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The Journey of ACI Committee Membership

2/1/2008

Nearly 3100 ACI members serve on one or more of its 225 technical, educational, certification, and administrative committees. And it's been estimated that the volunteer effort committed to ACI exceeds $15 million per year, a figure that's larger than the Institute's $13 million dollar annual budget!

Why do so many people put in so much effort?

The reasons are certainly varied, but I think that it's fair to say that they include benefits to the individual, the employer, and the profession at large.

With 32 years of active participation on ACI committees, I can testify to the individual benefits. The payoff is especially big for younger members. When I first began attending ACI conventions in the 1970s, I had the opportunity to meet and work with the top people in the field of concrete. That observation is just as appropriate today. During my early years, I became most active in ACI Committee 224, Cracking, and my mentors on the committee gave me strong guidance on technical matters and excellent direction on the operation of ACI committees. The latter was important because I was thrust into the position of Chair just 2 years after joining the committee. In that capacity, I had the opportunity to work on a revision of the landmark committee report "Control of Cracking in Concrete Structures," and in the process, learned more than I could have in years as an individual evaluating cracking problems in the field.

As I continued to participate in ACI and joined other committees, my understanding broadened. Over time, I not only gained new knowledge, sometimes in great depth, I also found that I could contribute to the knowledge base and even impact the direction of the field. These experiences strengthened my abilities as a teacher, researcher, and consultant.

Instructors often say that they truly learn a subject when they have to teach it for the first time. I would like to add that is also true when you have to write about it or evaluate others' writing on the subject, both of which are tasks of ACI committee members. Because of this, I can add lifelong learning to the list of benefits I have received from ACI technical committee service.

Okay, but what's in it for the members of ACI's educational, certification, and administrative committees? The answer is nothing less than having a direct impact on the direction of the concrete industry. The first two groups work on ACI's training and certification programs, which help ensure top-notch construction worldwide. They do this because they are interested in strengthening the industry as a whole. And special acknowledgment is owed to the members serving on ACI's administrative committees for their work to ensure that ACI's infrastructure, operations, and finances remain strong so that the Institute can continue to serve its members and fulfill its chartered objective to provide "service in gathering, correlating and disseminating information for the improvement of the design, construction, manufacture, use and maintenance of concrete products and structures."

Overall, ACI committee members help direct the industry, identify problems, and exchange ideas, and by participating in ACI committees, members remain up to date on the latest technical and professional developments in concrete construction.

If you have not had the opportunity to serve on a committee, now's the time to start attending ACI conventions and committee meetings. It's not unusual to hear individuals make the statement that such attendance is costly to companies, more so in terms of work time lost than even the direct cost of attendance. That point of view, however, is shortsighted. My experience is that design, materials, and construction professionals who participate in ACI rise to the top of their profession and are considered leaders in their individual fields of expertise. And they more than pay back the time and expense of being involved. Further, feedback from my former students (whom I encourage to participate in ACI committees) strongly suggests that you'll get a positive response from your employer, including financial support, when you raise the subject of participating on an ACI committee.

I encourage you to take advantage of ACI committee participation, and if you're not already planning to come, I hope that you will join us at the Los Angeles Convention next month to start the journey of ACI committee membership.

David Darwin
American Concrete Institute
daved@ku.edu

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