Campaign: Week of November 29, 2018

PACA Conveyor – Week of November 29, 2018

Table of Contents

Easily jump to a section in this newsletter:

1. PACA News
2. Advocacy News
3. Environmental News
4. Promotion News
5. Safety & Health News
6. Technical News
7. PACA Events Calendar
8. Certification News

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PACA News

As reported by Kallie Kline, PACA's Director of Member Services.

Email Kallie

PACA News

2019 Dates to Mark on Your Calendar

In 2018, PACA reached over 2000 individuals at over 70 unique events/meetings. 2019 is shaping up to reach or exceed those numbers as our calendar is coming together.

In articles that follow in this edition of the Conveyor, we highlight upcoming community meetings, concrete events, etc. In addition, please add the following dates to your calendar:

Summer Summit, Golf Outing & Sporting Clays Tournament - June 23-25, 2019, Nemacolin Woodland Resort, Farmington, PA

Young Leaders Development Group Leadership & Team Building Conference - October 15-16, 2019, Sheraton Station Square, Pittsburgh, PA

Annual Meeting - November 18-19, 2019, Hotel Hershey, Hershey, PA

Regional networking events for 2019 are also in the planning stages. More to come on those in the near future.

All the activities being planned are just one aspect of PACA's philosophy on BUILDING AND CONNECTING COMMUNITIES. Building and connecting communities goes beyond constructing buildings that form our towns and cities or roads and bridges that connect us to one another across the Commonwealth. PACA strives to build and connect our communities of colleagues and peers in the industry as well through our many educational and networking events held throughout the year. We hope you will join us in this "construction" effort!

PACA News

Holiday Closures at PACA Headquarters

The PACA office in Harrisburg will be closed the week of December 24th. If you need to reach PACA staff during that time, email is the best form of communication:

Peter Vlahos - [email protected]

Kallie Kline - [email protected]

Ken Crank - [email protected]

Josie Gaskey - [email protected]

Jim Casilio - [email protected]

PACA News

PACA Unveils New Visual for 2019

In the new year, you will begin seeing a brand new graphic affiliated with PACA communications, whether it be our business cards, letterhead, website, newsletters, etc. It's the new addition to the BUILDING AND CONNECTING COMMUNITIES tagline that the PACA staff feels strongly about (see article above relating to PACA Calendar of Events).

We hope that our message is conveyed to the level of commitment staff has to this very important concept.

PACA News

PACA Wishes to Thank our 2018 Corporate Sponsors!

Thank you to the above companies for their support this year.

Advocacy News

As reported by Josie Gaskey, PACA's Director of Environmental, Safety & Health.

Email Josie

Advocacy News

New Legislative Leadership for 2019-2020

Last week, the PA Legislative Assembly elected new leadership teams for the 2019-2020 legislative session, which begins in January. In the Senate, both parties elected the same leadership teams except for the Caucus Administrator, who has yet to be named. Below are the leadership teams for both parties:

Senate Republicans--

-- President Pro Tempore: Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson), re-elected

-- Majority Leader: Jake Corman (R-Centre), re-elected

-- Majority Whip: John Gordner (R-Columbia), re-elected

-- Majority Appropriations Chair: Pat Browne (R-Lehigh), re-elected

-- Caucus Chair: Robert Mensch (R-Montgomery), re-elected

-- Caucus Secretary: Richard Alloway (R-Adams), re-elected

-- Policy Committee Chair: David Argall (R-Schuylkill), re-elected

-- Caucus Administrator: To be determined

Senate Democrats--

-- Minority Leader: Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), re-elected

-- Minority Whip: Anthony Williams (D-Philadelphia), re-elected

-- Minority Appropriations Chair: Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia), re-elected

-- Caucus Chair: Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny), re-elected

-- Caucus Secretary: Lawrence Farnese (D-Philadelphia), re-elected

-- Caucus Administrator: John Blake (D-Lackawanna), re-elected

-- Policy Committee Chair: Lisa Boscola (D-Lehigh), re-elected

House Republicans --

-- Speaker: Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny), re-elected

-- Majority Leader: Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster), previously served as Whip

-- Majority Whip: Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre), previously served as Policy Chair

-- Majority Appropriations Chair: Stan Saylor (R-York), re-elected

-- Caucus Chair: Marcy Toepel (R-Montgomery), re-elected

-- Policy Committee Chair: Donna Oberlander (R-Armstrong), served as Caucus Secretary

-- Caucus Administrator: Kurt Masser (R-Columbia), re-elected

-- Caucus Secretary: Mike Reese (R-Somerset)

House Democrats --

-- Majority Leader: Frank Dermody (D-Allegheny), re-elected

-- Majority Whip: Jordan Harris (D-Philadelphia)

-- Majority Appropriations Chair: Matt Bradford (D-Montgomery)

-- Caucus Chair: Joanna McClinton (D-Delaware)

-- Policy Committee Chair: Mike Sturla (D-Lancaster), re-elected

-- Caucus Administrator: Neal Goodman (D-Schuylkill), re-elected

-- Caucus Secretary: Rosita Youngblood (D-Philadelphia) re-elected

Majority Leader Bryan Cutler, a six-term member from southern Lancaster County, had served as whip under Representative Dave Reed (Indiana County). Cutler has indicated education bills and regulatory reform are some of the first actions early next year. In May 2018, Cutler voted in favor of a package of bills that would reform Pennsylvania’s regulatory process.

You can find your legislator below and either clicking on your county using the interactive map or manually entering your address.

Should you have any questions, contact Josie Gaskey.

Find Your Legislator

Environmental News

As reported by Josie Gaskey, PACA's Director of Environmental, Safety & Health.

Email Josie

Environmental News

DEP Conducting Stream Evaluations in Carbon County

On November 17, 2018, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a notice they would be undertaking a water quality standards review of several creeks in Carbon County, including Bear Creek and tributaries to Nesquehoning and Mahoning Creeks to determine the proper aquatic life use designation. The Department is seeking technical data concerning the water quality, instream habitat or biological condition of these stream sections. These evaluations will most likely lead to recommendations to the Environmental Quality Board for redesignation of the stream to a more stringent standard. A more stringent designation will affect NPDES permitting.

Should you have any questions, contact Josie Gaskey.

Environmental News

Bat Update

At the beginning of October, we indicated the PA Game Commission (PGC) board members had voted to revise 58 PA Code Sections 133.21 and 133.41 of the regulations to adjust Pennsylvania’s list of Threatened and Endangered species, including reclassifying three bats as Pennsylvania Endangered Species. These three species include the Northern Long-eared bat, the Tri-colored bat, and the Little Brown bat, all challenged by White-Nose Syndrome disease. The Northern Long-eared bat was listed as a federal threatened species in April 2015.

On November 17th, the PA Bulletin contained a notice officially proposing to revise the Commonwealth's threatened and endangered species list for the Northern Long-eared bat, the Little Brown bat and the Tri-colored bat, as well as the Peregrine Falcon, Piping Plover, and Red Knot.

Public comments are due January 25, 2019 ahead of the scheduled January PGC meeting. The PGC will not share a map of locations where bat hibernacula and maternity sites are found other than the county. However, should you have any questions, contact Josie Gaskey.

Promotion News

As reported by Ken Crank, PACA's Director of Concrete Promotion.

Email Ken

Promotion News

Don't Forget About Our Social Media Pages!

PACA takes pride in our concrete promotion/education website (www.specifyconcrete.org) which is a great resource to all our members, but don't forget about our presence through the social media platforms.

Twice a month our blogs are distributed through social media and we are always happy to "like", "re-tweet", or "share" our member posts across those venues. In addition our YouTube channel currently contains 35 videos on a variety of subjects.

Our social media efforts are all enhanced when we engage one another so if you have not done so bookmark our sites on your computer. Thanks!

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/specifyconcretepa/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/concreteforpa

LinkdIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/specify-concrete-pa

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDEPU3XetMMINWSTHXJQafA

PACA also has social media pages for the aggregates industry and the association as a whole as well.

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pacaw...

PACA's Twitter page - https://twitter.com/PaAggConAs...

Aggregates Twitter page - https://twitter.com/RocksBuild...

Promotion News

Concrete Buildings and LEED V4 Featured in Western PA Promotion Efforts

PACA staff recently partnered with NRMCA staff members Gregg Lewis and James Bogdan to deliver "Concrete The Right Choice for Your Project" to architects, designers, and concrete producers in western PA. The program carried with it 3.5 continuing educations units. It was divided into three specific segments. Those segments and the description for each are noted below:

Concrete buildings (Gregg Lewis) - There is a strong case to be made for building multi-family residential and commercial buildings and schools. If a building doesn’t last, it wastes a lot of energy, from both a human and a resource perspective, not to mention the economic value. Durability is the ultimate profitability. Builders are realizing that the promise of low first-cost is insufficient for portfolio value generation. From energy efficiency, lower insurance costs and moisture resistance, barriers to a concrete structure increasingly collapse when industry professionals are equipped with the right design tools and knowledge. This presentation addressed the various reasons for and benefits of choosing concrete for your next building project.
LEED V4 and Materials Transparency Reporting (James Bogdan) - LEED v4 is encouraging environmental disclosure and transparency from building materials. With LEED v4 specifications the pursuit of, and inquiries for, disclosure reports will result in learning curve until all stakeholders (professional services, contractors and material suppliers) learn the LEED criteria and what response product industries are reporting. This presentation by the NRMCA summarized their efforts in providing environmental disclosure reports to meet LEED v4 and provide AEC stakeholders with accurate information.
Concrete Pavements & Concrete Pavement Design Resources (Ken Crank) - “You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.” That axiom holds true in life and business. By selecting concrete as the material of choice for your parking area, you can count on its durability to provide your visitors with positive impressions that speak volumes about your business. In addition to addressing “why concrete pavements,” this presentation highlighted the FREE design assistance program available to address the “how” of specifying concrete for your next pavement project.

PACA conducted two events. The first, in Erie was hosted by Austin Servall Concrete and was a result of conversations between PACA staff and Pete Austin (Austin Servall) and Chris Kohler (Austin Servall). Austin provided PACA with a list of targeted design firms and PACA developed the brochure for the event and circulated invitations to the list. There were 15 attendees (all from the design community) and based on attendee comments, the program went very well. Gregg Lewis is an architect and his message rang true to the designers in the room.

Day two brought the seminar to Cranberry. The attendees for day two differed from day one as there was good representation by our western concrete producer members. It was nice to see industry attendance at this event. While the content of day two was similar to day one, more emphasis was put on "speaking to" our industry and, again, the day was a great success. The LEED V4 information, which is tedious and can be complex, was simplified by James Bogdan during his presentation which put our attendees at ease and allowed for good discussion. LEED is here to stay and to see the subject embraced the way it was is gratifying.

As we look toward 2019, we hope to conduct more of these type of events and hope that our producer members will continue to reach out to us to facilitate them. If you are interested, please contact Ken Crank.

Lastly, our thanks go out to the team at Austin Servall for their commitment to host their event and to Gregg Lewis and James Bogdan for the vital roles that they played in educating our industry. Well done!

Promotion News

Ready Mixed Concrete Production Statistics Updated Through August 2018

The estimated ready mixed concrete produced in August 2018 is 37.7 million cubic yards, 5.8% higher than that in August 2017. The estimated production in the U.S. for 2018 through August is 240 million cubic yards, 4.2% higher than that during the same period in 2017.

Ready mixed concrete production is estimated from cement shipments reported by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Safety & Health News

As reported by Josie Gaskey, PACA's Director of Environmental, Safety & Health.

Email Josie

Safety & Health News

Distracted Driving and Speeding

Just a gentle reminder due to the recent rash of children killed by drivers who are distracted and speeding. These deaths all stem from a cause that is completely preventable. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) indicates that distracted driving accounts for approximately 25% of all motor vehicle crash fatalities.

Remember: It takes only 3 seconds after a driver’s attention has been diverted from the road for a crash to occur.

Safety & Health News

MSHA Powered Haulage Initiative

MSHA has made the prevention of powered haulage accidents a safety priority for 2018 and beyond, with an initial focus on three areas: large vehicles striking smaller ones; seat belt usage; and conveyor belt safety.

In 2018, there have been seven powered haulage fatalities in metal and nonmetal mining across the United States. The latest fatality occurred on November 3, 2018, when a 44-year old shift supervisor with 3 years of experience was killed when a loaded Caterpillar 785B haul truck ran over her pickup truck at the crusher site. The MSHA fatality alert can be found here and includes a picture that says it all.

On the coal side, nationally, there have been six powered haulage fatalities in 2018, the latest occurring in September in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania.

MSHA is seeking information on technological improvements for powered haulage equipment that can help prevent accidents. If you have thoughts on this, contact Josie Gaskey.

Technical News

As reported by Jim Casilio, P.E., PACA's Director of Technical Services.

Email Jim

Technical News

PACA Technical Community Meetings 2019

We are pleased to announce a new format for our Technical Community Meetings to begin in 2019.

Below are the dates and tentative locations for three regional “combined” PACA Technical Community Meetings. We believe this format will allow for meaningful and productive discussion among industry, and at the same time provide a forum for meaningful dialogue with the Department in preparation for the 2019 construction season.

Please reserve these dates on your calendar. Registration links are available below.Tentative Format:

8:30 – 10:30 am - Combined Concrete & Cement Technical Community

10:30 am – 12:00 pm - Regional DME/ DMM, QA, PTC and PennDOT LTS join us

12:00 - 1:00 pm - Working lunch on topics for all including Pub 408 rewrite

1:00 – 2:30 pm - Aggregate Technical with DME/ DMM, LTS, and PTC

2:30 – 4:00 pm - Aggregate Technical Community

Dates are as follows (click the date to register)

January 10, 2019 - Bloomsburg Area – exact location to be confirmed

January 23, 2019 - Lenape Heights Golf Resort - 950 Golf Course Rd, Ford City, PA

March 12, 2019 - Associated Builders & Contractors Eastern PA - 430 W Germantown Pike, East Norriton, PA

Individual community meetings will be scheduled for October 2019 and online community meetings will be scheduled as needed with 2-3 weeks’ notice.

Technical News

Concrete 101 – Concrete Mix Designs

This class will allow those new to the industry and those who wish to learn more about concrete mix designs an opportunity to design concrete mixes with hands-on guidance from our faculty of industry experts. This one-day class will be held in two convenient locations across Pennsylvania:

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc.; 127 NESL Drive - Roaring Spring, PA 16664

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc.; NESL Pavilion RT 61 - Leesport, PA

Course Schedule

7:30 AM - Registration

8:00 AM - Welcome and Introductions

8:10 AM - The Materials of Concrete

9:00 AM - Admixtures

9:45 AM - Break

10:00 AM - Fibers and Other Additives

10:30 AM - Mix Design Procedures and Examples

12:00 PM - Lunch and Networking with Industry Peers

12:30 PM - Mix Design Projects - Small Group Project

2:00 PM - Presentation and Discussion of Mix Design Projects

3:00 PM - Adjournment

Design & Control of Concrete Mixtures, PCA EB 001, is the required reference for this course. You may either bring your own copy or purchase a copy through PACA.

Course cost without PCA EB 001: $85

Course cost when ordering PCA EB 001: $160

REGISTER HERE for Concrete 101

Concrete 201 – The Next Step in Mix Design Knowledge

Concrete 201 returns for 2019 and this year will be offered at the PennDOT Materials Laboratory.

This class features hands on practice and training from our expert faculty on next level mix design topics including: Lightweight, Slip Form, Pumping Adjustments, High Strength, SCC, Heavyweight, and RCC.

The course begins at 8:30 am., and adjourns at 3:00 pm. Lunch will be provided.

Concrete 201 in 2019 will be held:

February 5, 2019

PennDOT Materials Laboratory; 81 Lab Lane, Harrisburg, PA

Design & Control of Concrete Mixtures, PCA EB 001, is the required reference for this course. You may either bring your own copy or purchase a copy through PACA.

Course cost without PCA EB 001: $110

Course cost when ordering PCA EB 001: $185

REGISTER HERE for Concrete 201 - Information appears below the 101 information on the webpage.

New for 2019 – Introduction to Concrete – This half-day class is designed to be the first step in acquiring concrete knowledge for those brand new to the industry, and those who work in the inspection, sales, delivery, customer service, and supporting positions in the construction and concrete industry.

Monday March 11, 2019

Associated Builders & Contractors Eastern PA

9:00 am – 1:00 pm

430 W Germantown Pike, East Norriton, PA 19403

REGISTER HERE for the Intro to Concrete class.

Technical News

PennDOT Aggregate Technician Certification Program 2018/2019

2018 / 2019 PennDOT Aggregate Certification courses will be held at the PennDOT Materials and Testing Lab, at the following dates and times. The course dates are also available on NECEPT’s website, www.Superpave.psu.edu

These courses will again be taught by PennDOT LTS, PennDOT QA, and Industry professionals. All courses are from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

December 10-11, 2018 - Registration deadline: November 30, 2018

January 14 -15, 2019 - Registration deadline: December 14, 2018

February 11-12, 2019 - Registration deadline: January 28, 2019

March 11-12, 2019 - Registration deadline: February 25, 2019

April 1-2, 2019 - Registration deadline: March 18, 2019

New for the PennDOT Aggregate Technician Course - A Pennsylvania Aggregate Technician Reference Manual

New for 2019, PACA has published an updated PennDOT Aggregate Technician Reference Manual.

This manual contains all the applicable PTM and AASHTO test methods covered in the PennDOT Aggregate Technician Certification Course. In addition to being a reference for this course, this manual is designed to satisfy the Bulletin 14 requirement that an aggregate producer’s lab must have copies of these test methods on hand.

The cost for this manual is $ 90.00 + tax. If you are not attending a class, but wish to order a manual, contact Kallie Kline.

The manuals ordered by class students will be distributed at the beginning of the Aggregate Technician Certification Classes and are available to order HERE.

Technical News

PACA Aggregate and Concrete Classes - Instructor Opportunities

The credit for the recent success of the Concrete 101, Concrete 201 and the industry-led section of the PennDOT Aggregate Technician Courses is due solely to our industry volunteer instructors.

Sharing your experience with those newer to the industry is a rewarding experience. Many of our instructors consider this a vital part of their professional development. It is also an opportunity to showcase your company as one of the leaders of our industry and as an organization that values the development of those who we work with every day. Please contact Jim Casilio if you would like to share your knowledge at one of these PACA classes.

Technical News

PennDOT District Producer Meetings

Some Districts have already set dates for their district producer meetings.

Please contact Jim Casilio with dates of scheduled meetings you know of as soon as possible. If your District has not had a producer meeting in recent years and you would like assistance to help schedule one, please contact Jim.

Technical News

C-18-037 Due December 13, 2018; Step 1 External CT; Revisions to PTM No. 414, PTM No. 518, and PTM No. 611

Below is a summary of this Clearance Transmittal (referenced documents attached). Please review and forward your comments to me by Monday December 10, 2019.

This message is being sent on behalf of Christine Reilly, P.E., Chief, Construction and Materials Division.

The attached revisions to the above referenced PTMs are being circulated for review. These revisions were made primarily to:

PTM No. 414 - Obtaining Samples of Pulverized Concrete for Chloride Analysis- The proposed revisions to PTM No. 414 align the modifications to AASHTO T 260 with the current revision of AASHTO T 260. In addition, the modifications are limited to the REFERENCED DOCUMENTS and the METHOD OF SAMPLING sections of AASHTO T 260. Modifications to the PROCEDURE section of AASHTO T 260 have been removed. Other minor editorial changes are also included.
PTM No. 518 - Hand Specimen Petrographic Examination- The proposed revisions to PTM No. 518 change references from discontinued AASHTO M 92 to ASTM E11 and from ASTM C1005 to AASHTO M 231. Section references to ASTM C294 have also been changed to align with the current revision of ASTM C294. In addition, the REQUIRED RECORDS have been changed. Other minor editorial changes are also included.
PTM No. 611- Making and Curing Concrete Compression and Flexural Test Specimens in the Field - The proposed revisions to PTM No. 611 (a) change the referenced specification for paraffin cardboard molds and sheet metal molds to ASTM C470M/C470, (b) change the description of Tamping Rod, and (c) adds a description for Temperature Measuring Devices. Other minor editorial changes are also included.

View the Documents

PACA Events Calendar

2019 PACA Events Calendar - Additional Items Being Added

Continue to check our events calendar on our website for upcoming events, registration links, regional mixers, and more!

Events Calendar

Certification News

As reported by Kallie Kline, PACA's Director of Member Services.

Email Kallie

Certification News

2019 ACI Concrete Field Testing Technician - Grade I Exam Registration Information

Check out the PACA website for a list of all ACI Concrete Field Testing Technician - Grade I exam dates for 2019. Registration for the Spring 2019 exams are available on our website now and registration for the Fall 2019 exams will open after the July 4, 2019 holiday.

View ACI Education Page