NRCS0410

infocus Concrete

September/October 2010

A PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL READY MIXED CONCRETE ASSOCIATION

Safety Benchmarking Report and Contest Characters of Concrete Strong Partnerships, Sustainable Development Strategies

2010

National Ready Mixed Concrete Association

Fleet Benchmarking and Costs Survey

-VYT\SH[PUN :VS\[PVUZ MVY 8\HU[PM`PUN *VUJYL[L :\Z[HPUHIPSP[`

,JV ,MMPJPLUJ` (UHS`ZPZ )(:- PU[YVK\JLZ ,JV ,MÄJPLUJ` (UHS`ZPZ TL[OVKVSVN` MVY :4 .YLLU :LUZL *VUJYL[L TP_[\YLZ ;OPZ WYV]LU WYVNYHT L_HTPULZ [OL LU]PYVUTLU[HS SPML J`JSL VM JVUJYL[L ILNPUUPUN ^P[O [OL L_[YHJ[PVU VM YH^ TH[LYPHSZ [OYV\NO [OL WYVK\J[PVU VM JVUJYL[L ,ULYN` JVUZ\TW[PVU LTPZZPVUZ [V_PJP[` WV[LU[PHS YPZR WV[LU[PHS YH^ TH[LYPHS JVUZ\TW[PVU HUK SHUK \ZL HYL HSS X\HU[PÄLK PU [OPZ HUHS`ZPZ PKLU[PM`PUN [OL JVUJYL[L TP_[\YL ^P[O [OL SV^LZ[ LJVUVTPJ HUK LJVSVNPJHS PTWHJ[

^^^ IHZM HKTP_[\YLZ JVT ,,(

7YV\K 4LTILY VM!

Ekh hkdmWoi ^WdZb[ /&&"&&& fekdZ ceZ[bi 8IFUIFS ZPVS NPEFM JT B TJ[F PS B TJ[F ZPVS SVOXBZ OFFET UP CF BCMF UP IBOEMF UIF MPBE *G ZPVµSF CVJMEJOH GPS KVNCP KFUT JOTUFBE PG KVNCP FHPT QBSUOFSJOH XJUI )PMDJN XJMM IFMQ NBLF UIF DPODSFUF ZPVµSF QPVSJOH POF PG UIF TUSPOHFTU NPTU SFMJBCMF NBUFSJBMT PO FBSUI #FDBVTF XF LOPX ZPVS DSFBUJPOT OFFE UP MBTU MPOHFS UIBO UIJT ZFBSµT MJOF PG PWFS IZQFE GBTIJPOT "OE XFµWF JOWFTUFE MJLF OP PUIFS NBOVGBDUVSFS UP TVQQPSU GPSXBSE UIJOLJOH QSPKFDUT XJUI QSPEVDUT UIBU QFSGPSN XJUI TUSVDUVSBM JOUFHSJUZ BT XFMM BT XJUI FOWJSPONFOUBM TFOTJCJMJUZ 8F CFMJFWF QSPHSFTT TIPVME CF NFBTVSFE OPU POMZ CZ IPX NVDI ZPV EP CVU IPX XFMM ZPV EP JU 4JODF XF IBWF CFFO IFMQJOH CVJMEFST CF NPSF QSPEVDUJWF BOE NPSF FOWJSPONFOUBMMZ GSJFOEMZ 'SPN BEEJOH SFDZDMFE NBUFSJBMT UP PVS QSPEVDUT UP NBLF UIFN HSFFOFS UP VOCFBUBCMF UFDIOJDBM TFSWJDF UP -&&% BDDSFEJUFE TUBGG ° XF BSF UIF QFSGFDU QBSUOFS UP IFMQ ZPVS CVTJOFTT UBLF PGG #FDBVTF CVJMEJOH XJUI DPODSFUF OFWFS HPFT PVU PG TUZMF )PMDJN 1FSGFDUJOH 1SPHSFTT XXX IPMDJN VT SVOXBZ

1FSGFDUJOH 1SPHSFTT

Dramix® better together

Dramix® READY - steel fiber reinforcement

NEW

YES! Dramix® READY is: • The Gold medal winning aspect ratio (length / diameter) of 80 • The 100M dash winner: strong performance, having 3325 feet of wire per cubic yard • Replaces steel with steel and reduces cracks in your floors • Minimum reinforcement always at the right place • Time and money saving solution

economical lightly reinforced floors

www.bekaert.com/building

Bekaert Corporation - Building Products 1395 S. Marietta Parkway, Bldg 500 Suite 100 Marietta, GA 30067 P. 800 555 1775 - F. 770 426 8107 building.us@bekaert.com

infocus Concrete

September/October 2010, Vol. 9, No. 5

contents features

Concrete infocus is published for: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association 900 Spring Street Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Phone: (301) 587-1400 Fax: (301) 585-4219 www.nrmca.org

21

Strong Partnerships Vital to Advancement of Sustainable Development Strategies

23

Characters of Concrete: Meet Jerry Woods

President: Robert A. Garbini, P.E.

depar tments

Managing Editor: Kathleen Carr-Smith Association Editor: Frank Cavaliere

7

Published by:

Truck Tracs: 2010 NRMCA Fleet Benchmarking and Costs Survey

14 Naylor, LLC 5950 NW 1st Place Gainesville, Florida 32607 Phone: (800) 369-6220 Fax: (352) 331-3525 www.naylor.com

Safety First: 2010 NRMCA Safety Benchmarking Survey Results

17

Environmental Scene: Environmental Inspections at the Concrete Plant – The 5 Ws

Publisher: Jill Andreu

19

Tech Talk: Impact of Project Specifications on Sustainable Development

25

Corporate Suite: Recession Means Opportunity!

26

Quality Corner: What Equipment Does a Concrete Technician Really Need?

30

Advertisers’ Index/Advertiser.com

Editor: Sean Garrity Project Manager: Heather Ciocca Marketing Research: Amanda Niklaus Advertising Director: Maureen Hays Account Representatives: Lou Brandow, Ryan Griffin, Norbert Musial, Christine Ricci, Rick Sauers, Jamie Williams, Chris Zabel Layout and Design: Catharine Snell Advertising Art: Aaron Harper ©2010 Naylor, LLC. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher.

PUBLISHED AUGUST 2010 NRC-S0410/9977

Please visit the electronic version of Concrete Infocus at http://www.nrmca. org/news/connections/ for bonus features, including “Reconfigure Your Job to Create More Engaging and Fulfilling Work Experiences” and “Best Sellers.”

Editor’s Note: The article “In-Transit Process Control for Ready Mixed Concrete,” appearing in the July/August 2010 edition of Concrete Infocus was a draft version at the time of publication. It contained comments not written by the authors and did not fully reflect their views. To read the corrected, final version of the article, please visit http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/ NRCS0310/.

Visit our Buyers’ Guide online at NRMCA.OfficialBuyersGuide.net

CONCRETE

in focus

ı

5

TO THE GOLD STANDARD

ADVANTAGE #81 AMERICA’S FIRST INTEGRATED TRUCK AND ENGINE MANUFACTURER PLACES THE GOLD BULLDOG STAMP OF APPROVAL ON EVERY MACK TRUCK WITH A 100 PERCENT MACK PEDIGREE POWERTRAIN. ®

SEE ALL THE ADVANTAGES AT MACKADVANTAGES.COM ©2010 Mack Trucks, Inc. All rights reserved.

truck tracs

2010 National Ready Mixed Concrete Association

Fleet Benchmarking and Costs Survey By: Terry Jones, Irving Materials Inc. NRMCA OES Committee Chairman Mike Zagula, Metro Ready Mix NRMCA OES Committee Vice Chairman Jeff Hinkle, Chandler Concrete NRMCA Operations Task Group Chairman Bryce Mobley, Mobley Constructions NRMCA Operation Task Group Vice Chairman Gary M. Mullings, NRMCA Sr. Vice President of Operations and Compliance

Introduction

T

he National Ready Mixed Concrete A s s o c i a t i on ( N R MC A ) F le e t Benchmarking and Costs Survey was established to provide concrete producers with information to evaluate and benchmark ready mixed concrete f leet maintenance and utilization. The survey was developed and responses analyzed by the NRMCA Operations, Environmental and Safety (OES) Committee. For the ready mixed concrete industry, those involved in the day-to-day management of a f leet of mixer trucks are confronted with an ever changing array of business environments and thus a never ending array of decisions.

The competitive nature of the business and long construction seasons makes operating a fleet of mixer trucks very demanding. What used to be a 9-month business in most northern climates has become a 12-month-a-year construction season. In the most recent years, the industry has witnessed a downturn in ready mixed concrete production the likes of which have not been seen since the Great Depression and at the same time a dramatic shift in management to one that includes expectations with no tolerance for unsatisfactory performance, forcing ready mixed concrete fleet managers to reevaluate their f leet, park trucks, sell trucks, reduce the work force, and yet still maintain exceedingly high levels of reliability and cost efficiency day in and day out. Most, if not all, successful ready

mixed concrete producers have always measured themselves in one way or another, relying primarily on financial accounting principles.

Fleet operating statistics are measured to quantify current performance and to plan and budget for future improvements, whether it’s downsizing to meet current demand levels or buying to meet future challenges. The real challenge is to know what to measure, when to measure and to know what constitutes good performance.

Benchmarking allows the fleet manager, accountant or ready mixed concrete executive to identify and compare costs and other performance factors with industry averages as obtained from this survey. Once the fleet’s management strategies and performance have been successfully benchmarked, the fleet manager has a tool to identify the unsatisfactory as well as the excellent performance areas of their fleet.

Benchmarking fleet statistics allows the ready mixed concrete industry to identify the areas that require change and facilitates continuous improvement of the fleet. Lacking complete understanding of the fleet’s cost components and a strategy for adequate fleet replacement schedules is a significant issue in fleet management.

Confidentiality The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association keeps all individual company

and or divisional data submitted for the survey strictly confidential. After verification of all data entry and calculations, the Association destroys the entry forms and all tabulation records that specifically attribute data to a producer, division and plant. This policy was established to help elevate the level of participation and enhance the statistics through a strong sampling of the industry. NRMCA treats confidentiality with the highest priority and under no circumstances will release single company results

2010 Fleet Benchmarking Survey The 2010 Fleet Benchmarking Survey Form was sent to NRMCA member companies’ fleet managers, financial officers and primary contacts in January 2010 through its NRMCA E-NEWSweekly and was also posted on NRMCA’s Web site, www.nrmca. org. An electronic format file of the survey form was distributed via e-mail to the NRMCA membership as well. A target email campaign was also initiated where as all past survey applicants, the OES Committee members and selected NRMCA database individuals were also sent electronic copies of the survey to further participation from NRMCA members. The deadline for all survey responses was April 1, 2010 (extended until April 15). The survey (attached in the appendix of this report) consisted of 70 fillin-the-blank type questions. The form for 2010 was reviewed by the OES Committee CONCRETE

in focus

ı

7

and Operations Task Group and approved for distribution. The survey response represents data for 2009. The fleet managers and financial officers were instructed to submit information to the extent available, if all questions could not be answered. The 70 survey questions were distributed in the following 10 sections: Region Mixer Fleet Chassis Configuration Fleet Performance Fuel Consumption

Table 2: Submitted Data Representation A. Only your current operating fleet of mixers and not any parked trucks B. Your fleet of operating mixers as well as parked “tagged” mixers but no “untagged and parked” mixers C. All of your mixer fleet, operating and parked (tagged or not) D. We have no parked trucks and all trucks are operating

47%

18%

Mixer Maintenance Tire Information Preventive Maintenance Front-End-Loaders Benchmarking

30% 5%

Mixer Fleets Survey Responses Now in its 12th year, the annual survey is limited to NRMCA member companies only. NRMCA received submissions from 87 companies or divisions (4% less than 2009). The usefulness of these fleet performance statistics are enhanced by the level of participation in the survey. Some items were not responded to by all participants.

The percentage response is reported in each of the following sections and it is suggested by the authors that a response less than about 30% may not be statistically significant. Results of the survey are complied nationally. Responses came from eight geographical regions which are mapped in the appendix of this report.

Eastern

23%

Southeastern 22% Great Lakes/ Midwest

13%

South Central 16%

US Region

North Central Rocky Mountain Pacific Northwest Pacific Southwest

% of Total Responses

US Region

% of Total Responses

Table 1: Geographical Distribution of Survey Responses by Percent

5%

ı

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

18,000 16,000 14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

typical) for truck mixers in a fleet is 83. This means that about half the companies that responded to the survey have 83 truck mixers or less and the other half reported more than 83 truck mixers.

The average age of a fleet by company and average age of the individual trucks was approximately the same as last year.

The average fleet age for the 87 companies/ divisions that responded to this question was 7.3 years, while the average age of individual trucks was calculated to be 6.2 years.

(Individual company number of trucks x fleet age /total number of trucks surveyed) These numbers reflect the industry’s practice of retiring and selling older vehicles while at the same time not replacing those vehicles with newer units. According to the Truck Mixers Manufacturers Bureau, sales of new truck mixers were lower than any time since the 1940s.

In terms of sheer numbers, rear discharge mixers still dominate the survey, representing 83% of all mixers. Front discharge mixers make up the remaining 17% of the truck mixers. It is interesting to note that 27% of all companies/divisions reporting do have mixed fleets with some front and some rear discharge mixers. Considering previous trends with fleets that include at least one mixer truck with a conveyor system attached, these data suggest that this frequency is about one in 10 companies.

6% 3%

Table 3: Mixer Fleet Statistics Item

13%

Due to the lack of instructions on the electronic submission form, an additional question was asked of all participants to help better analyze this year’s data. Many producers have parked trucks recently. Some have removed tags but hope to bring the trucks back into service in the future. Participating companies were asked which of the following statements best described the data they had submitted.

8

A total of 13,839 concrete mixer trucks are represented in the 2010 survey. In 2009 the survey represented 14,588 truck mixers. Using yards delivered per truck annually (survey question #63) and the estimated total U.S. ready mixed concrete produced from the NRMCA Web site, one can estimate the number of ready mixed concrete trucks currently operating in the United States to be approximately 68,000.

This is compared to an estimated 80,000 just a few years ago. On a national basis the severe recession in the ready mixed concrete industry started in the middle part of 2006 and the rate of decline in production peaked between the third and fourth quarters of 2009. Along with the reduction in production, most companies have retired older mixers, sold off some of their fleet, and have parked and removed tags on other trucks.

Based on data submitted, the average number of mixer trucks per company/division is 159 (down slightly from the 2009 report). This number continues to change every year due to consolidation, mergers, recession and demographics of those who participate in this survey. The median number (which may be more

Fleet Benchmarking Survey: # of Truck Mixers

Description

1

# Trucks

2

Age, Years

3

Front Discharge

4

Rear Discharge

5

All Wheel Drive

6

Conveyor Equipped

7

Trailer Mixers

Companies Reporting (Percent)

87 (100%) 86 (99%) 38 (44%) 74 (85%) 29 (33%) 9 (10%) 4 (5%)

Total Number

Average per company reporting

High

Low

Median

13,839

159

1,116

11

83

7.3

13.1

2.4

7.2

2,383

61

342

2

36

11,454

155

896

4

83

2,842

98

602

2

47

37

4

9

1

3

243

61

180

2

31

Finally, 5% of the participating companies reported trailer mixers as part of their fleets, up slightly compared to last year’s survey.

Chassis Configurations Over the last several decades many variations in axle configuration have been developed in response to varying state weight laws. In 2007 an extra item number was included in the survey for a “2-axle” category. These mixers commonly do not require a driver with a commercial driver’s license (CDL). According to the 2010 Fleet Survey, three-axle and four-axle booster or pusher configurations are most common. This accounts for about 56 percent of the operating mixer trucks. In order to meet federal bridge weight restrictions and increase load carrying capacity, more ready mixed concrete trucks are using four or more axles. In the four-axle category, tail axles outnumber pushers by nearly 2-to-1. These data may be biased by the geographical distribution of responses and the pertinent state and local weight restrictions.

Fleet Performance The survey represents ready mixed concrete trucks that traveled more than 190 million miles. That’s equal to more than 7,600 trips around the equator. The average annual mileage on a ready mixed concrete truck was 13,801 miles last year. This statistic is considerably lower than the high number recorded in the last 10 years of 18,896 (2006 survey) and can be contributed to the reduction in ready mixed concrete production on a national basis. Another interesting benchmarking data point is miles per cubic yard. This is calculated by dividing average truck miles by average total cubic yards delivered per truck. Nationally, that number this year is 3.65 miles/cubic yard. Miles per cubic yard can give a company an idea of how well its operation is able to acquire jobs close to the production facility. Naturally, large urban areas will have an advantage over more rural areas.

The average haul distance a truck mixer must travel will vary depending on location, type of construction, and commitment to customers. The average one-way haul distance for the 75 companies that reported data was 14.4 miles, which is one of the highest reported in the last 10 years.

For this survey the average load size was 7.7 cubic yards and the average full load was

Table 4: Summary of Chassis Configurations Item

Description

8

2-Axle

9

3-Axle

10

4-Axle/Booster

11

4-Axle/Pusher

12

5-Axle

13

6-Axle

14

7-Axle

Companies Reporting (Percent)

4 (5%) 39 (45%) 48 (55%) 31 (36%) 38 (44%) 17 (20%) 4 (5%)

Total Number

Average per company reporting

High

Low

Median

4

2

2

2

2

4,368

112

1,064

1

34

3,421

71

544

2

43

1,996

63

667

2

23

1,598

42

313

1

18

1,294

81

384

1

39

305

76

271

2

16

Table 5: Summary of Fleet Performance Item

15 16 17 18 19

Description

Annual Miles/Truck Annual Engine Hours Avg. One-Way Haul Distance, miles Avg. Load Size, cu. yd.

Typical Full Load Size, cu. yd.

Companies Reporting (Percent)

Average per company reporting

78 (90%) 71 (82%)

13,801 1.414

75 (86%)

14.4

38.0

5.0

13.5

84 (97%) 87 (100%)

7.7 9.8

10.0 11.0

5.6 7.5

7.7 10.0

High

Low

Median

35,000 2,384 12,838 3,500 403 1,347

Table 6: Summary of Fuel Usage Item

Description

20

Miles Per Gallon

21

Fuel, gal./hr.

22

Fuel, gal./yd3

23

Fuel, $/yd3

Companies Reporting (Percent)

Average per Company Reporting

High

Low

Median

3.38

7.0

2.1

3.2

2.77

7.10

0.3

2.9

1.10

4.30

0.44

1.05

$6.25 $1.45

$2.74

72 (83%) 56 (64%) 74 (85%) 85 (98%)

$2.81

Table 7: Summary of Fleet Maintenance Costs Item

Description

24

Parts: $/yd3

25

Shop: $/yd3

26

Outside Repairs: $/yd3

27

Radio: $/yd3

28

Tires & Tubes: $/yd3

29

TOTAL (23-27)

Wrecker Costs: $/yd3 Wrecker Costs: 30B $/eng hr Accident Repair 31 Cost: $/yd3 Accident Repair 31B Cost: $/eng hr 30

32

Truck Wash: $/yd3

32B

Truck Wash: $/vehicle/year

Companies Reporting (Percent)

83 (95%) 78 (90%) 68 (78%) 64 (74%) 81 (93%) 85 (98%) 55 (63%) 8 (9%) 41 (47%) 12 (14%) 58 (67%) 18 (21%)

Average per Company Reporting

High

Low

Median

$0.96

$2.99

$0.17

$0.81

$1.44

$4.85

$0.02

$1.44

$0.51

$10.50

$0.01

$0.21

$0.15

$1.26

$0.01

$0.11

$0.35

$0.74

$0.12

$0.33

$2.93

$12.26

$0.62

$2.93

$0.04

0.38

$0.01

$0.03

$0.05

$0.13

$0.01

$0.05

$0.06

$0.32

$0.01

$0.03

$0.24

$0.87

$0.01

$0.14

$0.15

$1.63

$0.01

$0.10

$352.01

$1425.82 $0.28

CONCRETE

$350.00

in focus

ı

9

9.8 cubic yards, down slightly from a year ago. Important to a ready mixed concrete producer is the “load size coefficient” which can be calculated by dividing average load size by typical full load size and multiplying times 100 to convert to a percentage. In general, the higher the load size coefficient, the lower the cost of trucking per cubic yard. Of the 84 companies reporting both numbers, the calculated average load size coefficient was 79%, with a high of 100% and a low of 59%.

Fuel Consumption One of the major costs in operating a ready mixed concrete fleet is fuel consumption. In the last few years our industry has seen unprecedented price increases for diesel and gasoline. Unfortunately, it appears that by all accounts that trend will continue for at least the near future. Fuel consumption factors can be measured in many different ways. Typical “miles per gallon” (mpg) is used as a measure by many “long haul” trucking companies. In the ready mixed concrete industry, although most companies track mpg data, it does not provide a true picture of fuel usage, considering that a mixer truck spends varying amount of time at idle, mixing concrete or off-road travel.

In this survey, 83% of those companies that reported fuel consumption data reported mpg, while 85% reported fuel consumption in “fuel cost per yard.” The price paid per gallon of fuel can also be calculated from data reported by companies on the basis of both “Gallon per Cubic Yard” and “Fuel Costs per Cubic Yard”: Price per Gallon = Fuel Cost per yd3 /Gallons per yd3.

The median fuel cost used in this survey was $2.58 per gallon; an increase of $0.85 or about 25% lower than the average fuel cost in 2008. Fuel costs per cubic yard are also down from $3.67 per yard in 2008 to $2.81 per yard in 2009, again about a 25% decrease. Important to this industry is the percentage of fuel usage for powertake-off (PTO) energy use. This information, however, cannot be determined from the reported data. In 2006 NRMCA with cooperation of its member companies conducted a national study on PTO fuel usage.

The data and final report was made available to the Federal Internal Revenue Service for consideration to rebate ready mixed concrete producers for excise taxes paid on this portion of fuel use. The study estimated PTO 10

ı

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

fuel use to be approximately 20 to 25% of total fuel consumption.

the fleet. In general, a younger fleet will have lower maintenance costs. Although, with technology ever advancing, new equipment and devices are being placed on mixers, most require at least some additional maintenance. The total maintenance cost is calculated by the sum of cost of parts, outside repair services, shop expenses, cost of tires, and cost for mobile communication.

Fleet Maintenance Expenses Maintenance costs associated with fleet operations represent a major expense to the ready mixed concrete producer. In past years, data reveal that cost of fleet maintenance is directly related to the average age of

Table 8: Summary of Tire Information Item

Companies Reporting (Percent)

Description

Recaps for steer tires =YES 33 =NO 34

35

Recaps for drive tires & lift axles = YES

37

If yes to 35, max # of recaps per tire Capitalize cost of tires/new mixers? =YES =NO

38

Avg # road calls/month

39

Avg lost hours./road call

40

Avg cost/tire-related breakdown

41

42

87 (100%)

Tire pressure checked Intervals =DAILY =WEEKLY =BIWEEKLY =MONTHLY Tire check done by: =DRIVER =MECHANIC =TIRE SERVICE

Low

Median

1.3

2

1

1

2.2

6

1

2

5.3

44

0.3

2.0

1.9

12.0

0.5

1.5

$146.79

$450

$35

$146

Low

Median

61 (70%) 26 (30%)

89 (90%) 87 (100%)

High

3 (3%) 84 (97%)

3 (3%)

Max # recap/casing

= NO 36

87 (100%)

Average per Company Reporting

35 (43%) 47 (57%)

74 (85%) 72 (83%) 69 (79%) 22 ..(25%) 40..(46%) 8.. (9%) 17.. (20%) 51 .. (59%) 20 .. (23%) 16 .. (18%)

Table 9: Summary of Preventive Maintenance Statistics Item

Description

Basis forPM Drain Interval =MILAGE =ENGINE HOURS 43 =CALENDAR DAYS =FUEL CONSUMPTION =OIL ANALYSIS

Companies Reporting (Percent)

87 (100%) 8 (9%) 71 (82%) 4 (5%) 4 (5%) 0 (0%)

Average per company reporting

High

Table 10: Summary of Mixer Drums Statistics Item

44

Description

Drum Chipping by:

Companies Reporting (Percent)

Driver

15 (17%)

Maint.

6 (7%)

Outside Service

65 (76%)

Tires

Average per company reporting

High

Low

Median

45

Drum Chipping Frequency (months)

85 (98%)

7.0

30

2

6

46

Cost per Cleaning

58 (67%)

$203.34

$949

$20

$150

46B

Chipping Cost (per truck per year)

45 (52%)

$401.37

$2,000

$65

$300

47

Capitalize Drum Cost? = YES = NO

48

Avg Drum Life/ years.

83 (95%)

7.1

12.0

3.4

7.0

48B

Avg Drum Life/yd3

69 (79%)

38,645

74,250

15,700

35,000

No data available

Table 11: Summary of Front End Loader Statistics Item

Description

Companies Reporting (Percent)

Average per company reporting

High

Low

Median

49

# Loaders

85 (96%)

20

176

1

10

50

Avg age, years.

83 (95%)

10.8

28.3

1

10.0

51

Capitalize Loader Engine Rebuilds? = YES

82 (84%)

= NO

35 (44%) 44 (56%)

52A

Loader parts: $/yd3

62 (71%)

$0.13

$0.86

$0.01

$0.10

52B

Loader parts: $/eng hr.

19 (22%)

$5.02

$16.74

$1.96

$3.82

53A

Loader shop exp.: $/yd3

45 (52%)

$0.27

$2.96

$0.01

$0.10

53B

Loader. shop exp: $/eng. hr.

17 (20%)

$5.27

$17.55

$0.01

$4.40

54A

Loader outside repair: $/yd3

44 (51%)

$0.12

$0.35

$0.01

$0.08

54B

Loader outside repair: $/eng.hr.

16 (18%)

$2.99

$14.31

$0.49

$1.35

55A

Tire/Tube: $/yd3

53 (61%)

$0.06

$0.40

$0.01

$0.04

55B

Tire/Tube: $/eng. hr.

17 (20%)

$1.67

$4.40

$0.10

$1.58

56A

TOTAL: $/yd3 (from 53-56)

59 (60%)

$0.43

$2.81

$0.05

$0.21

56B

TOTAL $/eng. hr. (from 43-56)

28 (28%)

$11.26

$32.61

$1.03

$9.60

57

Loader Fuel: gal/eng. hr.

51 (59%))

3.19

10.0

0.40

3.0

58

Loader Fuel: gal/yd3

58 (67%)

0.13

1.20

0.01

0.08

59

Loader Fuel: $/yd3

72 (83%)

$0.30

$3.25

$0.04

$0.19

Tires are an essential factor in determining costs associated with ready mixed concrete fleets. Of the 87 companies that reported, 3% allow recaps on the steer axle tires. On the other hand, 70% of all reporting companies allow the use of recaps on the drive or trailer axle tires. The maximum number of recaps allowed on a casing ranged from one to six with an average of just over two.

The survey also provides an estimate of the cost to the producer for a breakdown due to a tire failure. After removing one outlier, this average cost was $146.79 in 2009.

Another interesting number derived from the data is road-calls per truck per year. On average, a ready mixed concrete company makes 2.9 road calls related to tire failures per year for every 100 trucks in its fleet.

Preventive Maintenance In order to maintain an efficient ready mixed concrete truck fleet all producers recognize the need for Preventive Maintenance (PM). The concept of PM is to carefully service and inspect each truck in the fleet at regular intervals to minimize the number of breakdowns. A good PM program predicts breakdown frequency and necessary repairs.

This allows servicing to be scheduled at optimum times before the breakdown occurs.

Typical PM drain intervals are calculated in terms of hours of engine running time.

Historically, manufacturers have recommended PM drain services at a frequency of about 300 hrs. Our survey results for calendar year 2009 reveals that about threefourth of all producers base drain intervals on engine hours and, surprisingly, none base their drain intervals on oil analysis.

Mixer Drums Since 2006 the survey has included a section concerning drum chipping operations. Historically, drum chipping has been performed by drivers during slow or off-peak times. In today’s fast-paced industry, an increasing number of producers have elected to contract drum chipping to outside vendors. The survey allows us to estimate how many producers are using an outside service for drum chipping. That number turns out to be about 65%.

New technology has come to our industry within the past few years that now enables a ready mixed concrete producer to CONCRETE

in focus

ı

11

Table 12. Summary of Benchmarking Statistics Item

Description

Companies Reporting (Percent)

60 61 62 63 64

Driver Availability Annually, % Fleet Availability Annually, % Fleet Utilization Annually, % Concrete delivered per truck annually, yd3 Dispatch Efficiency Annually

69 (79%) 70 (80%) 67 (77%) 81 (93%) 56 (64%)

Total #

Average per Company Reporting

High

Low

Median

90.1% 90.9% 81.5% 3,780 78.8%

100% 100% 100% 6,700 100%

55% 45% 48% 1,958 37%

91% 94% 82% 3,578 80%

65

Rollovers in 2009

93 (81%)

57

0.7

9

0

0

66

Backing Accidents in 2009 Volumetric Mixers = YES Volumetric Mixers = NO Number of Volumetric Mixers?

Concrete delivered by volumetric mixers, yd3

71 (82%) 0 (0%) 83 (96%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)

446

6.3

36

0

4

67 68 69

use a non-entry system for drum cleaning.

This system uses high pressure water to clean hardened concrete from the drum while the operator remains safely outside. Also in this year’s survey are addition questions which include costs of drum chipping.

A good PM program is necessary to ensure long mixer-drum life. In this survey, the average service life of a mixer drum was determined to be 7.1 years, while delivering nearly 39,000 yards of concrete. The life of a drum is dependent on a number of factors, including the hardness of the aggregate used in concrete. An aggregate made of very hard granite might wear out a steel drum with only 10,000 yards of concrete delivered while, on the other hand, using a soft marine limestone might allow the same drum to deliver about 60,000 cubic yards. (Due to an error in the electronic submission no data is available for question #47.)

a monthly or yearly basis. The ready mixed concrete industry measures fleet statistics to track the efficiency and effectiveness of equipment PM and repair programs. Factors

that affect the Fleet Availability ratios are PM programs, average age of the fleet, parts availability, competency of mechanics and warranties. Fleet Utilization is another key continued on page 

Yearly Comparison Data for Year

Number of Companies Participating Number of Trucks

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

87

90

82

99

56

46

41

80

75

67

68

13,839

14,588

14,609

17,080

11,591

7,114

6,211

10,120

12,116

7035

6,987

Average Fleet Age, years

7.3

7.4

6.1

6.8

6.5

7.0

8.1

7.4

6.8

7.4

8.9

Average Truck Age, years

6.2

-

-

6.2

6.2

6.7

6.7

6.7

6.4

6.8

7.6

Front Discharge, Percent

17.2%

17.0%

19.0%

15.7%

23%

16%

26%

29%

18%

18%

14%

71%

82%

83%

86%

Rear Discharge, Percent

82.8%

83.0%

81.0%

82.3%

77%

84%

74%

Average Annual Mileage per Truck, miles

13,801

15,062

17,755

17,976

18,896

16,895

16,952

Average Haul Distance, One Way, miles

14.4

14.2

14.1

14.6

12.1

14.3

13.0

12.1

13.4

12.2

12.0

7.7

7.8

8.1

8.1

8.2

7.9

8.0

7.7

7.9

8.00

7.57

3

Average Load Size, yd

18,437 16,954 16,987 19,760

Average “Typical Full Load” size, yd3

9.8

9.7

9.8

9.6

9.8

9.8

10

9.7

9.6

9.7

9.47

Fuel Usage: miles per gallon

3.38

3.38

3.40

3.60

3.60

3.79

3.6

3.87

3.93

3.83

4.03

Fuel Usage: gallons per yd3

1.10

1.07

1.06

1.16

0.99

0.85

1.0

0.95

0.94

1.07

1.21

Fuel Usage: $per yd3

$2.81

$3.67

$2.80

$2.55

$2.15

$1.72

$1.36

$1.22

$1.37

$1.35

$1.32

Front End Loaders

Parts Expense: $per yd3

$0.96

$1.14

$1.07

$1.12

$0.98

$0.93

$1.06

$1.05

$0.98

$1.06

$1.18

Essential to a ready mixed concrete production facility is its front-end loader fleet.

This piece of equipment is vital to both production rate and product quality. Keeping the loader in good working condition is mandatory for a successful operation. Th is survey, representing more than 1,700 loaders from 85 companies, reveals the average age of a loader is 10.8 years. The data also shows that a company, on average, operates one loader for every 10 truck mixers.

Shop expense: $per yd3

$1.44

$1.53

$1.55

$1.46

$1.26

$1.33

$1.29

$1.50

$1.05

$1.29

$1.27

Tires & Tubes: $per yd3

$0.35

$0.31

$0.31

$0.33

$0.31

$0.33

$0.30

$0.29

$0.34

$0.31

$0.40

Total Maintenance Cost: $per yd3

$3.40

$3.58

$3.52

$3.21

$2.70

$2.87

$2.79

$3.03

$2.59

$3.22

$3.31

Recaps for Steer Tires?

3%

7%

7%

8%

0%

7%

5%

9%

16%

16%

20%

Recaps for Drive Tires?

-

-

93%

95%

96%

93%

95%

96%

96%

92%

96%

Avg Cost per road call (Tire Related)

146.79

175.15

139.39

175.57

162.15

147.34

135.62

135.11

127.51

126.11

118.60

PM Drain Interval, Eng. Hr.

82%

78%

71%

424

447

449

419

387

375

328

303

PM Drain Interval, Days

5%

7%

18%

112

90

94

87

148

128

102.6

95

PM Drain Interval, miles

9%

12%

7%

6,636

6,250

4,722

4,556

5,205

5,125

4,667

4,836

Truck Mixer to Mechanics Ratio

13.9

13.3

13.5

13.6

13.4

13.2

13.4

12.2

12.7

11.1

12.6

Average Mixer Drum Service Life, years

7.1

6.8

5.7

5.5

5.6

5.7

5.9

6.0

5.7

5.9

6.3

Average Mixer Drum Service Life yd3

38,645

36,232

39,052 32,850

36,840

31,178

36,757

Number of Front-end Loaders

1,708

1,758

1,537

1033

758

634

Benchmarking Of utmost importance to a ready mixed concrete production facility is its ability to measure and monitor key ratios used to quantify productivity. Parked trucks due to low driver availability can be very costly.

Driver availability rates are generally calculated daily for each plant and averaged on 12

ı

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

1495

32,078 33,869 31,048 34,226 1030

1281

637

999

Average Loader age, years

10.8

9.9

9.0

9.0

10.0

10.4

12

10.6

9.0

13.0

11.0

Avg. Loader Maintenance: $/yd3

$0.59

$0.54

$0.51

$0.43

$0.48

$0.24

$0.19

$0.24

$0.24

$0.24

$0.37

Avg. Loader Maintenance: $/ engine hour

$5.02

$12.93

$12.69

$11.26

$9.09

$6.38

$4.19

$6.61

$6.47

$5.35

$3.61

P

S

U R O D CT FFOR OR

C ONCRETE CONCRETE P RODUCERS PRODUCERS

W

E offer a number of products for concrete producers.

Our heating products enable you to extend your working season into cold-weather months by making concrete mixes that are much warmer than ambient temperatures. This is achieved by heating mix water.

Or by heating stock piles. Or both.

Our Firestorm heater is our most popular water heating product. It is a direct-contact water heater with extremely high thermal efďŹ ciency: up to 99 percent.

Our ďŹ red tank is an economical alternative to the Firestorm heater. It combines a burner and ďŹ re tube with a fully insulated storage tank.

H E AT E C , I N C . an

Our hot oil heater can be used to heat mix water stored in tanks that have hot oil pipe coils.

Or it can preheat stockpiles of d or aggregate. O h sand Or iit can ddo bboth.

Our chillers, which are made by Carrier, cool mix water during hot summer periods.

We also make fuel tanks that meet UL-142 standards.

And we make hot oil pipe coils that can be embedded under stockpiles or installed in tanks.

Please contact us to discuss products most suitable for your heating and cooling needs.

HEATEC

Astec Industries Company

:,/621 5' ‡ &+$77$122*$ 71 86$ ‡ )$; ‡ KHDWHF FRP

ÂŽ

safety first

2010 National Ready Mixed Concrete Association

Safety Benchmarking Survey Results By: Doug Rexroad, Safety Task Group Chairman Tim Kauzlick, Safety Task Group Vice Chairman David Ayers, NRMCA Managing Director of Compliance Terry Jones, OES Committee Chairman Mike Zagula, OES Committee Vice Chairman Gary Mullings, NRMCA Senior VP of Operations & Compliance

Executive Summary

T

he National Ready Mixed Concrete Association surveyed member companies to compile the 2010 Safety Benchmarking Survey Report. The report is based on information contained in the OSHA 300A summary log of member companies that responded to the information request. Fifty one (51) member companies collectively reported 25,172,758 million employee hours. (This number of hours equals approximately 12,586 employees working for member companies).

The 2009 Survey had forty seven (47) member companies reporting 29.61 million employee hours. This report includes a 3-year average based on all responses since 2007. Table 6 illustrates the metrics derived from this year’s survey responses, which summarizes 2009 along with the three-year average for 2007, 2008 and 2009.

The companies are divided into three categories based on the number of employee hours: less than 1 million employee hours, 1 - 3 million employee hours and greater than 3 million employee hours. The lost-time incidence rate is termed days away from work injury and illness (DAFWII), and days away from work and restricted duty/job transfer are combined to represent the lost work days injury and illness (LWDII). DAFWII is a measure of the number of cases that involve days away from work and LWDII includes cases with days away from work plus cases with job transfer, restricted and/or both.

The primary goal of the NRMCA Safety Benchmarking Survey is to ultimately reduce the incident rate in the ready mixed concrete industry. The latest data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) (as of June 1, 2010) indicates that the ready mixed concrete industries overall incident rate at 5.2. Table 1 illustrates previous years for comparison: 14

ı

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

Table 1 – BLS Incident rate data for previous years BLS Incident Rate

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

6.8

7.2

7.5

6.4

5.7

5.2

calendar year 2009 for every one hundred employees.

The most common types of injury are: • slips, trips and falls • strains and sprains • being struck by an object.

Mixer accidents that meet the definition of DOT recordable accidents are also tracked. The definition of a DOT Recordable Accident is an occurrence involving a commercial motor vehicle on a public road in intrastate or interstate commerce, which results in: 1) a fatality; 2) injury to a person requiring immediate treatment away from the scene of the accident; or 3) disabling damage to a vehicle, requiring it to be towed.

Overall, the data shows a downward trend as the industry continues to stress safe and healthy workplaces along with the added emphasis on training and education.

NRMCA, for example, conducts safety courses, safety Webinars and is constantly publishing updated safety related training materials.

Collectively companies reported thirteen (13) illnesses, with the largest category being ‘hearing loss’ cases, which accounted for seven (7) illnesses. The combined industry severity rate (SR) was 64.82, which is an increase from last year’s survey (SR=57.7), indicating that injuries and illnesses required more time away from work in 2009 than in the prior year. Th is means that an average of 64.82 lost days occurred as a result of injury or illness in

Table 2 – Mixer Truck Accident data for previous years # Mixer Truck Accidents

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

105

181

290

291

133

87

86

This also shows a general downward trend for the past couple of years.

Definitions of terms used in tables

in the employee being away from work for one or more full day(s) of work.

The lost work days injury/illness incidence rate (LWDII) shows the number of injuries/illnesses that result in either lost days, restricted duty days or both.

The medical case incidence rate is a measure of incidents where employees seek professional medical treatment and miss no work days and have no restricted duty days.

(All rates are based on incidents per 200,000 employee hours) The total case incidence rate (TCIR) represents the number of lost day injuries/illnesses, restricted duty day injuries/illnesses and medical case injuries/illnesses.

The days away from work injury/illness incidence rate (DAFWII) illustrates the number of injuries/illnesses that result

Table 3 – Data for companies reporting greater than 3 million employee hours Employee Hours

Total Injuries/ Illnesses

Lost Work days Injuries/Illnesses

Lost Work days/Restricted duty days Injuries/Illnesses

TCIR

DAWFII

LWDII

Medical Case Incidence Rate

Severity Rate

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

The following formula is used to arrive at incidence rates.

(Number of Incidents)(200,000) Number of Employee Hours The following formula is used to arrive at severity rates.

(Number of lost work days)(200,000) Number of Employee Hours

Discussion of rates of companies reporting greater than 3 million hours

Discussion of rates of companies reporting 1 – 3 million hours Eight (8) companies reported more than one million employee hours but less than 3 million hours. There were 63 injuries/illnesses that incurred days away from work that resulted in 3,141 days lost. 129 cases resulted in the employee being either transferred to another job or on restricted duty. There were 99 incidents that required professional medical treatment but incurred no time away from work.

Discussion of rates of companies reporting less than 1 million hours Forty three (43) companies reported 10,830,620 employee hours. Th is group represents the largest category of respondents. There were 108 cases that incurred lost days that resulted in 5,018 days away from work. 85 incidents resulted in job transfer or restricted duty. There were 113 medical cases with no lost work days. continued on page 

Table 4 – Data for companies reporting 1 – 3 million employee hours

Zero (0) companies reported working greater than 3 million hours. During the 2009 survey, two (2) companies reported 7,017,176 employee hours. Companies will re-enter this category as the economy improves.

Employee Hours

14,342,138

Total Injuries/ Illnesses

Lost Work days Injuries/Illnesses

Lost Work days/Restricted duty days Injuries/Illnesses

TCIR

DAWFII LWDII

291

63

129

4.06

1.80

.88

Medical Case Incidence Rate

Severity Rate

1.38

43.80

Table 5 – Data for companies reporting less than 1 million employee hours Employee Hours

10,830,620

Total Injuries/ Illnesses

Lost Work days Injuries/Illnesses

Lost Work days/Restricted duty days Injuries/Illnesses

TCIR

DAFWII

LWDII

Medical Case Incidence Rate

Severity Rate

306

108

85

5.67

1.57

1.95

2.09

92.66

2010 National Ready Mixed Concrete Association

Safety Contest Executive Summary

T

he National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) Safety Contest has for years been a safety performance and incentive/award program aimed to foster safe practices at ready mixed concrete plants across the nation. In November 2008, the NRMCA Safety Task Group updated the “Excellence in Safety” award to a 3-tier system and began basing the winning facilities from the latest OSHA / Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Incident Rate available for the ready mixed concrete industry. Starting in 2009 only those plants with an incident rate below the national average will receive awards. The latest BLS data (as of June 1, 2010) shows the ready mixed concrete industry with an incident rate of 5.2. Using the model of the Olympic Games, the 3-tiers of “Excellence in Safety Awards” were broken down into Gold, Silver and Bronze: Gold – Incident rate equal to zero Silver – Incident rate greater than zero and equal to or less than 2.6 (1/2 the industry average) Bronze – Incident rate greater than 2.6 and less than 5.2 Over the past few years the program has grown to become NRMCA’s most popular award recognition program. The NRMCA Safety Contest and NRMCA Safety Benchmarking Program entry

# plants entered

forms were combined and computerized to enhance both programs.

The data are analyzed and used to establish industry benchmarks for safe operations. Concrete Producer magazine cosponsors the NRMCA Safety Contest.

The 2010 NRMCA Safety Contest received 1219 individual plant entries. All entries included safety records from calendar year 2009. NRMCA has estimated that there are currently 6000 – 7000 plants in the United States. The largest category for plants was Gold with 873 Excellence in Safety awards. The Silver category had 5 Excellence in Safety Awards. The Bronze category had 43 awards.

The total number of plants receiving “Excellence in Safety” awards in 2010 is 921.

Analyses and Trends Since the safety contest began in 1996 more than 14,000 plants have entered and many of these entered the contest every year since 1996. Total cubic yards continue to be measured, with 42,076,766 reported by participating companies this year. There were 171 losttime accidents reported by companies in 2009 contest and there were 89 mixer truck accidents.

■

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

638

812

1208

1148

1379

1083

1181

689

933

1123

1234

1185

1138

1219

Total cubic yards

41,747,453 51,282,030 79,141,874 67,946,386 84,422,186 64,447,794 70,116,360 42,226,751 59,235,567 81,403,601 84,017,880 66,014,915 54,032,574 42,076,766

Average cy/plant

65,435

63,155

# Lost time accidents

417

# Mixer truck accidents

146

Average accidents/plant Certificates awarded

65,515

59,187

61,487

59,509

59,370

61,287

63,489

448

691

585

560

444

121

294

226

192

177

0.88

0.70

0.81

0.71

0.69

387

543

775

752

936

72,488

68,086

453

179

255

105

0.69

0.60

741

786

55,862 47,480.3 34,292.4

285

285

294

368

255

171

181

290

291

133

87

89

0.41

0.50

0.51

0.47

0.42

0.66

0.49

509

683

832

921

884

834

921

CONCRETE

in focus

ı

15

Table 6 – All Industry Data 2009 Number of Employee Hours

Category by Company Size

Number of Injuries/ Illnesses

Number of Lost Workdays

Number of Lost Workday Injuries/Illnesses1

Number of Lost Workday and Restricted Duty Injuries/Illnesses2

Total Case Incidence Rate (TCIR)3

DAFWII4

LWDII5

Medical Case Incidence Rate6

Severity Rate

25,172,758

All Industry Data

597

8,159

171

385

4.75

1.70

1.36

1.68

64.82

10,830,620

Less than 1 Million Employee Hours

306

5,018

108

193

5.67

1.57

1.99

2.09

92.66

14,342,138

1 – 3 Million Employee Hours

291

3,141

63

192

4.06

1.80

.88

1.38

43.80

0

Greater than 3 Million Employee Hours

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Not available

BLS Statistical Data for NACIS 32732 in 2008

Not available

Not available

Not available

Not available

5.2

1.3

2.2

1.8

Not available

70,745,914

All Industry Data – CY 2007, 2008, 2009

1,927

23,661

593

873

5.47

2.46

1.68

1.76

66.89

1

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 2009.

4 DAFWII = (#cases with days away from work)(200,000)/employee hours in 2009.

5 LWDII = (#cases with days away form work plus those with job transfer, restricted duty, or both)(200,000)/employee hours in calendar year 2009 6 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 2009

THE BOND OF

Strength AND

5XThgl

In a world where strength and durability count, we’re adding a new dimension of profit and performance with our alliance. perform in their industries, Buckeye UltraFiber 500® and Both Bo Bot h lleaders ead e d Solomon Colors, Inc. are proud to be joining forces to provide the he e best be estt ssolutions for delivering more durable concrete and sus u tai t nab nab blle e profits pro ofits fitts to to producers produ pr od odu o du du ucer cer ce ers and e and d contractors c sustainable in the concrete industry. result?

Bulldog-tough concrete, finished beautifully ind nd n dust u ry. us ryy Th The he rres esult? esu ult? lt? Bu lt B ulld ldog og--ttou to oug ou gh hc co o with wit w ith value-added va valu alu lu ue-a e--a adde ed fibers fiber be b e s and er ers and d consistent co co con on nssis isten te en color for happier e customers cus cu cus ustom om omers mers e and an nd a healthier he healt ealt all hie hiie er bottom bott otttom ot om line. lin lin ne s Buckeye UltraFiber 500® is the greenest fiber on the market s Dramatically reduces shrinkage cracks s Finishes perfectly Magnification shows UltraFiber 500® with concrete literally bonded to it.

Fiber bonds with cement paste and easily absorbs pigment.

solomoncolors.com 800-624-0261

ı

1 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 16458446_Solomon.indd

s Beautifully absorbs Solomon Colors pigments s Get the best dispensing equipment from the leaders in automation, with no capital investment

ultrafiber500.com 866-663-8999

12/22/09 5:24:08 PM

environmental scene

Environmental Inspections at the Concrete Plant – The 5 Ws

By Douglas Ruhlin, Principal Environmental Consultant, Resource Management Associates

T

he concrete industry knows that inspections of environmental matters are required, or a good idea or that we should be doing them, right? But if you’re not sure, if you’re not conducting regular, then it might pay to consider the “5 Ws” of environmental inspections – Why, When, Where, What, Who - at the concrete plant: WHY – Environmental inspections of your concrete plant grounds and operations are essential in today’s tough regulatory climate. Most environmental permits require some type of regular, often comprehensive, inspection of the plant and operations.

For example, nearly every concrete has an NPDES stormwater discharge permit, most of which require some type of comprehensive site inspection. These are often required to be conducted annually at a minimum (but often more regularly), and are usually directed toward potential contaminant sources and water quality management features. Likewise, SPCC plan requirements generally require monthly inspections of all petroleum storage tanks, secondary containment areas, fueling areas, etc. be conducted. Regular environmental inspections can also provide a useful benchmarking tool toward evaluating progress toward meeting environmental goals, as might be required under an environmental management system or “EMS” (for example, the NRMCA Green-Star program requires the demonstration of a regular comprehensive compliance evaluation program in order to achieve certification). Environmental inspections can also serve as a useful tool for corporate performance benchmarking (“are we meeting our corporate environmental goals?”). Finally, regular inspections can provide a means to evaluate how the plant looks to others, such as the neighboring community, visitors, regulators and others.

WHEN – Environmental inspections should be done regularly and often! As previously mentioned, some regulatory programs will require inspections be conducted; however, the required frequency is often fairly low (for example, annual stormwater inspections).

More regular inspections can provide better feedback on site conditions, and allow potential problems to be found and addressed quickly before they get out of hand. A comprehensive monthly or quarterly inspection is a good idea, while shorter monthly inspections directed at specific areas (such as the petroleum tank inspections required

by SPCC regulations) may also be needed.

In all cases, ensure that required inspections are being done at least according to the permit or regulation mandated frequency, and try to combine inspections when it makes sense. It’s also a good idea to conduct inspections during normal working conditions, in order to gauge how operations impact environmental issues. For example, conducting an air quality inspection when a plant isn’t operating won’t yield much information on whether the baghouse or central dust collector is working properly.

outdoor equipment and parts storage areas, stockpile areas, plant perimeter, roadways in the immediate vicinity of the plant driven by plant vehicles, etc. Be comprehensive and leave nothing out. In particular, don’t avoid any areas known to be “problem areas” of the site – these may be the most important areas to inspect.

WHAT – Inspect everything. Certain types of environmental inspections may need to be targeted toward certain aspects of the operation, such as monthly petroleum tank inspections. However, comprehensive environmental inspections should cover all activities at the plant, including batching operations, fueling areas and activities, discharge locations and all water management areas, returned concrete management areas, the maintenance shop interior and activities, the plant perimeter (including how the plant looks from outside of the plant boundaries), entrance and exit drives, required plans

WHERE – Inspect the entire plant – the plant itself, the entire grounds, adjacent areas, discharge locations as well as any receiving water bodies within the near vicinity of the plant, exterior and interior of all buildings (particularly maintenance shops), fueling areas and fuel tanks, CONCRETE

in focus

ı

17

and documentation, sample results, etc. Often, environmental inspectors at FOR CONCRETE PRODUCERS concrete plants tend to focus just on the concrete plant and its operations – don’t fall into this trap!

Evaluate all activities and operations on the plant site. Look for conditions both good (such as BMPs operating as designed, or water management systems working correctly, clean shop condiXYPEX READYMIX tions), and bad (such as stained soils, sediment buildup at discharge locations, spills at Xypex Admix is blended into the concrete fueling areas, overflowing process water setat the time of batching to produce a non-soluble tling basins, etc.). crystalline structure that blocks pores and seals WHO – Environmental inspections should micro-cracks throughout the entire concrete matrix. be conducted by trained, knowledgeable The result? Your precast pipes, manholes, vaults, personnel, preferably those who can be as foundations, slabs and more will be waterproof impartial about the results as possible. Often, from the moment they're poured. Xypex also resists XYPEX PRECAST using personnel from one plant or division chemical and sulfate attack. to conduct inspections at another plant can provide a reasonable measure of impartiality.

Regardless of how it’s done, the inspections have to be conducted by someone who has been trained on what to look for and how to conduct the inspection.

Finally, it’s important to realize that environmental inspections, regardless of the XYPEX SHOTCRETE type, should be documented in writing or other similar means. Th is would include the date, name and signature of inspector, checklist of areas or activities inspected, findings, as well as required action to correct any issues observed. This documentation may come with some peril – failure to correct (or report) a regulatory issue found during an inspection For more information may carry severe penalties, so proceed care1.800.961.4477 s info@xypex.com s www.xypex.com fully. You may wish to discuss your inspection program with a qualified consultant or legal counsel before proceeding.

Environmental inspections are required 422384_Xypex.indd 1 4/22/09 11:41:47 AM at all concrete plants in one form or another, and can provide a worthwhile and beneficial exercise toward environmental compliance and excellence. By following the “5 Ws” listed above, your environmental inspection program can meet these goals as well.

■

WATERPROOF CONCRETE AS YOU POUR!

Visit our Buyers’ Guide online at nrmca.officialbuyersguide.net

18

ı

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

For further information on any of the issues in this article, Doug Ruhlin can be contacted at Resource Management Associates, PO Box 512, Forked River, NJ 08731; (609) 693-8301; www. resourcemanagementassoc.com or via e-mail at druhlin@resourcemanagementassoc.com.

tech talk

Impact of Project Specifications on Sustainable Development

By Colin Lobo, Senior Vice President, Engineering, NRMCA

T

he ready mixed concrete industry has been proactive in recognizing the challenges and opportunities resulting with the trend toward sustainable development in construction.

NRMCA Sustainability Initiatives, endorsed by the membership, establish goals for reducing the overall environmental footprint of concrete materials and production and establish strategies and credits for achieving these goals. Specifically, the goals include minimizing energy use, reducing CO2 footprint of concrete, reducing potable water use, reducing waste and increasing the use of recycled content. Other initiatives supported by the NRMCA membership include the Green-Star certification for concrete production facilities and the Sustainable Plant Guidelines that will document continuous improvement toward sustainable concrete production.

Aspects of project specifications, however, restrict the industry toward achieving its sustainable goals. Some of these are based on code requirements. Some are based on prescriptive limits invoked for an intended performance attribute. It is generally accepted that project specifications that minimize prescriptions or that incorporate performance-based requirements allow knowledgeable concrete suppliers to optimize concrete mixtures for performance required in its plastic and hardened states. The NRMCA P2P Initiative has been working to evolve specifications to performance-based requirements.

Some of the typical specification requirements that impact sustainable construction identified by the committee are briefly discussed in this article.

The general concepts are that specifications should permit the use of regionally available materials that minimize transportation, avoiding restrictions on material ingredients beyond those in reference material specifications, permit the ability to increase the recycled content in concrete mixtures and minimize waste incurring disposal management and cost, minimize the carbon footprint of concrete mixtures, and incorporate aspects that maximize the environmental (life cycle assessment) and service life performance of concrete as a construction material.

Restriction on ingredient materials Specifications place restrictions on the source and type of ingredient materials that can be used in concrete. These restrictions may force the use of materials unfamiliar to the producer, require a greater over-design, cause incompatibility with other materials and require material to be transported longer distance. In most cases, concrete mixtures can be optimized with available materials to meet the needs of a project. Prohibiting acceptable products inhibits the concrete producer from optimizing concrete mixtures. These restrictions do not support sustainable development and can adversely impact performance of concrete.

Cement Type and source: Specifications often restrict a type (e.g. ASTM Type II) of cement or restrict use to certain sources.

These are appropriate only if there is a code requirement or specific reason for durability or other property.

Cement Specification: Specifications often restrict the use of cements conforming to ASTM C150. Blended cements conforming to ASTM C595 and performance cements conforming to ASTM C1157 are optimized for performance by cement manufacturers and often have a lower carbon footprint per unit of product.

Low alkali cement: Specifications often require the use of a low alkali cement to minimize the occurrence of deleterious expansive cracking due to alkali silica reactions. Manufacturing low alkali cements increases the use of natural resources and energy and increases the generation of cement kiln dust (CKD) as a waste byproduct. Mitigation of alkali silica reactions with locally available potentially reactive aggregates can be accomplished and documented by tests using supplementary cementitious materials and admixtures.

Type and characteristics of SCMs: Specifications often prohibit the use of some types of supplementary cementitious materials or impose restrictions over and above those in the material specifications – such as on alkali content, loss on ignition or grade of slag cement. These will prevent the use of locally available materials that likely have good past performance and will require materials to be imported.

Type and brand of admixtures: Most specifications include a list of specific admixture brands and suppliers. There are situations where specifying a specific brand is appropriate for performance or historical reasons. Concrete producers have experience with use of certain products and forcing the use of a new product will impact the ability of the concrete producer to provide concrete mixtures of consistent quality and performance.

Type and source of aggregate: Specifications may restrict the aggregate type and require the use of a specific source – crushed vs. gravel, mineralogy, specific supplier or source, etc.

Characteristics of aggregates: Specifications often place restrictions on the characteristics of aggregates, such as grading, specific gravity, CONCRETE

in focus

ı

19

particle shape and size. In some areas, local aggregate supplies may not comply with all requirements of referenced specifications, such as ASTM C33, but have a good history of use.

Use of potable water: ASTM C1602 addresses the quality of water that can be used to produce concrete and includes provisions to permit the use of non-potable water with proper testing and evaluation.

Specifications that require the use of potable water detract from the development and use of sound environmental management practice and negate the associated capital investment for best environmental management practices at concrete production facilities.

Recycled materials and aggregates: There are applications for concrete that can accommodate the use of recycled aggregates or other materials with minimal impact to concrete quality. Crushed returned concrete can be used as a portion of the aggregate in structural fills and footing applications, for example, and conserves virgin material resources. The use of recycled material can contribute to credits in green construction rating systems. The use of crushed concrete as aggregate is recognized in industry standards. Judicious use of these materials conserves natural resources and landfill space with minimal impact to required performance.

Requirements on concrete mixtures Some limitations on concrete mixtures in project specifications impact the ability to optimize the mixtures for placement, can result in significant overdesign or adversely impact other properties. In most cases these requirements will detract from sustainable concrete mixtures.

Minimum cement content: Many specifications impose minimum cement contents for different classes of concrete. These limits impact meeting environmental goals with questionable benefits to quality, performance and durability.

Quantity of SCM: Specifications place maximum limits on the quantity of supplementary cementitious materials. This prevents optimizing concrete mixtures for performance and durability. The only code restriction on the quantity of SCM is for exterior concrete subject to application of deicing chemicals.

Increasingly, projects seeking green construction credits impose prescriptive requirements on concrete mixtures, such as a minimum replacement for cement or minimum recycled content. These requirements can often impact the performance of fresh and hardened concrete properties, such as setting characteristics, ability to place and finish and rate of development of in-place properties. In the long run this may impact the quality of construction or the service life of the structure.

Max w/cm when not required: The code requires the use of a maximum w/cm for durability and assigns a minimum specified strength that is in alignment with the required w/cm. Many specifications invoke limits on w/cm for elements not subject to severe service exposure conditions. This includes all interior concrete. Imposing a low w/cm limit likely increases the cement content of concrete mixtures and affects the ability to place and finish concrete.

Inconsistent specified strength to design: Concrete members in a structure are often designed for different strength levels – requirements for foundations may differ from beams and columns; slabs may have different requirements. Specifications may, however, specify the same class for all concrete on a project. Th is can cause problems during placing and finishing some members. There are 20

ı

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

considerable cost savings and environmental benefits if the concrete is specified as required for the different structural members on a project. When a higher strength is specified, the designer should use that to advantage when designing the structure and minimize section size when applicable.

Air content: Most specifications require a constant air content requirement regardless of aggregate size and often increase it, assuming this will improve freeze-thaw durability. Air content requirements for concrete vary by aggregate size. In many exterior vertical members that will not be critically saturated and have a high strength and for interior concrete, air entrained concrete may not be required.

Air content reduces strength and additional cement is required to offset this strength decrease. Th is can result in increased propensity for thermal and shrinkage cracking.

Restriction on changes to mixtures: Ingredient materials vary as do environmental conditions at the project. Real time adjustments are necessary to concrete batches to accommodate these variations and to ensure consistent concrete characteristics. Several specifications prohibit such minor changes to concrete unless a submittal, often with supporting test data, is provided to the engineer of record. It is recognized that the engineer of record should be notified for major revisions to mixtures, but this prohibition can cause considerable variation to concrete performance.

Use of test record for submittals: Specifications often indicate that the concrete mixture should be designed to produce an average strength at a fi xed value greater than the specified strength. This essentially prohibits the use of a past test record that allows for a statistically based average strength level that can be lower than that set by the specification. This benefits concrete producers that have good control to optimize concrete mixtures to a lower strength level and thereby conserve materials.

Reliable testing Test results are used to establish the average strength for concrete mixtures. Improper testing contributes a significant component of the variability of test results that will increase the required average strength for future projects. When concrete producers are aware of improper testing, they protect themselves by increasing the cementitious materials in concrete mixtures. Owners should select testing agencies based on quality of work, conformance to ASTM C1077 and having certified personnel performing testing.

Conclusion Requirements in project specifications need to be in concert with the goals for sustainable concrete construction. Some examples where these do not work hand-in-hand are illustrated. The evolution toward performance specifications that address the needs of the contractor for placing concrete and the design professional for the structural and serviceability requirements of the structure needs to occur.

Specifications should permit the appropriate flexibility for conserving resources and facilitating innovation. Concrete construction needs to be competitive with other building materials in the current environment that emphasizes on green and sustainable construction.

■ This article is an excerpt from a document on specifications and sustainability under development by the NRMCA P2P Steering Committee. For more information, contact Dr. Lobo at clobo@nrmca.org.

feature

Strong Partnerships

Vital Sustainable

to Advancement of

Development Strategies

By Jennifer LeFevre, RMC Research & Education Foundation Senior Director, Communications & Programs

T

he English adage “two heads are better than one” is proved true time and again with successful collaborations for everything from music composition to the development of breakthrough medical advancements. Although most people don’t realize it, the area of research and development is important in most aspects of everyday life and the concrete industry is no different. The success of the RMC Research & Education Foundation is attributed in large part to the many partnerships it has cultivated since its establishment in 1991, many of which have been specifically related to environmental projects.

One of the RMC Research & Education Foundation’s most high-profile collaborations in the area of sustainability research is the establishment of the Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSH) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The Foundation partnered with the Portland Cement Association (PCA) to found CSH with the goal of accelerating emerging breakthroughs in concrete science and engineering and transfer that science into practice. The CSH is perhaps the quintessential example of collaboration for several reasons. First, there are several different disciplines within MIT involved in CSH research, including the departments of material and civil engineering, architecture and building technology, economics and management. Second, the researchers are also working to identify current and previously-performed research at other

universities and collaborating with those researchers to take the work to the next level.

Participation in the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association’s (NRMCA) recent Concrete Sustainability Conference was instrumental in allowing researchers to meet one another and share information. Third, the work at MIT includes a project – The Genesis of Concrete – that includes modeling that complements work taking place at the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Virtual Cement and Concrete Testing Laboratory (VCCTL). The two groups are working together to coordinate their research and findings.

This wasn’t the first time the Foundation successfully collaborated with PCA. One of the first significant sustainable development-related deliverables offered from the Foundation was the Ready Mixed Concrete LEED Industry Guide, which educates specifiers, designers and architects on how the use of concrete may help gain additional points in the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

Participation on the part of PCA, as well as NRMCA, was vital to the development of the Guide. The Guide is now on its Third Edition and the contributions by professionals from PCA remain integral to the document’s endurance.

Certainly, one of the most significant relationships of the RMC Research & Education Foundation is with NRMCA.

The close partnership between these two organizations may be found in numerous collaborations, including the areas of Prescriptive-to-Performance research and pervious concrete projects. This year’s release of the draft version of the Sustainable Concrete Plant Guidelines is also a stellar example of the groups’ collaboration.

NRMCA’s involvement in the development of the Guidelines and the subsequent completion of a pilot program is integral to the successful implementation of the Guidelines this fall. Tapping into NRMCA’s sustainable development resources and the gathering of information and data on the use of the Guidelines will ultimately help all concrete plants become more sustainable by putting into effect the recommendations outlined in the Guidelines.

The most common partnerships with the Foundation are those with universities.

A great deal of valuable research across the country is performed at universities, such as the CSH at MIT. Th is next generation of managers and researchers is very tuned to all types of environmental issues, subsequently resulting in an increased emphasis in environmentally-themed fields of study. Students often make significant contributions as part of Foundation-sponsored university research and provide a valuable perspective while enjoying the opportunity to learn more about concrete and the environment at the same time. Our sponsorship of the Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program at CONCRETE

in focus

ı

21

five major universities has provided a great opportunity to develop and train future industry leaders and accomplish needed OUR KRYPTANE EVOLUTION industry research at the same time.

Some of the most valuable partnerships, particularly in the area of sustainability, IS THE INDUSTRY’S BEST are those with governmental agencies, KRYPTANE EVOLUTION: such as the work with the NIST VCCTL mentioned above. Given the scope of work • 100% Guaranteed Never to Delaminate within the United States Environmental • Exceptional Performance Protection Agency (EPA), working together on sustainable development and • Stronger Installation other “green” initiatives is a natural fit. A • Lower Maintenance Cost shining example of this effort is EPA’s and • Maximum Uptime the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) establishment of the Green Highways Partnership (GHP). Both orgaPERFORMAN CE nizations recognized that it is possible to 800.991.2746 meet the needs of the public transportawww.argonics.com tion system while simultaneously sustaining a clean environment. Industries jumped at the chance to participate in 463753_Argonics.indd 1 2/9/10 5:54:06 PM Kemco Systems is a proud member this voluntary program. The Foundation and supporter of the NRMCA specifically became involved with the Green Highways Partnership Training and Development Center, to which the Foundation could provide support and Don’t let hot water shortages slow you down, materials for the important task of training officials from state departments of transensure your hot water supply keeps up with RM99 portation, local municipal representatives YOUR demand.

Direct and developers on the best ways to address Contact The RM99 Direct Contact Water Heater stormwater management challenges while Water • 99.7% fuel efficient Heater meeting all regulatory requirements. This • Instantaneous hot water project will likely set the stage for other • Stainless steel, non-pressurized unit successful public-private partnerships in KEMCO SYSTEMS the future. The Foundation has a num• Convenient 4-point connection ber of cooperatively sponsored research To schedule an on-site plant analysis or projects with EPA, FHWA, Department for information contact Kemco Systems of Energy and various state DOT’s and 800.633.7055 municipalities which not only increases www.kemcosystems.com the funding for valuable research, but also sales@kemcosystems.com helps ensure that the results will be more broadly accepted.

Working with others, whether they’re 254429_Kemco.indd 1 7/31/06 9:38:12 AM from the government, a university or sister organization is a formula that will not be abandoned any time soon. The overwhelming success of partnering, particularly in BMH Systems Stephens Manufacturing Co., Inc. the area of sustainable development, is too 71 Du Tremblay, Boucherville, QC J4B 7L6 P.O. Box 488 (450) 449-4770 / Fax: (450) 449-4898 great to ignore and the RMC Research Tompkinsville, KY 42167 info@bmhsystems.com / www.bmhsystems.com (270) 487-6774 & Education Foundation welcomes the BMH Systems is a North American leader in the design, engineering Fax: (270) 487-8368 and manufacturing of custom concrete batch plants. BMH Systems opportunity to form more successful coldproffitt@stephensmfg.com brings together best of breed equipment from the world’s leading www.stephensmfg.com suppliers with in-house design, engineering and drafting, state of the laborations in the future.

■

MIXER LINER

SUPERIOR

STOP

LOSING BUSINESS!

art manufacturing facilities, quality controls and project management to ensure their customers strategic business goals are met. BMH Systems RollMaster® reversing drum mixer is the most profitable type of concrete mixer for the ready-mix industry. It provides you with an edge over your competition by offering superior consistency, low operating cost, durability and reliability.

22

ı

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

We have been in the concrete plant manufacturing business since 1957. We can custom build a plant to your specifications. Each plant conforms to CPMB (Concrete Plant Manufacturing Bureau) criteria.

For more information on the work of the RMC Research & Education Foundation, please visit www.rmc-foundation.org.

feature

Characters of Concrete:

Meet Jerry Woods Director of Training and Outreach Iowa Ready Mixed Concrete Association

By Jon Hansen, Senior National Resource Director, NRMCA

J

erry Woods is on a mission to teach concrete finishing to those young enough to be his grandchildren. He claims he does it to protect the future market share of concrete and he adds “I am too old to learn to trowel asphalt.”

There is so much that can be written about the career of Jerry Woods. All who have met him over the last 50 years of his career in the concrete industry have their own story. For some, it is Jerry’s infatuation with all things Elvis. For others, it is his years of work with the Safer Foundation, a Chicago organization started by two priests that were dedicated to rehabilitating and training former prison inmates for jobs in the construction industry. But his latest endeavor fills him with motivation and a work ethic that is the envy of everyone, no matter what their age.

It all started about 6 years ago when Jerry realized that there were no training programs for concrete finishers. Yes, there were lots of classroom instruction, lots of theory courses, lots of mentions about concrete in building trades programs, but nowhere outside the unions was there a hands on introduction to the most widely used building material in world. And in the technology world, most young people have already made decision about career paths by the time the high school bell rings for them the final time. So he made a plan. First, he went to all the community colleges in the state of Iowa (there

Webster dictionary defines character as “the features and traits that form the individual nature of a person or thing.”

This continuing series features the unique individuals that are “Characters of Concrete.”

While talking to the business agent for the Operative Plasters and Cement Masons International Association Local 18, to verify that Jerry is a 40-year card carrying member, he confirmed he was but also added that Jerry was a 50-year member of the International Union of Brick Layers & Allied Crafts. When I told him the series is called “Characters of Concrete” he roared through the phone “Well that describes Jerry!”

are 15) and established a relationship with their construction trades program. He found out that most of the building trades programs offered little or no concrete instruction. He offered “seminars” to the teachers, did finishing demonstrations, and taught basic placement and finishing. He then tweaked the program and took it to larger state high schools that have a building trades program within their rapidly shrinking industrial arts program. Again with demonstration and “hands on” involvement by the students, interest in the program grew. Last year, with the help of producer and associate members, he produced a draft outline for a concrete curriculum that is under review by the Iowa Department of Education. Once accepted, the curriculum would become part of the industrial arts/building trades program for all Iowa high schools. “We have got it where we want it now. Not all high school grads are going to go on to college. We want them to realize there are good jobs in the building trades that can be had with a little more education and training beyond high school.

We have had such good response, we were even asked to involve a 6th grade class, with supervision by the school of course, in building a new sidewalk at their school. We used the day to talk about careers in construction, what concrete is, how to put it down, strike it off, finish it, and take pride in their work. These are the days that motivate me to not even think about retiring,” Jerry said.

Retirement? Not in his plans, even though wife Brenda would like to have him at home a little more often. He still travels at least a couple of days per week, skirting across the states of the upper Midwest on a pace more fitting someone half his age. He laughs as he tells me about a seminar he did for a local union on Saturday, the only day that would work for the workman. “A friend asked if he could tag along and see what I did. I said sure. When I told him Saturday morning, he said I’ll think about it and he never showed up. And he is 10 years younger than me.” “Besides,” he adds, “look at the great industry we are in and the people I have met in my career. My friends are such a varied bunch. From Obama’s Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, to WGN Chicago news anchor Bob Jordan, to the former inmate I helped at the Safer Foundation train for a career in the concrete business, that same former inmate that came to our home for Christmas dinner for over 20 years, well, I’d just miss all that too much.”

■ If you know a concrete character you would like to see featured in Concrete InFocus, contact Hansen at (515) 266-1058 or via e-mail at jhansen@nrmca.org.

CONCRETE

in focus

ı

23

RETOOL YOUR THINKING Register now for CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2011, the most information-packed show in construction. Get close and size up the newest equipment, technologies and strategies for profitability. See how construction has gotten greener, safer and more efficient since you last walked the warm pavement of Vegas. Be there to take it all in—so you can take it all back with you.

MARCH 22-26 LAS VEGAS USA

Go to www.retoolandwin.com for details on how to register and full sweepstakes rules.

RETOOL AND WIN Get entered automati cally for a $250 PREPAID CARD simply by completing your regist ration.

Two winners will be dra wn every week from July 12, 2010, thr ough March 14, 2011. You could be on e of them!

CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2011 is co-located with:

SWEEPSTAKES TERMS AND CONDITIONS NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Must be a professional in the construction industry and legal U.S. or D.C. resident 21 or older. To enter: Complete your registration at: www.retoolandwin.com. Sweepstakes starts July 12, 2010, and ends March 14, 2011. Void where prohibited. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Official Rules and alternate method of entry details at www.retoolandwin.com. Sponsor: Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Milwaukee, WI.

corporate suite

Recession Means Opportunity!

By Dan Abbott, Knife River Corporation, Leadership Development & Learning Services

D

uring the 1974-75 recession, Gary Dahl came up with a brilliant plan making him a millionaire in just six months.

He went to a local builders supply house, bought some gray rocks and successfully marketed them as “Pet Rocks.” He sold them for $3.95 each. The “Pet Rock” fad faded away by Christmas ’75 but his legacy and innovation should inspire us to such success.

Currently, we may be stepping over opportunities in our efforts to cut costs and curb expenses. Granted, cutting and reductions are an important first step in “weathering the storm” of recession. But we need to also seek new opportunities. We need to use our creative expertise and great resources we’ve been blessed with to sell what the market needs or thinks it needs turning our recession around into our moment of opportunity.

Recessions give rise for a paradigm shift. A “paradigm shift” is a concept first realized by scientist Thomas Kuhn. A paradigm is considered an unwritten set of norms, rules or standards. Here is a paradigm – in America it is a paradigm to generally have grass in one’s front and/or back yards. Why, because society as a whole has made this an unwritten rule or norm. There is no law or city ordinance dictating we must have grass – it is just a norm – until someone comes along and establishes a new norm!

A shift comes when society transitions from one set of norms to another. For example, in the early 1900s, dependence upon horse transportation soon become obsolete when the automobile was invented, causing many blacksmiths and other related occupations to disappear. This is a significant paradigm shift.

Paradigm shifts are often glaring at us first hand. Ironically, the first quartz movement watch were made in the late 1960s by a consortium of Swiss watch companies . The Swiss, sitting on their market domination laurels and arrogantly pronouncing they make the finest watches in the world, snubbed their noses at their own innovation! After completing their prototypes, however, these companies decided not to pursue quartz technology any further. They realized to switch from making mechanical watches to making quartz watches would require a complete revamping of their factories. So they sold their technology.

One Japanese firm saw things differently, after purchasing the technology from the Swiss, in 1969 Seiko became the first company to offer a quartz watch to consumers. It was an analog model, the Astron 35SQ. The rest is history. Quartz watches immediately became the norm, causing the Swiss factories to lay off thousands of watch makers permanently and changing the landscape of their market share forever.

Recession is a time of pain but can also be a time of gain! We must unleash the shackles of fear and fiscal retreat in order to seize opportunities. There is no doubt that with the creative human resources we have within our industry, we can generate new revenue opportunities with existing resources and assets.

We must, however, guard ourselves from a deadly malady known as “paradigm paralysis.” This paralysis is perhaps the greatest barrier to a paradigm shift, which is the inability or refusal to see beyond the current models of thinking i.e. cutting costs is the only way to survive a recession. We must give ourselves permission to awaken the entrepreneurial spirit sleeping in each of us. There is something more we can do besides watching our accounts payables … we can establish new paradigms.

Opportunities are everywhere … so let’s start looking!

■ Dan is the director of leadership development and learning services for Knife River Corporation. He has been active in the ready mix industry for over 30 years and has wide array of experience including ready mix concrete production and concrete finishing. He has two undergraduate degrees and a master degree and is only one of 350 individuals certified in the U.S. through the International Association of Facilitators as a professional business facilitator. He is also a co-creator of the Mentor Driver Program®.

HOWTO combat global warming,

reduce the

production of greenhouse gases, and

builda

stronger infrastructure.

SPECIFY FLY ASH (a recovered resource)

as a replacement for cement in concrete.

When you specify fly ash as replacement for cement in concrete, you help reduce CO2 emissions from cement production, conserve landfill space, and decrease water usage. You also enhance workability and chemical attack resistance, increase strength and produce more durable concrete.

Contact Headwaters Resources for free technical literature and information on how fly ash use benefits the environment and produces better concrete.

MEMBER

373895_Headwaters.indd 1

www.flyash.com

I 1-888-236-6236

CONCRETE

ı

4:32:44 in3/13/08 focus 25 PM

quality corner

What Equipment Does a Concrete Technician Really Need?

By Fernando Rodriguez, II, Staff Engineer, Rowen Concrete, Inc.

L

ong gone are the days when a concrete technician arrives on-site with a scoop, a piece of re-bar (to be used as a tamping rod), and a few cylinder molds. Although the basic air meter and slump cone have not changed much in the last 50 years, the expectation of technician knowledge and skills has changed significantly. As mentioned in the previous parts of this series, today’s concrete technicians need to be smarter, more experienced, and better trained than ever before.

The basic list of equipment that a concrete technician should have includes a calibrated air meter, a slump cone, a scoop, a tamping rod, a strike-off plate, a mallet and a measuring device.

All the equipment listed above should be manufactured and conform to specifications as outlined by the American Standards and Testing Materials (ASTM). The equipment should be cleaned and maintained in excellent working condition at all times. After all, decisions of acceptance or rejection of a load of concrete are based on the test results obtained by the technician. As we all know, the test results are only as good as the equipment.

The air meter calibration should not exceed three-month intervals. The procedures are outlined in ASTM C231. However, the measuring bowl’s volume should also be predetermined and

checked on a regular basis. The measuring bowl can double as a unit weight measure and can be used at a project site or plant to determine the yield and unit weight of a load of concrete. It is imperative that the measuring bowl is thoroughly cleaned after each use. Concrete build-up can give a false reading when determining the unit weight and yield.

If the technician is checking the unit weight, a good portable scale with a case should be issued to him. The scale must be cared for and kept inside the technician’s vehicle when not in use. The technician should carry extra batteries (if electronic) for the scale at all times.

Decisions of acceptance or rejection of a load of concrete are based on the test results obtained by the technician. As we all know, the test results are only as good as the equipment.

Another very important piece of equipment that is used to determine if a load of concrete should be placed is the thermometer. It is this author’s opinion that the thermometer is the single most important piece of equipment in the technician’s inventory. The tests for air content, slump and compressive strength may not need to be performed on every load of concrete, but the temperature should be checked as often as possible. High or low temperature can not only indicate problems with the ready mixed concrete, but also with the plant and with production. According to ASTM C1064, the device used to measure temperature shall be calibrated annually or whenever there is a question of accuracy.

I recommend the measuring device should be checked against a calibration thermometer weekly. The time spent checking the thermometer is well worth the effort.

Other tools that technicians should carry in their inventory include trowels for fi nishing compressive strength specimens, a good wheel barrow for obtaining a representative sample, and several 5-gallon buckets. A bucket fi lled with water is used to keep tools in during testing and can also be used to initially cure test specimens in the field or at project sites. In the summer, high temperatures can greatly aff ect the compressive strength results of the concrete specimens that are not initially cured within 60 to 80˚ F. Four 4x8 inch compressive strength specimens (cylinders) can fit inside a 5-gallon bucket. The bucket is fi rst fi lled with water, and after fabricating the cylinders they are placed in the 26

ı

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

bucket and left until the next day. Don’t forget extra cylinder molds. A technician can never have enough cylinder molds.

The technician’s vehicle is also a very important piece of equipment. The vehicle, usually a pick-up type with four wheel drive capabilities, is standard throughout the industry. The vehicle must be maintained in a safe and good working order. The technician should be responsible for alerting the fleet manager if he is experiencing any mechanical problems with the vehicle. A cylinder rack should be constructed and placed in the bed of the pickup. The rack can be lined with material that will cushion the cylinders as they are being transported back to the lab for fi nal curing and testing. The liner can be made of old conveyor belts or hard foam insulation.

Technicians should also have extra pens, markers, extra thermometers, notebook or log book, a durable calculator and don’t forget loose change for the parking meter. Some technicians are issued laptops with air-phone cards in order to track their remaining orders or make changes to entraining air dosage rates in the batch panel at the plant. Equally important is the technician’s cell phone. Communication from the project site is vital. It is important for the batch man to know how the concrete mixture is performing and if he needs to make any changes to the mix.

Some technicians also carry rain gear, extra hard hats, eye protection, gloves, extra safety vests and even dust masks. In the winter, they may have an extra work jacket and hard hat liner for those long waits between trucks arriving at the projects.

How does a technician know what he needs or doesn’t need?

If they think they might need it, they probably will. A quality control manager should periodically have an equipment inspection. Any missing or broken equipment should be reissued at that time. Just remember, a new rod or scoop is much cheaper than replacing a load of concrete!

Finally, no matter how much equipment or how well maintained, never forget the two most important pieces of equipment a technician needs to take to the project site or plant: EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE!!!!

■

Who to Call at

NRMCA CODES AND SUSTAINABILITY Erin Ashley, Ph.D. (240) 485-1306 eashley@nrmca.org COMMUNICATIONS Frank Cavaliere (240) 485-1141 fcavaliere@nrmca.org CONCRETE PROMOTION Glenn Ochsenreiter (240) 485-1140 gochsenreiter@nrmca.org Dan Huffman (503) 292-7729 dhuffman@nrmca.org Jon Hansen (515) 266-1058 jhansen@nrmca.org Phil Kresge (610) 966-7220 pkresge@nrmca.org Doug O’Neill (585) 436-8310 doneill@nrmca.org Vance Pool (281) 557-8415 vpool@nrmca.org Amy Miller, P.E. (904) 264-8850 amiller@nrmca.org ENGINEERING Colin Lobo Ph.D., P.E. (240) 485-1160 clobo@nrmca.org Lionel Lemay, P.E., S.E. (847) 918-7101 llemay@nrmca.org Karthik Obla, Ph.D., P.E. (240) 485-1163 kobla@nrmca.org REGULATORY AFFAIRS Gary Mullings (240) 485-1161 gmullings@nrmca.org

continued from page 

Fleet Benchmarking and Costs Survey ratio that matches the number of available drivers with available trucks with a goal of 100% utilization. This can be quite difficult in markets that experience driver shortages. Dispatch efficiency is determined as the (driver hours worked – driver standby hours)/ driver hours worked.

The OES Committee also asked producers for backing accidents and roll over incidents. The data reveal a rollover rate of 1.3 per 100 trucks for producers reporting at least one rollover. For those companies reporting at least one backing accident, the rate is 6.7 backing accidents per 100 trucks. The benchmarking data in this section are not included in this report.

■

FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES Michael Olivarri, CPA (240) 485-1130 molivarri@nrmca.org Nick Muzzatti (240) 485-1131 nmuzzatti@nrmca.org Tamara Waugh (240) 485-1132 twaugh@nrmca.org GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Kerri Leininger (240) 485-1159 kleininger@nrmca.org Kevin Walgenbach (240) 485-1157 kwalgenbach@nrmca.org INDUSTRY RELATIONS Nicole Maher (240) 485-1158 nmaher@nrmca.org

LOCAL: (301) 587-1400 TOLL-FREE: 1 (888) 846-7622 WEB SITE: www.nrmca.org INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Lawrence Afable (240) 485-1167 lafable@nrmca.org Jake Zhu (240) 485-1144 jzhu@nrmca.org MARKETING Glenn Ochsenreiter (240) 485-1140 gochsenreiter@nrmca.org Gillian McBurney (240) 485-1166 gmcburney@nrmca.org MEETINGS Nicole Maher (240) 485-1158 nmaher@nrmca.org Jessica Moore (240) 485-1152 jmoore@nrmca.org MEMBERSHIP Kathleen Carr-Smith (240) 485-1145 kcarrsmith@nrmca.org Kimberly Pittmon (240) 485-1146 kpittmon@nrmca.org OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT Robert Garbini, P.E., President (240) 485-1139 rgarbini@nrmca.org Deana Angelastro (240) 485-1138 dangela@nrmca.org

OPERATIONS/EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE Gary Mullings (240) 485-1161 gmullings@nrmca.org PUBLICATIONS Jacques Jenkins (240) 485-1165 jjenkins@nrmca.org RMC RESEARCH & EDUCATION FOUNDATION Julia Garbini (240) 485-1150 jgarbini@rmc-foundation.org Jennifer LeFevre (240) 485-1151 jlefevre@rmc-foundation.org SAFETY David Ayers (240) 485-1155 dayers@nrmca.org Gary Mullings (240) 485-1161 gmullings@nrmca.org TRAINING/EDUCATION/ CERTIFICATION Eileen Dickson (240) 485-1164 edickson@nrmca.org Shawnita Dickens (240) 485-1154 sdickens@nrmca.org CONCRETE

in focus

ı

27

sol

Proud to be allied with

SOLOMON COLORS, INC.

ing

valu

e to bo

ss ttom lines acro

the

uti

.

ing

be

e

rld

concrete color

s,

Put more teeth into your concrete and more muscle in your profits with UltraFiber 500® – a secondary reinforcement fiber second to none.

Our patented cellulose fiber delivers better finishing, unsurpassed crack reduction, and beefier bottom lines.

a

STAY PROFITABLE

dd

wo

r in leade

on

GET TOUGH

1/25/10 11:10:45 AM

Th

464671_Euclid.indd 1

glo

Buckeye’s automated fiber dispenser saves you time and money on every job with precise, hassle-free fiber addition – eliminating the hidden costs and safety issues of throwing bags. And, UltraFiber 500® is the greenest fiber for concrete since it is made from cellulose, a renewable polymer, instead of petroleum-based synthetics.

Finally, a ‘contractor-friendly’ fiber that is ideal for any concrete application and for any concrete finish operation which means happier customers and more fiber sales.

Trust the world leader in cellulose fiber solutions – 80+ years of making a strong statement for staying tough.

www.ultrafiber500.com | 866.663.8999

ı

1 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 28475988_Buckeye.indd

4/20/10 3:10:33 PM

Instant Steam Generator Designed specifically for heating water and aggregates, all with the one unit.

“Will not make aggregate MUSHY” Fuel savings up to 50% Low carbon monoxide levels Full bore steam in 15 seconds No stationary engineer required No chemical treatment of water

for More info Call: 1-800-388-1339 or visit: www.steamengineering.ca

419624_Steam.indd 1 3/10/08 4:12:08 PM

357719_Enviro.indd 1

Consistency is worth its weight in Gold

2/12/09 8:51:46 PM

Ultra-Concrete Washout Filter® NEW

• Reduce turbidity • Reduce pH • Recycle aggregate • Solve your washout dilemma Contact us to find out how successful concrete producers maximise their profits with consistently mixed concrete from ACT’s progressive mixing and batching plants, all backed by our industry-leading after-sales support. before and after

UltraTech International Inc. 800-764-9548 www.ConcreteFilter.com

603.431.5661 • www.concretebiz.com American division of Wiggert+Co. and Würschum

478619_Advanced.indd 1

480496_Ultratech.indd 1 6/5/10 11:22:03 AM

CONCRETE5/26/10 in focus

ı

11:09:07 29 AM

advertisers’ index/advertiser.com The most cost-efficient system for controlling pH and total suspended solids at ready mix plants!

Our Model 5000S is a self-contained treatment system that is guaranteed to control pH and total suspended solids to our customers’ satisfaction.

Our systems use low-cost carbon dioxide gas to lower pH. The chemical cost is about 70% less than sulfuric acid-based treatment systems.

In addition, carbon dioxide is readily available and is much safer to handle than acid solutions.

866-958-7267 919-365-8004

www.fortransinc.com

485432_Fortrans.indd 1

ı

465116_Infocus.indd 1 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 30

7/5/10 9:42:44 AM

2/12/10 8:34:23 AM

ADMIXTURES BASF Construction Chemicals......................................................inside front cover www.masterbuilders.com The Euclid Chemical Company ...........................................................................28 www.euclidchemical.com Solomon Colors .................................................................................................16 www.solomoncolors.com Xypex Chemical Corp .........................................................................................18 www.xypex.com BATCH PLANTS Advanced Concrete Technologies, Inc ............................................................... 29 www.concretebiz.com BMH Systems .................................................................................................. 22 www.bmhsystems.com Stephens Manufacturing Co., Inc. ..................................................................... 22 www.stephensmfg.com CEMENT Holcim ................................................................................................................3 www.holcim.us CONCRETE CHIPPING Coast 2 Coast .................................................................................................. 30 www.C2C-chipping.com CONCRETE CURING EQUIPMENT Kemco Systems, Inc. ........................................................................................ 22 www.kemcosystems.com CONCRETE FIBER Buckeye Building Fibers LLC .............................................................................28 www.ultrafiber500.com CONCRETE FIBER REINFORCEMENT Buckeye Building Fibers LLC .............................................................................28 www.ultrafiber500.com CONCRETE WASH OUT UltraTech International, Inc................................................................................ 29 www.spillcontainment.com ENVIRONMENTAL Enviro-Port, Inc. ............................................................................................... 29 www.enviro-port.com Fortrans, Inc..................................................................................................... 30 www.fortransinc.com FIBER REINFORCEMENT Buckeye Building Fibers LLC .............................................................................28 www.ultrafiber500.com FLY ASH Headwaters Resources ......................................................................................25 www.flyash.com LINERS Argonics, Inc. ................................................................................................... 22 www.argonics.com MIXER TRUCKS Mack Trucks, Inc. ................................................................................................6 www.macktrucks.com Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau...............................................inside back cover www.tmmb.org MIXERS Advanced Concrete Technologies, Inc ............................................................... 29 www.concretebiz.com READY MIX PLANTS Advanced Concrete Technologies, Inc ............................................................... 29 www.concretebiz.com STEEL FIBERS Bekaert Corp .......................................................................................................4 www.bekaert.com TRANSMISSIONS (TRUCK/AUTOMATIC) Allison Transmission ................................................................. outside back cover www.allisontransmission.com WATER HEATING EQUIPMENT Heatec, Inc. .......................................................................................................13 www.heatec.com Kemco Systems, Inc. ........................................................................................ 22 www.kemcosystems.com Steam Engineering ........................................................................................... 29 www.steamengineering.ca

Your company’s reputation – and future orders – are depending on your performance today.

Buying only equipment with TMMB rating plates ensures that your equipment will perform up-to-spec

T M M B Mixer Manufacturers Bureau

capacity, accurate water control, precise mixing speed and uniform mixing performance to ensure quality concrete is delivered that way.

In fact, in many states TMMB rated equipment is required on state jobs.

Contact us to learn more about the TMMB advantage.

confidence Beck Industrial CBMW/Continental Manufacturing Co., Inc. Con-Tech Manufacturing, Inc. Housby Mixer Group Kimble Mixer Company London Machinery McNeilus Companies Oshkosh Truck Corp.

Schwing America Summit Performance Systems Terex®

900 Spring Street r Silver Spring, MD 20910 Tel: 301 / 587 - 1400 r Fax: 301 / 587-1605 www.tmmb.org

Our commitment to understand and satisfy your needs drives us to constantly analyze, refine and improve our products and their features. That’s why we’re confident saying nothing else can deliver the durability, productivity and fuel efficiency like an Allison fully automatic transmission. Whatever your particular application, there’s an Allison Automatic to do the job.

If it’s not Allison, it’s not Optimized.™ w w w.a l l i s o n t r a n s m i s s i o n.c o m

best sellers

From the NRMCA Bookstore …

Technical Related Publications 1. 2PCIP100 – Concrete In Practice Package - Concrete in Practice Sheets are short, 1-page discussions on various concrete topics and are written in a “What? Why? And How” scheme and are intended to provide information on a non-technical format. The CIP topics are researched and written by members of NRMCA’s Research Engineering and Standards Committee. These are a great resource to give to your contractors and customers. English CIP Full Set 2PCIP100 - contains 20 sets of each CIP topics 1-42. Spanish CIP Full Set 2PCIP100es - contains 20 sets of each CIP topics 1-42. ($220 members, $320 non-members); English Single Set 2PCIPS & Spanish Single Set 2PCIPSes ($27 members, $110 non-members) 2. 2PE001 – Pervious Concrete: Mixture Proportioning - CD – This software program helps the user to establish mixture proportions for pervious concrete for a design void content and optimum consistency. Along with the software two documents are included. The first document is a guideline that details the pervious concrete mixture proportioning methodology. The second document is a research report that provides experimental validation of the mixture proportioning methodology based on testing conducted at the NRMCA Research Laboratory. A special feature of this software program is that the mixtures can be designed for a void content that is close to that measured by the newly standardized ASTM C1688 Standard Test Method for Density and Void Content of Pervious Concrete. ($45 members, $75 non-members) 3. 2P186 – Ready Mixed Concrete – This paper discusses the various requirements of the specifications and provides insight into the reasoning behind the various provisions. It includes a discussion on requirements for equipment and production methods for ready mixed concrete. It includes a discussion on use of wash water, returned concrete, w/cm in specifications etc. ($12 members, $30 non-members) 4. 2PE004 - Concrete Field Testing Technician Training CD ROM - New for 2010. ASTM Edition.

A CD-ROM based training tool covering the seven standard tests commonly associated with testing fresh concrete in the field. Two educational modules relating CONCRETE

in focus

ı

33

to general concrete technology are included, as well as demonstrations of equipment calibration. Includes slide presentations, narrated video demonstrations, step-by-step outlines, self-assessment quizzes and a glossary. (Member Price & Non-members $44)

Environmental Related Publications 5. 2PEMRM - Environmental Management for the RMC Industry - With more than 250 pages, more than 125 full color images and input from nearly all the major ready mixed concrete companies in the U.S. this document presents the environmental issues that surround the manufacture of ready mixed concrete. The document describes best industry practices for water management, air quality management, admixture, chemical and fuel storage issues, noise management, hazardous waste management, best management practice for fleet maintenance shops, plant aesthetics, plant closures, environmental security and sustainability issues. The publication also describes the organizational makeup of regulatory bodies (Environmental Protection Agency and state and local Environmental Departments) that govern the ready mixed concrete industry and describes agency inspection and tips for preparation of EPA audits. ($75 members, $350 non-members) 6. 2PCSR01 - Concrete’s Contribution to LEED 2009 NC (Pkgs. of 20) - Concrete Sustainability Reports (CSR) are technical publications that discuss various sustainability-related topics. They are intended to provide a summary of complex topics to help design professionals and concrete industry professionals utilize concrete sustainably. CSR01, the first in the series, provides a brief description of the LEED 2009 green building rating system and how concrete can contribute within each credit category. Examples of how concrete can be used to influence points in LEED are presented and a table summarizing how concrete contributes to each credit is provided. 8 pages. ($15.00 members, $25.00 non-members)

Safety & Operations Related Publications 7. 2P188 – Truck Mixer Driver’s Manual – This manual educates truck mixer drivers about concrete and customer relations. This booklet also highlights driver duties, safety precautions, equipment inspection and maintenance procedures, and what the driver should do in case of an accident. Also available in Spanish – 2P188S; ($14 members, $54 non-members); (20 or more copies $12 ea. members, $54 ea. non-members.)

8. 2PSS2 - Backing Accident Prevention Program - This CD-based PowerPoint presentation and instructor notes illustrates the causes of truck mixer backing accidents and the measures to take to prevent them. The kit also comes with training documentation forms, backing accident investigation form, standard truck mixer backing hand and arm signals (English and Spanish) and also handy reference cards that can be given to contractors at construction sites that assist in backing truck mixers. (Member Price $75, Non-members $350)

Promotion Related Publications 9. 2PPB50 – Pervious Concrete: When it Rains, It Drains Promotion Brochure (Pkg. of 50) – As customers and influencers in every part of the country are under increasing pressure to move toward increased sustainability, the many “green” and economic advantages of pervious concrete are attracting more and more attention.

34

ı

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

This promotional brochure, developed through the NRMCAsponsored Concrete Collateral Working Group and targeted to owners and architects, clearly makes the case for pervious. As interest in pervious continues to grow, these brochures should be left behind on every promotion and sales call. ($52.50 members, $52.50 non-members) Also sold in packages of 1000, 500, 250, and 100.

10. 2PPSCG1- The Sustainable Concrete Guide-Strategies and Examples - The first-ever comprehensive resource on concrete and sustainability, “The Sustainable Concrete Guide—Strategies and Examples” provides insight on specific strategies for the best use of concrete in high-performance, long-lasting, green buildings. Included in the guide are case studies, technical data and references, and numerous practices that can be implemented immediately. The guide is divided into three parts: “Concrete Basics for Sustainability”; “Considerations for Best Use of Concrete for Sustainable Structures”; and “Beyond Sustainable Rating Systems: Project Profiles”. Also included are profiles of three specific types of structures: parking structures and parking lots; single-family and multi-family residential structures; and commercial, institutional and industrial structures. (Member Price $60, Non-members $60)

FEATURED PRODUCT The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association has published the latest in its growing array of safety-focused training programs, this time to coincide with its “Summer of Safety” Webinar series and the marking of June as Safety Month. This latest offering, Safety Series #18: Night Pour Safety for the Ready Mixed Concrete Industry, is a CD-based PowerPoint presentation and instructor notes designed to teach employees the importance of hazard recognition when it comes to night pours.

2PSS18- Night Pours - This CD-based PowerPoint presentation and instructor notes are designed to teach employees the importance of hazard recognition when it comes to night pours.

Job sites are potentially difficult to deliver to in the day, let alone night. Slips, trips and falls as well as temporary lighting are covered. Excavations are more difficult to detect at night and special emphasis is placed on the “1 to 1 Rule.” Finally, a quiz and training documentation form is enclosed to help keep track of personnel training. (Member Price $75, Non-members $350) ■

education matters

to Create More

Engaging and Fulfilling

Work Experiences

By Eileen Dickson, Vice President of Education, NRMCA

No one at Round Ring Aggregate and Ready Mix, LLC knows area operations manager Dan King has a real work passion. He is driven to manage more than safety compliance, but really wants figure out how to implement a system that addresses the fact that some people just chose to not comply.

He believes, and has researched on his own, that many manufacturing/production companies spend too much time on cramming the proven scientific facts about safety to employees to mitigate risk. Yet study after study, and coupled with Dan’s experience, shows that while employees understand why the scientific evidence proves there are procedures that clearly are in their own best interest, many times they chose to ignore facts and not comply.

W

hat Dan’s personal reading has led him to is “reflexive epistemological diversity” which suggests that for better compliance, there is a high value in many forms of explanation, promoting interaction between different explanations, at different levels of causation, and across the divide between natural and social sciences. In line with recent developments in the natural sciences, such an approach does not suggest that “anything goes,” yet opens up explanations beyond narrow conceptions of expertise, reductionism and relativism. Heady, self-motivated stuff is driving Dan King.

In the workplace, 38-year-old Dan is a loyal area manager. He’s struggling with all the recession has thrown at Round Ring. He’s worked hard to keep up his spirits as he’s watched good friends with sound operation practices being let go, which in turn, has turned facilities and employees to working at a continual “put-out-the-fire” state. He very frustrated when he sees safety compromises everywhere he looks. What he wants is the opportunity to make changes in the safety communication program to now fit the current crisis management environment and set precedence for the future.

You would not know it from Dan’s outward appearance and the way management relies on him to get the job done. He’s considered a “star.” He hits his benchmarks and goals. He’s not only there long hours but has built solid relationships with peers and senior level people he values. And senior management, in turn, thinks of Dan as one of their company’s high potentials, ready to ascend to higher levels quickly during the rebound.

But outside of work, Dan admits to himself and wife that he feels stagnant at work. He’s trapped by the day-to-day demands when what he really thinks would be an effective use of his time during the slowdown is exploring all the CONCRETE

in focus

ı

35

corporate safety processes among the ready mix and aggregate groups, find the commonalities and differences, and understand not only the technical/scientific impacts but the overlaps of the social compliance process in individuals. At this point, he’d like to look for another job, but given the excruciating slow recovery in the construction industry atlarge, sticking it out seems like his best, and only, option. He feels stuck and less and less motivated, wondering why he still wants to be in a business he has loved for 15 years.

Dan’s feelings are not in a vacuum. Over the past several years, a number of organizational behavior researchers have found this feeling of not controlling one’s own career has made good employees not satisfied with their jobs. According to a recent survey by the Conference Board of 5,000 American households, only 45% said they are satisfied with their jobs, down from 67% in 1987, when the survey was first conducted.

According to Harvard Business School researchers, there is a solution for those where it is unrealistic to change roles or companies in this tough economy. The exercise is called “job crafting” where a person uses it as a tool to redefine and reimagine his/her job to incorporate his or her motives, strengths and passions. The exercise prompts them to visualize their job, map its elements and reorganize them to better suit themselves. By putting personal touches on how they see and do their job, people gain a better sense of control at work. The best thing is that this exercise is driven by the individual, not his/her supervisor, in a critical time when everyone is working harder and expecting to retire later.

The exercise involves altering one or more of the core aspects of your work.

TASKS. You can change the boundaries of your job by taking on more or fewer tasks, expanding or diminishing their scope, or changing how they are performed. A dispatch manager, for instance, might take on the additional task of deciding which drivers for the pool get called in for the week, beyond the current task of just scheduling drivers’ time.

The dispatch manager would do this because he likes the challenge of organizing people and logistics, much like Dan King.

You can change the boundaries of your job by taking on more or fewer tasks, expanding or diminishing their scope, or changing how they are performed.

RELATIONSHIPS. You can always make an effort to expand/contract the extent of interactions with people. A ready mix area manager, for example, might create mentoring relationships with plant managers, batchmen and sales reps as a way to connect with them and teach those who will move into different positions in the future. He might also back away from peers who continually gripe because he knows that negativity rubs off not only at work but at home.

PERCEPTIONS. You can change how you think about the purpose of certain aspects of your job or you can reframe them as a whole. The safety-environmental manager might choose to think of the job as two separate parts, one not particularly enjoyable (the

paperwork required for compliance) and one very meaningful (time in the field instructing one-on-one). Or the same person might see the work as advancing the prestige of the ready mix business in the area of compliance at-large rather than simple managing risk assessment.

For their part, companies have a lot to gain by enabling job crafting. Most job-redesign, especially in the industry’s current state, put the onus on managers to help employees find satisfaction in their work. In reality, leaders rarely have sufficient time to devote to this process. Job crafting lets employees become “job entrepreneurs.” It can even help transform poor performers.

Despite these benefits, job crafting can be easily overlooked. Dan King’s time pressures and other constraints have made him see his job as a fixed list of duties. He’s also afraid that he could be stepping in a quagmire of office politics if he expresses his desires and it is interpreted as another unhappy employee griping. For Dan King to re-craft his job, he needs to get a different mindset. If he sees today as a set of building blocks that he can reconfigure to create more engaging and fulfilling experiences at work, then the opportunity to prove there is high value in both Round Ring’s ready mix and aggregate divisions to communicate safety tasks and skills in many forms of explanation has arrived. With the relationships he has established and the perceptions he’ll create, promoting interaction between different explanations, at different levels of causation, and across the divide between natural and social sciences, will not only be a feather in his hat but a meaningful contribution to the company, its customers and the public at large.

■

Bibliography Mathew David, University of Liverpool.

Sociological Knowledge and Scientific Knowledge. http://www3.interscience. wiley.com/ journal/120185429/ abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0.

Viewed June 14, 2010.

Amy Wrzesniewski, Justin m. Berg, Jane e. Dutton. Turn the Job You Have into The Job You Want. Harvard Business Review. V88, 6, June 2010.

For more information about NRMCA’s educational programs for the ready mixed concrete industry, visit our Web site at www.nrmca.org or contact Ms. Dickson at edickson@nrmca.org.

36

ı

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

486248_Romix_eOutsert.indd 1

7/20/10 11:42:38 AM

486248_Romix_eOutsert.indd 2

7/20/10 11:42:39 AM