U.S. Customs and Border Protection has released two requests for proposal for U.S-Mexico border wall prototypes.  The RFPs specify that the wall must resist a variety of "attacks," be climb and dig-resistant, and be aesthetically pleasing.  One RFP specifies a concrete wall;, the other a wall composed of "see-through" materials.  Proposals are due March 29th, and winners will be announced in late May.

Moody's has released a report,  "Large Increase in US Infrastructure Spending Will Be Slow to Develop," that concludes that the Trump administration $1 Trillion infrastructure proposals will be  slow to ramp up and result in limited increases in spending in the 2017 and 2018,"due to a number of political and practical constraints.  This view was also reflected by the Portland Cement Association's chief economist, Ed Sullivan, at the Association's recent Spring meetings.  For a summary of the Moody's report and a link to the download, go to ForConstructionPros.com, "Progress on Filling US Infrastructure Gap Likely to Be Slow Despite Calls to Action" (March 21, 2017)

Belknap Place in San Antonio, the oldest concrete street in Texas, received the American Concrete Pavement Association's Lifetime Pavement Recognition Award at its December 2016 annual meeting, held in Austin.  Concrete Pavement Progress, ACPA's quarterly magazine, showcased this achievement in its Quarter 1, 2017 edition, noting that San Antonio's Al Siam Feredous, Sr. Engineer in the Department of Transportation and Capitol Improvements, accepted the award on behalf of the city.   Concrete Pavement Progress had previously featured the street in its article "Texas Celebrates its First Concrete Pavement" in the Quarter 3, 2016 edition of Concrete Pavement Progress.

The American Society of Civil Engineers released its 2017 Infrastructure Report Card yesterday, and the U.S. scores an overall D+.  The report card is issued every four years, and provides a comprehensive assessment of 16 infrastructure categories, using an A through F scale.  The ASCE report card website states, "Our nation is at a crossroads. Deteriorating infrastructure is impeding our ability to compete in the thriving global economy, and improvements are necessary to ensure our country is built for the future."  Visit ASCE's comprehensive website,  http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/, for the full report, or click on the above video for a summary.

University of Texas at Austin Professor Emeritus David Fowler, will be awarded the American Concrete Institute's highest honor, Honorary Membership, at its 2017 Spring Convention in Detroit later this month.  Dr. Fowler, a pioneering concrete researcher,  is a friend, teacher, mentor and invaluable resource to many in Texas, the U.S., and the world. 

The ACI is awarding this to Dr. Fowler “for his extensive contributions in teaching and research on concrete materials and design, and his many years of service on numerous ACI Committees and contributions toward the improvement of concrete design and construction.”

 The Cement Council of Texas congratulates Dr. Fowler on this distinguished achievement.  For more information, visit "ACI's New Honorary Members," February 27, 2017.