Concrete Thoughts

LEED buildings to mark performance, Saudi Arabia invests $385B in infrastructure, NRMCA testifies on fly ash disposal

A weekly roundup of news highlights from the concrete industry

USGBC opens Building Performance Partnership to current LEED-certified building
A new program from the U.S. Green Building Council encourages owners and managers of commercial and residential LEED-certified buildings to monitor performance through data collection, analysis and action. The goal is to establish a “comprehensive green building performance database” that will standardize reporting metrics.

World of Concrete conference schedule online
The schedule for the construction industry’s annual must-attend conference can now be viewed online, along with the 2011 Education Program Grid.

Saudi Arabia to invest billions into infrastructure
According to the Saudi Press Agency, Economy and Planning Minister Khalid Bin Mohammad Al Qusaibi announced a five-year plan budgeted at $385 billion to build schools, hospitals, housing and other infrastructure projects.

NRMCA testifies on fly ash disposal
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) has testified before U.S. Congress on the “negative impact of a proposed Environmental Protection Agency rule on the use and disposal of fly ash.” NRMCA president Robert Garbini said the concrete industry used 15.8 million tons of fly ash in the manufacturing of concrete in 2008 alone.