|
|
| Cara Gavagan |
 |
| John Loyer |
Cara Gavagan has joined the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association as senior director of Government and Political Affairs. She is responsible for fundraising activities behind NRMCA’s CONCRETEPAC, the concrete industry’s premier political action committee, and managing high-impact programs on Capitol Hill. Gavagan was previously director of PAC operations at the American Council of Engineering Companies, where she helped create a committee securing $1.5 million per cycle; managed event planning associated with all PAC activities and political involvement; and, coordinated marketing and other association communications.
Separately, NRMCA has appointed John Loyer as senior director, State and Local Government Affairs, to be based in Arlington, Va. Loyer has headed his own consulting practice for nine years and brings broad background in local, state, federal, and international government affairs related to the building industry. He will represent NRMCA on issues ranging from building codes to sustainability and resiliency, to legislative and regulatory areas affecting members and association policy.
Loyer headed State Government Affairs at the American Institute of Architects, where he spearheaded creation of the International Green Construction Code in partnership with the International Code Council. He was also head of government and regulatory affairs for foam insulation manufacturer, Icynene Inc., and the National Association of Home Builders’ inaugural energy efficiency and green building advocate. A certified code official, Loyer has taught or lectured at Penn State University/Pennsylvania Housing Research Center’s School of Engineering and University of Maryland School of Architecture.
The California Construction & Industrial Materials Association has presented Lehigh Hanson’s San Luis Obispo Plant with a 2015 Excellence in Safety and Outstanding Safety Leadership Award, Ready Mixed Concrete category. Award applications are reviewed and winners selected by a CalCIMA Safety & Health Committee judging panel. Awards in cement, aggregates and mining categories went to sister Lehigh Hanson and Lehigh Cement SW sites, Graniterock and Lhoist North America. Mine Safety & Health Administration Assistant Western District Manager Paul Belanger announced recipients during a late-2015 association meeting.
“The awards look beyond the numbers and more deeply at what mines, plants and individuals are doing to improve safety, seek out innovations, take leadership, and have a broader impact on their company, industry, and colleagues’ lives,” says CalCIMA President Gary Hambly.
The Tilt-Up Concrete Association has released tilt-up focused college course material dubbed Tilt-Up Academy. It is offering free educational tools to engineering faculty desiring to incorporate up to six weeks of 2012/2015 IBC compliant, TCA developed, lecture and course material into undergraduate and graduate level reinforced concrete design classes. Material is based on “Engineering Tilt-Up” (2013) by Timothy Mays, Ph.D., P.E., and Joseph Steinbicker, P.E., S.E.
“Tilt-Up Academy material has been designed to fit nicely into existing undergraduate and graduate courses,” says Mays. “I am certain that faculty will be able to effectively include anywhere from one to six weeks of material as it best fits their needs.”
Faculty requesting material will obtain immediate access to lecture content; weekly homework problems with a fully documented solutions manual; free software for single story and multi-story tilt-up wall design (academic use only, formatted to make up exam problems or additional homework exercises); free “Engineering Tilt-Up” faculty copies plus student pricing (up to 75 percent off retail) of “Engineering Tilt-Up” when required for course use. Interested faculty can contact TCA Executive Director Mitch Bloomquist, 319/895-6911 or [email protected].
GBCI, the certification body for U.S. Green Building Council’s global LEED green building rating system, will administer the Green Garage Certification Program through its acquisition of the Green Parking Council.
“Parking and sustainability are not mutually exclusive concepts. Every story about a green building is a story about people—and every story about parking is a story about connections between people and their community,” says USGBC Chief Operating Officer and GBCI President Mahesh Ramanujam. “Through collaborative, integrated and innovative green parking practices, we can advance sustainable mobility. This will enable our parking structures to achieve increased energy efficiency, reduced environmental impact, improved parking space management, integrated mobility solutions and technologies, enhanced performance, and stronger community relationships.
“Sustainability in parking is integral to the greening of the built environment. By acquiring GPC and taking over the administration of this program, we are furthering GBCI’s portfolio and mission to recognize excellence in green performance, business and practice.”
The Green Garage Certification Program is the world’s only rating system defining and recognizing sustainable practices in parking structure management, programming, design and technology. It applies to both new and existing parking structures and was developed by experts from parking, architecture, engineering, technology and property management fields. It assesses 48 elements of parking facility sustainability, including management practices that maximize performance while minimizing waste; programs encouraging alternate modes of transportation and community engagement; plus, efficient and sustainable technology and structure design.
“GBCI offers the infrastructure necessary to meet the growing demand for Green Garage Certification and the ability to connect the parking industry to efforts advancing sustainable solutions in communities worldwide,” notes Green Parking Council Board Chair John Schmid (Propark America).
Green Garage Certification was developed with support of the International Parking Institute and partners representing all segments of the industry to create an industry-specific approach for recognizing green garages. It draws extensively from knowledge developed through experience with LEED certification and alignment with USGBC’s mission and goals. GBCI will continue to work closely with IPI and other parking industry stakeholders to ensure the Green Garage Certification Program spurs innovation, performance and leadership.
The online Hanley Wood University will host Portland Cement Association’s “Concrete as a Sustainable Solution for Buildings” course through 2016. It debuted in Hanley Wood’s Architect, the official American Institute of Architects magazine, and presents cement and concrete industry measures to reduce environmental impact, plus insights on increasing building project performance. The course offers continuing education credits and can be accessed at http://reg.hanleywood.com. A pdf of the Architect article and course content is likewise available at www.cement.org.
Separately, PCA has named 10 recipients of the inaugural Resilience Leadership Awards, recognizing individuals, organizations, and projects that showcase benefits of durable construction and the importance of concrete in achieving resilience. Winners practice their message in a variety of arenas, including education, community organization, construction, and code enhancement.
The 2016 Resilience Leadership Awards program coincides with PCA’s centennial anniversary, to be celebrated throughout the year. Individual or organization recipients, by category, are: Individual Achievement, Dr. Ernst Kiesling; Community Leadership, Cate Hart and Daniel Wallach; New Public Buildings, Warren County Public Schools; New Commercial Building, North Central College; New Multifamily Building, Palermo Vista (Fleet Financial/Oakwood Construction and Development); New Residential Building, Gold Level, John Hoffman; New Residential Building, Silver Level, Greenhill Contracting and Marie Quakenbush; and, New Safe Room Construction, Boy Scouts of America, Heart of America Council.
 |
| Christopher Darnell |
The American Concrete Institute has promoted Christopher Darnell to managing director, Customer & Product Strategy. Toward ACI’s strategic goal of being more efficient, agile and effective, he will focus efforts on improving the member and customer experience by aligning Institute products and services with user expectations, market demand, and communication channels.
In nearly 30 years at ACI, Darnell has worked in Member Services, Certification, Process Improvement, plus the ACI Foundation’s Strategic Development and Concrete Research Councils. Through the Creative Association Management subsidiary, he served as American Shotcrete Association executive director, and most recently as ACI director of Website Strategy & Content. Darnell holds a bachelor’s in Business Administration from Central Michigan University.
The PCI Foundation has established a scholarship in memory of University of Washington Professor Alan Mattock and his contributions to the precast/prestressed concrete industry over a long career. In addition to extensive research, he is credited with influencing generations of young engineers, and was named Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute Distinguished Educator.
PCI Foundation officials view Dr. Mattock as a driving force in precast/prestressed concrete, owing especially to this Research and Development Committee participation. A career filled with awards, high-profile committee work, and many published papers, he retired in 1990. Following his death in June 2014, contemporaries and others who worked with him on PCI projects felt that a memorial scholarship for research-minded students would be appropriate.
The Alan Mattock Graduate Scholarship will be tied to the Daniel P. Jenny Fellowship program, conducted by the PCI Research and Development Council. The first scholarship will be awarded in spring of 2016; at $4,000, it is intended to enhance a fellowship award. Donations funding the scholarship can be sent to the PCI Foundation, with specific instructions to go to the Alan Mattock Graduate Scholarship fund, 200 West Adams St., Chicago, IL 60606; or made online in Dr. Mattock’s honor at www.pci-foundation.org.
METROMONT PROJECT CLARIFICATION
 |
| Captions for two Metromont Corp. projects in the December issue report from 2015 PCI Chairman Chris Pastorius were switched on pages 41 and 43. The Metromont Charlotte, N.C., and Greenville, S.C., (headquarters) plants supplied more than 1,800 architectural and structural members for the Capitol Towers office and parking structure (below) in Charlotte. The Metromont Richmond, Va., plant delivered nearly 500 architectural and structural precast members for the Crown Plaza Parking Structure (above) in Gaithersburg, Md. |
 |