In 2004, the American Concrete Pipe Association is redoubling its already successful efforts directed toward state department of transportation specification writers, as it rebuffs market inroads from competing pipe materials. “We're seeing dividends from what we've been doing,” reports 2004 ACPA Chairman Doug Mohrman, sales and marketing manager, Concrete Industries Inc. in Lincoln, Neb. “State DOTs have been restricting use of high-density polyethylene pipe (HDPE) and numerous municipalities are refusing to let it into their infrastructure at all.” Mohrman was elected ACPA chairman in mid-March at the group's annual convention in Half Moon Bay, Calif.

“We've been losing market share to the flexible pipe industry for several years,” Mohrman says. “But, with a new focus on marketing at ACPA, we are not only stopping market share loss, but are consolidating our position at the top of the marketplace. I will stick to our main objective — to focus on our strategic marketing plan and to bring it to a successful conclusion with increased market share for reinforced concrete pipe [RCP].”

MULTI-YEAR MARKETING

Now in its third phase, this ongoing marketing plan is part of a multi-year effort. “The first phase was to develop a strategic market plan, complete with target areas and specific goals,” Mohrman tells Concrete Products. “The second phase was to develop the necessary programs to meet those goals and to create a baseline against which to measure results. The third was to implement the programs and monitor the results.

The plan was developed under Ray Rhees (Oldcastle Precast) two years ago, and the programs followed under John Munro (Munro Concrete Products) last year, Mohrman recounts. “So, in my turn, we are launching all the programs and implementing our marketing efforts.”

That being said, efforts are ongoing and already have been reaping benefits for ACPA members, Mohrman affirms. “Some state DOTs restrict use of flexible pipe,” he says, adding that some cities have declared the product will not be used in city-owned infrastructure, but will be allowed in city-owned golf courses, for example, for cart paths.

AIMING AT STATE SPECS

Because county and municipal governments usually model their codes and specifications after their home state specs, ACPA has selected state agencies as the main battleground for defending RCP turf. “There are some states that do consider HDPE pipe an equal alternate to RCP,” Mohrman contends. “They leave it up to contractors to determine what they want to put in. Those are the DOTs we are focusing on.”

One avenue to reach the states is contacting committees of the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials (AASHTO). “They are the ones who write the specifications for all DOTs, so we are aiming at them,” Mohrman tells Concrete Products. “Many consulting engineers and a great number of municipalities follow guidelines and specifications promulgated by these committees, so we have more than one market area in our sights as we take aim at one target.”

GATHERING FIELD DATA

A watershed event for ACPA was the engagement of an independent consulting engineering firm to go into the field to document HDPE pipe performance. “Having a consulting firm go out and inspect HDPE pipe installations in the field is the one action that has carried more weight than anything else we've done,” Mohrman asserts. “We paid the bill, but we didn't tell them how to do it. We just gave them a list of states that were using the product, and they followed up. The results came back indicating that 68 percent of HDPE installations inspected were in some form of failure.”

While not demonstrating total collapse, the survey found cracking, joint separation, and excessive deflection, all of which lead to eventual failure. “We published the information and got it out to state DOTs,” Mohrman reports. “Our staff and board members continue to call on state materials and bridge engineers at all state DOTs, taking our message to those who write specifications.”

BEARING DOWN ON HDPE

ACPA continues its aggressive advertising campaign in professional journals, described in more detail last year (see “Pipe progress,” Concrete Products, September 2003, p. 24). “We are continuing our negative advertising,” Mohrman says. “That's not always a desirable method, but I don't have a problem with it as long as we stick to the one rule that must never be broken: do nothing but tell the truth.”

This year, ACPA will issue seven ads or brochures, two of which he describes as being “hard-hitting, but truthful.” One of them is entitled “Surface Cave-Ins and Pipe Collapses”; and the other, which Mohrman sees as long overdue, “Litigation and Risk.” “Engineers designing with these products must remember that they are liable for what they have designed. There have been numerous lawsuits, and it always seems to boil down to the engineer or contractor paying the bill when something fails,” he affirms.

FUNCTIONAL SHIFT

Under Mohrman's tenure, ACPA will continue its shift from a primarily technical organization to one more market-oriented. “That does not mean we will abandon technical themes, because they are still important,” he emphasizes. Accordingly, the major committees of the association will work toward a common goal, instead of working on different problems at the same time.

“We have brought our committees together to focus on one issue and see it to the end. There now is more common cause among them. And, there are other changes. For example, our ‘committee week’ was always in August at our corporate headquarters in the Dallas area. This year, our committees will meet in conjunction with AASHTO's Committee on Materials so that we can be there at the same time,” Mohrman says.

ACPA's strategic plan is flexible, thorough, and adaptable to the dictates of the board, he adds. “Our plan is not carved in stone, it's a guideline. Issues always change. Our board of directors will revisit the plan this fall.”

A HOST OF BENEFITS

Doug Mohrman lauds the wide array of benefits available to ACPA members. “At Concrete Industries, we've always felt belonging to trade organizations keeps you abreast of new technologies and helps improve the industry along with your company,” he notes. “Trade associations can be of great value.” Primary among benefits are the following:

• ACPA's PipePac engineering software, distributed on CD-ROM to civil and structural engineers. PipePac allows designers to determine the real cost of materials specified over the design life of a project. Integrated analysis is offered through three independent programs: 3EB structural calculation (three-edge bearing test); CAPE (cost analysis of pipe envelope); and, life cycle cost analysis (LCA). “We're constantly updating PipePac and keeping it current,” Mohrman says. “We just issued a new release this year, which is version 3.0.”
• ACPA's publications. These include Concrete Pipe News, a quarterly; “Newscast,” a digital and print newsletter; and, “Insights,” an occasional marketing piece. ACPA's revised website is a resource for members and the industry at-large.
• Government relations. ACPA's government relations effort endured a setback early this year when its Washington representative, long-time industry personality (and Concrete Products contributing editor) Cy Malloy died suddenly. “Right now, we are without Washington representation,” Mohrman attests, “but our intent is to hire another marketing person with lobbying background who can fill those shoes. However, we feel that larger organizations, such as the Portland Cement Association (PCA), have better reach there, and we do not need a full-time lobbyist.”
• Partnering with PCA. Because of the importance of cement to ACPA member production, Mohrman will make sure the joint ACPA/PCA Steering Committee will stay active. A video titled “Quality and Testing” was recently completed, and work is progressing on one titled “The Concrete Pipe Advantage: Built for the Future.” Also, a concrete pipe display model for use at trade shows is under construction. Mohrman adds that PCA generously helps fund a number of ACPA programs.

Everything we undertake is done to make sure our membership gets a return on its investment,” Mohrman asserts. “After all, the association belongs to the membership.”

EXTENDING SCC APPLICATIONS

Self-consolidating mixes have come to the concrete pipe industry, Mohrman says, and have proved to be of great benefit to Concrete Industries. “We've been using self-consolidating concrete exclusively in our prestressed plant for a year and a half now,” he observes. “We use it for concrete pipe whenever we wet-cast. However, most of our pipe is dry-cast, and the material doesn't work with dry cast because SCC is a highly flowable mix.”

Self-consolidating concrete in its present form will not be used in dry-cast operations, Mohrman concedes. “But that does not mean that there isn't something around the corner that will create a much better concrete for us in a similar vein,” he tells Concrete Products. “In my estimation, self-consolidating concrete is a miracle.”

AMERICAN CONCRETE PIPE ASSOCIATION

At-A-Glance

The American Concrete Pipe Association (ACPA) provides technical and marketing support to encourage use of concrete pipe for drainage applications. The association supplies marketing, technical, statistical and industry expertise to the industry, as it fosters governmental and legislative relations.

Founded in 1907, ACPA represents manufacturers of concrete pipe and related products throughout the U.S., Canada and dozens of countries worldwide. ACPA also includes equipment makers or suppliers of industry products and services. Around the world, over 400 facilities are owned by ACPA members.

ACPA president is John Duffy. More information can be obtained by contacting the American Concrete Pipe Association, 222 W. Las Colinas Blvd., Suite 641, Irving, Texas 75039-5423; tel.: 972/506-7216; fax: 972/506-7682; website: http://www.concrete-pipe.org.

CHAIRMAN

2004

DOUG MOHRMAN
Concrete Industries, Inc.
Lincoln, Nebraska

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN

JOHN MUNRO
Munro Concrete Products
Barrie, Ontario

INCOMING CHAIRMAN (2005)

RON METZGER
Hydro Conduit/Rinker Materials Houston, Texas

ACPA's 2004 AGENDA

Outreach to state DOTs and specifiers isn't the only activity on 2004 American Concrete Pipe Association Chairman Doug Mohrman's plate this year. Other tasks he is spearheading include:

Safety. ACPA will maintain its effective safety program. Presentation of the safety awards is one of the year's highlights.

Training. ACPA's membership training program will include a fall short-course geared toward marketing and sales, and a spring short-course targeting production and safety.

Q-Cast Certification. ACPA Q-Cast (Quality Cast Certification Program) will be supported by Mohrman as he ensures that his plant is certified in 2004. “We have not been a Q-Cast certified plant, but we will become certified this year,” Mohrman avows. “With 124 audit points for participating plants, it's a highly rigorous program.”

Moreover, Q-Cast aligns perfectly with ACPA's efforts to distinguish its product from plastic and fiberglass competitors.

“Concrete pipe is the most tested pipe on the market today,”

Mohrman tells Concrete Products. “Engineers understand concrete and know what makes it work and what doesn't. But with HDPE pipe, a lot of civil and structural engineers don't have a background in chemistry, so understanding and testing plastic pipe is difficult.”