EXPO NEWS

2013 NCMA Midyear sponsorships available
NCMA
Put your company in the spotlight with a prominent sponsorship at NCMA's Midyear Meeting, July 31 - Aug. 4 at The Drake Hotel in Chicago. There are many opportunities to fit every budget that will give your company the chance to stand out in front of this highly targeted audience!

Date: 6/13/2013

Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute names Steven R. Hawkins vice president of marketing

rgemelaris@ncma.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:19:48 GMT

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MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute names Steven R. Hawkins vice president of marketing
Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute
The Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute announced today that Steven R. Hawkins, AIA, has been named vice president of marketing. He will now be responsible for all CRSI nationwide marketing and promotional activities, including region promotion and region manager activities.

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Date: 6/13/2013

April PPI: Lumber jumps

rgemelaris@ncma.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:12:00 GMT

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April PPI: Lumber jumps
Portland Cement Association
The steel and asphalt Producer Price Indices were down in April from year-ago levels, decreasing 8.9 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively. Lumber increased sharply at 23.1 percent, its largest year-over-year gain since May 2010. Concrete climbed a relatively modest 3.1 percent from April 2012.

Each competitive material except for asphalt (down 0.8 percent) rose from March. Steel's gain of 0.4 percent from March brought its level back to that of February. The concrete PPI was up 0.9 percent, and lumber saw the largest increase on a percentage point basis at 2.6 percent. For more information, contact Michael Howard.

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Date: 6/13/2013

$1.5 billion UConn expansion to create 30,000 construction jobs

rgemelaris@ncma.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:10:54 GMT

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$1.5 billion UConn expansion to create 30,000 construction jobs
The Associated Press via The Boston Globe
A $1.5 billion expansion of the University of Connecticut has received final approval from the state's General Assembly. UConn's Next Generation plan consists of construction projects on several campuses, including new laboratories, classrooms and housing. The expansion is expected to create 30,000 construction jobs.

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Date: 6/13/2013

National Association of Manufacturers 'Economic Report'

rgemelaris@ncma.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:10:19 GMT

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ECONOMIC NEWS

National Association of Manufacturers 'Economic Report'
National Association of Manufacturers
On many levels, last week's economic indicators confirmed weaknesses in the manufacturing sector. The Institute for Supply Management's Purchasing Managers' Index dropped below 50 — the threshold for growth — for the first time since November. New orders and production levels contracted, with hiring stalled. Some respondents cited softness in export sales, while others noted weaker domestic demand stemming from government spending cuts, higher payroll taxes and other uncertainties.

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Date: 6/13/2013

NCMA staff on the go

rgemelaris@ncma.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:09:36 GMT

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NCMA staff on the go
NCMA
NCMA's Director of Government Affairs Bill Plenge, Director of Member Services Clare Ramminger and President Bob Thomas are on Capitol Hill visiting congressional representatives with NCMA members to gather support for the NCMA Check Off program.

Vice President of Engineering Jason Thompson, Manager of the Research and Development Laboratory Nick Lang, and Structural Projects and Research Engineer Dominick Dowds are participating in the ASTM C12 and C15 Committee meetings in Indianapolis, June 10-13. Geotechnical Engineer Gabriela Mariscal is also in Indianapolis for the ASTM D18 and D35 Committee meetings.

NCMA's Vice President of Engineering Jason Thompson will be presenting the latest masonry design practices at the Structural Engineers Association of Arizona conference beginning June 20, hosted by the Arizona Masonry Guild.

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Date: 6/13/2013

NCMA research leads to new concrete masonry design strengths

rgemelaris@ncma.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:09:06 GMT

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NCMA research leads to new concrete masonry design strengths
NCMA
Through research recently completed at NCMA's Research and Development Laboratory a new database of assembly compressive strength values was generated using more contemporary materials and testing procedures, the results of which highlight that the existing unit strength method of 1,500 psi contains a large margin of conservatism. Drawing from this research, the unit strength table was recalibrated to more accurately reflect expected assembly compressive strength values. Under this recalibration, which will be reflected in the 2013 edition of the MSJC Code and Specification, a concrete masonry unit with a compressive strength of 2,000 psi and laid in Type S mortar will produce an assembly compressive strength (f’m) of 2,000 psi — substantially higher than the historical baseline of 1,500 psi offering significant economical savings.

For more information on the unit strength recalibration efforts contact Vice President of Engineering Jason Thompson or see the full detail of this research investigation here.

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Date: 6/13/2013

Executive education program for industry managers considered

rgemelaris@ncma.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:08:27 GMT

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

Executive education program for industry managers considered
NCMA
Mark Wilhelms, VP at Kirchner Block and Brick and a member of the NCMA Education Committee and Training Committee, is working with Middle Tennessee State University Concrete Industry Management Department to develop a "mini MBA course" tailored for the concrete masonry/hardscape industry. This five-day program at MTSU is proposed for Jan. 6-10, 2014, and would serve as a springboard for managers to prepare themselves for assuming higher levels of executive leadership positions within their organizations. A strong emphasis would be placed on establishing business skills and leadership capabilities. Tuition for the week-long program is $4250 not including travel and housing. (A grant request for partial tuition reimbursement has been submitted to the NCMA Foundation for consideration at their meeting in July.) The NCMA Long Range Planning Committee and Executive Committee encouraged further consideration of the program. MTSU professors are prepared to work on developing the content for this program over the summer if there is support for a class of 20 students. Also, if you're interested in sending someone please contact NCMA Director of Publications, Dennis Graber by June 14 so the level of interest can be passed on to the Foundation for their meeting at Midyear.

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Date: 6/13/2013

Notice regarding DOE public comments for the International Energy Conservation Code

rgemelaris@ncma.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:07:56 GMT

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Notice regarding DOE public comments for the International Energy Conservation Code
U.S. Department of Energy
The U.S. Department of Energy has published draft public comments regarding proposed changes to the International Energy Conservation Code. DOE is requesting stakeholder feedback on its draft comments by June 28. DOE participates in the development of the IECC as administered by the International Code Council. Masonry Alliance for Codes and Standards will provide public comments to the IECC on behalf of the masonry industry. DOE previously solicited public input on its proposals for the IECC, and made revisions and enhancements based on feedback received (Docket No. EERE-2012-BT-BC-0030). Currently, DOE has drafted public comments for the IECC based on actions taken at the recent ICC Committee Action Hearings, and is requesting public input on its draft comments. DOE code change proposals, draft public comments, and related resources are available on the DOE Building Energy Codes website. For more information, contact NCMA Vice President of Engineering Jason Thompson.

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Date: 6/13/2013

Robot dog plays game of 'catch' with concrete blocks

rgemelaris@ncma.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:07:32 GMT

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Robot dog plays game of 'catch' with concrete blocks
CBS News
The last time we checked in on Boston Dynamics, they had a "robot bison" demonstrating some of what it could do out in the field. Here is a different kind of robot in action. The robot on display in the video is named BigDog, and was recently posted by Boston Dynamics who write about their latest: BigDog handles heavy objects. Click here to watch the video.

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Date: 6/13/2013

Think Harder about providing disaster resilient construction

rgemelaris@ncma.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:07:02 GMT

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Think Harder about providing disaster resilient construction
Portland Cement Association
On the PCA-sponsored website, think-harder.org, are some good resources that promote the value of concrete and concrete masonry construction. Check out the following pieces:

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Date: 6/13/2013

Green Globes revises program to meet US sustainability standards

rgemelaris@ncma.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:06:29 GMT

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Green Globes revises program to meet US sustainability standards
Portland Business Journal
The Green Globes for New Construction program has been updated to comply with federal sustainability standards for government buildings, according to the Green Building Initiative. The Green Globes program is an alternative certification program to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED.

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Date: 6/13/2013

British producer introduces carbon negative concrete block

rgemelaris@ncma.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:05:58 GMT

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British producer introduces carbon negative concrete block
DesignBuild Source
British masonry producer Lignacite has unveiled what it claims is the world’s first "carbon-negative building block." The company says its new Carbon Buster block, developed in partnership with Carbon8 Aggregates, is the first-ever building block that captures more carbon dioxide than it generates during the manufacturing process, at around 14 kg of CO2 per ton. The block is comprised of over 50 percent recycled aggregate, combined with carbon aggregates created using thermal residue from a carbonation plant. The residue is mixed with blenders and fillers before undergoing pelletisation.

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Date: 6/13/2013

SMART |dynamics of masonry premier issue available online

rgemelaris@ncma.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:05:26 GMT

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SMART |dynamics of masonry premier issue available online
Smart Dynamics of Masonry
SMART |dynamics of masonry, debuts as a new, national masonry magazine educating those in the built environment throughout the United States and Canada. It is a collaboration among the industry to present masonry as a total building system. For subscription and distribution information, please contact ptaylor@bsyoung.com. Read the premier issue magazine online.

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Date: 6/13/2013

Masonry research community converges on Vancouver

rgemelaris@ncma.org — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:04:50 GMT

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Masonry research community converges on Vancouver
NCMA
NCMA's Vice President of Engineering Jason Thompson, attended the 12th Canadian Masonry Symposium and presented the Association's recently completed research investigation aimed at recalibrating the unit strength method for verifying concrete masonry assembly compressive strength. Held once every four years, the Symposium brings together researchers, students, and industry professionals from around the world to present and discuss the latest knowledge in masonry research investigations. Concluding June 7, the Symposium had representatives from 18 countries presenting more than 160 papers covering a broad range of topics from seismic design, blast resistance, and sustainability of contemporary masonry construction. A detailed program and list of topics is available here.

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Date: 6/13/2013