Hurricane Katrina slams into Louisiana, Mississippi

On Aug. 29, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast with 140 mph winds.

What appeared to be only a glancing blow to New Orleans turned more severe as the Lake Pontchartrain Levee was breached in five locations, inundating more than 80 percent of the city with water.

Reports of catastrophic devastation also come from the Mississippi Gulf Coast, with homes and businesses leveled and several Gulf Coast casinos hurled hundreds of yards inland. Several of the floating barge casinos in Biloxi were removed from their moorings by the hurricane’s 25-ft. wall of water.

Fatalities were expected to exceed those of Hurricane Camille in 1969.

As the scale of this unprecedented tragedy continues to unfold, Louisiana Contractor magazine will strive to report on repair and recovery efforts, as well as provide Web links to news reports, emergency information and phone numbers.

MCIA Receives Association of the Year Award

Mississippians involved in the Ready Mixed Concrete Industry have recently been recognized by the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) for their contributions in the areas of promotion, education, advocacy and research.

Mississippi received one of NRMCA's State Association of the Year awards given during a ceremony held at NRMCA's convention in Las Vegas. Robert Varner, executive director of the Mississippi Concrete Industries Association (MCIA), accepted the award.

Dave Robison, president of Delta Industries and an MCIA board member, was pleased to know that his association had been chosen to receive the award.

"The Mississippi association is not a social club," said Robison. "There is a tremendous amount of involvement by the member companies to improve the ready mix concrete industry in our state through training events, promotions and schools."

The Mississippi Concrete Industries Association is a non-profit trade association that represents 72 concrete and related industries in Mississippi. The association focuses on expanding concrete markets and improving the quality of concrete construction in Mississippi.

SCAN holds annual forum in Biloxi

The 2005 Southeast Concrete Alliance Network (SCAN) annual workshop was held recently in Biloxi, Miss., at the Beau Rivage Hotel.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation served as this year's host to more than 125 participants across the southeastern region.

In conjunction with a presentation by MDOT on the use of concrete pavement repair techniques, the highway department hosted a tour of a recently repaired 54-year-old jointed concrete pavement.

Other topics included in the three-day conference were: