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TCA Announces Two New Speakers for Annual Convention

Julie Buffenbarger and Ed Javanbakht will be key speakers.

Mt. Vernon, Iowa (June 26, 2008) -- The Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA) – a non-profit international organization that serves to expand and improve the use of Tilt-Up as the preferred construction method – has announced the addition of two more key speakers for its fourth annual Convention to be held Oct. 1-4 in Phoenix, Ariz.

Julie Buffenbarger, LEED AP, will be speaking on sustainability. An engineering and architectural sales specialist for Lafarge cement, Buffenbarger will discuss how the practice of sustainable design involves the careful selection of building materials, design details and construction methods to create structures that require fewer natural resources to build and maintain today. The presentation covers sustainable design history, sustainable design specifications, how Tilt-Up materials contribute to U.S. Green Building Council LEED certification, LEED documentation and calculations as well as positioning Tilt-Up materials in sustainable building certifications.

In addition to Buffenbarger, Ed Javanbakht, P.E. with Dayton Superior will be speaking on “How to Plan a Successful Tilt-Up Project.” In his session, attendees will learn how to figure the brace lengths, if there is enough building slab for all the Tilt-Up walls if you are setting from the inside, and explain how to figure the weight of the Tilt-Up walls accurately on bid day. Time spent planning for the lift day will minimize time wasted during the erection operation and ensure a smooth lift. Oversights and errors during lifting and bracing can add significantly to the cost of the project. Planning, experience and training will make the difference between a smooth lifting operation and one that is riddled with problems adding to the lifting time.

To be held at the Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix, the convention is the premium gathering of the Tilt-Up industry each year with a multi-discipline approach to education and networking. Jim Baty, Technical Director of the TCA, said the Tilt-Up Convention will feature two concurrent educational tracks that focus on the construction and design aspects of these great projects. In addition, this year’s Convention will once again offer an expansive tradeshow of the latest product technologies, a golf outing, and back by popular demand, a bus tour of area buildings. The TCA Convention will also feature a gallery of entries to the 2008 TCA/PCA student design competition and the 2008 TCA Safety Awards. In addition to the split tracks detailing the accomplishments on challenging projects, general session seminars will be offered for Tilt-Up certification, intro to Tilt-Up engineering, sustainability in the concrete industry and immigration laws revisited.

The Convention also serves as another venue for the Tilt-Up Supervisor’s Certification exam – a joint program of the TCA and the American Concrete Institute. The examination consists of a closed-book, two-hour written test with 80 multiple-choice questions. For more information about the exam, please contact TCA at 319-895-6911.

Additional information and registration details are available on TCA’s website at www.tilt-up.org by visiting the specialized section on the TCA Convention through the Calendar of Events. You will also find more information on the Student Design Competition and many additional features on the latest in Tilt-Up.

TCA was founded in 1986 to improve the quality and acceptance of site cast Tilt-Up construction, a construction method in which concrete wall panels are cast on-site and tilted into place. Tilt-Up construction is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States, combining the advantages of reasonable cost with low maintenance, durability, speed of construction and minimal capital investment. For more information about the TCA, visit www.tilt-up.org or call Ed Sauter at 319-895-6911 or e-mail esauter@tilt-up.org.