Education/Training

Travelers Insurance has recently introduced a new product designed exclusively for concrete contractors.

“Today’s concrete contractor faces a number of unique challenges,” said Todd Bateson, president, Travelers Construction. “At Travelers, our insurance coverage is designed to help our policy holders and agents face those challenges. In addition, our underwriting, risk control and claim professionals understand concrete work and use their expertise to help contractors manage their cost of risk.”

Travelers provides coverage to contractors with 20 or more employees, and offers many services, including:

• Excavation, Trenching, and Work Zone Safety Academy

• Industrial Hygiene Laboratory Services

• Crisis Management Services

• Rapid Response Catastrophe Claim Services

• Pollution & Professional Coverage

Go to www.Travelers.com for more information.

A new study by the RMC Research & Education Foundation indicates that pervious concrete has performed well in freeze-thaw conditions – a finding that could lead to the material’s expanded use in northern climates.

Pervious concrete reduces drainage issues in parking lots, sidewalks, decks and patios because water is able to seep through it. While the use of pervious concrete has consistently increased in the southern United States, concerns about its ability to perform in cold and freezing conditions have limited its popularity in the North.

The RMC study, conducted over three years through Cleveland State University, is the first broad test of pervious concrete’s performance in colder regions.

“This latest study should provide assurance that it can be successfully placed in cold climates, resulting in safer parking lots and roadways with reduced icy conditions as melting snow runs through the pavement rather than re-freezing on it,” said RMC Research & Education Foundation Chairman Dominique Calabrese.

The full report is available for download from the foundation’s website at www.rmc-foundation.org where information on the foundation’s other pervious concrete, research and educational projects may also be found.

The Portland Cement Association and the Cement Association of Canada are accepting nominations for the 2008 Promotion Progress Awards.

The awards honor the achievements of PCA members in advancing cement and concrete in construction markets plus involvement in standards development, education and public affairs.

The deadline for nominations has been extended to January 31, 2008. Promotions in 2006 and 2007 are eligible.

The Portland Cement Association has released a new online “briefing kit” designed to help its members communicate effectively with various audiences on the role cement and concrete can play in sustainable development.

The kit contains basic communication materials on cement, concrete and sustainable development that are designed to be shared with audiences such as customers, business leaders, government officials, builders, architects, journalists and students. Included are:

• • Fact sheets and background materials on cement, concrete and sustainable development
• • Case histories of notable projects
• • Support materials such as images, logos and presentations
• • Guidelines and background materials for conducting programs in media relations, community affairs and government relations.

Those wishing to access and use the kit can do so by going to http://www.cement.org/Briefingkit/index.asp.

A Georgia-based contractor faces $40,000 in fines from OSHA following a fatal fall at a Niagara Falls, New York hotel construction site. DEC Management Inc. of Athens, Georgia was cited for six alleged serious violations of safety standards.

The proposed fines come after an October 3rd incident in which an employee was killed and another was injured when the precast concrete panel on which they were standing shifted and fell 25 feet to the ground.

"Falls are the number one killer in construction work," said Arthur Dube, OSHA's area director in Buffalo. "This case is the starkest example of what happens when basic, vital safeguards are ignored. This tragedy could have been prevented had these safeguards been in place."

The inspection by OSHA found that the panel was not secured and lacked the strength and structural integrity to safely support the employees. The workers also lacked fall protection and had not been provided required fall hazard training.

The Temple, a Georgia-based Decorative Concrete Institute, recently completed offering a course on Skim Coats.

The course emphasized skim coating, staining, and dyeing.

Students in the course developed skills in the application of ColorMaker products with a focus on the skim coats known as Sgraffino and Pentimento. A major element of the course was the application of coloring techniques including fading, shadowing with a cup gun sprayer and the use of dry pigments for obtaining interesting coloring effects.

DCI offers different levels of workshops and training to accommodate each student’s needs, from the beginner to the advanced installer. These workshops include on-the-job training in addition to classroom knowledge of cutting-edge products and techniques that are available in the industry.

Some of the topics covered in the curriculum include proper surface and floor preparation, faux finishes, design layout, decorative scorecutting and staining techniques. Other topics covered include sand-blasted and engraved graphics, concrete stenciling and stamping, and countertops that will enable the students to provide their consumers with successful turn-key projects.

More information is available at www.decorativeconcreteinstitute.com.

Roanoke Cement Co., a subsidiary of Titan American LLC, has been awarded the 2007 Energy Star for superior energy efficiency within the cement industry.

Companies achieving a rating of 75 or higher using the Energy Star Performance Indicator specific to their plant style are eligible to apply for the award. The Roanoke plant, located in Troutville, Virginia, scored 98.

The Energy Star program recognizes manufacturers’ energy efficient solutions that save money while protecting the environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Led by an expected 10 percent growth in China, worldwide Portland cement consumption will increase 5.5 percent this year followed by a rise of 6.9 percent in 2008 – an average of nearly 160 million metric tons annually – according to a Flash Report issued by PCA last week.

The international report cites robust growth conditions in emerging and transitional economies, such as those in South America, Eastern Europe and Asia. China continues to play a critical role in consumption trends, accounting for more than 45 percent of the world’s cement consumption.

The report predicts the world economy will increase 3.11 percent in 2007, with a 2.94 percent increase expected in 2008.

Twenty-two builders and contractors in the New Orleans area attended a recent disaster mitigation course sponsored by a variety of industry groups.

“Disaster Mitigation for Residential Construction” was funded by the Portland Cement Association and FEMA, with input from the Institute for Business & Home Safety, and was developed with support of the National Home Builders Association’s National Home Builders Institute (HBI), which deals with materials designed to better protect against natural hazards.

Course topics included proper installation techniques and product options relating to foundation systems, above-grade walls, roofing systems, door and window openings, roof-to-wall connections and exterior cladding.

This is the seventh concrete-related educational class through HBI’s Superintendent Program. For more information on the HBI concrete courses or to arrange a course in your area, visit www.hbi.org.

StructureWorks, LLC, a 3D modeling software company for the manufactured-concrete industry, announced the release of StructureWorks™ Precast 2007 SP2.0, the latest version of its modeling, drawing automation and enterprise data management system.

StructureWorks Precast 2007 SP2.0 is delivered as an add-in to the SolidWorks software 3D design platform. The program facilitates the development of building projects by synchronizing and automating all drawing types, bills of material and engineering content, and is designed to be used by engineered-product manufacturers for manufactured-concrete applications.

“We are extremely energetic about this release and the speed gains we have obtained,” said Jason Lien, president of StructureWorks. "When a user can open a project or workspace in 20 percent of the time, there becomes a feeling of empowerment."

For more information, visit www.structureworks.net.