Director’s Corner ...   With each event I attend and each university I visit, I continue to get more and more excited about the future of the precast industry along the Gulf coast states. I understand that there are times when it seems as though things are not progressing at a fast enough pace, but I assure you the strides we are making today to connect with our future industry professionals coupled with an electronic campaign will position us where we want to be for a long and prosperous future. At the annual Fall meeting in Hattiesburg, the decision was made to engage with a marketing firm to assist us in sharing the message of PCI Gulf South. We recognize the importance of utilizing these “new” types of communication to capture the attention of the younger generation, as well as continue with the tried and true means of face to face contact for those who are a little “longer in the tooth”. No matter what tactic we employ, what is important is that PCI Gulf South is beginning to take root. I know this is true because PCI Gulf South has received several invitations to partake on boards that will provide further opportunities to spread the mission of our association. These relationships, along with many more, open meaningful doors to PCI Gulf South and help the building industry come to know us as a professional, knowledgeable component of the construction field. I am as motivated and eager as ever as I continue to work my way through the beautiful states of MS, AL & LA sharing everything I know about precast. 


Dan
FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! More downloadable content from PCI is now available free of charge to architects, engineers, universities and the building community. A matrix of the available information is on our website.
2017 PCI Committee Days: The annual PCI Committee Days was held at the Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel on October 3-6 th this year. The event, which is the steering mechanism for PCI on the national level, was one of the mostly highly attended Committee Days to date. The interest and commitment to PCI remains strong and many came with  ideas to share and joined in meaningful discussion as the future of PCI and the industry in general moves forward. PCI President, Bob Riser addressed the attendees with an overview of the annual surveys and how the trend shows growing momentum in the industry. 
PCI Gulf South is deeply involved in the continuing education and marketing on the national level. With a recognition that we can always do more to get the word out on our products, I personally will continue to ingrain myself in the committees where I feel I can be most beneficial. Along with the meetings, came an opportunity for socialization at the Membership Luncheon where various awards were presented and the PCI Foundation “Concrete Chefs” dinner at the JVI Warehouse (pictured Matt DeVoss, Jackson Precast and Jim Voss, JVI Owner at the dinner). I strongly encourage all producers to chisel some time out of your busy schedules to attend this annual event. The committees are the first step in the “food-chain” of PCI. This is where the creation and implementation of new ideas takes place.  
Mississippi ASCE Annual Meeting:
The annual meeting of the MS Chapter of the ASCE was held October 11-13 th at The Mill in Starkville, MS. Jacob Forrester, MS Section President opened the event followed by several informational presentations including a discussion by Isaac Howard regarding the positive accomplishments the engineering community is having in the state and a discussion by Melinda McGrath, MDOT Executive Director regarding how a lack of funding is having a detrimental effect on infrastructure projects in the state and the importance of maintaining political involvement to keep a spotlight on the transportation needs in MS. The event garnered the attention of students from MS State and Ole Miss, as well as other local schools. The students are always drawn to the PCI Gulf South table and are eager to ask questions and make contact. PCI Gulf South will be playing an expanded role at MSU through a shared desire to bring precast/prestressed concrete topics further into the curriculum. Seamus Freyne, Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering will be collaborating with PCI Gulf South in the upcoming months as we determine the path forward.
 
  1 st annual PCI Gulf South Golf Classic
The first annual PCI Golf classic to benefit the *PCI foundation is being held at the Windance Country Club in Gulfport on Wednesday, Dec 6 th at 8am. We are excited to host our first charity event and looking forward to a great crowd of golfers on the beautiful fairways at the Windance. If you haven’t already registered to play or if you would like to sponsor a hole, visit the PCI Gulf South Facebook page for all the details and a payment link. The event will feature raffles, prizes and fun for all. Bring your friends and co-workers and enjoy some exercise and sunshine. A box lunch will be provided at the end of the event as players gather in the clubhouse for raffle drawings and prize winners.
*The PCI Foundation is instrumental is providing funding for the invaluable studios in our colleges and universities
Thank you to our golf sponsors. A few holes remain open for sponsorship. Contact Dan !
Product Highlight: Precast Wall Panels ( Part 3 of a 3 part series covering 3 types of walls )
Thin Shell & GFRC
Thin-shell wall panels consist of a thin, outer-wythe of concrete typically ranging between 1.5 and 3 inches in thickness. This is connected to a "back-up" system, usually constructed of steel framing or studs, or sometimes concrete. The back-up system is what connects the wall panel to the structural system of the building and often provides the furring for interior finishes, such as drywall to be attached. Many of these systems can also incorporate a layer of rigid insulation between the exterior wythe of concrete and the back-up system. 
Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC) is a thin-shell system where the exterior wythe of concrete contains alkali-resistant glass fibers that is normally sprayed into forms. The fibers increase tensile, flexural and impact strengths.
Both thin-shell systems reduce the weight of the panels relative to other precast wall systems. Some can also be designed as loadbearing.
 
Typical widths : 4 to 15 ft.
Typical heights : 8 to 50 ft.
Typical thicknesses : 5 to 12 in., including 1 to 4 in. of insulation
Finishes:  As with typical wall panels, the panels are cast in a flat orientation, so the form side is generally the side that will be exposed to view in the final construction. This face can be made with virtually any type of finish. GFRC panels allow for great aesthetic details and extensions, such as cornices, due to the manufacturing process. The back face is commonly troweled smooth, but is not left exposed. The back-up systems are often used to attach drywall and/or other finish materials.
 

Upcoming Events:


1st Annual PCI Gulf South Golf Classic
Location: Windance Country Club, Gulfport, MS
December 6th, 2017
PCI Gulf South Winter Meeting
December 6-7th, 2017
Beau Rivage
Biloxi, MS
PCI Marketing Council Meeting
January 25-26th, 2018
Orlando, FL
Auburn Transportation Conference
February 12-13, 2018
Montgomery, AL
PCI Convention and Precast Show
Denver, CO
February 20-24, 2018
PCI Gulf South Spring Meeting
April 24-25 2018
Natchez, MS
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If you would like to be part of our newsletter email list or to schedule a Learn@Lunch please contact
Dan Eckenrode,
Executive Director 
228-239-3409
 If you would like a printable copy of our newsletter please click on the link.