MC Magazine

People & Products

People and Products is a forum where NPCA members and nonprofit organizations can share information on new products, personnel promotiosn/acquisitions or service announcements concerning the precast concrete industry.

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NPCA Represents North American Precasters at European Conference
Ty Gable, NPCA president, spoke to our industry’s counterparts from around the world at the International Concrete Conference & Exhibition (ICCX) Jan. 25 in Berlin, Germany. Gable represented the North American precast concrete industry and was featured among industry experts from 18 different countries. His speech addressed current and looming U.S. infrastructure problems and the investment required to bring America up to speed.

“According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, our infrastructure is rapidly deteriorating and will require
1.3 trillion Euros ($1.6 trillion) over the next five years to bring it up to standards,” Gable said in his presentation. “Much of the investment, however, would call for the use of precast concrete elements and pipe. Also, while we are replacing these aging systems, we can include new technologies and innovations so that precast elements are even more ecologically friendly, which will do a better job of preserving the environment.”

Gable added that replacement or new infrastructure would include stormwater, housing, utility and industrial systems. He referenced case studies from Precast Solutions magazine to illustrate precast concrete innovations aimed at solving America’s ailing infrastructure problems.

ICCX is organized annually in four different locations by Concrete Plant International Worldwide, a concrete industry magazine published in nine languages. Log onto www.iccx.org for more information about future conferences. Log onto www.precast.org for more information about NPCA.

NPCA/AIA alliance builds on education
NPCA will exhibit at its largest trade show of the year as staff members travel to the City of Angels June 8-10 to participate in the American Institute of Architects (AIA) 2006 National Convention and Design Expo. The AIA convention, which will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, will host approximately 24,000 architects and related building professionals.

NPCA’s presence at the convention will open up opportunities to expand its newly established relationship with AIA. In November 2005, AIA named NPCA a Continuing Education Systems (CES) Registered Provider. This designation allows NPCA to reach out and serve an entirely new audience by developing educational programming specifically targeted for architects. NPCA then hosted its first AIA-accredited course Feb. 24 during the 2006 Manufactured Concrete Products Exposition (MCPX). More than 50 Southern California architects participated in this initial educational offering.

In pursuit of its theme “Architecture on the Edge: Innovation, Engagement, Inspiration,” the AIA 2006 National Convention and Design Expo will encourage participants to explore innovations in design and construction, examine the challenges of the public realm and inspire visions of the future. The event is also certain to provide NPCA with a national stage on which to showcase the quality, value and permanence that precast concrete has to offer for architectural projects.

Grace introduces ADVA Cast 555 for SCC

Grace Construction Products of Cambridge, Mass., introduced ADVA Cast 555, its newest admixture technology for self-consolidating concrete (SCC), at the Manufactured Concrete Products Exposition (MCPX), which was held Feb. 23-25 in Anaheim, Calif.

ADVA Cast 555 is a superplasticizer that offers a series of new features and benefits for producers, including high segregation resistance and more flowable concrete at a lower viscosity.

With its ability to tolerate more variation in water and cement content and aggregate gradation profiles, the new product broadens the window for producers to lower cement factors and enables the producer to utilize less-costly aggregates, including some that were not usable for SCC, says the company. Also, the lower viscosity allows the concrete to flow farther and more quickly to full pieces, decreasing placement time and the number of placement locations for a given piece.

Grace also says the new technology allows for consistent control of strength and air content in SCC. For more information, visit Grace’s Web site at www.graceconstruction.com.

Wilbert Precast wins statewide Better Workplace award

Wilbert Precast Inc. of Spokane, Wash., took top prize in the Innovative Benefit & Compensation Category of a competition set forth by the Association of Washington Business.

Wilbert’s benefits package includes not only a generous 401K program that matches 100 percent for up to 6 percent of an employee’s contribution, but its real innovation is the medical and dental insurance package.

By using a high-deductible ($3,000) insurance, the company saves money on premiums. The extra funds normally spent on premiums are placed into a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) for each employee’s deductibles, copayments and other health-related expenses. Any money not spent for medical costs can be rolled over and allowed to grow.

This in itself is not new, but most companies limit the amount of rollover, limit what the HRA money can be spent on and take money back if not spent. Wilbert’s plan allows the rollover funds to grow without limit, giving employees more control over spending decisions and the incentive to save dollars. Over the span of a career, the company says it would be reasonable for an employee to save tens of thousands of dollars that can be used in the future for health care premiums, supplements, deductibles, vision and dental care.

The program controls skyrocketing insurance costs, allows employees to “bank” excess funds for future medical needs and holds each individual or family unit responsible for their own expenditures.

Sika announces SikaGrout 328

Sika Corp. of Lyndhurst, N.J., has introduced SikaGrout 328, a cement-based precision grout. SikaGrout 328 is powered by Viscocrete Technology, making it a very fluid grout with exceptional physical properties, says the company. The new grout is designed to achieve compressive strengths from 7,500 psi to 10,000 psi, depending on the consistency. Sika says it is ideal for grouting machinery base plates and anchor bolt applications. It is formulated to allow extended working time for large placements without sacrificing compressive strength.

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