A publication of the Concrete Foundations Association
Concrete Facts Magazine Online
Feature
Robert D. Sawyer Distinguished Service Award: Bruce Neale, Modern Foundations
The Robert D. Sawyer Award, named on behalf of Bob Sawyer, the first executive director of the CFA, is the most prestigious recognition that can be offered to a member of the concrete foundation industry. The award recognizes individuals who give tirelessly of their time and resources to serve the industry. “Bob Sawyer took the […]
Contractor of the Year: Doggett Concrete Construction
The most frequently awarded recognition from the CFA historically has been the Contractor of the Year award. This recognizes the industry contributions of a poured wall contractor and often shows the great efforts the contractor makes to benefit more than just their company’s location and position—how they work toward the greater goals of the association […]
Innovative Contractor of the Year: Bulletproof Walls Inc., dba TCB Walls Inc.
An industry with as much history as cast-in-place concrete may appear as if practices and systems are no longer evolving. While new technologies using computers and advanced mechanics or logic are often brought to light, many times the most innovative solutions are initiated by the contractors themselves, tapping their experience and creativity to find a […]
National Associate of the Year: Owens Corning Infrastructure Solutions
National Associate members are the primary supplier and manufacturing members of the association, which can be found in the CFA’s active Products and Services Directory. The Associate of the Year award honors one of the many National Associate members (a company or an individual) for their commitment to supporting and growing the association. Their efforts […]
Kick-Start Member of the Year: Curtis Cowgill, Nies Foundations
The most valuable part of joining an organization is diving in and finding the networking, interaction, support, and resources beneficial to your company’s goals. In honor of the value of jumping in, the CFA Board of Directors developed a new award in 2015 that honors the intentional exploration of the professional network found in the […]
Golden Tie Membership Development Award: Western Forms
The award luncheon began with a new award recognition as Jason Ells, who is the CFA president and the executive vice president for Custom Concrete of Westfield, Indiana, stepped up to the microphone. “The Golden Tie Award is something we’ve been developing for a while within the Board of Directors,” he said. “We recognize that […]
Magazine Issues
2022 PROJECTS OF THE YEAR
Español | Translation Provided by the CFA SETTING A CULTURE OF PRIDE The North American landscape continues to hide the most creative and challenging concrete installations each year. Now in its 23rd year, this program continues with its vision to give voice and expression to the great work completed every day throughout the markets that […]
Concrete Foundations Association Drives Workforce Development as Advocate for the Trades
The Concrete Foundations Association (CFA) is excited to announce the completion of a national campaign designed to promote workforce development and career opportunities in the concrete construction industry. CFA worked with Viewpoint, a unique educational platform, to develop the campaign. For almost two decades the development team behind ViewPoint, with host Dennis Quaid, has […]
Old Thinking Won’t Lead to New Ideas 5 Tips to Instantly Become More Innovative
By Susan Robertson Español | Translation Provided by the CFA When you really need new ideas or fresh thinking or a creative solution to a challenge, a typical, day-to-day approach in your thinking is not the optimal process. Using the same old thinking will simply lead you to the same old ideas you’ve already had […]
WALL FOREMAN QUALIFICATION SYLLABUS
Español | Translation Provided by the CFA In 2020, the CFA Board of Directors created a Strategic Plan to focus Association energy for the next few years. This plan identified education as a primary need for field workers and a formalized plan to qualify training for the wall foreman as a key opportunity. Working with […]
Better Businesses Together
Español | Translation Provided by the CFA We just wrapped up our annual summer convention, and it was a blast! Great speakers, fantastic food, a wonderful venue, and all in the beautiful city of Boston. I always walk away from these events enthused and rejuvenated, having spent time with my peers and other professionals who […]
New IRC Equivalency Evaluation Report Program Streamlines Building Permit Process by Offering Prescriptive Design
Español | Translation Provided by the CFA Brea, CA – An innovative new offering from ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES), an IRC Equivalency Evaluation Report (EER), indicates the findings of a particular end use application or design of a building product, evaluated by ICC-ES, for compliance with the prescriptive requirements of the International Residential Code® (IRC). […]
Commitment to Excellence
Español | Translation Provided by the CFA As a regular reader of Concrete Facts, I hope you recall the article announcing the retirement of our long-time staff member, Janette Barr (Concrete Facts 29-2, winter 2022, p. 23). As we published that article, I was considering the impact of employment transitions I have been experiencing through […]
Professional Liability: Are Contractors Adequately Protected?
Español | Translation Provided by the CFA As the lines of responsibility between design firms and contractors merge, contractors are assuming nontraditional risk that their core insurance coverages may not address. Professional liability coverage has become just as essential to a contractor as it is to an architect or engineer. Learn about the contractor’s professional […]
Backfilling Basics: Backfilling the Wrong way Often Costs More than Doing it Right
Español | Translation Provided by the CFA BY R. T. BUCK BARTLEY As originally published in Concrete Construction, 1991 Editor’s Note: One of the most recently technical inquiries to Association headquarters pertained to a basement foundation that had two walls fail when the builder was backfilling. The concrete contractor was under scrutiny and being considered […]
