• CFA Tech Note 014: Interpreting Nominal Concrete Wall Thickness

    Wednesday, April 1, 2026

    Introduction  A frequent point of discussion between contractors, designers and code authorities involves the interpretation of “nominal” versus “actual” concrete wall thickness. This technical note provides clarification on this topic by examining relevant building codes and industry standards. Understanding the code-defined relationship between nominal and actual dimensions is essential for ensuring compliance and project continuity.  Analysis of Code Requirements  The International Residential […]

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  • Volver a construir mejor: Resiliencia

    Friday, March 13, 2026

    Cuarto artículo de la serie  De Joe Nasvik  Una vez que se toma la decisión de construir una casa, la siguiente cuestión que hay que resolver es cómo se debe construir. El mejor sistema de construcción es aquel que sea más adecuado para los ocupantes actuales y futuros. El uso de pautas de sostenibilidad y resiliencia […]

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  • Building Back Better Resiliency

    Friday, March 13, 2026

    BY JOE NASVIK  This is the fourth and final article of the Building Back Better series.  After the decision is made to build a house, the next issue to resolve is how it should be built. The best building system is one that will be best for the current and future occupants. Using sustainability and resilience guidelines is […]

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  • 2025 CFA Consulting Members Directory

    Friday, March 6, 2026

    CFA works with many great consultants. If you are looking for consulting services, visit one of the companies below: BIC bicauctions.com BIC is a used concrete equipment specialist serving contrac­tors, manufacturers and lenders nationwide. The company helps industry professionals unlock value from idle or un­derutilized assets—whether it’s a single unit or an entire fleet. Their […]

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  • Interns posing in front of Custom Concrete building

    We See You: Custom Concrete Shouts Out Their Interns

    Friday, October 3, 2025

    Custom Concrete recently took time to celebrate the next generation of industry leaders by highlighting the contributions of their interns.

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Feature

Jan
27

WATER BASED FORM RELEASE AGENTS Tap Into The Benefits

Continually rising oil prices and stricter environmental and safety regulations are changing the way many contractors work. Water based form release agents are the clear choice in answering many of these challenges and Nox-Crete’s water based formulas offer benefits that are just not possible with petroleum based products: PERFORMANCE Nox-Crete’s continued research and development has produced water based form release agents with improved performance over traditional petroleum based […]

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Jan
27

GRIFCOTE – GOING GREEN

“Going Green” are key words in today’s construction industry. This includes concrete form release agents. Hill & Griffith now has truly biodegradable concrete form release agents, field proven and being quickly accepted in the concrete industry. Sold under the trade names GRIFCOTE® LV-50, GRIFCOTE® LV-50 Plus and GRIFCOTE® Bio Gold, these materials meets the EPA definition of biodegradability (maximum half-life of 28 days), are non-carcinogenic, non-flammable, noncombustible, non-DOT regulated, VOC compliant […]

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Jan
27

NEW AND BETTER PRODUCTS FOR WATERPROOFING

Dry Dog Barriers has quickly built a reputation as the cutting-edge “go-to” manufacturer in the Below Grade Waterproofing Industry. While other manufacturers are resting on old technology and past accomplishments, we are constantly challenging the status-quo to develop new and better products for the waterproofing world. Our latest innovation involves what many consider as the most exciting change to the industry in years. THERMAL DRAIN …. […]

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Jan
27

IMPROVING YOUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Listen To Your Customers

Ernie Jessop of Concrete Form Services wrote in to say “we listen to our customers, to take their ideas and bring them to fruition. One of our long time customers, Danny Johnson, owner of Horizon Concrete out of Syracuse UT. Is the inventor of our “DJ” Jogger. Over the years he has brought flaws in the system to our attention, and helped the concept of EZ […]

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Jan
27

FOR THE NORTH AMERICAN POURED WALL MARKET NEW K40L BY CIFA

CIFA USA is “pumped up” and excited to announce the latest addition to its line of concrete boom pumps, the K40L-meter. Taking over 80 years of experience in the production of concrete manufacturing and placing equipment CIFA has designed, built and tested an entirely new placing machine for the North American poured wall market. The K40L is a 40-meter boom based on a 36-meter chassis (and price) […]

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Jan
27

CERTAINTEED OFFERS SYSTEMS TO MAKE YOUR JOBS Easier, Greener, and More Profitable

In tough times like these, with housing starts continuing to fall, forward-looking concrete contractors are searching for ways to differentiate themselves by selling added value to their Builder customers with a more complete package of Foundation products and services. CertainTeed understands the needs of concrete contractors, and offers systems to make your jobs easier, greener and more profitable. CertainTeed’s Form-ADrain™ concrete footing form system, ThermaEZE™ foam insulation panels […]

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Magazine Issues

Dec
22

Engage Your Employees With Elevated Communication

In many ways, Adrian Aragon was a great CEO; hard-working and completely devoted to his staff and organization, but it was not until he analyzed his CEO performance review that he noticed the blind-spot in his leadership: the gap between how he saw his communication, and how his employees were interpreting it. Committed to becoming […]

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Dec
22

WoundSeal Instantly Stops Bleeding

When Jobsite Accidents Occur, WoundSeal Instantly Stops The Bleeding To Safely Keep Workers On The Job. Hook knives, box cutters, and saw blades all tools of the trade and three of the biggest reasons construction workers suffer wounds on the job. When accidents happen, injured workers can stop bleeding cuts instantly through WoundSeal, a breakthrough […]

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Dec
22

RISK MANAGEMENT: Controlling Your Company’s Insurance Costs

Total Cost of Risk: A company’s soft and hard costs which contribute to the overall cost of their insurance program. For too long insurance agents’ jobs has been oversimplified to just the placement of insurance and issuing certificates of insurance. The CFA and Arthur J. Gallagher have set a goal to be the best client […]

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Dec
22

Tennessee Concrete Association’s Net Zero Building

The Net Zero project began as an idea in 2010 and grew out of conversations from TCA’s participation in the local U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) chapter The Tennessee Concrete Association (TCA) is located in Nashville, TN and serves the concrete industry statewide. TCA represents 70% of the ready mix concrete production in the state […]

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Dec
22

Three New Leaders Take Up The Challenge

Meet new CFA Directors Ken Kurszewski of Hottman Construction Company; Lindsay Castles of GMX, Inc.; and Mark Irving of Irving Equipment LLC. The march toward CFA Convention held each year in late July or early August, includes an opportunity for changes to the leadership of the Association. Over more than forty years leading this industry, […]

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Oct
7

RISK Management: You Have The Job!

But is your insurance coverage what it should be? “You have the job!” You are off to the races. It is astonishing that subcontractors often commence work on a project without defined terms of indemnification or having matched their insurance coverage with the indemnification terms of the contract. We have all heard the stories about insurance companies paying claims for no reason or when they […]

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Oct
7

The Journey Is Greater Than The Mountain Top

CFA recognizes Dan Bromley of ABI Corporation with an M.V.P Award Walt Disney is noted for once stating, “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” In this statement can be found the inspiration behind the action that led the CFA Board of Directors to award Dan Bromley and his […]

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Oct
7

Innovation: A By-Product of Desire and Perseverance

CFA recognizes Rich Kubica of K-Wall Poured Walls with the inaugural Innovation Award Arguably the greatest benefit of belonging to a strong and vibrant network like the Concrete Foundations Association is access to the experience and innovative spirit of top minds and professionals. There are dozens of examples of such innovative spirit each year brought to the attention of CFA staff. It is for this […]

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Oct
7

Defining The Future By Applying In The Present

CFA Board selects Lance Anderson of Lance Anderson Construction Inc. as Contractor of the Year What symbolizes the ideal candidate for presentation as an “of the Year” selection? This often means something different in the mind of each person you ask. For some, it is success, as in business success or profitability. For many it is volunteerism or commitment to the auspices of the […]

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Oct
7

CFA Recognizes Industry Commitment

CFA 2015 Award Recipients Announced at Convention The Concrete Foundations Association(CFA) – the recognized voice and authority for the residential concrete industry, announced the 2015 award recipients at CFA Convention 2015 in Williamsburg, Va. on Friday, July 24, 2015. Awards include Contractor of the Year, Most Innovative Contractor, Associate of the Year, Most Valuable Player and the Kick-Start Membership Award. The awards signify the ultimate […]

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Oct
7

Reflections on CFA Convention 2015 From My Perspective

Why is convention so important to this industry? What do you, as a leader, take away from this event? There are few limitations within a network of people who share a common goal. Together, they push the boundaries of their industry, create a higher demand for their products and services, foster healthy relationships and fuel innovation. As we begin to prepare for another convention […]

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Oct
7

The Value of Recognition

Welcome to autumn. This is perhaps my favorite time of the year for the concrete industry. We have made it through the heat of summer and there is a hurried sense of activity in preparation for winter. Like the typical CFA member, your company is quite probably as busy as you’ve been all 2015 and that is certainly […]

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