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- ACI workshop certifies construction pros, students in Kansas
More than two dozen concrete pros and students attended a two-day workshop sponsored by the American Concrete Institute at the Kansas Technology Center at Pittsburg State University in Kansas. The goal of attending is to be certified as Grade 1 Field Testing Technicians. The workshop is part of the center's goal to encourage students to enter the construction industry. Kevin Membrino, who will be working with Oldcastle Pre-cast, said certification was a job requirement. "It’s been exciting, it’s something I’ve never done," he said. The Morning Sun (Pittsburg, Kan.)
(11/17)     
- Strict rules hinder unveiling of $5B Tappan Zee design plans
Design plans for the $5 billion Tappan Zee Bridge replacement have not yet been released, but New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office promises the public will see them before a bid is awarded. The state is seeking up to $2.9 billion in federal funding for the project. "To maintain TIFIA [Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act] eligibility, the project has to follow all federal requirements," said Matthew Carey, director of the Center for Financial Market Studies at New York's Iona College. "There is a huge downside to not following those guidelines to the letter." Poughkeepsie Journal (N.Y.)/Journal News, The
(11/19)
- $850M National Gateway nears completion
The scheduled completion of CSX's $850 million National Gateway project in 2013 will bring benefits, including less road congestion and a quicker and less expensive transportation alternative, said John Spychalski, a professor emeritus at Pennsylvania State University and a faculty affiliate at the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute. "Getting those tunnels and overpasses up to height or removed [altogether] has been critical to this project," Spychalski said, so that double-stack freight cars can deliver more goods at a lower cost. The Vindicator (Youngstown, Ohio)
(11/18)
| Technology & Trends | |
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| Sustainability & Green Building | |
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- USGBC unveils web-based tool on LEED-certified buildings
A web-based tool to research buildings that have achieved LEED status was launched by the U.S. Green Building Council at the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo in San Francisco. The "Green Building Information Gateway" will allow users to track the progress of green-building projects and the teams involved with them. "The tool provides maps, analytics and insights that reveal trends, patterns and processes in green building practice," according to this piece. Daily Commercial News
(11/20)
| Leadership & HR | |
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- CEOs need to view lean as a culture, not a tool
When lean-manufacturing expert Art Byrne asked workers at Wiremold in the 1990s to cut one of their machine setup processes from 14 hours to under 10 minutes, they said it was impossible -- but then cut it to six minutes with a few changes. That kind of improvement happens when CEOs treat lean management as a part of company culture and actively get out and promote it, Byrne said. Dan Ariens, the CEO of lawn and garden equipment producer Ariens Co., said he takes regular "gemba walks" through the company's five plants to monitor and praise employees' lean efforts. "I have to be the guy who holds the stake in place and not let it slip back," Ariens said. IndustryWeek
(10/17)
| ACI News | |
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- International Conference on Concrete Sustainability
The International Conference on Concrete Sustainability will take place in Tokyo May 27-29. Join industry leaders as they join together to discuss environmental impact reduction technologies; sustainability aspects in durability, environmental design, evaluation, and systems; social and economic aspects; and case studies of sustainable concrete materials and structures. Abstracts for the event are being accepted now. Learn more.
- 2012 Manual of Concrete Practice now available
The 2012 Manual of Concrete Practice (MCP) contains 220 ACI committee standards and reports. The MCP is the most comprehensive concrete reference set available. It contains all of the widely used ACI concrete and masonry code requirements, specifications, guides and reports. Order your copy today.
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In observance of Thanksgiving in the U.S., SmartBrief will not be published Thursday and Friday. Publication will resume Monday. Enjoy the holiday!
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