To more effectively communicate concrete’s significant advantages over other building materials in today’s environmentally conscious marketplace, National
To more effectively communicate concrete’s significant advantages over other building materials in today’s environmentally conscious marketplace, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) has produced a 20-page flip book, Environmental Benefits of Ready Mixed Concrete. The promotional tool highlights the many sustainable aspects of ready mixed and provides a brief overview of LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] credits associated with its use.
An attractive, clear and compelling presentation designed for specifier viewing is backed by key additional data that the specifier does not see. Using the flip book helps every promoter stay organized, reinforce key points, and cover additional information to support the specifier, NRMCA affirms. For electronic presentations, the Pitch Book is offered with a Windows PowerPoint version on CD, which allows editing and printing of page updates to the flip-chart book. It can be purchased online at http://my.nrmca.org/scriptcontent/BeWeb/Orders/.
Another recent addition to the NRMCA arsenal of tools to promote ready mixed’s green properties is the Recycled Content and Regional Material Calculator for the Concrete Industry (LEED calculator), an Excel-based program that quantifies concrete’s contribution to LEED 2.2 and LEED 2009 Recycled Content and Regional Material credits. The calculator allows input on project details, concrete producer, and other applicable information. The program provides results in a single-page letter that can be submitted to the LEED Accredited Professional, project manager, or building owner.
The green building movement has really taken hold across the U.S., and the LEED calculator is one key tool that can help detail concrete’s attributes to the desired targeted audience, such as a building owner or architect, affirms NRMCA Senior Director of Sustainable Construction Erin Ashley. Further emphasizing the environmental and sustainable qualities of ready mixed concrete is NRMCA’s first live, online course: Concrete’s Role in Sustainable Development, beginning Monday, April 6, will focus on LEED 2009 to help participants understand and prepare for the new system.
Additionally, more than a year of laboratory research work by NRMCA engineers has produced a mixture-proportioning software program for pervious concrete. By contrast to conventional mixes, pervious concrete is proportioned to obtain a design void content that will allow percolation of water through the pavement structure, thereby minimizing runoff and recharging groundwater. Accordingly, the software program helps establish pervious concrete mixture proportions to achieve the targeted design void content, as well as an optimum paste consistency that is neither too dry nor too wet. A special feature of the software program is that mixes can be designed for a void content close to that measured by the newly standardized ASTM C1688 Standard Test Method for Density and Void Content of Pervious Concrete.
The CD includes two documents along with the software. The first document provides guidelines detailing pervious concrete mix-proportioning methodology. The second document comprises a research study that offers experimental validation of the mix-proportioning methodology based on testing conducted at the NRMCA Research Laboratory.