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Advancing through Strategic Thinking

9/1/2020

Previously, I have addressed the Foundation's Scholarship Council (SC) and Concrete Research Council (CRC). In this column, I will discuss the Strategic Development Council (SDC).

I suspect that few ACI members fully understand what SDC is or what it does. And yet SDC may be one of the most influential and forward-thinking groups within ACI or the ACI Foundation. SDC was formed in 1997 as a reaction to perceived barriers to new technologies and opportunities. It should be no surprise to anyone that ACI, in the development of its codes, specifications, and guides, has as a core principle the protection of the health, safety, and welfare of the public. As such, ACI moves slowly and deliberatively and follows a consensus-based process. This can potentially create barriers to new technologies or strategic initiatives that need to move with more haste while still adhering to the core principle of safety. Enter SDC and its purpose to provide:

• A forum for discussing and prioritizing key challenges facing the concrete industry; and
• A framework for development of programs that respond to industry opportunities and support timely adoption of innovative technologies, solutions to problems, and best practices.

SDC's members come from a broad cross section of the concrete industry and focus on collaborative problem-solving, strategic issues, market opportunities, research, and new technology. SDC supports ACI and industry in creating initiatives and programs that improve the quality and potential competitiveness of concrete in design and building, and as a building material.

SDC meets twice yearly at a 2-day conference and, true to its purpose, assembles a high-level group of industry professionals to address strategic issues and introduce new technologies. The impact of SDC is often unintentionally concealed in the larger ACI process. For example, SDC was the initial driving force behind the formation of the following ACI committees:

• ACI 562, Evaluation, Repair, and Rehabilitation of Concrete Buildings, and its Code and companion guide, where detailing, specifying, and maintaining existing concrete is distinguished from new concrete;
• ACI 131, Building Information Modeling of Concrete Structures;
• ACI 130, Sustainability of Concrete;
• ACI 329, Performance Criteria for Ready Mixed Concrete;
• ACI 378, Concrete Wind Turbine Towers, and the first design guide on concrete wind turbine towers; and
• ACI 242, Alternative Cements, to guide the industry in effective use of alternative (non-portland cement) binders in appropriate construction applications.

SDC has been part of collaborative industry efforts that not only impact ACI committees and documents but also the broader concrete industry by addressing issues and new technologies including:

• Research on formwork pressures for self-consolidating concrete;
• Research and new documents to solve the flooring moisture issue where existing concrete floors are overlain with flooring materials;
• Studies in the use of new technologies to reduce concrete cracking from early volume change;
• Financial support of research to develop the knowledge base of high-strength reinforcement for potential ACI 318 code changes;
• Facilitation and support of a study of global durability provisions that informed ACI Committee 201's efforts in a durability code; and
• Financial support of performance-based wind design to enable a rational assessment of risk and the most effective mitigation strategies.

As you can see, SDC, while seeming (to some of us) to work behind the scenes, has been responsible for major advancements within ACI. In today's fast-paced environment, there is nothing more important than to occasionally stop "doing" and think strategically. This is the role of SDC.

SDC can also identify research opportunities consistent with its purpose. Integrating new technology into accepted standards comes with a constraint, a comprehensive understanding of how new technology will affect performance and safety. Research is the key to developing that knowledge base. For ACI to remain the leader in providing concrete-related information, we must continue to think strategically and identify strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities, including, but not limited to, research opportunities in new focus areas of concrete.

All of these efforts, particularly research, need funding. I hope you will consider donating to the ACI Foundation. Development Director Jennifer DeWall is available to help.

Jeffrey W. Coleman

ACI President