What’s New at ISCP Organizational Member Profile: PCA Industry Notes Research News Upcoming Events

ISCP Board to Meet at TRB The Annual combined ISCP Membership/Board of Directors Meeting will be held in conjunction with the 86th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board on Saturday, January 20, 2007 at 5:30 p.m. EST (2230 GMT) in the Carolina Room of the Marriott Wardman Park hotel in Washington, DC, USA. Seating will be available for all Board members and at least 60 general members, so come early to ensure getting a good seat! The room will be open at 5:00 p.m. The meeting agenda includes presentation of the proposed Society budget for 2007, an update on plans for the 9th International Conference on Concrete Pavements, and the induction of new honorary members Dr. Hermann Sommer and Dr. Shiraz Tayabji. A complete agenda will be available approximately one week before the meeting at: http://www.concretepavements.org/Meetings/agenda.htm The meeting is scheduled for adjournment at 7:00 p.m. Plans are being made for a one-hour “roundtable discussion” on the problem of (and solutions to) construction curling immediately following the Membership/Board meeting (in the same room). An announcement will be e-mailed to members and posted on the ISCP website when plans for this event have been finalized. Location and Dates Determined for 9th International Conference The Ninth International Conference on Concrete Pavements will be held in San Francisco, California on August 9-14, 2008. Members of the conference steering committee recently visited the six most promising hotel venues in the San Francisco/Napa Valley/Monterey area and selected the San Francisco Marriott as the official conference location. The theme of this conference will be “The Golden Gate to Tomorrow's Concrete Pavements”. The first call for papers is currently in preparation and will mailed to current ISCP members and past conference attendees in the next few weeks. It will also be distributed at the upcoming TRB meeting in Washington, D.C. Please check the ISCP website, for more details on the conference as they become available. ISCP Names IJPE Board Members Four ISCP members were recently added to the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Pavement Engineering (IJPE): Neeraj Buch (Member, Michigan State University, USA), Michael Darter (Honorary Member, ARA, USA), Johan Silfwerbrand (Member, Swedish Cement and Concrete Research Institute, SWEDEN), and Shiraz Tayabji (Honorary Member, CTL Group, USA). The addition of these ISCP members to the IJPE Board completes the process approved by the ISCP Board of Directors at the July 11 meeting where the IJPE was designated as the journal of the ISCP. The IJPE is published by the Taylor and Francis Group (UK) and is dedicated to the publication of cutting edge research and development in pavement-related structures and facilities, including advanced analytical and computational techniques, pavement mechanics, laboratory techniques, non-destructive testing, innovative design approaches and their implementation, construction, performance, maintenance and rehabilitation techniques. It is the aim of the IJPE editors and publishers to provide a journal that is a definitive resource for the international pavement engineering community. The new board members from ISCP will join an editorial board that currently consists of 25 internationally recognized experts in various fields related to pavement engineering. These 25 “at-large” members include five who also happen to be ISCP members: John Harvey (Member, University of California – Davis, USA), Lambert Houben (Member, Delft University of Technology, The NETHERLANDS), Lev Khazanovich (Member, University of Minnesota, USA), Andre Molenaar (Member, Delft University of Technology, The NETHERLANDS), and Erol Tutumluer (Member, University of Illinois, USA). ISCP is proud to be so well-represented on the editorial board of this prestigious publication! Members are encouraged to submit their original, publishable manuscripts to the IJPE on the IJPE website at: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/10298436.asp IJPE Special Edition: Concrete Pavements The International Journal of Pavement Engineering, the designated journal of the ISCP, has recently published a special edition issue (Volume 7, Number 4) focused solely on concrete pavement research. Guest edited by ISCP members, Dr. Jeff Roesler and Dr. Lev Khazanovich, the purpose of the special issue is to summarize past accomplishments in rigid pavement research, address current needs in concrete materials, structural responses and behavior, and finally to look at new concepts which can be viewed as potential next generation tools for future design methodologies. This special edition of IJPE on concrete pavements can be ordered directly from the publisher, Taylor and Francis, at: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/spissue/gpav-si.asp Since its founding in 1916, the Portland Cement Association (PCA) has had the same mission: "Improve and expand the uses of portland cement and concrete." Where cement and concrete are concerned, so is the Portland Cement Association: in manufacturing, in raising the quality of construction, in improving our product and its uses, and in contributing to a better environment. In practice, this means well-rounded programs of market development, education, research, technical services, and government affairs. Market Promotion Efforts to develop and grow new markets are focused in three major areas: residential, public works, and engineered structures. PCA’s residential programs staff work with both builders and consumers to advance new products for the home building industry—both in building systems and in peripheral products like driveways, retaining walls, and decorative concrete. PCA’s public works staff spreads the word about concrete solutions for public works through seminars and hands-on workshops, field visits, design manuals, and other technical resources. PCA’s engineered structures staff works with public officials, educators, contractors, and architects using educational seminars, technical papers, trade shows, media presence, and much more to communicate advances in design and construction. Education, Research and Technical Services The importance of PCA’s research and technical services can’t be overstated. In addition to traditional research and development activities, the Association offers economic and market research, education and training, and a variety of other services to assist its members in meeting their goals. PCA offers classes on everything from the basics of concrete mix design to the latest advances in testing and technology, and PCA’s Education Foundation offers scholarships and fellowships for university students. With one of the largest collections of construction industry resources in the nation, PCA’s Library Services staff is an often relied-upon resource for individuals from every aspect of the industry. Government Affairs The efforts of PCA’s Washington office are focused on building an industry-wide, coordinated public affairs program for the U.S. cement industry. PCA staff and members work side-by-side with legislators and regulators, building positive relationships and advocating for our industry. For more information on the Portland Cement Association, please visit their website at www.cement.org. Sunderland Elected Chairman of Portland Cement Association The Portland Cement Association (PCA) Board of Directors elected Charlie Sunderland as chairman during the association’s board meeting in Sea Island, Ga. Sunderland will serve a two-year term as PCA chairman, succeeding James Repman of California Portland Cement Company. Sunderland is the current chairman of the board and CEO of Ash Grove Cement Company, Overland Park, Kansas, USA, and assumes the role of PCA’s chairman with a lifetime of experience in the cement industry. He previously served as Ash Grove’s vice president of administration, vice president of corporate development and as secretary and risk manager. In addition to serving as PCA’s vice chairman for the past two years, Sunderland chaired its Public Works Committee and served on the Market Promotion Council, the Paving Committee, the Regional Promotion Committee, and the Residential Committee. Enrique Escalante of GCC of America was elected vice-chair. The director of GCC’s U.S. division, Escalante was elected to PCA’s Board in 2001 and serves as chairman of Research and Technical Council as well as the Product Standards and Technology Committee. Source: http://www.cement.org/newsroom/ World Cement Consumption Growth Expected to Continue: PCA Issues First International Forecast of Cement Consumption Led by an expected 8.5% growth in China, world-wide portland cement consumption will increase 5.6% this year followed by a rise of 5.5% in 2007—an average of nearly 130 million metric tons annually—according to a new forecast by the Portland Cement Association (PCA). The report cites growth conditions in the developing world, particularly China, as playing a critical role in consumption trends. Roughly 20% of cement consumption growth will occur outside of China and the industrialized world, mostly in other Asian countries, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and South America. “While the major developed economies like the U.S. and Western Europe have generally performed well,” PCA Chief Economist Ed Sullivan said, “world economic growth has been characterized by buoyant growth outside these industrial countries.” Sullivan predicts the world economy will increase 3.2% in 2006, with a 2.9% increase expected in 2007. Growth in cement consumption is expected to be on a par with estimates for planned capacity expansions and paralleling usage. Source: http://www.cement.org/newsroom/ Call for Papers – Pavements Symposium at EMD07 The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is organizing the 18th Engineering Mechanics Division Conference (EMD07) on June 3-6, 2007. As part of this conference, a special Symposium on Pavement Mechanics and Materials is also being organized. The objective of this symposium is to collect and disseminate state-of-the-art as well as new, emerging techniques and developments on pavement mechanics, including characterization, modeling and simulation of pavements and pavement materials. The EMD07 conference will be held at the newly built Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center located on the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University campus in scenic Blacksburg, Virginia. It is requested that abstracts for this symposium be submitted as soon as possible, but not later than December 15, 2006. Selected papers will be published in an ASCE Geotechnical Special Publication after the conference if approved by ASCE. All papers will be peer reviewed. To find more information on the EMD07 conference or to submit an abstract online, please visit the official conference website at: http://www.cpe.vt.edu/emd2007/index.html For more information on the Symposium on Pavement Mechanics and Materials, please contact Dr. Zhanping You at zyou@mtu.edu or view the brochure at: http://www.cee.mtu.edu/~zyou/EM2007-Pavement.pdf Michael Darter Named Director of Pavement Research Institute The Pavement Research Institute (PRI) at the University of Minnesota (UMn) has named ISCP honorary member Michael I. Darter, Ph.D., P.E., as its new director. Dr. Darter also serves as an Emeritus Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois and as principal engineer with Applied Research Associates (ARA), Inc. Darter has been involved in pavement engineering throughout his entire 40-year career and is an internationally recognized authority in highway and airport infrastructure. “Through his extensive work in research, teaching, and consulting, Professor Darter has contributed significant new knowledge and many widely used engineering tools,” says Robert Johns, UMn’s Center for Transportation Studies director. Darter will have a 25 percent appointment while continuing his work with ARA, says John Gulliver, UMn’s Civil Engineering Department head. Darter succeeds Erland Lukanen, who accepted a position in Mn/DOT’s Office of Materials. Source: http://www.pri.umn.edu/news/2006/newdirector.html Update on the IBRACON Workshop on Best Practices The Brazilian Concrete Institute (IBRACON) and ISCP are co-sponsoring an International Workshop on Best Practices for Concrete Pavements on October 21-23, 2007, in Recife, Brazil. The organizers have received 36 abstracts from authors across the world. In addition to presentations by authors, this workshop will be highlighted by six presentations (around 90 minutes each) from international experts concerning the best practices around the world for the design, specifications, structural analysis, construction issues, maintenance and performance of concrete pavements. Final papers for this workshop are due by February 15, 2007. To find more information on the Workshop online, please visit the official website at: http://ibracon1.locaweb.com.br/eventos/pavement.workshop/informacoes.asp Int’l Conference on Long-Life Concrete Pavements was a Success! The International Conference on Long-Life Concrete Pavements, co-sponsored by the International Society for Concrete Pavements, took place during the last week of October in Chicago, Illinois, USA. A total of 174 attendees from Australia, Belgium, China, Canada, Columbia, India, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the US were represented, creating a forum that offered a broad range of experiences and perspectives. The conference was organized as an activity under FHWA's Concrete Pavement Technology Program (CPTP). Other conference co-sponsors included the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, American Concrete Pavement Association, Cement Association of Canada, Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, Illinois Chapter-ACPA, Illinois Department of Transportation, Portland Cement Association, and the Transportation Research Board. The conference program consisted of program consisted of 35 presentations of peer-reviewed papers on best practices related to long-life concrete pavements, based on international and US regional experiences and practices. There were nine technical sessions and two forums. The first open forum was on the Strategic Directions for Implementing Long-Life Concrete Pavement Technologies. The second forum, of interest to analysts and pavement design engineers, was on Theoretical Considerations for Long-Life Concrete Pavements. The findings from the recently completed AASHTO/FHWA-sponsored scan on Canadian and European PCCP practices were the focus of the Plenary Session. Based on the discussions at the conference, long-life pavements can be generally defined as pavements that are designed to perform for 40 years or more and incorporate the following characteristics: · Original surface service life of 40+ years · Pavement will not exhibit premature failures and material-related distress · Pavement will have reduced potential for structural distress · Pavement will maintain desirable ride and surface texture characteristics with minimal intervention activities. A general consensus at the conference, based on papers and case studies presented, was that well-designed and well-constructed concrete pavements can provide this desired long-life service. For more information on this conference or to order the conference proceedings (USD$75 for bound paper and CD), contact Shiraz Tayabji at: stayabji@ctlgroup.com The next CPTP conference on “Optimizing Paving Concrete Mixtures and Accelerated Concrete Pavement Construction and Rehabilitation” is scheduled for early November 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. For more information, please contact: Shiraz Tayabji (stayabji@CTLGroup.com) or Sam Tyson (Sam.Tyson@dot.gov). CTRE Report on Unbonded Concrete Overlays Released The Center for Transportation Research and Education (CTRE) at Iowa State University has recently released a technical report on field testing and analysis of unbonded concrete overlays of composite pavements. The goal of this research project was to measure the stability and durability of unbonded, thin PCC overlays over time. In conducting this research, the following factors were considered: • Bonding between the PCC and ACC layers • Joint spacing • PCC thickness • Use of concrete fibers in the concrete • Surface preparation • Joint/crack preparation in the existing pavement The final report can be downloaded from the CTRE website at: