CFA provides a forum…

One of the essential ingredients of CFA is the forum that it provides for contractors to exchange ideas and information both through meetings and newsletter articles. With a membership in excess of 300, members throughout the United States and Canada turn to each other for advice and professional assistance.

CFA provides meetings…

Today, CFA holds two meetings each year, typically gathering over 250 people. These meetings provide a friendly atmosphere where large and small companies can share successes and failures. The winter meeting is held in conjunction with the World of Concrete show. The summer meeting is held in a different location each year and includes a variety of activities for the whole family.

The CFA has members in 26 states and Canada. Members consist primarily of foundation contractors with firm sizes ranging from 6 to over 100 employees. Member firms construct from between 12 and 1200 basements annually.

The Association provides numerous educational opportunities for contractors. The Foundation Fundamentals seminars provide basic information for workers and foremen on the basics of foundation construction. They are produced twice annually in different areas of the country. The summer meeting provides excellent educational and networking opportunities for the management of member firms.

The winter meeting, held in conjunction with the annual World of Concrete trade show, provides members with an opportunity to discuss problems and ideas with their peers.

CFA provides industry influence…

Beyond serving as an informational and networking tool for members, CFA is an influential organization within the construction industry. Representing the interests of its members and the industry on several code and regulatory bodies, several CFA members have been active participants in writing codes and standards in the industry. One of these entities is The American Concrete Institute (ACI). ACI is the recognized organization for the development of standards, guidelines, and design methods for the concrete industry.

CFA’s work with ACI has included CI’s code for residential concrete and revision of the cold weather concreting standard. ACI is currently in the process of developing a “Residential Concrete Standard.” This standard, when completed, will very likely be adopted by the UBC, CABO, and other building codes. The provisions that are included in the standard will have a profound effect on every residential concrete contractor in the United States. The CFA has several of its members on the ACI committee responsible for this document and will endeavor to ensure that the interests of the foundation contractors are considered.

The CFA doesn’t stop with efforts at the ACI level, however. Last fall, the Association completed work on the first official CFA Standard. This significant document puts forth the provisions for basement construction that is supported and represented by the empirical history of its members. The CFA has ambitious goals for the near future including cold weather and structural testing, new computer based educational programs, and continued expansion and added functionality to its web site. The CFA plans to position itself as the representative of the residential foundation industry as expressed in its newsletter byline “leading the poured wall industry into the new millennium.”

CFA provides promotional materials…

The Concrete Foundation Association (CFA) provides promotional materials, educational seminars, opportunities for networking, technical and informative meetings for members. CFA also publishes this publication, Concrete Facts, to keep its members abreast of important developments in the industry and in the industry and provide them with solutions to the many questions that arise during the normal course of business. Often the toughest questions to answer from the builder or the home owner are those related to the design, science or history of concrete work. The CFA strives to maintain current and effective literature that supports the issues of our industry and resolves these questions often involving research and technical investigation.