The American Concrete Pipe Association annual meeting in Las Vegas last month provided an opportunity for incoming 2005 Chairman Ron Metzger, chief operating officer of Hydro Conduit Division/Rinker Materials, to outline his agenda. Several key points were cited:

“First and foremost, we will maintain our excellent safety and quality programs. Compared to similar industries, our standards and level of performance are superior and will remain so.

“Second, we will continue to execute our Strategic Plan initiated two years ago to improve the market share of concrete pipe and precast box culverts in state DOT and municipal markets. We have achieved significant momentum and are beginning to see measurable improvement.

“Lastly, we will reach out to nonmember concrete pipe and precast box producers, as well as inactive members. We must better communicate the value and mutual benefit of their membership and involvement in the association. Member companies, no matter how small, have a strong and welcomed voice in this organization.”

“By using precast concrete pipe and box culvert for sewers and storm drainage, the public acquires assets that increase in value over time,” Metzger tells Concrete Products. “ACPA's civil engineers contribute to the success of member companies by coordinating research and development, working with key officials, and creating technical tools guided by the strategic plan.”

Among those tools, ACPA recently published a brochure — new for 2005 — that details the failure of nonconcrete pipelines in states where alternate products are not meeting life-cycle expectations. Clearly demonstrated are the risk and liability as well as untold maintenance issues in specifying and installing flexible pipe alternatives.

“Many projects were completed by ACPA in 2004, both in marketing and research, and many more activities are planned for 2005,” Metzger reports. “Our revised web site is proving to be an extremely valuable asset, as content is enriched and the strength of the newly launched members-only site is realized.”

ACPA remains flexible to meet the demands of the concrete pipe industry. “We continue to revise our design tools to include the newest information, such as PIPEPAC, PIPECAR and BOXCAR,” Metzger says. “We have developed new joint standards and raised the minimum standards for pipe. No other association provides the technical research and technical support that is needed to constantly ensure we are on the cutting edge.”

ADVERTISING OUTREACH

“A new series of ads is being developed, and we look forward to a summer launch,” Metzger enthuses. The theme of the '05 advertising campaign targets engineers and specifiers who design civil infrastructure needs. “Be rigid in your principles” and “Stand on your principles” slogans remind the engineer of his or her oath to protect the public. The point is not to waiver on sound engineering principles for the sake of inferior pipe available at a cheap price.

In addition to advertising, ACPA continues its education outreach and plans to expand its course program in 2005. “We continue to update our education programs to reflect the needs of members,” Metzger affirms. “ACPA remains committed to continuing education of our membership and the engineering community through the Fall Short Course School. We are expecting to attract to this year's school 200 engineers who specify and use drainage and sewer pipe materials.”

Other programs include ACPA's production school and its Concrete Pipe University. “In addition to these well-established programs, we will launch a new quality-control technician training program to strengthen our Q-Cast quality certification program,” Metzger tells Concrete Products. “Furthermore, the Q-Cast certificate program was recently expanded to cover all precast concrete products, since many of our members produce a wide range of products.”

INFLUENCING SPECIFICATIONS

Consistent with its strategy, ACPA is especially focused on state department of transportation officials, who have a major influence on the use of precast products. “We are making a concerted long-term effort to work with our colleagues in state DOTs through various committees,” Metzger says. “ACPA has created a new DOT task group to put forth concrete pipe as a durable, long-life, environmentally sustainable and cost-effective building material. Also, research and development of concrete pipe continues through ACPA, which is currently investigating joint shear in box sections. Our most recent project dealing with the economic cost of culvert failures is posted on the association web site.”

Separately, ACPA is working with members of the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials (AASHTO). “ACPA's AASHTO Task Group has been very focused in supporting the development of quality standards for the public and will continue to be so through 2005,” notes Metzger. “The task group works with DOTs to improve AASHTO standards in light of new technology and materials.”

“Work with the Bridge and Materials Committees of AASHTO was celebrated with an ACPA-hosted event at Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame in conjunction with the Materials meetings,” he adds. “In the coming year, ACPA staff and member companies will attend both AASHTO's Bridge and Materials Committee meetings and, most importantly, AASHTO's Annual Meeting where the DOT executives meet.”

ACPA has added staff to enhance outreach to specifiers. “We are always changing to meet the needs of the membership and the pipe industry,” Metzger contends. “For example, we have recently hired a registered professional engineer to focus on federal highway and state DOT issues. We are working with AASHTO and ASTM [Association for Standards, Testing and Materials] to coordinate the development of consensus standards with a view toward the needs of our public's infrastructure.”

In responding to calls, the ACPA staff also collaborates with regional authorities to handle issues pertinent to the industry — health and safety primary among them. Accordingly, ACPA forged an alliance two years ago with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration [OSHA] that will continue through the foreseeable future, Metzger reports.

100-YEAR SERVICE LIFE

Several DOTs are requiring 100-year service life for pipe used in certain applications. Metzger asserts, “Concrete pipe is the only pipe with proven 100-year performance. We will continue to educate DOTs on this very important issue.”

An important venue for publicizing concrete pipe specifications and attributes is the annual Transportation Research Board meeting every January in Washington, D.C. For example, ACPA's revised web site offers a peer-reviewed paper from researchers at the University of Utah, “The Economic Costs of Culvert Failures,” which quantifies the financial consequences of culvert failures, including related user delay costs; determines whether the risk of failures is being considered as a selection criteria; and, identifies the need to document failures that occur. Presented at a recent TRB meeting, the paper may be downloaded at http://www.concrete-pipe.org/research.htm.

MOVEMENT IN TECHNOLOGY

Pipe production and materials are continuing to advance, and these issues are driving some of ACPA's activity, Metzger explains. “Modern concrete pipe plants operate in ways that were unimaginable 30 years ago,” he says. “America's concrete pipe industry has re-tooled to take advantage of advancements in concrete material research and precast equipment technology. By doing so, great improvements have taken place in workplace health and safety, quality, production efficiency, and installation practices. Advances in automation, forms, vibration techniques, reinforcing, curing and product testing have pulled the industry at lightning speed into a new era of concrete pipe production.”

AMERICAN CONCRETE PIPE ASSOCIATION

At-A-Glance

Founded in 1907, the American Concrete Pipe Association comprises concrete pipe and box culvert producers, as well as equipment manufacturers and providers of products and services related to the concrete pipe industry. Member companies are located throughout the United States and Canada, as well as in 30-plus foreign countries.

ACPA provides members with research, technical and marketing support to promote and advance the use of concrete pipe for drainage and pollution control applications. In addition to industry expertise, the association provides assistance with government and legislative relations.

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; or by visiting ACPA's web site: www.concrete-pipe.org.

CHAIRPERSONS

2005

RON METZGER

Chief Operating Officer
Rinker Materials/Hydro Conduit Div.
Houston, Texas

IMMEDIATE PAST

DOUG MOHRMAN

Doug Mohrman
Concrete Industries, Inc.
Lincoln, Nebraska

INCOMING

LYNN SCHULER

Chief Financial Officer
Cretex Companies, Inc.
Elk River, Minnesota

RINKER MATERIALS, HYDRO CONDUIT DIVISION

AT-A-GLANCE

Hydro Conduit Corp., a division of Rinker Materials, is a national supplier of reinforced concrete pipe, box, and other precast products. Through 50 locations across the U.S., Hydro Conduit provides a full range of concrete products and services for new pipeline construction and stormwater treatment. Responding to the growing demand for pipeline products to accommodate expanding infrastructure, the company has recently built several state-of-the-art facilities.

Hydro Conduit also manufactures a structural “Best Management Practice” (BMP) product to treat nonpoint source pollution in stormwater runoff. By removing total suspended solids, oil and other hydrocarbons from stormwater runoff, the components contribute to environmental stewardship. Primary users are general and utility contractors who provide services for federal, state and local government agencies, as well as private developers.

To ensure all products are manufactured to meet industry standards and customer expectations, Hydro Conduit maintains a full-time engineering staff to provide technical support and design assistance to all plants and customers. In addition to a full time corporate engineering staff, regional engineers are available nationwide to offer regional and local technical marketing support. More information is available at www.hydroconduit.com.