Association News

Georgia Concrete Pavement Conference Pushes the “Pedal to the Metal”

Wednesday, 14 October 2015 16:15

The Georgia Concrete Paving Association (ACPA-SE) held its “Georgia Concrete Pavement Conference” at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga, on September 22.

Georgia Concrete Paving Association puts pedal to the metal with concrete paving conference, held at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. (Photo: Southeast Chapter-ACPA)

The conference opened with a Georgia legislative update from Senate Transportation Chair Tommie Williams; House Small Business Development Chair Bubber Epps (a retired paving contractor); and Georgia DOT Legislative Director Josh Waller. Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell McMurry, P.E., presented the keynote speech at lunch.

Presenters included: Leif Wathne, PE, ACPA National; Andy Johnson, PhD, PE, PCA-Southeast Region; Les White, PE, CEMEX*; Corey Zollinger, PE, CEMEX*: Jeremy Gregory, PhD, Concrete Sustainability Hub at MIT: Peter Taylor, PhD, PE, CP Tech Center (an ACPA technology partner); and Kevin Crusa, McCarthy Improvement Company*.

The day concluded with an evening reception by “pit row,” where attendees had an opportunity to ride in a pace car going over 120 mph. The event drew 80 people, including Georgia DOT staff, consultants, representatives from the FHWA, cities and counties, academia, and cement and contractor members.

____________________
* ACPA member.

Makin’ Concrete Cool

Monday, 05 October 2015 13:51

MikeLipps-2015-med It’s time again to plan for ACPA’s Annual Meeting, which will be held at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point in Bonita Springs, Florida from December 1^st through 4^th. The upcoming meetings feature some great refinements and some new surprises that remind us of just how cool it is to be in the concrete pavement industry.

In the articles below, I’ll share with you some of my favorite highlights of the 52^nd annual meeting. I also encourage you to take a close look at the annual meeting program, as well as the spouse/guest program. I encourage you to print and take both these items home, and in particular, share the spouse/guest program with your spouse and other guests you will bring with you.

Before I mention the features of this program, I want to mention something that has been constant since the very first annual meeting, held in Chicago in December 1964. From the very beginning, ACPA’s annual meetings have included forums for tech transfer, the exchange of ideas, and the opportunity for peer-to-peer discussions.

These forums are truly a hallmark of the ACPA annual meeting. Over the years, the discussions at times have been consistently candid (even high-spirited!), often eye-opening, and sometimes a little entertaining. No matter the topics of the day, they have always been centered squarely on the best interests of the members of the association and our customers.

It’s easy to take this for granted, but for anyone who has not been to an ACPA annual meeting before, they have missed one of the best forums for exchanging ideas, transferring technology and knowledge, and addressing real issues with like-minded people who have the same goal.

Although we’re keeping traditions alive, we’re also continually refining and improving our annual meeting program, and this year is no exception. Earlier in the year, we surveyed annual meeting participants and asked them their opinions about the 2014 annual meeting, as well as for their ideas for meetings going forward. I’m pleased to tell you that we’ve made many enhancements to the 2015 program, some of which I will mention in this newsletter.

It’s for those reasons that I urge you to bring to this year’s meeting others from your company, not just the current decision makers, but also the rising stars in your company. I encourage you also to invite your subcontractors, suppliers, owners, allies, and others in the concrete paving community who can benefit from the information-packed ACPA annual meeting … and all it has to offer.

Plan Now for World of Concrete … and Save $45 or More on Exhibits-Only Admission

Thursday, 01 October 2015 13:53

Make plans now to attend World of Concrete 2016 … and save $40. By registering online now through ACPA’s unique link and using promo code A14, you will receive $20 admission for the World of Concrete exhibits using the online rate–a $45 to $65 savings.

In addition to the show discount, be sure to take advantage of reduced fees for seminars by registering before December 15. Check out these seminar rates.

3-Hour Seminars : $130 before December; $170 afterward.
90-Minute Seminars : $90 before December; $130 afterward.
4-hour Certification Programs : $185 before December; $215 afterward.

Super Pass Packages

Super Pass Packages also are available for those interested in earning Master Certificates by completing 12 or more hours of coursework. * Super Passes are designed to assist attendees in earning a Master Certificate. Super Pass 1 is three 3-hour seminars from one 3-hour track, plus any two 90-minute seminars. Super Pass 2 is four 3 hour seminars (3 in one track plus an additional from any 3 hour track). Super Pass 3 earns a Master Certificate in Concrete Construction Management by selecting total of 12 seminar hours of any combination from any 3-hour or 90-minute program track. (Discounted package excludes workshops, hands-on training and certification seminars & examinations.) All Super Passes include admission to exhibits.

The rates are:

Super Pass (SP1 or SP2) rate: $405 before December 15; $525 afterward.
Super Pass (SP3) rate: $505 before December 15; $625 afterward.

World of Concrete 2016 will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, home to the largest, most comprehensive commercial concrete and masonry event for the industry. The show will features more than 1,500 exhibitors and more than 100 seminars and conference sessions.

World of Concrete exhibits are open February 2 through 5. Seminars are scheduled for February 1 through 5. Be sure to visit us at booth C4322.

REGISTER ONLINE TODAY

If the link above does not work, please cut and paste this link to your browser:

https://www.compusystems.com/servlet/ar?evt_uid=171&PromoCode=A14

____________________________________________________

* $20 rate is for Exhibits-only and is only available to registrants using the online registration rate. Some restrictions may apply.

ACPA and Allies Focus on Competition

Friday, 04 September 2015 19:38

ACPA and allied trade associations PCA and NRMCA continue to articulate the benefits of competition in the paving marketplace, noting that fostering competition extends the purchasing power of highway investments.

Two of the latest examples of this may be found in a co-authored article by ACPA’s Leif Wathne and NRMCA’s Glenn Ochsenreiter. The article, “How the Concrete Paving Industry is Advancing by Promoting the Value of Competition,” appeared in the third quarter issue of NRMCA’s InFocus magazine.

The article discusses how “in an effort to educate and inform customers of the advantages of competition, the traditional ‘concrete vs. asphalt’ dialogue is not part of the discussion at the national level. We simply point out that both materials have benefits in specific circumstances, and are quick to add that asphalt rhetoric demeaning concrete is an effort by special interests to maintain a monopoly advantage.

This article, along with the association’s unified presence and messaging at trade shows, is taking aim of the fact that more than half the states in the nation spend more than 85% of their pavement dollars on only one pavement type.

Earlier this week, ACPA, PCA, and NRMCA were articulating this and other points at the American Public Works Congress & Exposition in Phoenix. Exhibiting as the Alliance for Pavement Competition, the three organizations are taking the messages about competition directly to public officials across the country.

Earlier this year, the alliance partners exhibited at the National Association of County Executives annual conference and exposition. The alliance partners also will be carrying the message forward for a second consecutive year at the upcoming AASHTO Annual Meeting, scheduled for September 24 through 28 in Chicago.

Site Visit Provides Opportunity to Gain Insights on Airport Overlay Project

Friday, 04 September 2015 19:31

Tour Group – Photo shows (L-R) Ernesto Larrazabal, Rico Fung, Garry Price, Chris Stewart, Gary Mitchell, William Wetzel, and Guy Zummo. Not shown in the photo was Thomas Amoia.

ACPA and the Cement Association of Canada (CAC) recently arranged a tour at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

Gary Mitchell, P.E., ACPA’s Vice President – Airports & Pavement Technology, and Rico Fung, CAC’s Director, Markets and Technical Affairs (and current Chairman of the ACPA Chapter/State Committee), teamed up to arrange the site visit.

Fung is promoting the use of concrete overlay on some rehabilitation work at Toronto Pearson International Airport and wanted officials to view the project. The group had an opportunity to tour the Runway 4L-22R concrete reconstruction project, which includes an 18 in. concrete overlay of an existing asphalt runway.

Guy Zummo, P.E., M.ASCE, Senior Consulting Engineer with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) helped set up the tour for Chris Stewart, P.Eng., Manager, Airside and Infrastructure Engineering, and Garry Price, A.A.E., GSC, Manager of Capital Restoration Projects, both of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA). Zummo is now the new Chief Civil Engineer for PANYNJ, following the retirement of Scott Murrell. Incidentally, prior to being appointed to his current position, ACPA accompanied Zummo on a similar tour at Washington Dulles Airport when he was the PANYNJ design engineer for an earlier JFK concrete runway project.

Unlike most agencies, which hire consultants, Zummo and his PANYNJ staff provided the design, plans, specifications, and construction administration for the project, Mitchell said. Mitchell said the work by Tutor Perini Corporation’s Cherry Hill Construction subsidiary is outstanding. The project is expected to be finished in late September.

“The GTAA engineers are very impressed with the execution and quality of the project,” said CAC’s Fung. “This visit helps to plant the seed of concrete overlay as a viable rehabilitation strategy for Toronto’s existing asphalt and concrete airfield pavements.”

Page 151 of 185