

November 2010

Update From the Fall NSC Meeting Held at Texas State

The Concrete Industry Management (CIM) National Steering Committee (NSC) Meeting, Board of Directors Meeting and various Committee Meetings was held October 14 - 15 at Texas State University (TSU) - San Marcos. During the Fall NSC meeting, the NSC focused on critical topics related to the advancement of the CIM programs including curriculum, the 2011 CIM Auction, and the CIM Executive MBA program. We had a very successful and productive meeting and the NSC members thank the faculty and staff at TSU for their hospitality!

Our meetings were followed by a bus tour of the facilities at TSU. We had the opportunity to see the new concrete lab, a full-service facility complete with both wet and dry testing of concrete and materials. The facility includes a high strength compression testing machine and moisture controlled curing room as well as numerous other concrete testing machines. This facility would rival many labs in the concrete industry and certainly would rank high among concrete testing labs located on college campuses.

Meeting highlights included:

University Reporting

Highlights of the meeting included reports from all five CIM universities. The reports included 2010-2011 academic year program enrollment, the number of declared majors and projected number of graduates. Of particular interest in the reports was the number and unique aspects of the projects that the students are engaged in at each program. CIM students are definitely being exposed to the wonderful world of concrete and its thousands of varied constructive uses. Chairman Schneider commented on a special committee that met at the end of the 2009-2010 fiscal year to discuss what has been termed The Path Forward for NSC.

NSC Funds and Annual Report Distributed NSC Meeting October 2010

Chairman Mike Schneider of Baker Concrete distributed checks amounting to $217,500 to the various universities at this meeting. The 2009-2010 annual report was distributed for those in attendance. This is another significant marketing piece that is included in this year's marketing committee budget. This marks the second year of publishing an annual report and it is a good way of capturing the many activities of both the program and the NSC.

NSC Budget Review

The daylong meeting developed a number of longer term initiatives that will be a part of this year's program of work and eventually be presented to the board. The board was informed that the 2009-2010 audit had been successfully completed with no qualifications. The proposed 2010-2011 budget was presented and discussed. Highlights included the marketing committee budget which is focused on continuing to expand the industry's awareness of CIM. Significant marketing and promotion dollars are earmarked for the annual auction at the World of Concrete. The auction is the significant fund raiser to support the NSC activities as it provides direct cash contributions to participating programs.

Masters Program/CIM Auction Update

The education committee reported on its numerous initiatives including the activities of the ad hoc Masters program committee. The results of a survey that was sent to the industry regarding the proposed Masters program were presented. The survey indicated significant industry support for development of such a program. Chairman Schneider reminded all in attendance of the importance of the World of Concrete CIM auction January 20, 2011. Auction committee chairman Peter Brewin of GCC indicated that the committee has been actively working at soliciting donations for the auction and they are off to a good start.

Next Meeting at World of Concrete in Las Vegas

The next Concrete Industry Management (CIM) National Steering Committee (NSC) Meeting, Board of Directors Meeting and various Committee Meetings will be held on January 19-20 at World of Concrete in Las Vegas. For information on the meeting, please contact Nicole Maher, nmaher@nrmca.org.

CIM Seeks Donations for 6th Annual Auction at WOC

CIM is seeking donations for their sixth annual auction to be held at the World of Concrete on Thursday, January 20, 2011. The proceeds from the 2011 Auction will benefit the CIM National Steering Committee (NSC) and support the current CIM programs as well as help fund future program expansion.

According to Peter Brewin, Chairman of the CIM Auction Committee, "The proceeds from the 2011 Auction will benefit the CIM National Steering Committee (NSC) and support the current CIM programs as well as help fund future program expansion."

Current items include:

McNeilus- Concrete Mixer
BASF- $30,000 Admix, Color and Fiber Package
Capitol Aggregates- 4 Loads of Cement
Cemex- 10 Loads of Cement
Command Alkon - Batch Control System
Drake Cement- 4 Loads of Cement
Erie Strayer- Laptop Computer
GCC- 4 Loads of Cement
Giant Cement- 4 Loads of Cement
Holcim- 10 Loads of Cement
LaFarge- 10 Loads of Cement
Lehigh/Hanson- 10 Loads of Cement
NPCA- NPCA Show Registration and 2 nights at the Sheraton
Propex- Golf Package at TPC Sawgrass for 4 people
Titan- 4 Loads of Cement
Votorantim- 4 Loads of Cement

Additional auction items include: concrete saws, drills, mixers, vibrators, scaffolding, safety equipment, screeds, fiber transport systems, dust collectors, NDT equipment, decorative concrete tools, water meters, pumps, generators, training sessions, reference books, advertisements, laptop computers, sports memorabilia, sports travel packages, golf school packages and vacation travel packages.

Those interested in making a donation should contact CIM Auction Committee Chairman Peter Brewin at peter.brewin@gmail.com or 214-693-6669.

Download Donation Form

ASCC Awards Three CIM Students Scholarships

American Society of Concrete Contractors Education, Research and Development Foundation has awarded three scholarships to MTSU students Aaron Fischer, Clay Ingram and Zachary Melton. The students will receive $5000 each and had their attendance paid to the 2010 ASCC Annual Conference.

To qualify for the scholarship, a student must be enrolled in the CIM program, have a concentration in concrete contracting, and maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA. The ASCC Foundation was created in 1989 to fund education and research that advances the quality and productivity of concrete construction.

NRMCA's Concrete Works Hosts CIM Students

CIM at NRMCA A total of ten Concrete Industry Management (CIM) students (eight from MTSU and two from NJIT) attended NRMCA's ConcreteWorks Conference and Expo, held October 10 - 12 in Charlotte, NC. The students had a full slate of activities, including staffing a CIM booth in the Expo Hall to raise awareness of the program, acting as room monitors for the seminar programs, interviewing for internships and full-time job placement, and acting as judges for the Challenge Course at NRMCA's National Mixer Driver Championship. NRMCA Mixer Championships

Attendance at industry association events such as NRMCA's ConcreteWorks provides students with educational opportunities as well as the chance to network with industry personnel who can provide advice and insight into their futures in the concrete industry. For more information about this conference, click here.

CIM Students Attend ACI and ICRI Conventions in Pittsburgh

CIM students and faculty attended the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) conferences during October in Pittsburgh, PA.

During the ACI Conference, the students competed along with 25 other teams f ACI CIM Mike rom all over the United States in the Student Egg Protection Device Competition and finished in sixth place overall! The students also attended the ACI Concrete Sustainability Forum and enjoyed listening to presentations about the latest concrete sustainability measurements in China, India, Korea, and Brazil. One of the presentations was the MIT joint research with NRCMA and PCA of Life Cycle Assessment of Pavements which provided the students with useful information regarding concrete sustainability.

ICRI Pittsburgh

During the ICRI conference, the students attending technical presentations about bridge concrete repair and how to overcome reinforcement corrosion problems. The students enjoyed networking, attending technical sessions, and attending the awards banquet. The CIM students presence was acknowledged by the ICRI President, Chuck Knight.

CIM University News

News from CIM Universities. To keep up to date on current CIM News, be sure to visit the CIM Blog.

Arizona State News

Student Headcount

After flirting briefly with 50 declared CIM students earlier this month the student headcount as of October 30 stands at 47.The average cumulative GPA of the CIM students increased this fall and now stands at 3.22. We currently have 23 students enrolled in CIM 105 for the fall semester (12 non-CIM students) and we are actively recruiting them to enroll as CIM students by January.

AZ-ACI News

The AZ ACI chapter has continued to strengthen its relationship with the CIM program. The AZ-ACI chapter held a bowling party on August 27 which our students participated in and our students also assisted in the chapter's annual Concrete Cup Golf Tournament on September 24 where they hosted a marshmallow driving contest that was a big hit! The chapter continues its practice of inviting CIM students to the monthly meetings and we had 30 students in attendance at the pervious concrete talk on September 15!

ACI Student Club Activities

Alex Bertheau, one of the officers of the student ACI Club was honored at the ACI ACU ACI 2 Convention in Pittsburgh as the third place winner in the 2010 ACI student paper competition. Congratulations Alex! We are pleased to announce that the club has been active in recruiting new students to the program and offer free tutoring during the fall semester. The tutoring includes upper-class students offers free help for students in all CIM courses with a particular focus on students in CIM 205. Upon completion of Grade Level 1 ACI certification, all CIM students are required to assist AZ-ACI as supplemental examiners at one monthly session.

Cal State Chico News

All 2010 Graduates Employed! Chico Logo

Exciting news from Chico! We are thrilled to announce that all of our 2010 graduates are employed in the industry. Some of the employers include: Structural Group, California Portland Cement, US Concrete, US Bureau of Reclamation, Teichert Materials, Blastrac, TB Penick & Sons, Vector Construction Group. Many of the employers are supporters of the Chico State CIM Patrons. Congratulations graduates and thank you employers!

Update from Patrons Meeting and Founders Dinner

We held our 10^th Chico State CIM Patrons Meeting and Founders Dinner on October 5 which was a tremendous success with the largest turnout in our history. The Patrons meetings have become a concrete industry event that everyone looks forward to twice a year. In the fall, students present their summer internship experiences to a Board CSUC Students committee. In the spring, seniors present their Capstone Senior Projects to a similar committee. The presentations are judged by the committee and the winner makes a presentation to the entire Board the following day.

This year, the Alcatraz summer concrete school's five participants presented to the Board and it was an outstanding success. In addition, graduating seniors are invited to join the Patrons Board for lunch before the Board meeting. This has proven to be a very popular idea with both senior industry executives and soon-to-be Concrete Industry Management (CIM) graduates.

At our Founders Dinner, Chico State President Paul Zingg, gave his remarks about the challenges of higher education in California. He stressed the point that our program is the tremendous success it is because of the close partnership that has developed between the Industry and this University. He called the program a "poster child" for what should exist between the real world and education and hopes our example will encourage other partnerships in the near future.

Now that we are completing the first five years of our program, we are beginning the process of making this pilot program permanent. We must now complete a rigorous academic review by the academic senate of Chico State. Upon its successful completion, we will be recommended to the California State University Chancellor's Office for approval as a permanent program. This is a year long process and we know we are ready to take this step, which we will begin next year. Additionally our Patrons Board has established a committee of senior industry executives to develop the work plan and budget for the next five years.

Our next Board Meeting and Founders Dinner is scheduled for April 7, 2011 on the campus of CSU - Chico. At this important meeting, we will recognize the Patrons who have reached "Founders" status by making donations over a five year period. These generous contributions of tax deductible donations, along with in-kind donations of time to serve on committees, as guest lecturers and/or providing equipment and materials, has made it possible for us to build and grow this program in such an outstanding manner.

MTSU News

MTSU Is On The Road!

Fall semester at MTSU has been full of activity and shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Faculty and student trips have included the ASCC Annual Conference in Salt Lake City, where Dr. Heather Brown, MTSU CIM Director, accompanied MTSU's three ASCC scholarship recipients, Jon Huddleston, CIM lab manager, took four students to the Command Alkon Customer Conference in New Orleans, while Alan Sparkman attended NRMCA's Concrete Works in Charlotte, NC along with eight students. Dr. Zhifu Yang and two CIM students attended the ICRI Annual Convention in Pittsburgh. Each of these opportunities provided the MTSU CIM students valuable seminars, roundtables, and contact with industry professionals - not to mention a truck rodeo at NRMCA!

MTSU Masonry

Concrete Masonry Class Introducted

As the MTSU CIM Program has just introduced its first Concrete Masonry class this fall semester, Dr. Marcus Knight, instructor for that class, and Jon Huddleston attended a NCMA Testing Procedures Course & Certified Concrete Masonry Testing Technician Certification Program at NCMA Headquarters in Herndon, VA in mid-October.

Recruitment Update

Recruitment has been busy this fall. Becky Linville and Dr. Brown have been invited to speak to several MTSU University Studies Freshman Seminar classes about the CIM program. Becky represented CIM at a local high school mini-college fair. We were also invited by the MTSU admissions office to accompany them on their annual recruitment trips. These trips include meeting with high school counselors in the afternoon and meeting with high school students and their families at a reception in the evening.

NJIT News

ACI Student Chapter News NJIT Logo

On Wednesday, October 27, the ACI Student Chapter of NJIT held an on-campus event promoting awareness of the concrete industry. The chapter teamed up with the S2C2 Club - Student Society of Construction Contractors - for this joint event. The event consisted of a BBQ dinner, a demonstration of compressive strength testing and pervious concrete. We are pleased to announce the event was a great success.

Class Project Gets Industry Support

On behalf of the NJIT CIM program and students, we wish to thank Mike Gentoso of U.S. Concrete, for assisting our senior CIMT 410 students with their class project - developing a business plan for a concrete plant. His lecture took place on Tuesday, October 19.

Northeast Patrons Meeting Announced

On Friday, November 19, the Northeast Patrons will meet at NJIT from 9:30 - 1:00 p.m. at Eberhardt Hall. Please join us to get an update on all the exciting happenings with the CIM program. In addition, two students will be presenting their senior projects and all the current students will join us for lunch. Also, find out how you can get involved! We are not looking for financial support, but rather your time and talent! We need guest lecturers, mentors, hosts for plant tours, help with student recruitment, internships and just general industry support to show students the strength of the degree they are in the process of earning.

Please RSVP to Mohamed Mahgoub, mahgoub@njit.edu by November 12^th.

Field Visits and Social Events

On Thursday, October 7, the Silvi Group hosted a successful social event with the CIM students. Special thanks to Larry Silvi and Bill Bryan for their great presentations and answering all student questions. The Silvi Group is one of the great supporter NJIT Students 1 s of CIM program and we thank them for all their efforts.

The CIM students took a field trip to Sika Corporation in Lyndhurst, NJ on September 22.

We wish to thank Ondrej Masek and the two CIM undergraduate and graduate students working with Sika - Sherif Girgis and Anlee Orama - for their great effort facilitating the visit and their presentation and the lab demonstration on pervious concrete.

On September 24, Nunzio Amoresano, project superintendent with Turner Construction gave CIM students a tour of the Naimoli Family Athletic and Recreational Facility construction site and answered questions about the project. Additionally, the students were able to attend the concrete placement for the super flat floor on the intersection of Lock and Bleeker Street. The state-of-the-art laser screening machine was used to make sure the surface flat.

In addition, NJIT CIM students participated in the NRMCA Concrete Works in Charlotte, NC; the ACI Convention in Pittsburgh, PA; and the ICRI Conference in Pittsburgh, PA.

Texas State News

CIM Students Enjoy New Facilities

A new studio-style classroom was commissioned to facilitate project-based learning and to accommodate the senior design project needs of our CIM and CM curricula. This room has the capacity to stage a 40 seat lecture and includes 17 high-end computer stations for implementing the planning, design and analysis activities. Additionally, an existing CAD laboratory has been re-engineered to accommodate the intensive computing requirements of our BIM software. Currently this laboratory includes 24 high end workstations.

Patrons Group Update

The Texas State Patrons met on October 15 in San Marcos, TX. Meeting agenda items included: identifying new Patrons, planning for Texas State delegation's trip to World of Concrete in January, identifying guest speakers and field trips, and a discussion on the Patron budget.

Students Receive Second Place in ACI Competition

Five CIM students participated in the ACI Egg Protection Device Competition in the ACI Fall 2010 Convention at Pittsburgh, PA. The objective of this contest is to build a small concrete frame that has the highest-impact-load resistance, and to promote a sustainable use of TSU ACI Award concrete. Texas State CIM majors Chris Traina, Travis Mouser, Griffin Taylor, Charles Carter and Chase Copenhaver, who worked under the supervision of Dr. Cristian Gaedicke, explored how the strategies used in the design and construction of their Egg Protection Device (EPD) could be applied to broader applications of concrete in sustainable development. In order to promote the positive social, economic, and environmental impacts of concrete, the students used 50% recycled aggregate and Class C fly ash in their mix. Their work received 2^nd place in the sustainability ategory. More than ten teams from different universities in the United States and overseas participated in this competition.

CIM Faculty Profile: Jiong Hu

Jiong Hu, Assistant Professor - Texas State University-San Marcos

This month, we chose to highlight CIM faculty member Jiong Hu . We asked him a few questions about his experiences with the CIM Program.

What interesting projects have your students been involved with during this last school year?

In this last year, I have CIM students involved in one externally funded project (Evaluation, Presentation and Repair of Microbial Acid-Produced Attack of Concrete) and two internally funded projects (Use of Waste Clay Brick as Cement Additive in Concrete: Feasibility Study in the State of Texas and Self-compacting Concrete Using Recycled Concrete Aggregate). The projects offer CIM majors valuable experience as research assistants involved in real-life projects, as well as the use of state-of-the-art research facilities.

Why should incoming students consider CIM as a major course of study?

CIM is a unique program with emphasis on both concrete technology and management. Students will have great "hands-on" experiences through participation in a variety of laboratory activities and "real life" experience with a series of industry-related activities. With their very unique skill set, CIM students have excellent employment opportunities upon graduation.

Can you describe the different career paths that graduates of the CIM program can take?

With strong skill sets in concrete technology, construction management and business administration, the CIM program prepares professionals in either management or technical positions in concrete-related industries.

What is unique about the graduates of the CIM program?

The CIM program addresses the needs of the modern concrete industry. The program produces "industry prepared" students with "real world" experiences grounded in the basics of concrete's production techniques and its use in a multitude of construction applications.

What are your thoughts about the industry/academic partnership between CIM and its industry partners?

The industry-patented academic degree program represents a very unique academia/industry partnership at national and local levels. The NSC provides funding and oversight direction for each program and local patrons provide opportunities to engage the local concrete industry in advancing and growing the CIM program.

Why should companies in the concrete industry get involved in the CIM program?

CIM is a practice-oriented degree with strong industrial focus, built on the strong relationship between industry and academia. The program needs heavy involvement from local industry such as guest lectures and field trips to provide students with "real life" experience. A strong connection between industry and students is also needed through different social activities.

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