January 9, 2006

NACA Members Respond to Gulf Coast Hurricanes

   REBUILDING AND RECOVERY

Aggregate Industries raises $100,000 for Red Cross hurricane relief
Aggregate Industries delivered a $100,000 check on December 6 to the national headquarters of American Red Cross, Washington, D.C., to support Hurricanes Katrina and Rita relief causes. The donation is the culmination of an employee/company-match program initiated in early October. "I believe our company and employees have made a real difference to help improve the lives of thousands of people along the U.S. Gulf Coast affected by the hurricanes," said Aggregate Industries US Chief Operating Officer Louis Beauchemin.
 

Bush administration doubles funds for New Orleans
According to the New York Times, the Bush administration has announced that the government would double the amount of money to be put toward shoring up New Orleans' levees to protect the city from the type of catastrophic flooding that occurred after Hurricane Katrina. While the government said it would add $1.5 billion to the $1.6 billion already promised for the levees, the funds fall short of the $30 billion Louisiana leaders say is necessary to protect the city from another Category 5 hurricane. more

New levees will be stronger, government says 

According to USA Today, the federal government says it has given the Army Corps of Engineers authority to significantly improve New Orleans levees during rebuilding, the top official for Gulf Coast reconstruction said. The government had previously committed only to rebuild levees of equivalent protection, but now says some will be fitted with "armoring" to withstand erosion. more

Concrete house stands up to Katrina
The Sundbergs' concrete home was 85% complete when Hurricane Katrina hit on Aug. 29 with a huge storm surge and reported sustained winds of 125 mph. The water reached an elevation of 28 feet. After the winds had died down and the water retreated, the Sundbergs found that their home had survived the storm largely intact. Now they are focusing their efforts on finishing the building before the next storm strikes.

The house has spread footings, with concrete members to distribute the load to the soil. The house is built to withstand winds up to 200 mph. more

   EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING

Hurricane resistant construction workshops scheduled for April 11-13

Three workshops on hurricane resistant concrete construction are scheduled for April 11-13 in the Gulf Coast states affected by Hurricane Katrina:

• April 11 – Hattiesburg, Mississippi

• April 12 – Baton Rouge, Louisiana

• April 13 – Mobile, Alabama

The 1-day workshops will begin with a session on Hurricanes and Hurricane Resistant Construction followed by sessions on insulating concrete forms, precast concrete, removable forms, tilt-up concrete, and concrete masonry. The program will end with a presentation on building code requirements for concrete building systems. Builders, architects, engineers, contractors, building officials, product suppliers, and the general public are invited to attend. The workshops are sponsored by Alabama Concrete Industries Association, Concrete and Aggregate Association of Louisiana, and Mississippi Concrete Industries Association. The program is being organized with the help of NRMCA. Other cooperating partners include PCA, NCMA, ICFA, PCI, CFA, and TCA. Attendees will receive 6 Professional Development Hours. Contact Lionel Lemay.

PCA, FEMA to distribute information on disaster resistant construction

PCA and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staff met on Dec. 8, to discuss developing a mitigation awareness program for Gulf Coast region residential buildings. The goal is to make builders more aware of best practices for construction in hurricane-prone areas, with PCA assisting FEMA in dissemination of post-disaster resistant structure case histories. Contact Mike Weber.

   CODES AND RESEARCH

Mississippi holds successful building code workshop

Mississippi Concrete Industries Association Executive Director Robert Varner reports that he and other industry officials held a workshop on December 15 that was attended by more than 150 architects, engineers, code enforcement officers, FEMA representatives and others in support of statewide building codes. The meeting, held in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, featured a number of expert speakers, including Steve Szoke, director of codes and standards for PCA. Varner said the meeting called attention to the need for a statewide building code to be enacted by the state legislature. Contact Robert Varner.

   MEDIA RELATIONS

Concrete home is “Fortified” against the elements
On December 3 the Chicago Tribune featured the first Fortified…for Safer LivingŪ home in Illinois that is now being constructed in Bolingbrook. The 2,800 square foot home will have added protection against tornadoes, hail, and severe winter weather – three of the state’s most destructive natural elements. The Bolingbrook home features a state-of-the-art precast concrete panel system for the floors and exterior walls, impact-resistant roofing, connectors to securely tie the house together from roof to foundation, and windows with high wind and water pressure ratings. In addition to being able to withstand nature’s worst elements, the article mentions the fire-resistant and energy-efficient benefits of concrete construction. The home and the Fortified program were also featured in the November 23 Wall Street Journal. The home is sponsored by PCA, the Institute of Business & Home Safety, Dukane Precast, Inc., and AAA Chicago Motor Club. more
 

   GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

Concrete group adopts position on statewide building codes

The Alliance for Concrete Codes and Standards (ACCS) recently adopted a position statement regarding statewide minimum building codes. The Alliance urges states to adopt minimum standards based on a national model building code, such as the International Building Code (IBC) and the International Residential Code (IRC), with the ability for local jurisdictions to adopt technical amendments that provide for more stringent requirements. The Alliance also believes local enforcement of building codes is necessary to assure quality, durable and safe construction. ACCS is a coalition of concrete organizations committed to enhancing building codes and standards to improve life safety, property protection, and welfare of the general public. Local promotion groups are encouraged to adopt the position statement as their own in an effort to promote minimum building codes in their states. Click here to download the position statement. For additional details contact Steve Szoke or Lionel Lemay.