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We Are Not Alone

8/1/2011

Warm August nights always make me grateful that my Dad, an avid amateur astronomer, taught me the night sky. We started with the North Star, the Big and Little Dippers, the Milky Way, and how to distinguish the planets from the stars. He eventually revealed the zodiac, star clusters, and even a few nebulae. With Dad's little telescope, we could see the rings of Saturn, the moons of Jupiter, craters on the moon, and other objects that only he could find. After a lot of hours with him on warm summer nights and in the longer and clearer cold winter darkness, I could even identify some of the satellites that passed overhead. After looking up into a crystal-clear night sky, one can't escape the question, "Are we alone in the universe?"

Long-time ACI members and veterans of the document writing-editing-debating-balloting-and-revising process can sometimes feel alone as we pursue our official mission to "develop, share, and disseminate the knowledge needed to utilize concrete to its fullest potential." Sometimes we feel as though we are boldly going where no organization has gone before to make sure that the right materials are used in the right proportions and properly placed into well-designed, safe, durable, and sustainable structures. But like the profound moment that occurs in futuristic epics when our heroes realize that they are not alone in the universe, a similar moment occurs when we as ACI members realize that we are not alone in our efforts to encourage, enable, and formulate requirements for the use of quality concrete.

Our ACI members not only bring their personal ideas, dedication, and initiative, but they also represent their institutional affiliations. ACI chapters and committees are populated by members of organizations that represent materials, including cement, slag, coal ash, silica fume, natural and manufactured aggregates, admixtures, fibers, packaged concrete, reinforcing, or prestressing wire and steel. The person next to us in the committee room might belong to an organization dedicated to concrete that is ready mixed, precast, reinforced, pretensioned, post-tensioned, fiber-reinforced, or pneumatically applied. He or she may belong to a masonry organization or specialize in buildings, pavements, pavers, bridges, foundations, housing, or concrete pipe. The person across the table might be part of a contractor's or manufacturer's group that brings new ideas to the supply or erection of formwork, shoring, tilt-up accessories, or pumping, consolidating, finishing, and curing concrete. The person you just met at the convention or at a chapter meeting might be a member of a group dedicated to extending service life by repair and restoration or increasing functionality by cutting, drilling, grinding, or grooving concrete.

Coming from my own varied background, ACI has given me a place to both focus and broaden my interests. ACI is one of a large number of partners whose goal is to build the right things out of concrete and build them right. I see the accomplishments brought about by the rapid mobilization of ACI and our fellow organizations in the creation and operation of the Joint Sustainability Initiative. I see the communication fostered by the Concrete and Masonry-Related Associations, and I appreciate the exchange of ideas when an ACI group sits down with another industry group to reaffirm common ground and objectives.

Just a few days ago, a number of our ACI members, Ron Burg, and I enjoyed the company of our fellow professionals at the American Society of Concrete Contractors' annual CEO Forum. Over the last year-and-a-half, I have benefited from participation on the ACI-ASCC task force that explored how our contractor members could more effectively contribute to the work of ACI to the benefit of members, both organizations, and the industry. Learning more about ASCC, "walking in their boots," and seeing ACI from their perspective made me realize the many unique and valuable points of view held by our members in other industry organizations. In our quest for quality concrete in service, our ranks are further expanded by our allies in the 26 organizations that have formally become ACI's International Partners.

Not only are we not alone, but we are working toward the same goal. As Bob Risser, President of CRSI, recently put it, "We are all trying to find answers to help people solve problems." Let's take advantage of our common ground and our common goals!

Kenneth C. Hover
American Concrete Institute
kch7@cornell.edu

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