News Detail

Spotlight on Contractors’ Day

4/20/2016

Unforeseen problems that seem to come out of left field, and ways to prepare for them.

Is there such a thing as good weather concreting?

Expect the unexpected.

These were some of the questions that emerged in a session titled, “Avoiding Problems through Sound Prevention Methods,” at Contractors’ Day at ACI’s Concrete Convention and Exposition, Tuesday, April 19, 2016, in Milwaukee, WI, USA. Four speakers presented information that focused on various proactive methods, techniques, and technologies that help identify and prevent problems from occurring with projects.

Presentations:

• Proper Cold Weather Concrete Operations
• Effective Techniques for Limiting Cracking and Curling of Slabs
• New Technology Aids for Concrete Construction
• Joint Durability: An Update of Mechanism and Solutions

The day was filled with essential learning and networking events for general contractors, project managers, and concrete industry professionals, and included a lunch presentation by Dr. Mark Federle, titled “Developing a Successful Strategy to Mitigate and Manage Risk on a Project.”

A well-attended two-part session titled ACI 301-16 Specifications for Structural Concrete gave attendees insights on this important upcoming document. 

ACI Committee 301 has just completed a comprehensive revision to the content of ACI 301. This revision expanded the scope of ACI 301 and revised many of the requirements that have been in previous versions for many years. The goal of this session was to show how the design and construction team should use ACI 301 when it's referenced in Project Specifications, with an emphasis on understanding the relationship between ACI codes and specifications. Topics included modifications to many of the default requirements within the specification and an introduction to new topics.

The new ACI 301-16 document is expected to be available summer 2016. 301-16 will also be included in a new edition of the ACI Field Reference Manual SP-15-(16), ACI 301-16 Specifications for Structural Concrete with Selected ACI References. This document is a compilation of ACI 301-16 Specifications for Structural Concrete and additional ACI documents on measuring, mixing, transporting, and placing concrete; concrete pumping methods; hot- and cold-weather concreting; consolidation; and concrete formwork. The ACI Field Reference Manual is expected to be available summer 2016.

Following this session, concrete industry professionals had multiple choices on Contractors’ Day.

There was a special two part session titled Fly Ash in Concrete—A Tribute to Tarun R. Naik. This session recognized the founding director of University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Center for By-Product Utilization (CBU), Professor Tarun R. Naik for his significant contribution to the beneficial application of fly ash in concrete. A two-part session: Ultra-High Performance Concrete, Testing of Material Properties exposed attendees to this still evolving technique.  Attendees learned that no standardized methods or detailed recommendations for testing and characterizing ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) material properties are currently available. The sessions focused on the UHPC material properties; the need for tailored test methods; test requirements; and the importance of standardized test methods.

Other sessions included “Thixotropy of Concrete-How it Can Help,” “Leveraging Mobile Technology in Design of Low-Rise Concrete Buildings,” “Design of Concrete Elements Using High-Strength Reinforcement,” and many more.

To round off the day, Contractors’ Day attendees joined over 1500 other concrete professionals at the Concrete Mixer for an evening of entertainment, great food, and beverages.