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12/1/2008
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Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the Washington, DC, corridor to help further ACI’s Strategic Plan Goal No. 3, Industry Collaboration, which states that ACI will collaborate with construction-related organizations and associations in the interest of improving the quality of concrete construction. From October 20 to 22, with William Tolley, ACI Executive Vice President, and Douglas Sordyl, ACI Managing Director of Marketing, Sales, and Industry Relations and Strategic Development Council Managing Director, we attended meetings with several organizations that have close links with ACI. Common activities and goals were discussed with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, American Society of Civil Engineers, ASTM International, Design-Build Institute of America, Federal Highway Administration, International Code Council, National Institute of Building Sciences, and National Institute of Standards and Technology. It was very interesting to note that sustainability—the focus of ACI’s Strategic Plan Goal No. 2—is also high on the agendas of other societies and associations. During our talks about the importance of sustainability and ACI’s approach to the issue, ways and means to accomplish this common goal were explored. Coordination among the different parties involved is essential. The scope of these organizations coincides with ACI’s in many areas, so ACI’s support can help avoid overlapping efforts. Additionally, the new developments sponsored by ACI’s Strategic Development Council drew a lot of interest. How to attract younger members was also a topic of discussion. ACI’s novel approach of free e-membership to students was explained and the success of the program was emphasized. The role of the ACI Foundation in granting fellowships and scholarships is very important to involving young people in ACI. Another aspect that we highlighted during these meetings is ACI’s standing in the international arena and the respect associated with ACI within the world’s concrete industry. ACI’s long-standing and recent activities in the international field were summarized. Several of the institutions we visited also conduct international activities. We discussed the possibilities of strengthening these activities with ACI participation or realizing new international projects together. The role of ACI’s International Partners in developing a portal where abstracts from International Partners’ journal articles would be searchable on ACI’s Web site was presented. This will include a link to the International Partner’s Web site where downloads could be obtained free or for sale. The Concrete Institute of Australia, Japan Concrete Institute, Korea Concrete Institute, and RILEM have indicated they will participate; others are interested. A subject that generated great interest was the production of ACI official translations into Spanish, by a consensus procedure, of the ACI 318 Code and ACI 301, "Specifications for Structural Concrete." The experience of ACI as the Secretariat of ISO Technical Committee TC/71 was also discussed, along with the importance of the development of ISO Standard 19338 to permit the acceptance by ISO of national structural concrete building code requirements, which ACI 318 meets. The opportunities provided by the ACI International Publication Series program in which documents developed by consensus procedures overseas are published by ACI were highlighted during the meetings. The success of the document IPS-1, "Essential Requirements for Reinforced Concrete Buildings," which provides simple, conservative rules that follow ACI 318 for quickly designing low and midrise structures, was discussed. This document is currently being updated by ACI Committee 314, Simplified Design of Concrete Buildings. On the evening of October 21, we were invited to the Board of Direction Dinner and Awards Banquet of ASTM International that took place in Philadelphia, PA, where retiring members of the ASTM Board were recognized and awards were presented. This was an important social event, apart from the formal meetings, and gave us the opportunity to interact with the directors of an organization that has many goals and activities in common with ACI. I want to thank all the organizations for their warm reception during our visits. We received very important feedback that will help guide our activities in the future. Luis E. García American Concrete Institute luis.garcia@concrete.org Back to Memo List
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the Washington, DC, corridor to help further ACI’s Strategic Plan Goal No. 3, Industry Collaboration, which states that ACI will collaborate with construction-related organizations and associations in the interest of improving the quality of concrete construction. From October 20 to 22, with William Tolley, ACI Executive Vice President, and Douglas Sordyl, ACI Managing Director of Marketing, Sales, and Industry Relations and Strategic Development Council Managing Director, we attended meetings with several organizations that have close links with ACI. Common activities and goals were discussed with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, American Society of Civil Engineers, ASTM International, Design-Build Institute of America, Federal Highway Administration, International Code Council, National Institute of Building Sciences, and National Institute of Standards and Technology.
It was very interesting to note that sustainability—the focus of ACI’s Strategic Plan Goal No. 2—is also high on the agendas of other societies and associations. During our talks about the importance of sustainability and ACI’s approach to the issue, ways and means to accomplish this common goal were explored. Coordination among the different parties involved is essential. The scope of these organizations coincides with ACI’s in many areas, so ACI’s support can help avoid overlapping efforts. Additionally, the new developments sponsored by ACI’s Strategic Development Council drew a lot of interest.
How to attract younger members was also a topic of discussion. ACI’s novel approach of free e-membership to students was explained and the success of the program was emphasized. The role of the ACI Foundation in granting fellowships and scholarships is very important to involving young people in ACI.
Another aspect that we highlighted during these meetings is ACI’s standing in the international arena and the respect associated with ACI within the world’s concrete industry. ACI’s long-standing and recent activities in the international field were summarized. Several of the institutions we visited also conduct international activities. We discussed the possibilities of strengthening these activities with ACI participation or realizing new international projects together.
The role of ACI’s International Partners in developing a portal where abstracts from International Partners’ journal articles would be searchable on ACI’s Web site was presented. This will include a link to the International Partner’s Web site where downloads could be obtained free or for sale. The Concrete Institute of Australia, Japan Concrete Institute, Korea Concrete Institute, and RILEM have indicated they will participate; others are interested.
A subject that generated great interest was the production of ACI official translations into Spanish, by a consensus procedure, of the ACI 318 Code and ACI 301, "Specifications for Structural Concrete." The experience of ACI as the Secretariat of ISO Technical Committee TC/71 was also discussed, along with the importance of the development of ISO Standard 19338 to permit the acceptance by ISO of national structural concrete building code requirements, which ACI 318 meets.
The opportunities provided by the ACI International Publication Series program in which documents developed by consensus procedures overseas are published by ACI were highlighted during the meetings. The success of the document IPS-1, "Essential Requirements for Reinforced Concrete Buildings," which provides simple, conservative rules that follow ACI 318 for quickly designing low and midrise structures, was discussed. This document is currently being updated by ACI Committee 314, Simplified Design of Concrete Buildings.
On the evening of October 21, we were invited to the Board of Direction Dinner and Awards Banquet of ASTM International that took place in Philadelphia, PA, where retiring members of the ASTM Board were recognized and awards were presented. This was an important social event, apart from the formal meetings, and gave us the opportunity to interact with the directors of an organization that has many goals and activities in common with ACI.
I want to thank all the organizations for their warm reception during our visits. We received very important feedback that will help guide our activities in the future.
Luis E. García American Concrete Institute luis.garcia@concrete.org
Back to Memo List
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