CFA Hosts Rocky Geans Construction Business School
December 12th to the 14th was an interesting new stretch for the CFA. A new education partnership to benefit the concrete contractor member of the Association was crafted with industry motivation expert, Rocky Geans. Rocky is a name many will recognize with familiarity having attended seminars at World of Concrete or stayed current with articles […]
Safety Really Is Job #1
by Levi Schrock, chair of CFA Safety Committee Throughout the years, safety has been a subject of conversation at the CFA. We confess, however, that it has usually been brought up as a reaction to a hot topic posed by OSHA. Today, we hope to be advanced enough in our thinking to be talking about […]
Tricks of the Trade: “Droopy Tie Syndrome”
from Dennis Purinton, Purinton Builders, East Granby, Conn. This issue’s Tricks of the Trade is shared by a CFA member (the current president) in the spirit of continuing to share great ideas and to challenge you, the reader, to consider the ways you overcome annoying details and situations to be more effective and economical […]
Obituary: Mahlon Eash Jr. (1964-2017)
It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of longtime CFA member, Mahlon Eash Jr. Mahlon Eash Jr., 53, of Gambier, passed away Dec. 26, 2017. Mahlon was born on May 28, 1964, in LaGrange, Ind., to Emma and Mahlon Eash Sr. He married Erma Gingrich on March 14, 1987. He […]
Obituary: Ronald E. Colvin (1943-2017)
It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of longtime member and past president of the CFA, Ronald E. Colvin. A Berrien Springs icon passed away on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017: Ronald E. Colvin, known to all as “RC.” He was the first New Year’s baby born on Jan. 1, 1943, […]
Remembering Ron
by Ed Sauter Those who knew Ron Colvin (RC) will never forget him. Beneath the ever-present beard, overalls, Hawaiian shirts and sandals was a kind, smart, and caring individual who would do anything to make life better for those who worked with him. Ron was a little unconventional in his appearance and approach to things, […]
Twisted Steel Micro-Rebar in Load-Carrying Concrete Walls
by Samhar Hoz, Jeff Novak, Luke Pinkerton Concrete walls are widely used in building construction. Concrete is strong in compression; however, its tensile strength is only 8 to 15 percent of the compressive strength. Thus, plain concrete does not have good tensile properties. Cracks can develop due to loads, restrained shrinkage, or temperature changes […]
UNDERSTANDING PYRRHOTITE IN CONCRETE
by James Baty, Gary Ehrlich, Jamie Farny, Don Penepent, and Dennis Purinton Concrete, the most widely used construction material in the world, is a complex matrix of materials that transforms into a reliable structural product. With so many variables—different ingredients, different performance requirements, varying exposures—specifiers are faced with many choices when designing durable concrete mixtures […]
3 Tips from a Seasoned Concrete Contractor
Follow these ideas to become a more profitable contractor. In the Farmers Insurance commercials, the tagline is: “We know a thing or two, because we’ve seen a thing or two.” I feel the same way about the concrete construction industry. I’ve seen a lot of changes in the industry, as well as noticing that […]
Letter from the Director: Endings Really Are New Beginnings
Over the last few months I have been reminded time and time again of the impact companies and leaders in this Association have had on the blueprint for this industry and the legacy they have left behind. I have such vivid memories of leaders like Ron Colvin (p.17, 19), a former president of the CFA, […]
