5 / 60
COMMENT
3
North America 2019
World Cement
T
hroughout
history
successful
countries
have invested in
both their military
and infrastructure.
A strong military
provides for the common defense, while a
sound infrastructure raises the standard of
living for its inhabitants.
The US’s commitment to these priorities
helped it rise from former British colony to the
world’s lone super power. Yet, while its military
is today unrivalled, according to the 2017
American Civil Society of Engineers’ (ACSE)
report, the country’s infrastructure earned a
D+ grade, and has a US$2 trillion infrastructure
investment gap over the next decade. Since
ACSE’s report first came out in 2001, the
US has nearly received a failing grade every
time.
There is long-standing, bipartisan agreement
that the US’s infrastructure must be repaired
and upgraded, but Congress keeps kicking
the can down the road. However, we might
be poised for a breakthrough in 2019. After
all, President Donald Trump is on record
saying: “We will build gleaming new roads,
bridges, highways, railways, and waterways
all across our land. And we will do it with
American heart, and American hands, and
American grit.” That sentiment is matched by
House Democrats who, during their successful
2018 midterm election campaigns, made
tackling infrastructure a top priority.
Unfortunately, the same vexing question that
bedeviled previous efforts remains: how do we
pay for it? The Portland Cement Association
(PCA) supports whatever funding mechanisms
federal officials can agree upon, including
raising the federal gas tax, which last occurred
in 1993. Even that legislative initiative
was flawed, because according to the
Congressional Budget Office (CBO), if the
gas tax had been tied to inflation it would be
19 cents higher right now.
Even if a big-ticket infrastructure package
never materialises, there are plenty of
opportunities for the most resilient and
prevalent construction material in the world:
concrete. PCA is focused on creating an
efficient and well-functioning transportation
network that meets our needs and positions
the US economy for robust growth. For real
progress to be made, revenue shortfalls in
existing programmes must be addressed
before it is too late.
Infrastructure also includes airports,
waterways, and buildings. Over the past
several years, there has been a significant
growth in the intensity of natural disasters,
ranging from wildfires to hurricanes, that are
devastating communities. Instead of always
reacting to these events, why not be more
proactive? For example, Russell King relied on
resilient construction materials like concrete
to build his home in Mexico Beach, Florida.
When Hurricane Michael tore through the town
last year, King’s home was the last one left
standing. His personal mitigation effort needs
to be brought to the masses.
That is why PCA supports providing
communities the resources and tools to
enhance the resiliency of their buildings
and the infrastructure to increase their
durability, longevity, disaster resistance,
and safety. Enhanced resilient construction
will improve sustainability and reduce the
resources needed to rebuild in the future.
In the last Congress, PCA supported the
Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA), which
addresses the rising costs of disasters and
reforms the federal disaster programme by
investing in pre-disaster mitigation.
America must invest more resources in
our infrastructure, otherwise we will not be
able to meet the demands of our growing
population and an interconnected world in
the 21
st
Century. Delays only exacerbate the
problem. We need our political leaders to rise
to the challenge, as they have done in the past,
even during the most trying of times. It is what
successful countries do.
MICHAEL IRELAND
PRESIDENT AND CEO, PORTLAND CEMENT ASSOCIATION