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President's Message
I don't know about you guys, but the pace over the last few months has been wearing me out. There seems to be tons of interest, design, and bidding but not a whole lot of committing. As 2017 was drawing to a close, my gut telling me to 'get ready' and that the seeds sown in Q3 and Q4 were going to come to harvest. I now think that something has plateaued in a weird sort of way I can't put my finger on.
As the school term winds down FPCA will be shifting focus a bit favoring marketing while staying engaged with educators to maintain momentum as they prepare for the fall. Marketing is one of my favorite activities. I love the prospect of interacting with folks triggering ideas and prompting questions so be on the lookout for opportunities where you can take part too.
Lenny Salvo, President of the Board
Coreslab Structures (Orlando)
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FPCA Summer Convention 2018 at the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach is quickly approaching. The dates are set for August 9th - 12th. Room reservation is now open; Online - click here or Call (727) 281-9536. Registration form will be available early June. Sponsorship list is currently available by click here or via FPCA website: www.myFPCA.org.
Thank you to some of our early Platinum Level Sponsors:
JVI, BASF, Lehigh Cement!
Complete lists of FPCA classes of membership are available on our website;
www.myFPCA.org. As an Association, we're always encouraging Producer Members to support Associate/Professional Members that support this industry.
- Education: Chair by Mr. Lloyd Kennedy, Finfrock Industries
- UCF
- Industry representatives; Lenny Salvo of Coreslab Structures (Orlando), Lloyd Kennedy of Finfrock Industry, Miles Zeman of Dura-Stress and Diep met up with UCF's Civil, Environmental & Construction Engineering (CECE) Department leadership and professors to discuss education and research opportunities that would provide mutual benefits to both. We discussed areas and focus based on Department curriculum and how best to deliver precast/prestressed concrete knowledge to future architects, engineers and contractors. We also discussed ways to integrate Department existing resources and technologies into our industry; this is integration of research into application by sharing industry processes & challenges and work toward a viable solution.
- PCI Education Foundation's Learning Center - The CECE Department is very interested in applying for grant from PCI Foundation to bring practical precast/prestressed knowledge to their students. Diep recently attended PCI Foundation's Professors Workshop where professors from various institution come to share their experiences and what it takes to setup a Center on campus. Diep will schedule to meet with Dr. Andrew Yun to debrief and to discuss the next step in the process.
- PCI Big Beam Competition - UCF continues to express interest in helping FPCA toward planning for a regional conference in Florida amongst local colleges/universities for 2019; This includes design, development and housing of a potential testing structure for the Big Beam and conference style event with national speakers and education courses for private consultants, public officials and students on our industry products/market.
- FIU
- Dr. David Garber of FIU and Diep Tu attended the PCI Education Foundation's Professors Workshop in St. Louis on May 22nd - 24th. Dr. Garber is currently reviewing the preliminary application process for grants from PCI Foundation. This process may takes 6 - 12 months, but he's now armed with lots of dos & don'ts and contacts through the Workshop for assistant. Diep will continue to assist where/when possible by working with FIU, Coreslab Structures (Miami) and PCI Foundation toward establishing a Learning Center at FIU.
- Marketing Committee: Chair by Mr. Vern Smith, Coreslab Structures (Tampa)
- AIA Space Coast Chapter - Diep had attended the Chapter's monthly meeting on May 9th. He's working with the Chapter's Chair and Incoming Chair to present at one of their meetings and getting involved with Chapter activities.
- AIA Gulf Coast Chapter - Diep had attended the Chapter's monthly meeting in Sarasota on May 17th. He's working with the Chapter's Education Chair and Activities Chair to promote FPCA.
- FDOT Liaison: Chair by Mr. Kurt Podoll, Standard Concrete Products
- Pictures & Videos during Inspection - From our discussions and persistence with the Department's State Materials Office regarding verbiage on capturing photos and videos during plant inspection is finally being included in the upcoming revision of the 2 documents below:
- Standard Specification 105 - regarding pictures and videos (article 105-4.10).
- Materials Manual 8.1. New article was added (8.1.5.2.6).
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 PCI's Update
PCI and NPCA Meet at Joint Concrete Products Committee
While it was still cold in Chicago, officers from PCI and NPCA were not disappointed for a reason to escape to the warmer temperatures in Savannah, Georgia, on April 5 for a meeting of the Joint Concrete Products Committee. The Committee meets twice per year to discuss areas where precast concrete groups can identify and advance areas of common interest and collaboration. Among the agenda topics were the PCI Board of Director's commitment to PCI's partnership in The Precast Show through 2022. The group also committed to finalizing a document that clearly defines the products covered by certification programs that can be approved by both Boards and taken to the marketplace to avoid confusion with specifiers.
PCI and NPCA will also participate this week in the cement and concrete industry fly-in to Washington, D.C. Leadership of both groups have identified government affairs, workforce education and training, and safety as areas of ongoing cooperation and collaboration.
Sidney Freedman Craftsmanship Award
PCI is now accepting submissions for the 2018 Sidney Freedman Craftsmanship Award (SFCA). Winners will be presented on stage at the 2018 Committee Days, Oct. 10-13 in Rosemont, Ill., and will also be featured in the PCI Journal. Share your innovation with others and increase the awareness of the resiliency of precast.
The SFCA is presented to PCI-certified plants for excellence in manufacturing and craftsmanship of architectural precast concrete (A1 or CA) and GFRC structures and individual components. Units fabricated after January 1, 2015, are eligible.
Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page for the entry form. The deadline for all entries is August 1, 2018. Send your submissions to technical@pci.org.
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Quality System Manual Changes
All certified plants recently received notification of required updates to their Quality System Manuals (QSMs). PCI's plant certification program is accredited by the International Accreditation Service (IAS), and these changes are necessary to comply with changes in IAS' accreditation requirements. These changes will also facilitate greater compliance of PCI's certification program with the requirements of ISO 9001:2015, which is the basis of our program.
The notification to certified plants included the updated PCI Quality System Manual Guidelines (QSM-1), which contains the required changes. The Summary of QSM-1 Revisions, which provides additional detail concerning the changes and their purpose, was also attached.
Plants are requested to review the changes in QSM-1 and compare their quality system and quality system manual with the new requirements. While it is expected that the quality systems in some plants already meet these new requirements, it is also expected that most will need to make at least some additions and revisions.
Due to changes in IAS requirements, PCI cannot issue management system certifications to plants that are not compliant with ISO/IEC 9001:2015. Therefore, we will not be able to renew plant certifications for 2018/2019 without verification that the plant meets these requirements, which must be implemented by June 30, 2018. A process by which plants will acknowledge these changes and provide confirmation that their programs either currently meet the requirements or will be revised to conform with them by June 30 will be provided within the next week.
Additional information about these changes will follow in the coming weeks. In the meantime, plant personnel with questions should contact Ken Kwilinski at kkwilinski@pci.org or 312-428-4944, or Mike Kesselmayer at mkesselmayer@pci.org, or 312-583-6770.
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Member Highlight
Lehigh Cement
Lehigh Cement is a manufacturer and supplier of cement and slag. Other associated products are cement bulk & bags and aggregates.
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Upcoming Events
- ACI Concrete Strength Testing Technician
- Click here for dates, locations & registration form
- ACI Concrete Field Testing Technician
- Click here for dates, locations & registration form
- Concrete Field Inspector Specification
- Click here for dates, locations & registration form
- 450 Specification Certification
- Click here for dates, locations & registration form
- FPCA Summer Convention - Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach - Aug. 9th - 12th, 2018 - Make room reservation: by calling(727) 281-9536 or online
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Producer Members
(For contact information, click
here)
Cement Industries - Ft. Myers
Coreslab Structures - Orlando, Tampa, Miami
Colonial Precast Concrete - Placida
Dura-Stress - Leesburg
Finfrock Industries - Apopka
Gate Precast Co. - Jacksonville, Kissimmee
International Casting Corp. - Miami Lakes
Metromont Corp. - Bartow
Pre-Cast Specialties - Pompano Beach
Skanska Civil SE - Pensacola
Spancrete - Sebring
STABIL Precast Products - St. Petersburg
Standard Concrete Products - Tampa
Structural Prestressed Industries - Medley
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