infocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusSpring 2012

Jobsite Rinseoff: Is Change Coming?

Part IX of Concrete Quality Series:

Variation in Concrete Performance Due to

Manufacturing

Arkansas Producer Receives NRMCA

Innovation in Training Award

A PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL READY MIXED CONCRETE ASSOCIATIONinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocusinfocus

A PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL READY MIXED CONCRETE ASSOCIATIONA PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL READY MIXED CONCRETE ASSOCIATION

Resilience IS THE NEW

SustainabilityDisasters show the need to build for the future

Concrete

529013_BASF.indd 1 5/2/11 5:36:04 PM

395767_Holcim.indd 1 10/10/08 1:56:54 PM

Two (2) NEW Portable Concrete Plants:

Falcon - New super heavy plantMustang - New low-profi le portable The Mustang plant will be exhibited at the ConExpo Show

NEW Stephens RCC Mixer:

The new mixer will allow an existing dry batch plant to betransformed into an RCC or central mix plant.

The New RCC mixer will be exhibited at the World of Concrete Show andThe ConExpo Show.

NEW Stephens/Inventure Reversing Drum Mixer:

Stephens has acquired the exclusive rights to manufacture and supply the Inventure Reversing Mixers in Canada and the USA. The new design and updated frames will make the mixer even more maintenance friendly.

The NEW Stephens/Inventure Reversing Mixer will be exhibited at the ConExpo Show.

• Standard frame will support up to two 1000 bbl silos• Standard frame will support up to 200 ton agg bins• Optional frame will support up to 400 ton agg bins• Plant can be designed with 36” belt, water batcher

and holding tank for 200 yph production• Central dust collector can also mount on plant

to save yard space• Standard frame to be designed to typical

zone 1 seismic calculations

• Standard frame will support up to two 1000 bbl silosStandard frame will support up to 200 ton agg bins

New heavy portable Falcon

Petaluma, California Soilland Zone 4 Siesmic\

New low-profi le Mustang• 400 bbl in truss silo• 70 ton agg bin• 30” transfer belt• Two (2) 10” screws• Optional: in truss central dust

collector available• Standard frame designed to

typical zone 2 seismiccalculations

“We have used these tough economical times to expand our product list.”

1-800-626-0200 www.stephensmfg.com1-800-626-0200

ble

Sicoma MAO-6000 twin shaft mixer42” transfer belt with 50 hp motor400 amp 3rd party UL approved power panelOptional: Hydraulic Leveling Jacks

Hydraulic Conveyor FoldHydraulic Truck Collection Hop-per Fold

Unique Features:The newly designed frame will make clean-up and maintenance easier, and the new design will allow for a water hose or broom to easily clean under the mixer.

The patented “swing out” hinged charging chute also allows for quick and easy access inside the mixer.

Stephens has added several other options as standard equipment.

The new Stephens/lnventure mixer will be exhibited at the ConExpo Show, booth# S707.

Sicoma MAO 6000 twin shaft mixer

New RCC Mixer Includes:

Stephens Mfg.Quality Products

Since 1957

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fea tu res 9 Top-notch Training:

Arkansas Producer Receives NRMCA Innovation in Training Award

10 resilience is the new Sustainability:Disasters show the need to build for the futurePart 1

14 Variation in Concrete performance Due to ManufacturingPart IX of Concrete Quality SeriesPart 1

17 roads: Smoothness Matters, But…

depa r tments 6 Characters of Concrete: Hank Hauge

7 Environmental Scene: Jobsite Rinseoff: Is Change Coming?

18 nrMCA STAFF LiSTing

18 Workforce issues Q&A

18 index to Advertisers

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

Concrete infocus is published for:National Ready Mixed Concrete Association900 Spring StreetSilver Spring, Maryland 20910Phone: (301) 587-1400Fax: (301) 585-4219www.nrmca.org

President: Robert A. Garbini, P.E

Managing Editor: Kathleen Carr-Smith

Association Editor: Frank Cavaliere

Published by:

Naylor, LLC5950 NW 1st PlaceGainesville, Florida 32607Phone: (800) 369-6220Fax: (352) 331-3525www.naylor.com

Publisher: Jill Andreu

Editor: Rachael Ryals

Project Manager: Katie Usher

Marketing Research: Lisa Palo

Advertising Director:Maureen Hays

Account Representatives: Lou Brandow, Krys D’Antonio,Ryan Griffi n, Erin Pande,Christine Ricci, Rick Sauers,Jamie Williams, Chris Zabel

Layout & Design:Satyakam Banerjee

©2012 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 MARCH 2012NRC-Q0112-7128

Spring 2012, Vol. 11, no. 2

infocusConcrete

contents

please visit the electronic version of Concrete InFocus at http://www.nrmca.org/news/connections/ for bonus features, including: Corporate Suite that will discuss how to deliver great customer service, the full story on this year’s nrMCA innovation in Training Award winner, part 2 of this month’s Concrete Quality Series feature, and part 2 of this month’s feature story on how resilience is the new Sustainability.

COnCrETE in focus ı 5

10

9

6

6 ı Spring 2012

characters of concrete

Hank Hauge,Strata Corporation, An Industry Investment in 1995 Is Paying Big DividendsBy: Jon Hansen, Senior national resource Director, nrMCA

Henry D. “Hank” Hauge is a member of the NRMCA Board of Directors, which is a great accomplishment, but for this hard working, family man, filling that chair is just one of

many ways he gives back to his community.The Characters of Concrete series was designed to tell the “other

story” about the characters, the things we do not know like what motivates them, what they do away from work, and what was it about how they got from point A to point B in a career path that war-rants feature article space in a trade publication. The stories of past Characters of Concrete have focused primarily only on the character, but during my research on Hank, I realized that he is not alone at home; his house is full of characters.

Let’s start from youngest and work our way up. Son Sam is 18 and a recent high school graduate. In addition to all the typical things 18-year-old boys like to do, Sam plays not one, but three instruments: drums, guitar and bass. When not at his job or playing with his church music team, he is touring with a Christian rock band.

Hank Hauge (far right) is pictured with his wife, Jennifer (far right), as well as their son, Sam, and daughter, Kate.

In 1995, after completing his U.S. Army commitment that included Operation Desert Storm, Desert Shield, Military Intelligence and the Defense Foreign Language Institute, Hank was enrolled at the University of North Dakota in the Civil Engineering program. With the expense of college and a family, things were a bit tight financially. He decided to apply for and was awarded a $500 scholarship offered by the North Dakota Ready Mixed Concrete Association.

The money was used to buy books for the coming semester and the rest, as they say, is written into history.

He has continued to repay huge dividends on this scholarship invest-ment throughout his career in the concrete industry, not only with his contributions to his company, but to the state association that gave him that financial boost. He has served as its president in addition to serving as president of the North Dakota Concrete Council; he now serves as a member of the NRMCA Board of Directors.

Hank has not forgotten about his commitment to his country, as he serves in the American Legion as treasurer and vice com-mander of Minnesota Post 238 and as a member of the 1st Cavalry Division Association.

Invest for the future is something we hear all the time. Trying to find the best investment is always the question: Stock market, gold, silver, classic cars, etc. Well, look no further than people like Hank Hauge and his family, and the answer is clear. ■

If you know a Character of Concrete that should be featured in Concrete InFocus, contact Jon Hansen at jhansen@nrmca.org.

With the expense of college and a family, things were a bit tight financially. He decided to apply for and was awarded a $500 scholarship offered by the North Dakota Ready Mixed Concrete Association. The money was used to buy books for the coming semester, and the rest, as they say, is written into history.

Daughter Kate you may remember was the 2008 NRMCA National High School Essay contest winner. Now 21, she is enrolled at North Dakota State University, majoring in English and, when time allows, she is a dancer. Like her brother she is a versatile artist, dancing not just in one style but three: tap, hip-hop and Irish dance. She is a choreographer, and like her brother Sam, was home-schooled thru the ninth grade, finishing grades 10-12 in the public school system.

Wife Jennifer works from home managing her media production company. She has had many creative outlets herself, starting with a degree in broadcasting and past work as a radio DJ, as a host of a local television show and a brief stint in acting. She continues to channel her creative outlet now that the kids are moving out of the house. But before she became mom, teacher and family administrator, she and Hank got a little financial boost from the concrete industry that became one of the best returns on investment any one could ask for.

COnCrETE in focus ı 7

Jobsite Rinseoff: Is Change Coming?By: Doug ruhlin, Environmental / Sustainability Consultant, resource Management Associates

R insing concrete mixer chutes after a pour is as old as concrete deliveries themselves and along with contractors rinsing their equipment, probably happens on nearly every job using ready

mixed concrete on the planet. A time-honored practice, one that contin-ues in much the same way it’s been done since concrete was first deliv-ered to the jobsite.

Bear in mind this is not concrete washout, the rinsing of a mixer-barrel interior. There is little reason to rinse a mixer barrel interior at a jobsite. Therefore, this practice needs to be referred to as “jobsite rinsing”, or “jobsite rinseoff” – and not “jobsite washout.” See Concrete InFocus July/August 2008 “Jobsite Washout…or Chute Rinse-off” for further discus-sion on this matter.

The concrete industry has come a long way. We’ve made great strides in reducing our environmental impact and becoming more sustainable. We waste less, use less energy, make a better product, and generally have cleaner and safer plant sites.

But in a lot of respects, we continue to work at jobsites in the same manner we have for the past 50-plus years – we deliver concrete to the jobsite and we expect to rinse our chutes at the site. And, for the most part, we continue to operate in this manner.

Certainly, chutes need to be rinsed after a pour before returning to the plant site. It’s bad practice, and certainly a safety issue, to return to

the plant across public roads with chutes that might be dripping concrete or dropping rocks. It just can’t happen – those chutes need to be rinsed before leaving the jobsite or at least otherwise substantially cleaned.

So how do we solve this dilemma?Lately, we’ve begun to see more and more signs that the times are

changing, often at the hands of others. For example, recently the city of New York passed a city-wide regulation requiring that concrete rinsing occurring at a jobsite occur in either an enclosed “roll-off type” container to be properly managed elsewhere, or into a “rinseoff bucket” type device that mounts on the chute or rear of the mixer truck and into which the rinsewater (and aggregate) are deposited.

In other words, rinsing of the chutes directly onto the ground will no longer be allowed. This is even if there is no immediate threat posed to any surface water body, and apparently regardless of whether other suitable means for chute rinseoff were provided on the jobsite. For producers and finishers in New York City, times have changed alright.

And New York City may not be just an isolated instance -- we’re seeing this more often. As these circumstances change, we are also starting to see both producers and their customers change. Simply put, many customers are no longer willing to provide a means (and an area) for chute rinsing on their site, which is likely governed by a number of permits during the building stages including an NPDES Construction General Permit.

Or, developers and builders are building with strict environmental practices and requirements in mind, such as LEED, which awards a bonus to the reduction on waste generated during the building pro-cess. For these customers, they feel that they’ve ordered concrete – not also the end result waste material that the product delivery entails. And in response, concrete producers have taken more and more to chute rinseoff management practices such as the “rinseoff buckets.” As they do so, they raise the bar in their particular market, driving customers to expect this, and town fathers to pass regulations pro-hibiting jobsite rinsing in the name of environmental protection. The cycle goes on.

This might be viewed as a highly controversial topic. Change is usu-ally not easy, particularly when the practice in question is so common-place and well ingrained. But the times are changing, whether we like it or not, and some ready mixed concrete producers are trying to keep up with these changes.

Where do you stand on this issue? Have you begun to see this change coming and started to follow along at a reasonable pace (as opposed to hoping this issue will just goes away)? Or, are you waiting for New York City type regulations to come to your city, your county, your state? Then, will you be scrambling to follow along and comply like others will or will you be in front of the pack as the industry leader in your market? ■

For more information, contact Doug Ruhlin at Resource Management Associates, PO Box 512, Forked River, NJ 08731; (609) 693-8301; www.RMAgreen.com; or via email at doug@RMAgreen.com.

Rinsing concrete mixer chutes is a time-honored practice, one that continues in much the same way it’s been done since concrete was first delivered to the jobsite. But new regulations could change all that.

environmental scene

8 ı Spring 2012

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COnCrETE in focus ı 9

T here’s training the incoming crop of mixer truck drivers and then there’s TRAINING the incoming

crop of mixer truck drivers. NRMCA pro-ducer member Mobley Ready Mix Concrete falls squarely in the latter category. The Morrilton, AZ.-based company is a small, ready mix concrete producer that serves rural markets. A few years ago, senior executives recognized the need and long-term benefits of getting ahead of the curve in its hiring and training of perhaps the industry’s most critical personnel: mixer truck drivers.

“With the economic shifts during the late 1990s and early/mid 2000s causing fluctua-tions in both driver demand and availability, Mobley recognized the need to maintain a more flexible and stable driver corps; increase

Top-Notch Training:Arkansas Producer Receives NRMCA Innovation in Training Award

producer profile

health and safety performance; increase environmental awareness and involvement; and elevate the operational professionalism and performance of its mixer drivers,” wrote company President Bryce J. Mobley in his award program application.

The process to reinvent the methods, in which Mobley hired, trained and retained its mixer drivers began when company executives knew they had to change their views of mixer drivers as “just truck herders” to expecting them to be the primary asset in satisfying cus-tomer needs. Based on that belief, the company divided its strategy into three major parts. ■

To read about the 3-part method that Mobley used, and to see more photos, visit www.nrmca.org/new/connections.

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By: Frank Cavaliere, Director of Communications, nrMCA

feature

Resilience is the new SustainabilityDisasters show the need to build for the future Part 1

The Sundberg’s concrete home survived the devastating effects of high winds and storm surge of Hurricane Katrina.

By: Tien peng, Senior Director, Sustainability, Codes and Standards, nrMCALionel Lemay, Senior Vice president, Development, nrMCAJon Hansen, Senior Director, national resources, Mid/northwest

Sustainability lessons from Katrina

“Katrina was man-made,” declared Brad Pitt, initiator of the Make It Right Foundation, the organization acting as the catalyst for the redevelopment of the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans. Mr. Pitt was

not addressing the Category 3 hurricane that made landfall on Aug. 29, 2005, kill-ing more than 1,800 people, but the surge protection failures that happened as a result of decades of reckless handling of the levees, combined with the destruction of thousands of acres of buffering potential wetlands.

Katrina’s storm surge submerged 80 per-cent of the city. A June 2007 report by the American Society of Civil Engineers indi-cated that two-thirds of the flooding was caused by the multiple failures of the city’s floodwalls.1 The storm surge also devas-tated the coasts of Mississippi and Alabama,

10 ı Spring 2012

COnCrETE in focus ı 11

making Katrina the most destructive and costliest natural disaster in the history of the U.S., estimated at $81.2 billion (2005 U.S. dollars), nearly double the cost of the previously most expensive storm, Hurricane Andrew, when adjusted for inflation.2

The leveeing of the Mississippi River for purposes of flood control and com-merce navigation is the primary reason for the coastal wetland loss. These levees were designed for the needed flood protection, yet prevented vital land-building sediments and nutrients from replenishing deteriorat-ing marshes. Wetlands along the coastline serve as natural speed bumps to approach-ing hurricanes by starving them of warm ocean water and creating physical barriers to surging floodwater. However, in the last 100 years, the construction of levees and canals has turned 1,900 square miles of Louisiana wetland habitat into open water. In effect, moving the hurricane closer to the city before it can decrease in intensity as it normally does over land.

Here, we see the artifact of progress itself becomes the instrument that under-mines security along the Mississippi River communities. The Katrina disaster seemed to bear witness and impart wisdom on a wide range of sustainability issues: envi-ronmental deterioration, social justice, climate change, and geographical risk. What is stunning is that the world’s rich-est and most powerful nation was seem-ingly unprepared for a natural event that occurred year after year. This exemplifies the need to rethink our priorities, our rela-tion with the natural environment and our building practices.

Record Natural DisastersAt the end of 2011, the National Oceanic

and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said the U.S. has experienced 14 separate disasters, each with an economic loss of $1 billion or more3, surpassing the record set in 2008. Last year’s losses amounted to $55 billion. Globally, insurers lost at least $108 billion on disasters last year. Reinsurer Swiss Re Ltd. said that 2011 was the second-worst year in the industry’s history. Only 2005, with Hurricane Katrina and other major storms, was more costly.4

Most of the increased disaster losses can-not be attributed to an increased occurrence of hazards. Although some types of events, for example, heavy rains, have increased in

frequency since the 1950s, others such as hurricane landfalls in the eastern United States have declined.

There is ample historical evidence to illustrate how disasters result not as much from the destructive agent itself but from the way in which communities are (or are not) prepared, and the socioeconomic condi-tions of the people. People living in hazard-ous areas are not equally at risk. Some will have fewer resources, human and material, to deal with the event. The case of Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans provides the most dramatic example of the effects of poverty on vulnerability.• Pre-Katrinapovertyratewashigh(about

38 percent of the children lived in house-holds below the poverty rate compared to 17 percent nationwide)6

• Likemostcities across thecountry,NewOrleans already faced a housing and infrastructure crisis.

• Renters constituted 54 percent of thecity population, compared to 34 percent nationwide.

• Decades of neglect andmismanagementhad left public housing developments in severe distress.7

Disasters happen when the natural system is encroached upon by human development. Every disaster yielding human loss, environmental degradation and political strife can be traced to spe-cific conflict between ecologies, natural and artificial. There is no such thing as a natural disaster. As Hurricane Katrina clearly illustrated, the extent of disruption caused by a disaster is greatly influenced by the degree to which society chooses to fortify for the event.

It is apparent that there needs to be a significant shift in how we address natural

Greenburg, Kansas, after an EF5 tornado leveled the town on May 4, 2007.

Natural hazard mitigation is a resilience strategy that saves lives and money. For a building to be truly sustainable it should be resilient.

Instead, they can be attributed to sev-eral other factors. In the last several dec-ades, population in the United States has migrated toward the coasts, concentrating along the earthquake-prone Pacific coast and the hurricane-prone Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and the value of their possessions has increased substantially. More than 60 percent of the U.S. population lives within 50 miles of one of its coasts (including the Great Lakes).5 The high concentration of people in coastal regions has produced many economic benefits, but the combined effects of booming population growth and economic and technological development are threatening the ecosystems that provide these economic benefits. Moreover, many elements of these aged infrastructures are highly vulnerable to breakdowns that can be triggered by relatively minor events.

There is No Natural DisasterWhat is a natural disaster? The meaning

of the word obviously changes with person, culture and time. As Brad Pitt inferred, it may be inaccurate to use the legal definition of “act of God,” meaning any event outside of human control.

12 ı Spring 2012

disasters, moving away from the traditional focus on response and recovery toward empha-sis on resiliency, that is, preventive actions to reduce the effects of a natural hazard.

Resilience is the New Sustainability

Resilience can be understood as the capacity to anticipate and minimize poten-tial destructive forces through adaptation or resistance. Basically, addressing changes in the environment, whether gradual (climate change) or more abrupt (such as hurricanes)

or immediate (such as a terrorist attack), require actions to mitigate their negative effects. We can consider resilience as:

“the capability to prepare for, prevent, protect against, respond to or mitigate any anticipated or unexpected signifi-cant threat or event, to adapt to changing conditions and rapidly recover to normal or a “new normal,” and reconstitute criti-cal as sets, operations and services with minimum damage and disruption to public health and safety, the economy, environment and national security.”8

If we identify resiliency not solely as a state of preparedness for disaster, but as a desired characteristic of a sustainable society, one more in control of its energy and food production, access to water supplies, as well as being one that enables local social capital, we can begin to see the relationship. The term ‘sustainabil-ity’ usually describes some aspect of maintain-ing our resources from the environment to the quality of life, over time. It can also refer to the ability to tolerate—and overcome—degrada-tion of natural environmental services, dimin-ished productivity and reduced quality of life inflicted by man’s relationship to the planet and each other.

There is growing understanding that climate change is happening now and that human induced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are to blame. Disaster resilience must now consider the impact of climate change. Unfortunately, there is less public knowledge of how to adapt to the impacts of this global challenge and the actions necessary to reduce these risks. Here, a dis-aster is a signal of the failure of a society to adapt to its new environment.

Changing risks facing our housing, transportation and energy infrastructure from climate change adaptation can include:• Higheraveragetemperaturesandhigher

summer peaks will affect energy produc-tion and demand;

• Winterstormscancauseflooding,dam-age to infrastructure and dislocation of communities;

• More drought, fires and intense rainfallevents will produce more mud- and landslides;

• Sea-levelriseislikelytocausethegreatestimpacts on infrastructure and trigger the increase of environmental refugees.Disaster resilience and climate change

adaptation are not the same: disaster resil-ience addresses a much wider range of hazards than those relating to climate, while climate adaption’s scope extends to issues beyond dis-asters, such as loss of biodiversity and changes to ecosystems. Nevertheless, there is a consid-erable overlap between them: both focus on managing risks and reducing vulnerabilities. Their agendas have also evolved separately and integration between them is crucial if we are to provide a safe and secure future. ■

Be sure to visit the digital edition of Concrete InFocus at www.nrmca.org to read Part 2 of this article.

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COnCrETE in focus ı 13

Federal Grants Available for Safe Room and Community SheltersThe U.S. government provides grant money to communities and private citizens to construct safe rooms and community shelters. Schools and homes provide an excellent opportu-nity to include safe room construc-tion. School safe rooms have been designed as multi-purpose rooms, including auditoriums and gymnasi-ums. Small windowless rooms such as a walk-in closet are ideal locations for a safe room in a home.Concrete proves to be the most widely used method for constructing safe rooms, yet every year millions of dollars available for constructing dis-aster resistant safe rooms go unspent simply because of a lack of request for those dollars. The following is a list of government grant programs designed to help fund safe room and community shelter construction:

HUD-Community Development Block GrantsThe Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 author-ized communities to use community development block grants to construct tornado-safe shelters in manufactured home parks. A list of HUD offices by state can be found at: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/comm_planning/communitydevelopment/programs.

FEMA-Hazard Mitigation Grant ProgramHMGP grants can be used to fund projects that provide protection to both public as well as private proper-ties. Projects that are eligible under the HMGP grant include acquir-ing and demolishing or relocating structures from hazard-prone areas; retrofitting structures to protect them

from floods, high winds, earthquakes, or other natural hazards; and con-structing residential and community shelters in tornado-prone areas. Visit http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/hmgp/ for details.

FEMA-Pre-Disaster Mitigation ProgramFEMA’s PDM Program provides funding for communities that have an

approved hazard mitigation plan by November 1, 2004. Priority is placed on projects that address repetitive loss properties due to flooding, but other projects such as safe rooms can be funded. Funding grant request for FEMA projects must come from state agencies tied directly to FEMA. For contact information listed by state go to: http://www.fema.gov/about/con-tact/shmo.shtm. ■

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14 ı Spring 2012

Variation in Concrete Performance Due to Manufacturing

feature

Part IX of Concrete Quality SeriesPart 1

By: Karthik Obla, ph.D., p.E., Vice president, Technical Services

Pa r t s I and I I of the Concrete Qua l it y ser ie s1,2 d i scussed that a good measure and benchmark

of concrete qua l it y i s the Standard Deviation (SD) of compressive strength test results. The primary factors that impact the SD are variability associated with materials, production and testing. In order to reduce the strength standard deviation, the concrete producer needs to manage those aspects of variability that can be controlled. This article dis-cusses control of variat ion associated with manufacturing, specifically mixing, temperature and delivery time. Batching accuracy, which is a part of manufactur-ing variation, was addressed in Part VIII of this series3.

ASTM C94 Requirements for Uniformity of Concrete

Concrete needs to be batched and mixed to a homogeneous mixture to reduce performance variation within a batch. Consistency in manufacturing con-crete will also reduce variations between batches. ASTM C944 has requirements for uniformity of concrete produced by truck-mixing, shrink-mixing or central-mixing. Two separate samples from a

single batch of concrete each consisting of approximately 2 ft3 are taken after dis-charge of approximately 15% and 85% of the load. A series of concrete tests – slump, air content, compressive strength, coarse aggregate content, concrete and mortar densities on an air-free basis are conducted. Limits are set for the range of results for each test on the two sam-ples as listed in Table 1 (reproduced from ASTM C94) to meet the requirements for uniformly mixed concrete. ASTM C94 requires that uniformly mixed concrete should be achieved in a truck mixer with 70 to 100 revolutions at the mixing speed designated by the manufacturer. For plant mixers it establishes a minimum mixing time that can be shorter when mixer qual-ification tests are performed.

If the uniformly mixed concrete is not achieved within the minimum mix-ing requirements, after all ingredients including water are in the mixer, then the mixer shall not be used until the condition is corrected. This is discussed in the next section. Mixing uniformity tests are performed on mixers of a unique design by manufacturers that provide plant and truck mixers in accordance with the standards of the Concrete Plant

Manufacturers Bureau and the Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau, respec-tively. Concrete mixtures with low and higher slump levels are tested. When satisfactory performance is shown in one mixer, the performance of mixers from the same manufacturer, similar drum size, blade design can be assumed, pro-vided the mixer is at a similar or better overall condition5.

The primary factors relative to the condition of mixers in operation that adversely impact efficiency in mixing are the blade wear, and build-up of hard-ened concrete or mortar inside the drum. These two items are part of the inspec-tion process for mixers in the NRMCA plant certification program. Additionally, plant mixers may need to be evaluated for mixing uniformity by testing slump and coarse aggregate content for plants that want to be qualified as central mixing plants6.

Improving Uniformity of Concrete Produced in a Truck Mixer

Generally, central mixed concrete produced in plant mixers will not have variations in the equipment and operator

COnCrETE in focus ı 15

The primary factors relative to the condition of mixers in operation that adversely impact efficiency in mixing are the blade wear, and build-up of hardened concrete or mortar inside the drum. These two items are part of the inspection process for mixers in the NRMCA plant certification program.

inf luence associated with truck-mixed concrete. NRMCA, in consultation with truck and plant manufacturers, inves-tigated a wide number of factors that could have an effect on the uniformity of concrete produced in a truck mixer. A series of 670 concrete batches were tested between 1969 and 19727,8. The follow-ing were determined to be the main fac-tors, besides the design and condition of the mixer, that affect the homogeneity of a given batch of truck mixed concrete – batching sequence, mixing speed and mixing revolutions.

Batching SequenceThe following method is suggested to

help improve uniformity of concrete as well as to avoid cement balls and head packing9:

1. Load about 4000 pounds of coarse aggregate. This will avoid a head pack that is a combination of fine aggregate and cement packed against the head of the mixing drum. Batching sand or cement first causes head packs that cannot be mixed out and sometimes breaks lose after about half the load has been discharged, causing variations in concrete uniformity.

2. Add ¾ of the batch water while rib-boning the remainder of the aggregate and cement. Often during this portion of the batch water starts early, stops during cement batching and ends well before the last of the aggregate.

3. Add the last ¼ of the batch water to wash all materials in the charge hopper and discharge end into the mixer.

The above water addition propor-tions may be used as a starting point and if the ASTM C94 concrete uniformity requirements are not attained then the proportions of the water may be adjusted. However, if too much water is added at the end, concrete at the discharge end will be wetter as the water will not move toward the head of the drum because the bulk of the concrete has not reached an adequate slump and the necessary f low pattern will not develop.

revolutions. Increasing the revolutions does not always improve uniformity, espe-cially if a proper batching sequence is not used. ASTM C94 requires that additional revolutions of the mixer (during transit and waiting) beyond the number found to produce the required uniformity of con-crete shall be at a manufacturer designated agitating speed which is usually between 2 and 6 revolutions per minute (rpm). This is because additional revolutions at mix-ing speed can cause heat build-up in the concrete and a reduction in both slump and air content. A few turns at mixing speed before discharge can enhance uni-formity after a long or bumpy ride from plant to discharge plant5.

Mixing SpeedMixing speed is commonly in the

range of 6-18 rpm. Research work con-ducted at NRMCA7,8 demonstrated that for a fixed number of total drum revolu-tions varying the drum speed in the range of 4 to 12 rpm did not significantly affect the uniformity. However, uniformity did improve in the range from 12 to 22 rpm.

In a ready mixed concrete truck the use of spiral blades moves the con-crete first down toward the head end of the drum then back up the central axis toward the discharge end9. This causes a folding action that blends the ingredi-ents together. If the mixing speed is not

Test Requirement, Expressed as Max Permissible Difference in Results of Tests of Samples Taken from Two Locations in the Concrete Batch

Mass per cubic foot [mass per cubic meter] calculated to an air-free basis, lb/ft3[kg/m3]

1.0 [16]

Air content, volume of concrete 1.0 Slump:If average slump is in. [100 mm] or less, in. [mm]If average slump is to in. [100 to 150 mm]in. [mm]

1.0 [25]1.5 [40]

Coarse aggregate content, portion by mass of each sample retained on No. [4.75-mm] sieve,

6.0

Mass per unit volume of air-free mortar based on average for all comparative sam-ples tested, %

1.6

Average compressive strength at 7 days for each sample,A based on average strength of all comparative test specimens, %

7.5B

Table 1. Requirements for Uniformity of Concrete4

A Not less than 3 cylinders will be molded and tested from each of the samples.B Approval of the mixer shall be tentative, pending results of the 7-day compressive strength tests.

Mixing RevolutionsASTM C94 requires that the uni-

formity requirements of concrete mixed in a truck mixer be met with 70 to 100

16 ı Spring 2012

optimal then this f low pattern is not created inside the truck. This desirable f low pattern occurs only at reasonably high mixing speeds (typically 18 to 22 rpm but as low as 12 to 15 rpm with some mixers).

To observe whether the necessary mixing action and mate-rial f low is being obtained one can look into the discharge end of the drum using a f lash light while the drum is revolving at mixing speed. Goggles and appropriate safety precautions should be followed if this is done. At a low drum speed the concrete surface will be level with ground. Increase drum speed in 1 or 2 rpm increments until the concrete surface changes from level to almost perpendicular to the drum axis. If this mixing action is consistently produced concrete can be mixed homogeneously in as little as 40 to 50 revolutions.

Concrete is frequently retempered at the jobsite. During the NRMCA research8 it was found that when 2.5 gallons/yd3 of water was added followed by mixing at 10 rpm for 20 revolutions the uniformity of concrete was only fair; however when mixing was increased to 16 rpm as few as 5 revolutions were sufficient to produce acceptable uniformity. It is clear that high mixing speed can help attain uniformity of concrete more efficiently and in a much shorter time period. However, if the mixing speed con-tinues to increase beyond 22 rpm due to increasing centrifugal forces the optimal f low pattern may not be achieved and mixing and concrete uniformity starts to deteriorate7. The mixing speed

on current mixers might be limited to about 20 rpm to reduce the weight of trucks and maximize load size.

What can a company do to improve uniformity of concrete produced in a truck mixer?

Companies should first realize that to produce quality concrete with a low variation in performance the concrete needs to be homo-geneously mixed. They can achieve that with the following steps:

1. For every truck do an annual check for blade wear and con-crete buildup. These two items are part of the inspection process for truck mixers in the NRMCA plant certification program6. Blade wear should be checked at the point of maximum drum diameter nearest to the drum head. When the height of the blade at this point, measured from the drum shell, is less than 90 per-cent of the original radial height (dimension “X” in sketch of applicable blade type in Figure 1, the blade is considered exces-sively worn. The manufacturer of the mixer will furnish original blade dimensions on request. Manufacturers may have alternative recommendations for excessive blade wear for their equipment. The interior of the mixing drum must have more than a major-ity of the drum wall clean. The acceptable build-up of hardened concrete should typically be less than about 1500 lb (3/8 yd3). Considering concrete to weigh 150 lb/yd3 if the mixing drum belly has 4 lineal feet of its complete circumference coated with 1 inch thickness of concrete, the weight is about 1500 lb. If the head plus 2 feet of the wall is coated 1¾ inch deep, the total accu-mulation is 1500 lb. Typically, the largest build up on the blades will be on the mixing face (side facing the drum head) and may be difficult to observe. Blades at the discharge end and chutes should also have a minimum amount of buildup so as to permit ease of discharge without segregation.

2. The company may choose to perform a periodic mixing uni-formity evaluation on mixers. This can be used to establish a criti-cal condition of the mixer for both blade wear and buildup that impacts mixing efficiency. This evaluation should include slump, air content, and compressive strength and the range of results should be compared to the limits established in ASTM C94. The complete set of mixing uniformity tests is rarely necessary because these are related. Since a large portion of the permitted differ-ence can be associated with testing variation, a skilled technician who has an ASTM Field Grade I certification10 should perform these tests. Alternatively, a visual observation of slump during dis-charge at the jobsite, possibly accompanied by occasional testing is adequate to evaluate basic mixing uniformity. If problems with achieving mixing uniformity cannot be attributed to the condi-tion of the truck mixer, it is likely to be due to a poor batching sequence, which may have to be rectified as discussed earlier.

3. Mixing speed should be selected so that the desired f low pattern is created inside the truck. Flow patterns can be stud-ied at the same time random concrete uniformity evaluations are being conducted as discussed earlier. ■

Be sure to visit the digital edition of Concrete InFocus at www.nrmca.org to read Part 2 of this article and for a list of references.

Figure 1. Mixer Blade Types6

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8Roads.indd 1 22/02/12 12:52 AM

18 ı Spring 2012

NRMCA Staff ListingLOCAL: 301-587-1400 TOLL-FREE: 1-888-846-7622 WEBSITE: www.nrmca.org

CODES AND SUSTAINABILITY Colin Lobo Ph.D., P.E. 240-485-1160 clobo@nrmca.org

Lionel Lemay, P.E., S.E., LEED AP 847-918-7101 llemay@nrmca.org

COMMUNICATIONS Frank Cavaliere 240-485-1141 fcavaliere@nrmca.org

CONCRETE PROMOTION Glenn Ochsenreiter 240-485-1140 gochsenreiter@nrmca.org

Jon Hansen 515-266-1058 jhansen@nrmca.org

Phil Kresge 610-966-7220 pkresge@nrmca.org

Doug O’Neill, LEED AP 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., LEED AP 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

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

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Lawrence Afable 240-485-1167 lafable@nrmca.org

Aaron Laporte 240-485-1104 alaporte@nrmca.org

MARKETING Glenn Ochsenreiter 240-485-1140 gochsenreiter@nrmca.org

MEETINGS Nicole Maher 240-485-1158 nmaher@nrmca.org

Jessica Walgenbach 240-485-1152 jwalgenbach@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.orgRMC RESEARCH & EDUCATION FOUNDATION Julia Garbini 240-485-1150 jgarbini@rmc-foundation.orgJennifer LeFevre 240-485-1151 jlefevre@rmc-foundation.org

SAFETY Gary Mullings 240-485-1161 gmullings@nrmca.org

TRAINING/EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION Eileen Dickson 240-485-1164 edickson@nrmca.orgBrian Killingsworth, P.E. 830-438-2690 bkillingsworth@nrmca.orgTien Peng, LEED AP, CGP, PMP 206-913-8535 tpeng@nrmca.orgAmanda Hult 720-648-0323 ahult@nrmca.orgShawnita Dickens 240-485-1154 sdickens@nrmca.org

Can an employee decide when he or she wants the starting date to be established for a

potential leave of absence covered by the U.S. Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)? What if he

or she decides they don’t want an FMLA?

Let’s lay a bit of groundwork first. The Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) is a federal

law that provides certain employees with serious health problems, or those who need to care

for a child or other family member, with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. It also

requires that group health benefits be maintained. For an individual to qualify for FMLA, an employee

must be employed by a business with 50 or more employees within a 75 mile radius of his/her work

site. The employee must have worked for the employer for at least 12 months and 1,250 hours within

the last 12 months.

Assuming you meet the criteria above to qualify for FMLA, the start date of an approved FMLA is criti-

cal because it establishes the 12 month period during which an employee is entitled to 12 weeks of

unpaid leave for a qualifying event. If the employer has information or knowledge of an event that could

possibly qualify for FMLA (birth/adoption/foster child placement, employee’s own serious health condition,

care for the serious health condition for a spouse, child or parent, certain military exigency leave situa-

tions), then the employer is required to give notice to the employee and ask for additional information.

If this notice is properly given, then the employer can designate the start of any approved FMLA leave

based on the documentation provided (health care provider or other appropriate documentation). The

employee has the responsibility to give as much advance notice as possible in situations that are

planned (like the birth/adoption of a child, scheduled medical procedures that qualify, etc…). As a result,

the employee cannot arbitrarily determine the start date of a leave that qualifies for FMLA. This will be

determined by the supporting documentation.

In addition, an employee who refuses to provide information because he or she does not want to utilize

FMLA is not required to do so. The prudent course for an employer is to treat a potentially qualifying

event as it would if an approved FMLA was in place. There should be documentation of the distribu-

tion of the required forms and notification as well as the employee’s refusal to provide any supporting

documentation. In addition, the employee should be given the 12 weeks of unpaid leave during the

12-month period that would be recognized as the FMLA period. Taking this approach will more likely

serve the employer well if there is a subsequent issue or termination because of absences.

If you’re unfamiliar with Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), you should check out the Department of

Labor Website for a fact sheet on the Act. You will find valuable information regarding employer and

employee responsibilities as well as the required notification forms for potential events covered by the Act.

If you have a specific question regarding the administration of FMLA, or a concern regarding a specific

situation, you should consult with your HR professional and/or seek legal counsel.

AQWorkforce Issues Q & A advertisers’ index/advertiser.com

ADMIXTURES BASF Construction Chemicals .........Inside Front Cover www.basf-admixtures.com The Euclid Chemical Company ..................................8 www.euclidchemical.com

BATCH PLANTS Stephens Manufacturing Co., Inc. .............................4 www.stephensmfg.com

BRUSHES & HANDLES RoMix, Inc .................................................................9 www.romixchem.com

CEMENT Holcim .......................................................................3 www.holcim.us

CHEMICAL CLEANSERS RoMix, Inc .................................................................9 www.romixchem.com

CONCRETE CHIPPNG Coast 2 Coast .......................................................... 16 www.c2c-chipping.com

CONCRETE COLORANTS Davis Colors ............................................................ 12 www.daviscolors.com

CONCRETE CURING EQUIPMENT Kemco Systems, Inc. ............................................... 13 www.kemcosystems.com

CONCRETE REMOVERS RoMix, Inc .................................................................9 www.romixchem.com

FLY ASH Headwaters Resources .............................................8 www.flyash.com

LUBRICATING SYSTEMS Groeneveld US ...........................................................8 www.groeneveldusa.com

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS/INVESTMENT BANKING FMI Corporation ........................... Outside Back Cover www.fminet.com

SPRAY SYSTEMS RoMix, Inc .................................................................9 www.romixchem.com

WATER HEATING EQUIPMENT Heatec, Inc. ..................................... Inside Back Cover www.heatec.com Kemco Systems, Inc. ............................................... 13 www.kemcosystems.com

TRIAL BY FIREHere is a water heater with a proven performance record in the ready mix concrete industry. Those who bought these heaters have nothing but praise for their performance. Keith Thornton, Kinsley Construction, Inc in York, PA lauded his Firestorm® heater in a lengthy letter he sent us.

His company purchased a Firestorm heater late 2007 when their existing water heaters failed to keep up with increased production demands. The temperature of their city water drops to 38 degrees F in January, but mix temperature has to be 70 degrees F.

After the Firestorm heater was delivered, it was up and running in two days. The first day of production for the new heater enabled them to make 1,200 yards of concrete in eight hours. They had hot

water all day for the mixes and also for the trucks.

The following three months had several days with temperatures below 20 degrees. They produced 75 degree concrete using water heated by the Firestorm heater. Their production costs fell from $2.38/yard to $0.63/yard, including the cost of the heater. The heater’s thermal efficiency exceeded expectations.

Thornton went on to say that this one piece of equipment had cut production cost, reduced loading times, raised driver morale, increased customer satisfaction and pleased management.

We rest our case.

HEATEC,INC. an Astec Industries Company

5200 WILSON RD • CHATTANOOGA, TN 37410 USA 800.235.5200 • FAX 423.821.7673 • heatec.com

®HEATEC

564201_Heatec.indd 1 12/3/11 3:54:27 PM

Expertise

We’re IN the industry.

FMI served as the exclusive financial advisor in thefollowing transactions:

*Represented by FMI

Investment Banking for the engineering and construction industry.

Mergers and Acquisitions Buy-Side Representation Corporate Divestitures Sell-Side Representation

Will Hill | 303.398.7237 | whill@fminet.com George Reddin | 919.785.9286 | greddin@fminet.com www.fminet.com/ca

Everett Quarries

566309_FMI.indd 1 1/19/12 7:48:24 PM

CONCRETE in focus ı 21

Element 1: Mobley’s driver training started before applicants were hired. A basic knowledge, written test and a driving road test were administered. Both are structured so that product and safety informa-tion is presented during applicant screening. “This provides a clearer picture of the candidate’s potential fit with our type of driving and provides the candidate with a better understanding of our expectations,” Mobley reported. “This helps set the standard of our expectations and promotes the development of a more flexible, productive, safer and stable workforce.”

Top-Notch

Training:Arkansas Producer Receives NRMCA Innovation in Training Award

Mobley Ready mix concrete has a 3-element system to train drivers. This system helped the company recieve the NRMCA Innovation in Training Award.

22 ı JaNuaRy/FEbRuaRy 2012

Element 2: The training became much more encompassing and con-tinual. Mobley’s new drivers must take NRMCA’s Concrete Delivery Professional (CDP) course, the ACI field testing information, cross trained for related equipment operations and plant maintenance, and must pass Mobley’s defensive driving course. After one year of employment, the driver is required to complete the CDP course and pass the exam in order to keep his/her job. The company has since added a voluntary health com-ponent that includes on-site blood testing. The results are confidential and Mobley provides multiple follow-up health education options.

Element 3: Can be summarized under the heading of evolution. Mobley has moved from the typical classroom structure model to online instruction, including online CDP training. Toward this end, three work-stations have been installed at one plant and five at another. Results have been higher quality training at less cost.

Expanding on each element’s contents demonstrates Mobley’s com-mitment to driving training.

Within the first element, training before hiring, there are four separate steps:

Basic knowledge test – If the candidate doesn’t pass this test, he/she cannot be considered for employment. It consists of a reading and comprehension section, writing, reading maps/following direc-tions and basic math.

Driving skills road test – If the candidate passes the basic knowledge test and holds a current CDL and a DOT medical card, the road test is administered. If the candidate passes the road test, he/she proceeds to the next stop, the pre-application form/initial interview.

Pre-application form/initial interview – The purpose here is for Mobley and the candidate to become better acquainted. If all goes well here, the candidate is then evaluated for an open position. As in the first two steps, if the candidate isn’t successful here, he/she won’t become a Mobley employee.

Candidate evaluation – After this evaluation, management selects the most qualified candidate(s) who then are invited to make a formal application.

“Since the implementation of our pre-application screening process almost two years ago, all five of our newly hired drivers have successfully passed their 90-day probation period,” Mobley reported. “Mixer driver turnover has dropped too much lower levels for the latest 12-month period. Our mixer drivers have been incident free during the almost two years of this screening process and the company has had over 1,400 days since the last lost time incident.”

The second element, more encompassing and continual training for new hires, is organized as follows:

Orientation – Consists of company history and policies; ACI field test-ing skills, the NRMCA CDP course, safe practices, defensive driving, annual safety training, basic concrete product knowledge, environmental regulations and customer relations.

Initial training – On the job mixer truck operations and care, basic batch plant operations and maintenance, basic shop and yard duties and cross training into additional plant equipment.

Follow up and annual retraining – ACI field sampling and testing, “slump school” and additional topics, including roll over, defensive driv-ing and other topics from sources such as NRMCA and ACI.

CDP accreditation – After one year’s service, a Mobley mixer truck driver is required to take the NRMCA CDP course and pass the test. To remain a driver, he/she must retain that accreditation through recertifica-tion every five years.

Employee wellness – A voluntary wellness education and health check is conducted covering diet, quitting smoking if applicable and other topics; a confidential review/counseling session is also held.

As in the first element, the results here are encouraging, Mobley reported. “The mixer driver turnover rate over the last five years has been gradually reduced from about 15 percent to near zero during the most recent 12-month period.” Mobley reports that morale and customer satis-faction have also been improved.

Mobley also elaborated on the third main element, the evolution of training methods toward computer-focused instruction. Within the past

“Mixer driver turnover has dropped too much lower levels for the latest 12-month period. Our mixer drivers have been incident free during the almost two years of this screening and the company has had over 1,400 days since the last lost time incident.”

Mandatory driver training has drastically reduced accidents at Mobley.

two years, Mobley mixer drivers have received at least twice the annual exposure to training as before. Drivers are now more willing to report “near misses” and other safety issues and due to training and retraining they are more aware of fresh concrete sampling/testing errors on the job. To Mobley, the reasons for these developments are clear.

“These and other similar results would not be possible without the training thoroughness and frequency of online instruction,” Mobley reported. “Online instruction content and topics are promptly changed to reflect regulatory and industry changes. Annual retrain-ing is scheduled so that it is completed by the first two weeks in January in the year due. Other training is done throughout the year, mostly as mixer drivers have an hour or two lapse in the daily deliver-ies or as inclement weather occurs.”

Finally, Mobley takes a somewhat philosophical approach, real-izing that no matter the previous successes, “In the rush of everyday business, we tend to overlook the value of recognizing and adapting new tools and methods… The search continues.” ■

For more information about NRMCA’s Innovation in Training Award, contact Eileen Dickson at 1-888-846-7622, ext. 1164 or by e-mail, edickson@nrmca.org.

CONCRETE in focus ı 23

TemperatureTemperature is another key variable that can lead to variation

in concrete performance. Depending on ambient conditions con-crete temperatures can vary from 40°F to 90°F during the course of a year. As concrete temperatures increases, it is well known that mixing water demand increases, slump loss increases, air content decreases, setting times decreases early age strength increases and later age strength can be reduced. Later age strengths are not a concern as long as the cylinders are cured between 60°F and 80°F, i.e. under standard curing conditions in accordance with ASTM C3111 immediately after they are made.

Effect of Temperature on Setting TimeSetting time is a concern primarily for finishing slabs. As a

rule of thumb, for every 20°F increase in concrete temperature setting time decreases by about one-half. Contractors expect the concrete to have gained sufficient stiffness to commence finishing operations within “x” minutes after the materials are batched at the plant. The value “x” may be discussed at a pre-construction meeting between the producer and contractor. Several research-ers have concluded that finishing operations occur much before initial set12-14 which is the time it takes for the penetration resist-ance to reach 500 psi. Contractors have suggested15 that an ASTM C40311 setting time at a penetration resistance of 50 psi (not 500 psi) is a better indicator for timing finishing operations than 500 psi because by then all finishing operations should be completed. So producers can target ASTM C403 setting time at 50 psi of (x±45) min.

Similar relationships of relative setting time of concrete can be estimated using thermal measurements of concrete in a more automated manner. Producers have some control of the concrete temperature at the concrete plant and can reasonably estimate the temperature change during transit to the job site. But after the concrete is placed, the setting characteristics of the concrete can be affected by the subgrade temperature, ambient temperature and radiant heat due to exposure to sunlight. So it can become hard to predict the concrete temperature once it is placed to attain consist-ent setting times in the field. Producers have two options – They can estimate concrete setting times based on the concrete tem-perature at the plant; or they can estimate concrete setting times based on the average of the concrete temperature at the plant and ambient temperature expected after x min.

Variation in Concrete Performance Due to ManufacturingPart IX of Concrete Quality SeriesPart 2by Karthik Obla, Ph.D., P.E., Vice President, Technical Services

Producers can start with the first option and attempt the second option to see if it improves the consistency of field setting times fur-ther. Table 2 shows how a producer can implement this approach. Let us say for a particular mixture the measured ASTM C403 set-ting time at 50 psi at 70°F was 240 min and the target setting time is 240±45 min. The second column shows how the setting time can change based on the rule of thumb. It is clear that even a 5°F change in concrete temperature (this can occur during the course of a day) can make it difficult to meet the target setting times. For varying concrete temperatures producers should develop beforehand a table of ASTM C49411 admixture type (accelerator and retarder), dosage level, and mixture modification (if any) that would help to bring the concrete mixture to the target setting times. This is shown in Column 3 in Table 2. Generally, it is more economical to retard the concrete compared to accelerating it using non chloride accelerating admix-tures. It is possible that for the same concrete mixture at cooler tem-peratures (say 55°F and below) the contractor may accept a slightly higher target setting time of 360±45 min instead of 240±45 min.

So it becomes important to discuss this at the pre-construction meeting. Once the project starts concrete temperatures must be mon-itored at the plant on an hourly basis. Whenever there is a change in the measured concrete temperature by more than 5°F the appropriate admixture type and dosage should be used so that the target setting times are achieved.

Effect of Temperature on Early-age StrengthFor certain structural elements the contractor would like to

attain target in-place strength at early ages (2 to 7 days) to facilitate concrete operations like form-work release. In-place strengths are measured by non-destructive methods like maturity, pullout tests etc. Field cured cylinder strength results are not accurate16. When setting times are controlled by admixtures, early-age strengths are also controlled to some extent.

However, early-age strengths are more influenced by the in-place concrete temperatures. If consistent in-place temperatures are main-tained through suitable curing operations (insulation to trap the heat of hydration, external heat source etc.) then consistent in-place early-age strengths can be expected. However, this can become expensive under cold weather conditions with stringent early-age strength requirements. So, in such cases mixture proportions may have to be modified through the use of a lower w/cm, ASTM C150 Type III cement and a lower dosage of supplementary cementitious materials.

24 ı JaNuaRy/FEbRuaRy 2012

Effect of Temperature on Mixing Water DemandPast NRMCA research17 has shown that for every 10°F increase

in concrete temperature the average mixing water demand (over 8 mixtures) increases by about 5 lbs/yd3 (about 2% of the mixing water amount used typically) for a consistent slump level at dis-charge of 4±1 in. and a delivery time of 60 minutes. If this is not taken into account it can lead to significant strength variations. Let us say for a particular mixture the measured mixing water demand at 70°F was 290 lbs/yd3. Column 4 of Table 2 shows how the mixing water demand can change based on the past NRMCA research discussed earlier. In order to achieve consistent mixing water content and therefore consistent w/cm and strengths, it is suggested that the dosage of water reducing admixtures be varied for every 10°F change in the concrete temperature from the design temperature, which in this case is 70°F.

At cool temperatures if no water reducing admixtures are used cementitious content can be varied so that the same w/cm is main-tained. This process is shown in Column 5 in Table 2. Doing this will also avoid the common observation of lower strengths during the summer and higher strengths during the winter for the same concrete mixture. Figure 2 shows the typical CUSUM for a mix-ture from a concrete plant18 which shows that as concrete tempera-tures increases strengths decreased. Interestingly, the slumps also went up, suggesting that there was a preference for higher slumps at higher temperatures, which can further increase the mixing water content.

Delivery TimePast NRMCA research17 has shown that when the delivery

time was increased from 20 min to 90 min the average mixing water demand (over 8 mixtures) increased by 14 lbs/yd3 and 21 lbs/yd3 when the concrete temperature was maintained at 65°F and 95°F, respectively. The increased mixing water content was necessary to maintain a consistent slump level at discharge of 4±1 in. A 21 lbs/yd3 difference in mixing water content can lead to a variation in compressive strength of over 400 psi for a typical 0.50 w/cm mixture.

Concrete producers typically design such that specified slump levels are achieved for the expected delivery time of say 90 min. As long as the concrete is poured within 90 minutes, this ensures that mixing water content does not exceed the design mixing water amount. However, if the delivery time is lower, the mixing water content is likely to be lower (due to reduced slump loss) and hence the strength is likely to be higher. This prevents low-strength problems but does increase the variability of concrete strengths, which increases material costs for the producer.

Producers can address this through one or a combination of the following ways:

1. Design mixtures so that there is no slump loss at all. This is impractical but with suitable choice of retarding admixtures and higher amounts of certain SCMs slump loss can be reduced and therefore the variation in mixing water demand can be reduced. Care should be taken that target setting times are still achieved.

2. Design concrete mixtures to achieve the specified slumps at the plant. Use jobsite admixture (water reducer) addition to compensate for increase in mixing water demand provided qualified personnel are

available to administer that. Automated admixture (water reducer) addition devices can also be considered when available.

Summary* Establish a proper batching sequence to minimize the occurrence of

head packs and cement balls and improve uniformity of concrete.* For every truck do an annual check for blade wear and internal

buildup of hardened concrete.* Consider a mixing uniformity evaluation on truck mixers to

establish critical levels of blade wear and buildup. The study should include at a minimum slump, air content and compressive strength. Alternatively perform a visual evaluation of slump during discharge. Trucks that show a problem with achieving uniformity of concrete should be removed from service and not used until the problem has been rectified. If the problem is not truck specific it is likely to be due to a poor batching sequence.

* Mixing speed should be selected so that the desired flow pattern is created inside the truck. Flow patterns can be studied at the same time random concrete uniformity studies are being conducted.

* Monitor concrete temperature at the plant on an hourly basis. When setting time is a performance requirement for varying concrete temperatures producers should establish admixture type (accelerator and retarder), dosage level and mixture modification that would help to bring the concrete mixture to the target set-ting time. Whenever there is a change in the measured concrete temperature by more than 5°F the appropriate admixture type, dosage and concrete mixture should be used so that the target setting times are achieved.

* Vary the dosage of water reducing admixtures for every 10°F change in the concrete temperature from the design temperature in order to attain the same w/cm at different concrete temperatures.

* Design concrete mixtures to achieve specified slumps at the plant. Design concrete mixtures to minimize slump loss. When slump loss is encountered use jobsite admixture (water reducer) addition with qualified personnel.There is a cost associated in doing these activities but the benefits

are uniformly mixed concrete with consistent slump, setting time, strength and quality. ■

References1. Obla, K.H., “How Good is your QC – Part I of Concrete Quality

Series,” Concrete InFocus, May-June 2010, Vol. 9, No. 3, NRMCA, pp. 17-18.

2. Obla, K.H., “Sources of Concrete Strength Variation – Part II of Concrete Quality Series,” Concrete InFocus, July-August 2010, Vol. 9, No. 4, NRMCA, pp. 21-23.

3. Obla, K.H., “Variation in Concrete Performance Due to Batching – Part VIII of Concrete Quality Series,” Concrete InFocus, November-December 2011, Vol. 10, No. 5, NRMCA, pp. .

4. ASTM C94-11, “Standard Specification for Ready Mixed Concrete,” Annual Book of ASTM Standards, American Society of Testing Materials, Volume 4.02, Concrete and Aggregates, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2011, www.astm.org.

5. Daniel, G.D., and Lobo, C.L., “User’s Guide to ASTM Specification C94 on Read-Mixed Concrete,” Co-published by ASTM and NRMCA, www.nrmca.org, 2005, 130 pp.

CONCRETE in focus ı 25

6. NRMCA Quality Control Manual – Section 3, “Checklist for Certification of Ready Mixed Concrete Production Facilities,” Eleventh Revision, May 2011, NRMCA, www.nrmca.org.

7. Bloem, D.L., and Gaynor, R.D., “Factors Affecting the Homogeneity of Ready-Mixed Concrete,” Report No. 1, Phase I, NRMCA, Silver Spring, MD, 1970, 25 pp.

8. Gaynor, R.D., and Mullarky, J.I., “Mixing Concrete in a Truck Mixer,” NRMCA Publication No. 148, NRMCA, Silver Spring, MD, 1975, 24 pp.

9. Gaynor, R.D., “Avoiding Uniformity Problems in Truck-Mixed Concrete,” Concrete Producer/Concrete Journal magazine, 1996, 1975, 24 pp.

10. ACI Concrete Field Testing Technician – Grade I Certification, American Concrete Institute, www.concrete.org.

11. ASTM C31, C403, C494 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, American Society of Testing Materials, Volume 4.02, Concrete and Aggregates, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2010, www.astm.org.

12. Bury, M.A., Bury, J.R., and Martin, D., “Testing Effects of New Admixtures on Concrete Finishing,” Concrete International, January 1994.

13. Abel, J.D., and Hover, K.C., “Field Study of the Setting Behavior of Fresh Concrete,” Cement, Concrete and Aggregates, Vol. 22, No. 2, 2000, pp. 95-102.

14. Suprenant, B.A, and Malisch, W., “Diagnosing Slab Delaminations: Part 3,” Concrete Construction, March 1998, pp. 277-283 www.han-leywood.com.

15. Comments by Malisch, W.R. at NRMCA RES Committee meeting, October 2010, Charlotte, NC.

16. Obla, K.H., Upadhyaya, S., Goulias, D., Schindler, A.K., and Carino, N.J., New Technology-Based Approach to Advance Higher Volume Fly Ash Concrete with Acceptable Performance,”, August 2008, 217 pp., www.nrmca.org.

17. Gaynor, R.D., Meininger, R.C., and Khan, T.S., “Effect of Temperature and Delivery Time on Concrete Proportions”, Temperature Effects on Concrete, ASTM STP 858, T.R. Naik Ed., American Society of Testing Materials, West Conshohocken, PA, www.astm.org.Bain, D., and Obla, K.H., “Concrete Quality Control – The

Untapped Profit Center”, Concrete InFocus, Fall 2007, Vol. 6, No. 3, NRMCA, pp. 63-69.

Table 2. Control of Setting Time and Water Demand of Concrete as a Function of Temperature

1Based on rule of thumb that for very 200F increase in concrete temperature setting time decreases by half2Based on past NRMCA research17 that every 10°F increase in concrete temperature increases the mixing water demand increases by about 5 lbs/yd3

Values in this table should not be taken as specific recommendations as they may not be applicable to local materials.

Concrete Temperature, 0F

A S T M C 4 0 3 Setting Time1, h

Suggested Admixture Type and Dosages for Consistent Set Times

Water Demand2, lb/yd3

Suggested Admixture Type and Dosages for Consistent Water Content

40 720 Type C @ 45 oz/cwt. + Lower SCM 275 Reduce cementitious content by 2%50 480 Type C @ 30 oz/cwt. 280 No admixture60 360 Type C @ 10 oz/cwt. 285 Type A @ 2 oz/cwt70 240 None 290 Type A @ 4 oz/cwt80 180 Type B @ 2 oz/cwt. 295 Type A @ 6 oz/cwt90 120 Type B @ 5 oz/cwt. 300 Type A @ 8 oz/cwt.

Figure 2. CUSUM Graph Showing Strong Dependence of 28 Day Compressive Strength, and Slump on Concrete Temperature Over 12 Months of Concrete Production at a Plant18

26 ı JaNuaRy/FEbRuaRy 2012

Resilience is the new

Disasters show the need to build for the futurePart 2

by Tien Peng, Senior Director, Sustainability, Codes and Standards, NRMCaLionel Lemay, Senior Vice President, Development, NRMCaJon Hansen, Senior Director, National Resources, Mid/Northwest

Resilience in Green BuildingCritical infrastructures and other essen tial services have enabled

societies to thrive and grow and become increasingly interconnected and interdependent from the local to global levels. As a society, we have placed a great deal of emphasis on recycling rates and car-bon footprints. We are surprisingly willing to invest considerable amount of upfront capital for a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certified building to achieve a mere 14 percent energy efficiency, yet be completely satisfied if the struc-ture meets only the code minimum requirements for seismic or wind load.

Sustainable development entails making long-term use of our resources, including our buildings. It permeates all aspects of infra-structure design, construction and maintenance throughout the life of the structure. Therefore, the life of the building matters. Functional resilience is a building’s capacity to provide viable operations through extended service life, adaptive re-use and the challenges of natural and man-made disasters.

The California Green Building Code, the ASHRAE 189.1 Standard and the ICC700 (National Green Building Standard) all cite life-cycle assessment (LCA) as a means to promote sustainable build-ing practices. The latest version of LEED rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) introduced special emphasis on regionalization and LCA criteria, but does not recognize disaster resilience as one of its standard criteria. The building service life plan (BSLP) elective by the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) gives credit to proposed projects designed to have a 100-year or 200-year life span as approved by the jurisdictions.

This is a good start as building service life is rarely considered but is critical to any analysis of long-term sustainability. Balancing long-term development plans with the ability to adapt to the needs of a rapidly evolving society is vital to the ultimate success of a building life plan.

Rebuilding Stronger and GreenerOn the night of May 4, 2007, a 1.7-mile wide EF5 tornado

destroyed 95 percent of the 2-mile wide town of Greensburg, KS. Winds were estimated to have reached 205 miles per hour in the

town. The tornado traveled for 25 miles and was on the ground for about one hour. The outbreak did not end there; a total of 84 torna-does were confirmed reported on May 5 in the same area. Fourteen more tornadoes were confirmed on May 6 in the same general area before the activity subsided. The Greensburg tornado was the strong-est to hit the U.S. since the F5 tornado that hit Moore/Oklahoma City, OK, on May 3, 1999.

High winds turned the town’s infrastructure into flying debris: 961 homes and businesses were destroyed and over 500 were dam-aged. Out of a population of about 1,500, 11 people died (most were killed by debris while seeking shelter in basements) and 63 were injured. About 800,000 cubic yards of debris were hauled away. The town received soaking rain that night and the following days, leav-ing many remaining possessions unsalvageable. Hazardous waste was spread around town and oil storage tanks were damaged nearby, caus-ing problems for the local environment and public safety.

What followed the devastation was unprecedented. A few town officials presented the idea for a model “green” community the week after the tornado struck. The Greensburg City Council approved a resolution that required all city building projects to be built accord-ing to LEED Platinum criteria. This initiative has put Greensburg on the map and is providing an example for rejuvenating rural America by reducing its environmental footprint while keeping citizens safer from severe weather.

To make buildings safer from future severe storms, every home and public building is also required to have a storm shelter or “safe room,” (see sidebar) and all building materials will focus on stability and durability to make them last longer. For example, the concrete grain silo was one of the only buildings still intact after the tornado, so a new Silo Eco-Home has recently been built using the same con-struction methods.

With the town’s goal is to run on 100-percent renewable energy, 100-percent of the time, while reducing energy use, they kept energy independence in mind as well. They chose to create buildings that are less expensive to heat and cool, healthier to live and work in, durable despite occasional hazard conditions, survivable in times of extended power out-ages or fuel supply interruptions, and far better for the environment.

Sustainability

CONCRETE in focus ı 27

Would the devastation encountered by this community in lives, cultural and infrastructure costs have been reduced if the community was built this way to begin with? The answer is likely yes. Ultimately, it does not matter whether urban development is wrapped in neo-traditional facades or LEED certified solar panels, if all the structures continue to camouflage the problem of poor hazard-preparedness.

Strengthening Building Codes for AllAbout 200 years ago, in 1811 and 1812, there were earthquakes

that were so powerful in the area 50 miles north of Little Rock that seismologists still talk about it today. All of the quakes were estimated to have been magnitude-7.0 or greater. It is said that those earth-quakes opened deep fissures in the ground, caused the Mississippi River to run backwards and that they were felt as far away as Boston. The earthquakes along the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) rank as some of the largest in the United States since its settlement by Europeans. The area of strong shaking associated with these shocks were 10 times as large as that of the legendary 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Despite the significant risk, many communities living above the New Madrid fault have not enacted significant earthquake preparedness policies such as the adoption of building codes with more stringent seismic requirements.

Building codes are effective for reducing disaster risk. A building code sets standards that guide the construction of new buildings and, in some cases, the rehabilitation of existing structures. Currently, building codes set minimum construction standards for life safety. Maintaining the functionality of structures is important for high-risk areas, but more importantly may be critical for certain groups that are more vulnerable to natural hazards, those who do not have a choice on where they live and work.

Consider again post-Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Images of mostly poor people crowded into the Superdome and Convention Center vividly illustrate the argument that disasters disproportion-ately affect the poor. Many structures that house low-income families are relatively unsafe with respect to natural hazards, either because of poor structural quality or risk-prone locations. Such families are far less likely to have the resources to prepare themselves for catastro-phes. Lower income families also commonly occupy rental housing that are often more poorly constructed than owner occupied hous-ing.1 A building code that sets equal disaster resilience standards for all citizens would clearly offer greater social justice.

To date, among the seven states in the New Madrid Seismic Zone, four (Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee) have statewide building codes as minimum requirements, but three (Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri) do not and they pass the responsibility to the local jurisdictions to adopt the codes themselves. While all the statewide building codes have adopted the national model codes, one state also adopted amendments that weakened the model codes. Although earthquakes are high-consequence events, seismic mitiga-tion in Mid-America generate little public interest because earth-quakes in this region are low frequency.

If we are to take people’s vulnerability seriously, we must deploy—and insist on—much greater technical expertise in resilient code adoption. The design community can provide some of the expertise, but its skills are not being effectively considered on the planning and

policy level. The key, missing element is awareness among practition-ers, the development community and policy makers.

Benefits of Natural Hazard MitigationNatural hazard mitigation is a resilience strategy that saves lives

and money. For a building to be truly sustainable it should be resil-ient. It should consider potential for future use and re-use and have a long service life with low maintenance costs. In addition, a sustain-able building should be designed to sustain minimal damage due to natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, flood-ing and fire. Otherwise, the environmental, economic and societal burden of our built environment could be overwhelming. A building that requires frequent repair and maintenance or complete replace-ment after disasters would result in unnecessary cost, from both pri-vate and public sources, and environmental burdens, including the energy, waste and emissions due to disposal, repair and replacement.

It doesn’t make sense to design a modern building to meet LEED requirements that could be easily collapsed as a result of a hurricane or earthquake. That would mean that all the green technology and strategies used in the building would go to the landfill. What is the point of installing low flush toilets in a home to conserve water if it ends up in a landfill after a tornado blows through?

In 2005, the Multihazard Mitigation Council (MMC) of the National Institute of Building Sciences conducted an independent study for Congress funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to study the effectiveness of disaster mitigation. The report, Natural Hazard Mitiga tion Saves: An Independent Study to Assess the Future Savings from Mitigation Activities, quantified the future savings, in terms of losses avoided, from government grant hazard mitigation activities from 1993 to 2003.2 The benefits of miti-gation were defined as the potential losses to society that were avoided as a result of investment in mitigation. Those benefits include:• Reduction inpropertydamage• Reduction inbusinessdisruption• Reduction innonmarket damage (environmental damage towet-

lands, parks, wildlife and historic structures)• Reduction indeaths, injuries andhomelessness• Reductionincostofemergencyresponse(ambulanceandfireservice)

The study indicates that the natural hazard mitigation grant pro-grams funded by FEMA were cost effective and did in fact reduce future losses from earthquakes, wind and floods. The mitigation programs resulted in significant net benefit to society and potential savings to the federal treasury in terms of future increased tax rev-enue and reduced hazard related expenditures. The FEMA grant pro-grams cost the federal government $3.5 billion from 1993 to 2003 but yielded a societal benefit of $14 billion. That is, for every dollar spent on mitigation they saved four dollars in avoided future losses.

Hazard Mitigation StrategiesThere are essentially two ways to approach mitigation. There are

voluntary programs where communities or building owners volun-tarily reduce their risk of natural disaster through enhancements in structures, warning systems and education. The second approach is to install mandatory building code requirements such that communities and building owners are obligated to design buildings and infrastruc-ture to be more disaster resilient.

28 ı JaNuaRy/FEbRuaRy 2012

One way to encourage communities to develop fortified struc-tures, enforce building codes and land-use management measures is to provide insurance premium reductions to all policy-holders in the area based on the stringency of land-use regulations, building code standards and inspection. The more effective a community program is in reducing future disaster losses, the greater the insur-ance premium reduction. The Federal Insurance Administration created such a community rating system in 1990 as a way to rec-ognize and encourage community flood plain management activi-ties. This model could be applied to other hazards as well.

Another approach, the FORTIFIED for Safer Living and Safer Business program of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) are voluntary programs aimed at incorporat-ing building techniques into construction to provide an optimum level of protection against a variety of natural hazards. IBHS is a not-for-profit applied research and communications organiza-tion supported by the insurance industry. Its focus is to reduce or eliminate residential and commercial property losses due to wind, water, fire, hail, earthquake, ice and snow.3 The programs also address other business continuity issues such as such as interior fire, burglary, lightning protection and electrical surge.

IBHS promotes the need for strong, well-enforced building codes but also realizes that building codes offer minimum life safety standards and often don’t have the necessary provisions to provide disaster resilience. For that reason, IBHS developed FORTIFIED programs that provide specific design criteria and the necessary construction and inspection oversight to ensure “code plus” structures that are truly disaster resilient.

Over 250 homes have been designated as FORTIFIED since 2001. The program was battle tested by Hurricane Ike on the Bolivar Peninsula in Texas. Thirteen FORTIFIED homes survived a direct hit from Hurricane Ike, including a 20-foot storm surge in September 2008. These FORITIFED homes were the only structures left stand-ing for miles around, precisely because they were specifically designed and built to withstand extreme wind and water damage.

Mandatory Mitigation StandardsMandatory mitigation programs involve having local, state and

federal governments adopt stricter standards for construction of buildings and infrastructure with the objective of reducing losses from natural hazards. The two primary model building codes in the U.S. are the International Building Code (IBC) and the International Residential Code (IRC). Depending on location, some states and municipalities adopt the model codes for their jurisdictions.

The Portland Cement Association recently developed High Performance Building Requirements for Sustainability that go beyond the basic building code and enhance the key concepts of durability and disaster resilience. Essentially, these provisions state that for a building to be considered green, it must not only conserve energy and water, use materials efficiently and have a high-quality indoor environment, but it must also reasonably withstand natural disasters. In other words, a sustainable building must be long-lasting and durable.4

In addition, high performance buildings should not be a bur-den on their communities. They should be sufficiently resilient to disasters to ensure continuous operation and not place excessive demand on community resources such as emergency responders, including fire, police and hospitals. Communities with disaster resilient buildings are more likely to be able to continuously oper-ate hospitals, schools and businesses after a disaster. Stronger homes and buildings mean people will have places to live and work after a disaster. Less disruption for a community means robust commerce and consistent tax revenue.

National Associations such as the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) and the Portland Cement Association (PCA) continue to work at the national level to make changes to the model codes to incorporate these high performance standards. This process is difficult and could take years. However, local jurisdictions could use the standards in whole or in part to strengthen building codes to address specific hazards for their community.

Concrete’s Contribution to Disaster ResilienceConcrete building systems are especially suited to provide resistance

to natural hazards. Concrete has the necessary hardness and mass to resist the high winds and flying debris of tornadoes and hurricanes. Concrete is fire resistant and non-flammable, which means it can contain fires and will not contribute to the spreading of fire. Reinforced concrete framing systems can be designed to resist the most severe earthquakes without collapse. Concrete doesn’t rot or rust even if it is subject to flooding.

There are many examples of structures built with heavy building materials such as concrete surviving major disasters.

Rebuilding after a natural disaster can be done in a way that prevents future damages and also protects the environment. Concrete is both strong and sustainable.

CONCRETE in focus ı 29

When Hurricane Katrina slammed into the coastal counties of Mississippi with sustained winds of 125 mph and a storm surge that reached 28 feet, the only house to survive along the beach-front of Pass Christian, MS, was the Sundberg home. Scott and Caroline Sundberg were 85-percent complete building their dream home along the Mississippi coast when the Hurricane hit. When the winds died down and the water retreated, the Sundberg home had survived the storm. All other homes on the beachfront were completely destroyed. They built their home using insulat-ing concrete forms (ICFs) for the walls and cast-in-place concrete frame construction for the lower level, floors and roof precisely for this reason—to survive the devastating effects of a hurricane.

The building codes are not a panacea for all problems. Nevertheless, to subject our vulnerable population to the all-too-often, shortsighted political or economic decisions that trump safety considerations is unconscionable when the technology and economic returns of disaster resilience are well understood.

Disaster mitigation works and is cost effective. Spending time and money up front to reduce the likelihood of loss during a natu-ral disaster can bring significant benefits to building owners and communities, including lower insurance costs, higher property values, security to residents, maintaining a consistent tax base, and minimizing the cost of disaster response and recovery.

In the end, no community can ever be completely safe from all hazards. No amount of planning can save a building from a direct blow from a tornado with 300 mph wind speeds, or a jet airliner at 500 mph. But resilience promotes greater emphasis on what communities can do for themselves before and after a disaster, and how to strengthen their local capacities, rather than be dependent on our ineffectual governmental agencies and aging centralized infrastructure. Disasters are inevitable, but their consequences need not be. ■

References1The New Orleans Hurricane Protection System: What Went Wrong and Why, Andersen, Christine F. et al. American Society of Civil Engineers Hurricane Katrina External Review Panel, 2007, Archived 2008-06-24.1Hurricane Katrina Service Assessment Report, United States Department of Commerce, June 20061NOAA Satellite and Information Service, http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/reports/billionz.html1Catastrophes cost economy $350bn in 2011: Swiss Re, Agence France-Presse, Updated: 12/15/2011, MSN News, www.msn.com1Oceans & Coastal Resources: A Briefing Book, Congressional Research Service Report 97-588 ENR, Jeffrey A. Zinn, www.cnie.org1Library Investment Index at University Research Libraries, 2007-81Rebuilding Affordable Housing in New Orleans: The Challenge of Creating Inclusive Communities, S. Popkin et al, The Urban Institute, January 20061Regional Disaster Resilience: A RDR Guide for Developing an Action Plan, The Infrastructure Security Partnership, September 20111Rebuilding Affordable Housing in New Orleans: The Challenge of Creating Inclusive Communities, S. Popkin et al, The Urban Institute, January 20061Natural Hazard Mitiga tion Saves: An Independent Study to Assess the Future Savings from Mitigation Activities, Multihazard Mitigation Council of the National Institute of Building Sciences, Washington, DC1Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, http://www.disastersafety.org/fortified, accessed January 20121Functional Resilience: Prerequisite for Green Buildings, Portland Cement Association, Skokie, IL

In another example, the beautiful 1907 era terra cotta build-ing at 90 West Street in New York City was damaged during the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, when the World Trade Center collapse rained fiery debris onto the building tear-ing deep gashes down its northern face. Fire raged on for five days completely gutting the interior. 90 West’s heavy construction, which included steel frame with terra cotta arched floors topped with concrete and terra cotta exterior and interior coverings, helped serve as fireproofing and protected it from further dam-age and collapse. 90 West was restored and reopened as an apart-ment building in March 2005 and in 2006 it received a National Preservation Honor Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Disasters are Inevitable but Their Consequences Need Not Be

Resilience planning offers communities an opportunity to play a major role in determining the essential services and infrastructure needs that underpin their economic vitality, the health and safety of its citizens, and support sustainability. Voluntary methods such as IBHS’s FORTIFIED programs are valuable, but the most effective method would be to change model building codes at the national level. By participating in code development so that all model codes include hazard mitigation for water, energy, conservation and land use, a community makes the conscious choice to invest in its own future regardless of socioeconomic status.

Concrete building systems are especially suited to provide resistance to natural hazards. Concrete has the necessary hardness and mass to resist the high winds and flying debris of tornadoes and hurricanes. Concrete is fire resistant and non-flammable, which means it can contain fires and will not contribute to the spreading of fire. Reinforced concrete framing systems can be designed to resist the most severe earthquakes without collapse. Concrete doesn’t rot or rust even if it is subject to flooding.

30 ı JaNuaRy/FEbRuaRy 2012

Corporate Suite

Great Customer Service isNot Grumpy, Grouchy or Grossby Greg Smith

M ost businesses spend more time and energy trying to find new customers than retaining and making their cur-rent ones happy. The logic behind customer retention

management (CRM) is simple -- It costs far less money to keep customers happy than to spend much more money replacing the unhappy ones with new customers. If you take care of your cus-tomers they tell their friends about your business and will in the long run end up spending more money. It is not rocket science. Let me provide you an example of what I am talking about.

I dread eating at airports. If you travel as much as I do, you are probably familiar with the “Th ree G’s” as it applies to airport fare—Grumpy, Grouchy and Gross.

Recently, I had an early fl ight to catch at the Ontario, CA air-port. I found myself standing outside the closed and gated doorway to an Applebee’s restaurant ten minutes before opening time. I just knew they would be late opening the doors and I expected to receive the usual grumpy service common at most airports. I was wrong!

Bam! Th e clock struck fi ve, the lights popped on and this charm-ing and professional person opened the doors. She greeted me with a smile, a warm “hello” and told me to sit anywhere I wanted. I never had seen such a positive attitude at fi ve in the morning.

As I enjoyed my meal, I watched her cheerfully greet custom-ers, many of which she called by their first name. They were the “regulars” she said. Felicia was the remarkable person who made that small restaurant pleasant and memorable. Next time I return to the Ontario Airport, I guarantee you this is the place I will go to first.

Here are seven steps to build customer loyalty:1. Select the right people. In the book, From Good to Great,

Jim Collins said, “People are not your most important asset, the RIGHT people are.” Most businesses do a miserable job hiring people. Th ey hire just anyone, provide little or no training and place them on the front-line with customers. Spend more time recruiting and hiring the right people with good personalities. Focus on those who are friendly and demonstrate an interest and enthusiasm for the job.

2. Sensationalize the experience for your customers. Good ser-vice is not good enough. A Gallup survey showed a customer who is “emotionally connected” to your place of business is likely to spend 46 percent more money than a customer who is merely “sat-isfi ed” but not emotionally bonded.

CONCRETE in focus ı 31

Great Customer Service isNot Grumpy, Grouchy or Gross

3. Set performance standards. Outline the behaviors of how employees should act, speak and respond to customer needs and requests. One of our clients developed 20 customer service com-mandments outlining the actions and behaviors he wanted his ser-vice people to provide to customers.

4. Sustain on-going training and reinforcement. Good cus-tomer service skills are not natural for most people. Eff ective customer service training must be reinforced and taught on a recurring basis. For example, the Ritz-Carlton hotels provide a thorough customer service training program for all its employees during their orientation. Th en each supervisor conducts a daily “line-up” to review one of the commandments with his employees 10 minutes before each shift.

5. Shower good employees with rewards and recognition. It is hard to fi nd and keep good employees. So do everything in your power to retain and motivate them. Sure, employees want to be paid well, but they also want to be treated with respect and shown appreciation. Th e front-line supervisor has the greatest impact on motivating and retaining employees.

6. Survey your customers and reduce your defection rate. On average, businesses lose 15-20 percent of their customers each year

to their competition. All businesses encounter this, but few do much about it. To improve retention, one client sends a customer service report card to its top customers every month. Th is requires an evaluation based on four specifi c criteria. It tallies the results and make sure employees see the scores. Th is motivates the employees to do a better job.

7. Seek customer complaints with enthusiasm. For every com-plaint there are at least 10 other customers that visited your business who have the same criticism. A portion of those 10 people just took their business to your competitor. Look at customer complaints as an opportunity for improvement. ■

Greg Smith’s cutting-edge keynotes, consulting and training programs have helped businesses accelerate organizational performance, reduce turnover, increase sales, hire better people and deliver better customer service. As president and lead navigator of Chart Your Course International, he has implemented professional development programs for thousands of organiza-tions globally.He has authored nine informative books, including his latest book Fired Up! Leading Your Organization to Achieve Exceptional Results. He lives in Conyers, Georgia. Sign up for his free Navigator Newsletter by visiting http://www.ChartCourse.com or call 770- 860-9464.