Motivation

I am going out of my norm here and blogging twice in a week, but I have something that has been nagging at me for some time and I want to share my story and video to maybe help someone going through this.  This has been a dark winter for me; I have gone through some dark times.  No my dog didn’t die, no my family is ok.  It’s just been dark in business.  I have tried and tried and tried to do right and be better and I felt like I’m getting nowhere.  Now I’m sure for some you have been down that road, but not me.  I’ve never known anything but success, however I think this is the first year that I am transitioning to putting myself out there.  I’m doing more and more to try and get more for the company and guess what I batted .000 this winter.  I failed. And what did I do.  I pointed my finger somewhere else; I blamed other people and things.  It’s taken me some time but I realize it was my fault.  I didn’t try hard enough.  In the end of the day I could have done more, I could have, but I didn’t.  For that and to those I blamed my faults on I am sorry.  It’s me and I will be better.

Now to try and get me out of the funk, besides finding the release in my family, I went to YouTube.  I came across this video and I want you to watch it.  It’s built around sports and leave it to sports to teach you perseverance, but it teaches you one thing.  It’s not about who you are, it’s about what you do.  Now go ahead call me corny, I don’t care…. Go ahead say, “What the hell do you got going on that you need a dumb YouTube video to boost your motivation?” But you know maybe it’s you who are experiencing the same issues I am or maybe it’s you who goes to your job runs your 9 to 5 and goes home accomplishing just the bare minimum.  Well you know what that is not me.  I am not that person.  If you are fine, good for you, but I’m not and like I said if this blog/video motivates one person I’ll be glad because the world needs more movers and shakers in my mind.  We are a society of robots, few dare to break down walls and attack the world head on.  I used to wake up every day and attack the day like war I wanted to go through the day blowing every single thing I touched out of the water.  This winter I was getting blown out of the water and my eyes glazed over.  Not anymore…We all need a little pick me up from time to time and I did.  This video did it to me and I hope this helps you.  Stay hungry my friendsJ

Technology

Technology is something we all take for granted.  Technology exists all around us, yet for some technology is ignorance.  Technology can be a machine or a tool, but it also comes in the form of ideas, processes, and innovations.  It tends to be the ideas and processes that people have a hard time adjusting too.  When you see the latest and greatest tool at the hardware store it is easy to make the impulse buy and upgrade.  But when a person develops a new idea, it is hard sometimes to make that “impulse buy”.  Why?  Sometimes its risk, sometimes it’s the fact you can’t see the monetary gain, most of the time it’s the simple fact that it may change the way you have been doing things for years and years.  Is that bad to think that way no, there is the risk it will fail, but the other side of the coin is the technology succeeds and benefits are skyward.  I have found that in this industry some people aren’t investing in the technologies needed to take us as an industry to the next step.  There seems to be this stagnancy that most will blame it on not having the money to take risk.  Others will not want to shake the dice, but it was that dice rolling that built this country from the ground up.  So I really encourage those in the position to listen and “invest” in the new technologies.  They exist every day, but we are muting them out.  Take the time to unplug from the negativity in the news and tune into to something positive…FORWARD THINKING!!!  Everyone has thoughts every once in a while and those are the technologies that need to come out and no one should have fear of bringing these thoughts to the surface.  It is these thoughts that could save your company thousands of dollars or make your company thousands of dollars.  So please for the sake of the industry invest and stay hungry. 

The Man Next To You

Every year about this time I start to get ansy for the next construction season.  Now is about the time the phone starts ringing, bigger contracts are getting secure, and things start moving again.  The one thing I take for granted from time to time is the guys that work with me.  Everybody from the the delivery team, to the production team, to the mainenance crew they do a fantastic job and sometimes that get's overlooked.  This is not a blog to suck up to my guys.  The purpose of this blog is to direct the attention of those that work in a team environment and take for granted the man next to you.  I enjoy everyday I come into work and talk to everyone about everything.  It's nice to hear when someone has a baby on the way, or acheieved something, or even spent the weekend on the couch doing nothing.  I don't care, I enjoy hearing stories.  If you got a story I want to hear it and you know, I think more managers, bosses, owners should be that way too.  I have been on both sides of the coin and still to this day I enjoy someone asking me "hey what did you do last night" or "how was your weekend."  It really makes you feel good.  I have seen too many days where you get lost in big projects and it's like Ok get to work, work, work, work, and go home.  You get lost and derail, forget the man working next to you is are real human being and maybe he had a bad night, maybe he wants to talk, but you get lost and ignore him.  Take the time out of every day to just talk to everyone, it makes a difference.  So in all this is not a suck up, even though my guys rock ;), I just think with the upcoming construction season we can all use a lesson in being human.  Take the time to talk to the man next to you, you may learn something, but you may just make the day of the man you're talking to.  I wish you all luck this season! Stay safe, stay strong!

Good Times, Good Friends

Fresh off my recent trip to Florida for the NPCA Precast Show and fresh off my presentation on Social Media I thought I'd blog about my experience.  First thing I learned quickly...traveling with two kids under the age of 5 is a nightmare.  I don't recommend it, but hey they are just kids.  We made it down there and all throughout the trip I was able to relive my childhood by riding on roller coasters with my mother in law and watching my boys in awe as they meet and greet their favorite Disney characters.  It was very special for me.  All fun aside, the NPCA did a wonderful job this year.  You can still tell by the trade show floor that the economy is still down, but the staff did a great job making the show what it is.  One of the things I hold dear to my heart is the relationships I have formed and am still forming with the NPCA staff and other NPCA members.  At a time during the show I was invited into the "backroom" of the NPCA and I got to mix it up with some of the NPCA staff I never knew.  I had a blast with all of them and it made it me realize how lucky I am to part of such a fantastic organization.  On the plant tour I met a new precaster from Mississippi and am learning new things from him and growing a new relationship with him.  So for me the Precast Show is all about the networking.  That is why I go, that is why I am part of the NPCA.  I feel like I'm member of a big family.  A family that is not quite as special as my personal family, but they are just as giving and I hold the relationships I have just as close to my heart.  So Kirk, Claude, Roland, Bob, Ty and everyone else thank you so much for another memorable trip.   

MIC part 2: Quality Concrete

Continuing on with discussion of MIC in septic tanks we have first identified what the problem is, now it is time to talk about solutions.  Although many additive solutions are present at this time, none have been properly tested in these situations as this is a time dependant problem.  Therefore, only time will tell if newer additives in concrete will help aid the concrete's resistance to corrosion.  The one definitive we have as precasters, is the ability to produce a quality product for your customers.  Above all others, producing quality concrete is a good starting place for fighting MIC.  With an inadequate mix, the Thiobacillus bacteria essentially has less work to do to destroy your customer's septic tank. 

Now what is meant by an inadequate mix?  Inadequate mixes are those that have reduced strength and improper water to cementitious ratios.  Right now, most codes specify either a 4000 or 5000 psi concrete compressive strength and a water to cementitious ratio no greater than 0.45.  That being said, why are we still finding concrete with water to cementitious ratios in the 0.50's and strengths less than 4000 psi?  It is my opinion that this is largely due to inadequate eduction, lack of care in what we produce, and given the times a reduction in product costs to keep prices down.  I will say, though, that now is not the time to save pennies by making less quality products.  Now is the time to get educated and make the best possible product for customers!!! 

Cement requires very little water to become hydrated enough to start the process of forming paste.  The rest of the water goes toward aiding in workabilty and making the concrete easy to form.  However most precasters should have access to admixtures that can aid in workability without the addition of adding water.  Using modern superplastizers there is no reason why a precaster cannot get his/her water to cementitious ratio down around the .40 region or lower.  And the lower the water to cementitious ratio, the lower the amount of pores in concrete, thus making a very durable product.  Modern self compacting concrete admixtures can make concrete almost like water while still maintaining high strength and low porosity.

In addition strength is something we have great control over.  Cement is typically the number cost in a concrete mix design.  The more cement the greater the cost in your mix.  However, the more cement the higher the strength.  Given the recent economic scale, it is easy to try and cut cost by making a less cement rich mix.  This, however, is not the right move!!  I would be the first to caution, cutting cost by making a more inferior product is not good practice.  Most codes specify a 4000 psi concrete for tanks.  Recent studies have found that concrete around 5000 psi or higher will stand up to more adverse conditions than a 4000 psi mix.  Some municipalities even spec a 6000-7000 psi mix for wastewater applications. Again, given the advances in concrete admixtures a 5000 psi batch is not hard to attain by today's standards.  Setting the bar at a 5000 psi minimum is a great starting point. 

In addition to mixing adequate concrete, checking and testing is also just as important.  One should keep constant monitor on what is coming out of the mixer.  Check your air, check your strengths, check your yields.  Keep tabs on everything.  That is the only way to learn!  The days of mixing on the fly are over.  Engineers and GC's are demanding more and more of us everyday, keep yourself in check.  Also, use your resources.  Talk with your cement salesman, talk with your admix salesman find out what is going on in the industry.  Put them to the test, tell them what you want out of your concrete.  Keep yourself educated!!!

To summarize this I'm going keep this short and sweet.....THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR GOOD QUALITY CONCRETE...Learn it, live it!

Microbially Induced Corrosion in Septic Tanks pt 1

Microbially Induced Corrosion or MIC has been a problem with the concrete industry for years; however, it's impact on the precast industry has really been brought to the forefront recently with the discovery of rapid corrosion in septic tanks.  Septic tanks that normally have a service life 30-50 years are failing in a matter of years.  There are many aspects of this problem from how does the MIC happen to quality of concrete to actual relevance in an already struggling infrastructure.  Although it is my intent to cover most of these issues in most parts I would first like to start with an introduction.
MIC is a form of corrosion that is very dependant on bacteria.  Naturally occuring bacteria in septic tanks exrete hydrogen sulfide gas (rotten egg smell in sewerage).  Now this gas naturally stays dormant in septic tanks, until a form of turbulence is introduced.  When the turbulence is introduced the gas is released and floats in the air space of the tank.  Another occuring bacteria the thiobacillus bacteria converts the hyrogen sulfide gas into hydrosulfuric acid which eats concrete.  So looking at this from the outside you say ok eliminate the sulfur production or the thiobacillus bacteria and everything should be ok.  However it is those two aspects that make this problem one of the hardest to figure out.  Where does all the extra sulfur come from? Medications? Foods? Cleaners? Fertilizers?  How do we kill the thiobacillus bacteria?  There are modern additives that can be put in concrete to kill the bacteria, however I have not had the chance or heard from a first person perspective how effective the additive is.  Another approach is to realize that the thiobacillus bacteria cannot strive on surfaces with pH's greater than 9.  Fortunately or unfortunately, concrete is very basic pH 12-14.  It is the progression of the wastwater becoming more and more acidic that allows the thiobacillus to grow more prevalent on the concrete surface.  So as you can see, this problem just from the beginning is really complex.  In future blogs I plan on touching on topics such as quality concrete, coatings, additives in concrete, impact on infrastructure, the future of MIC, and other topics so stay tuned.   I leave you with a few pics to see how bad this problem is.  Thanks...Aaron