Photocatalytic Concrete Rings True for Bell Tower

A new campus bell tower relies on photocatalytic cement to keep the white precast concrete clean. The landmark tower, now completed on the campus of Dalton State College in northwest Georgia, soars 75-feet high. At that height, keeping the precast panels clean through conventional methods would be difficult and costly.

Through photocatalysis, the special cement destroys most organic and inorganic pollutants that come into contact with the concrete surface and cause discoloration. In addition to this self-cleaning benefit, TX Active effectively destroys airborne pollutants, which are responsible for urban organic pollution.TX Active photocatalytic cement is produced by Essroc Italcementi Group.

“Like many other regions, we have some atmospheric pollution that, over time, discolors concrete with an uneven, soot-like coating that distracts from the architecture,” explained architect Gregg Sims. “The darkening is particularly evident on vertical surfaces near the top of structures.

“The self-cleaning properties of TX Active cement were particularly attractive for the new bell tower at Dalton State College. It will be the tallest structure on campus and highly visible every day and night to thousands of drivers on adjacent Interstate 75, so it’s vital for the white concrete surfaces to stay clean.”

Founded in the 1960s with utilitarian building designs of the period, the college needed an architectural element to reshape the campus into a more traditional-looking college environment. The bell tower is the centerpiece of a new quadrangle project currently transforming the campus environment.

Metromont USA’s plant in Hiram, Ga., manufactured the precast concrete for the project. Metromont, member of the Altus Group, is the first US architectural precast producer to utilize TX Active.
More at www.essroc.com

Shovel-Ready Infrastructure Projects Anchor Economic Stimulus Package

President-elect Barack Obama announced that he will focus his economic recovery strategy on making the biggest investment in the nation’s infrastructure since President Dwight D. Eisenhower created the interstate highway system a half-century ago.

Speaking yesterday at a Chicago news conference and on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Obama said state governors have many such projects that are “shovel ready,” meaning they could be undertaken soon and have an immediate impact on jobs.

Obama did not specify a cost or funding level for the measure.

“Infrastructure funding could create jobs on both an immediate and long-term basis," says John Shaw, PCA's senior vice president of government affairs. "For every 10 construction jobs created by a project, the community gains 17 additional jobs that stay in the region even after a project’s completion.”
Contact John Shaw

Fourth Annual Student Design
Competition Announced

PCA and the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association are launching the fourth annual Concrete Thinking for a Sustainable World, International Student Design Competition. Administered by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, the program is intended to challenge students, working individually or in teams, to investigate an innovative application of portland cement-based materials to achieve sustainable design objectives.
 
This fourth annual competition offers students two separate entry categories, each without site restrictions, for maximum flexibility.
 
Category I, Transit Hub: Design an environmentally responsible public transportation center focusing on architectural innovations to preserve tomorrow’s resources.
 
Category II, Building Element: Design a single element of a building that provides a sustainable solution to real-world environmental challenges.
More at the ACSA Web site
Contact David Shepherd

PCA Releases Third Quarter Survey of Consumption by User Group

PCA has released the results of its third-quarter survey of portland cement consumption by user group. The survey details cement use by customer in 18 categories based on input from cement companies.

Total third-quarter cement consumption in 2008 was 29.3 million metric tons, down 15% from the third quarter of 2007.

Ready mixed concrete was by far the largest consumer, accounting for 72.5% of cement consumption, followed by streets and highway contractors (4.1%), brick and block producers (3.0%), precast concrete producers (2.6%), and building materials dealers (2.5%).
Download a summary graph
Contact Ninab Maradkel

New American Home is Concrete
for Sixth Straight Year

Work is now complete on the 2009 New American Home, the official Show Home of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).   For the sixth consecutive year, concrete products played an important role in the construction of The New American Home.  The exterior structural walls of the home, including the walk-out basement, were built with energy-efficient insulating concrete forms (ICFs), provided by ARXX Building Products.  The exterior landscaping utilizes retaining walls and the Maduro stone line of concrete pavers from Bradstone, an Aggregate Industries company.  The exterior finish will be a combination of stucco and Cultured Stone from Owens Corning.

The home was constructed by Las Vegas-based builder and developer Blue Heron, Inc, with architectural design by Danielan Associates and interior design by Robb & Stucky.  Blue Heron is applying for the highest level of “Emerald” status under the newly established NAHB Green Building Standard.  The four-level home is located near McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, about 15 minutes from the Convention Center. 

The New American Home will initially be open during the 2009 International Builders Show, Jan. 20-23, and is expected to remain open for some time as a model home for Blue Heron’s 14-lot development.
More at www.tnah.com

PCA Offers Revamped Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures

PCA's industry standard course in best practices, Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures, has been revised to reflect advances in concrete technology. Also new is a session on troubleshooting and a streamlined curriculum. The result is a fast-paced, four-day program developed especially for ready-mixed concrete personnel who need fundamental yet practical concrete knowledge.

The next class is scheduled for February 23- 26, 2009, at PCA Skokie, Illinois, headquarters.
More at www.cement.org

Rogers Joins Cement Council of Texas

Richard B. Rogers, P.E., has joined the Cement Council of Texas as director of concrete pavements.

In his new position, Rogers will provide engineering direction and assistance to the Texas Department of Transportation on their largest concrete pavement projects.  He also will advise other state and local agencies, their consultants, and project partners on large-scale projects in both the public and private sectors.

Prior to joining the Cement Council of Texas, Rogers was a member of the Transtec Group, where he served as the pavement engineering lead on major design-build projects. From 1979 to 2004, he worked for the Texas Department of Transportation in a variety of supervisory and technical capacities.

He received his Master of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas and his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Virginia Military Institute.