Okemos, Mich. – The Board of Directors of the Michigan Concrete Association (MCA) is pleased to announce an upcoming leadership change that will take effect at the beginning of 2024. The current Executive Director / CEO of the association, Dan DeGraaf, has stated his intention to retire from the post at the end of 2023, a position he has held since 2006 with the Michigan Concrete Paving Association (MCPA) and continued through the 2009 merger of MCPA with MCA. Dan has been in the construction industry for 50 years, serving the concrete association in Michigan for the last 23 years and has held many positions with concrete paving contractors throughout the U.S. in the 22 years prior to that. In retirement, Dan plans to spend more time with his wife, three children and their spouses, and four grandchildren and hopes to spend a little more time on the golf course.

The two most common tests of new concrete include the strength of a sample of concrete tested usually at 28 days and testing the air content of the fresh concrete on-site as the construction is progressing. But which one of these tests is more important? Which one should we pay more attention to?

We get it, weather in Michigan can have a mind of its own. This can be a real struggle when dealing the ever-changing conditions. Pop-up rain showers and thunderstorms can prove to be quite a challenge when navigating concrete pours, especially during the summer months. What are some of the issues that can be caused by rain, and what can you do to be prepared in the field and minimize the damage that could be caused by these pop-up threats?

There is a long history of using expansion joints in concrete for various reasons. The primary thought is to allow for future thermal expansion of the paved surface while minimizing stress buildup, potential cracking, and possible blowups in hot weather. However, with proper design of the concrete pavement, along with good construction practices and adequate maintenance, concrete does NOT need expansion joints at regular intervals throughout the paved area.

Whether installing pavement, building a new home, store, or warehouse, or taking on a remodeling project, the construction materials you choose will often depend on your budget. Today’s construction industry is facing unprecedented and ongoing supply chain disruptions that are causing steep increases in the costs of building materials. Fortunately, concrete has not been significantly impacted.

DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS TYPES OF CONCRETE to meet your project needs?

Concrete is one of the most widely used and versatile construction materials in the world. In fact, it is the second most widely used material in the world next to water. A simple mixture of natural ingredients—cement, aggregate, water—creates a plastic, malleable material that can be formed into any shape you want. When it hardens, it becomes as strong as rock with the durability and sustainability to last a lifetime—and longer. That’s pretty fantastic!

How Can Concrete Be Environmentally Friendly?

Concrete is considered one of the most sustainable building materials on the planet due to its long life, low life-cycle cost, safety, and reliability. It also provides energy efficiency and resilience following natural and man-made disasters. By those attributes alone, concrete is a plus for the environment. There are also lots of other great factors to consider.

The concrete we use every day to build our driveways, patios, sidewalks, parking lots, highways, and structures must be durable and resilient to withstand Michigan’s variable weather. At the same time, we must be aware of the effect our work can have on the environment. Every year we place such a large amount of concrete that even minor changes or enhancements to the formulation can have a noticeable effect on our carbon footprint.

Today's construction industry is facing many challenges including rising material costs, material shortages, delays, and lack of labor and construction. Even before the pandemic made its appearance, contractors were worried about labor, trade wars, and profitability.

If you’ve chosen concrete for your driveway or parking lot, you’ve made a great choice! Concrete is durable, versatile and low maintenance. However, having a quality end product involves more than just selecting the right material—you also need the right contractor to execute the work. But how do you choose one?