Concrete Contractor AMERICANVOICE SOCIETY of CONCRETE CONTRACTORS 2025 S

The of the Concrete Contractor AMERICANVOICE SOCIETY OF CONCRETE CONTRACTORS 2025 S. Brentwood Blvd., Ste. 105, St. Louis, MO 63144 Website: www.ascconline.org MAY 2010 Tel: 314-962-0210 Fax: 314-968-4367 E-mail: [email protected] ARTICLE HEADLINES

Industry Calendar Member Story: Seretta Delivers Flat Floor July 29 – August 1, 2010 President’s Message CEO Forum, Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, Ojai, CA Director’s Message: Respect the Email Forum September 16 – 19, 2010 Safety & Risk Management Council: Regional Emphasis Program on Heat Illness Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, UT Q&A: Effect of Rusted Rebar on Bond Strength October 24 – 28, 2010 ACI Fall Convention, Pittsburgh, PA Decorative Concrete Council: Tellin’ Ain’t Sellin’ January 17 – 21, 2011 360R-10: Guide to Design of Slabs-on-Ground WOC 2010, Las Vegas, NV SERETTA DELIVERS FLAT FLOOR NEW MEMBERS Seretta Construction, Welcome to our newest members. Inc., Apopka, Fla., Buckeye Ready Mix, Reynoldsburg, OH was the concrete con- Caterpillar Inc., Cary, NC tractor for the foun- dations, 65,000 SF Michel Concrete Construction, Inc., Springfield, IL of heavy duty slabs, Preitech, Evans, GA 29,000 SF of light duty slabs, insulat- ed tilt-wall panels, 150,000 SF of heavy duty paving with armored joints, an equipment wash facility, fuel tank slabs, walks, loading docks, stairs and the mezzanine for the Ring Power Lakeland Cat Rental Store, Lakeland, Fla. Their contract was approximately $3.8 million. Shop floors were poured in 4,000 SF pours with no saw cuts. Shrinkage compensation, a shake-on hardener, a vibratory screed and heavy reinforcement were used to prevent unwanted visual cracking and to attain the extremely flat floors required. There is no visible Above: The parts warehouse has a light duty slab with a light-reflective shake-on surface hardener. cracking. The floors were never measured. Below right: The equipment wash facility

1 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Paul Albanelli Summer is fast approaching and if you’re lucky it’s already arrived where you are. In the CIM program, the number one thing on the minds of students is, “Where am I going to get that summer internship to fulfill my graduation requirements?” This is where we come in. We need to provide these summer jobs because if we don’t, who will? Don’t think that you can’t afford it, because we can’t afford not to. With the slowdown, you can get creative in the compensation offered and somehow it will work out. I asked the last two interns that worked for us how their internships affected them. Both Mike, a construction management student from Michigan Tech who now works for us fulltime, and Devin, a CIM student from MTSU, who has just accepted a job with another ASCC member, said that the experience helped them understand their last year of class work in ways that students who had not shared those real world situations could not. Mike said that the real problem-solving situations “got me to make decisions based on the best outcome, and not on what the book says is the best answer”. Devin added that the opportunity to travel to ASCC and ACI events, and to the World of Concrete, helped make him a more rounded person and gave him the opportunity to see parts of the country he wouldn’t have visited. He said “there are many students who wish there had been more options for them in past summers so they could have gained the experience and knowledge I have gained.” Don’t you feel for the sake of the future of our industry that we need to provide these opportunities? You don’t have to be a huge contractor to make a difference in the life of a student; small contractors can offer the close relationship and expo- sure to all facets of the business that may not be available in a large organization. Not only can you help a student, but they can be a great help to you, especially if you’re in need of technology upgrades or need an Excel program written to help you get organized. You’ll also be a great resource as they complete their studies. If you’ve never hired an intern I would strongly encourage you to give it a try. You might be surprised at how enriching an experience it can be for both you and the student.

DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE Bev Garnant Respect the Email Forum ASCC’s Contractor Email Forum has become a fantastic member benefit. At no cost to members or to the organization, aside from a little staff time, contractors and associates share a wealth of information on a broad spectrum of technical and business topics. Help from your colleagues is just an email away. ASCC members’ willingness to share and help each other could hardly be more evident than in this forum. Even members who rarely participate tell us they learn so much from reading the emails. And several contractors have acknowledged that the membership fee is easily justified by this benefit alone. We have come to realize that occasionally, less than accurate information can be disseminated. It’s up to each contractor to digest the information and decide whether or not to use it. ASCC technical director Ward Malisch reads the emails, and has joined a discussion when he’s felt an answer is too off base. Remember that the technical hotline, for an expert opinion, is always another option. As beneficial as the Forum is, the format leaves it vulnerable to misuse. The ASCC board has agreed that all contractor and associate members who elect to participate should be allowed to do so. But participants need to respect the intent of the Forum and their fellow members.

1) Associate members should not use the Forum to promote a product or service. We know our associates have a wealth of experience and information to share, but it should be kept generic. This is not meant to be free advertising. 2) The Forum is for ASCC members only and should not be forwarded except to another individual in your company, if you know that person can be helpful. Emails should never be forwarded outside your company. 3) Use common sense. If you have proprietary information about a project mentioned in an email, you probably should not reply. If your answer is more appropriate for only the person who submitted the question, call that person rather than replying to the group.

There have been very few misuses of the Forum and we want to keep it that way. Let’s all use and respect this outstanding ASCC information exchange. SAFETY & RISK MANAGEMENT COUNCIL Steve Pereira, Safety & Risk Management Council Regional Emphasis Program for Heat Illness According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) heat is the number one weather-related killer. On average, more than 1,500 people in the U.S. die each year from excessive heat. This number is greater than the 30-year mean annual number of deaths due to tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and lightning combined.

2 In response to heat-related health hazards, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has implemented a Regional Emphasis Program for Heat Illnesses (CPL 02-00-027) to more effectively alert worksites in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas as well as worksites in New Mexico under Federal OSHA jurisdiction. Note: It is possible that some state plans have similar programs. The purpose of the program is to conduct heat illness inspections on outdoor work activities during days identified by the National Weather Service with a “Heat Advisory”. This notice is effective immediately and expires on September 30, 2010. All feasible measures should be taken to address unsafe working conditions created by hot environmental temperatures. In doing so, employers should take the following heat illness precautions: 1. Train employees on the hazards of hot environmental temperatures. The OSHA Quick Card on Heat Stress is an excellent document to review with workers. A copy is to the right and can be obtained at http://www.osha.gov/pls/publications/publication. athruz?pType=Types&pID=6. (OSHA Publication No. 3154) 2. Make appropriate first aid available. 3. Have drinking water available. 4. Make provisions for prompt medical attention in case of a heat- related illness.

When making an inspection under the OSHA Regional Emphasis Program, items that will be considered relative to heat stress (as noted on Appendix D-1 of CPL 02-00-027) include: 1. Temperature at time of inspection 2. Relative humidity 3. Wind speed 4. Cloud cover conditions 5. Ages of workers 6. Is shade available? Guideline: For working on heat advisory days, shade must be available throughout the shift to help prevent the development of heat-related illness. The shaded area must be either open to the air or have ventilation. Other cooling measures (e.g., use of misting machines, etc.) may be provided in lieu of shade if these measures are at least as effective in cooling employees. 7. Is cool drinking water provided? 8. How much liquid do employees drink? For employees working outdoors and performing manual labor, drinking at least one (1) quart per hour is recommended. 9. Have workers been trained on heat stress symptoms? 10. Do any workers on site have current first aid training? 11. Are there any heat-related illnesses noted on the OSHA 300 logs during the last three (3) years? 12. Is there a first aid kit? 13. Does the first aid kit have a thermometer? 14. How far away is a medical clinic or hospital? 15. Are there emergency plans in place in case of a first aid emergency? 16. Are emergency plans in writing or are they verbally communicated? 17. Are 911 services available in the area where employees are working?

Regardless of whether or not your worksite falls under the jurisdiction of this Regional Emphasis Program, heat-related disorders can be fatal, but they are preventable. Make sure you protect yourself and your employees from the dangers of heat-related disorders.

3 EFFECT OF RUSTED REBAR ON BOND STRENGTH Ward Malisch, Technical Director QUESTION We’re building a large reinforced concrete structure. Some of the ASTM A615 reinforcing bars have been stored on dunnage for more than a year and have a slight coating of rust—no flaking rust. The inspector says we have to remove all of the rust before installing the bars because the rust will decrease bond to the concrete. We’ve never faced this requirement, and removing the rust will significantly increase our costs. Does rust reduce bond strength? And if it doesn’t, how can we convince the inspector that the rust doesn’t have to be removed? ANSWER Section 7.4.2 of ACI 318-08, “Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete,” answers this question. “7.4.2 — Except for prestressing steel, steel reinforcement with rust, mill scale, or a combination of both shall be considered satisfactory, provided the minimum dimensions (including height of deformations) and weight of a hand- wire-brushed test specimen comply with applicable ASTM specifications referenced in 3.5.” ASTM A615, “Standard Specification for Deformed and Plain Carbon-Steel Bars for Concrete Reinforcement,” contains information on measuring minimum dimensions and weight of hand-wire brushed test specimens, but the most significant information on this topic is contained in the Commentary, Section R7.4, of ACI 318-08. Note the sentences I’ve underlined: “R7.4 — Surface conditions of reinforcement Specific limits on rust are based on tests,7.4 plus a review of earlier tests and recommendations. Reference 7.4 provides guidance with regard to the effects of rust and mill scale on bond characteristics of deformed reinforcing bars. Research has shown that a normal amount of rust increases bond. Normal rough handling generally removes rust that is loose enough to injure the bond between the concrete and reinforcement.” If you need more backup for this information, the Reference 7.4 is listed below. References Kemp, E. L.; Brezny, F. S.; and Unterspan, J. A., “Effect of Rust and Scale on the Bond Characteristics of Deformed Reinforcing Bars,” ACI JOURNAL, Proceedings V. 65, No. 9, Sept. 1968, pp. 743-756. Note: You can purchase the Kemp article at www.concrete.org and ASTM A615 at www.astm.org.

DECORATIVE CONCRETE COUNCIL Frank Lewis,Council Director Tellin’ Ain’t Sellin’ Selling decorative concrete requires skills that not all contractors possess. Most think price is the only issue on the customer’s mind and end up bidding against the next guy’s low ball number. Decorative concrete is a different breed of cat compared to putting together a bid for curb and gutter or structural concrete. One guy is bidding- the other is selling! The decorative concrete customer has a set of needs that the salesperson must uncover. Find out as much as you can about those needs by asking questions. The customer also needs to know your company. If you don’t establish credibility up front, the customer is going to have a hard time listening to what you have to say. Trust is built by sharing information such as how long you’ve been in business, how you got started, and the fact that you are licensed, bonded and insured. Describe your particular process for the job, which should match up with the customer’s expectations. If it doesn’t, you haven’t done your job to find out what’s important to your customer. Match their needs and wants with what you have to offer. Many sales people neglect the service side of their company. Spend more energy discussing your time in business, training, insurance, license and awards. These are things the customer may not have considered, and the guy in a pickup truck doesn’t have. That puts you ahead in the game. As a part of the questioning process ask if they’ve had a recent construction project, or maybe they recently purchased a new home or a piece of equipment. Ask what they did or did not like about the experience. This tells you what to do or not to do. Many times I hear “The contractor was late, left a major mess, did not return phone calls”. This tells me what is particularly important to that customer. You may get objections– price, color, design. It doesn’t mean they don’t like what you have presented. It does mean you need to reclarify what they want. Ask more questions and listen.

4 Be prepared with a presentation binder that includes quality photos of your work, as well as testimonials from custom- ers, copies of your insurance, bonding, license and awards. Attend sales training classes, read sales training books, or watch training videos. One of the best books I’ve found is Tony Alessandra’s “Non-Manipulative Sales”. Practice these skills on every call, and watch other sales people and you’ll realize how few people actually understand the sale process. As you practice these skills and your confidence grows, you’ll see more sales and mo’ money. As an added benefit you will attract a better class of customer who is well informed and easier to work with. ASCC’s Guide to Selecting a Concrete Contractor provides a checklist of items your prospective customer can use to compare your company to the competition on important considerations other than price. Contact the ASCC office for a copy.

360R -10: GUIDE TO DESIGN OF SLABS-ON-GROUND

This guide presents information on the design of slabs-on-ground, primarily industrial floors. It addresses the planning, design, and detail- ing of slabs. Background information on design theories is followed by discussion of the types of slabs, soil-support systems, loadings, and jointing. Design methods are given for unreinforced concrete, reinforced concrete, shrinkage-compensating concrete, post-tensioned concrete, fiber-reinforced concrete slabs-on-ground, and slabs-on-ground in refrigerated buildings, followed by information on shrinkage and curling. Advantages and disadvantages of these slab design methods are provided, including the ability of some slab designs to minimize cracking and curling more than others. Available in hard copy or PDF format. To learn more or to order this document, go to 360R-10: Guide to Design of Slabs-on-Ground. $87.50 (ACI members $53.00); Order Code 36010.EM. How to order: Phone: 248-848-3800 248-848-3800 , and mention order code 36010.EM Click: 360R-10: Guide to Design of Slabs-on-Ground

CONCRETE HOTLINE SAFETY HOTLINE 800-331-0668 866-788-2722 ASCC members have access to these toll-free numbers for assistance.