News Detail

South America Visits

11/1/1999

One of the many joys of being ACI’s president is the opportunity to interact with both ACI members and concrete colleagues in their own habitats. I have been fortunate to be able to spend some time in South America, and am elated by their desire to affiliate even more closely with ACI. Without subjecting you to a travelogue, I felt you might be interested in some of the highlights.

In September 1998, I was part of the ACI delegation when Colombia hosted the plenary session of ISO TC-71 at the impressive Bogotá offices of ICONTEC (Instituto Colombiano de Normas Tecnicas y Certificacion). This multinational committee met for two days, attended by members from around the world. Our marvelous hosts, Luis and Camila Garcia, made sure we savored the best Bogotá has to offer, including delicious dishes and demonstrations of Colombian folk dancing our last night.

Then to picturesque Cartagena, on the sea, for the biannual meeting of the Colombian concrete industry as a whole, including a great many students. This week-long fete is a combination of many concrete-related organizations, and includes seminars, presentations, and even parties. (The main one, on the beach lasted until 5 a.m.; those students know how to party!) Both Bogotá and Cartegena are historic, scenic areas that we enjoyed immensely.

This summer, representing ACI, I spoke at the 41st Annual Congress of IBRACON (Instituto Brasileiro do Concreto) in Salvador, followed by visits to some of Brazil’s most remarkable offerings. This was made possible by the generosity of Master Builders and IBRACON, led by President Selmo Kuperman who, with his lovely wife, Ester, made my stay incredibly memorable. The Instituto is an Affiliated International Society (AIS) with ACI, and the Board very much wishes to increase communication and technology exchange between our organizations. The Congress drew a record number of participants, many of them students, and featured their First Annual Egg Protective Device Competition! It was a delight to see the enthusiasm of the students about their entries.

My Brazil adventure included an excursion to Itaipu Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric power plant, constructed from 1975 to 1991. Eighteen turbine generators, on the border between Brazil and Paraguay, supply 89% of the electricity used by Paraguay and 25% of that required by Brazil. The story of the construction is truly amazing: 16.1 million cu yd of concrete, rigidly quality controlled from cement manufacture to placement. The technical tour went down to the dry river bed, through the control rooms and concrete laboratory, out to the spillways...a truly unforgettable experience for anyone, especially a concrete person.

The Brazilian Portland Cement Association (ABCP) in São Paulo (now the third largest city in the world, with 16 million inhabitants) made an impressive presentation of its work, reinforcing the wish to affiliate more closely with ACI through IBRACON, and perhaps visiting our headquarters in Michigan. They face a real challenge, as only 10-12% of concrete produced is by the ready-mixed industry; the balance is on site by the finisher/contractor.

Furnas Laboratories, housed in 13 buildings in a lovely campus setting in Goiania, impressed me with its equipment, quality personnel, and fine facilities. The laboratory focuses on dams and hydroelectric plants, performing technical and scientific testing in such areas as concrete, soil and rock mechanics, geology, metrology, and hydraulic structures. The gracious Dr. Pacelli de Andrade and his staff ensured my comfort and enlightenment.

One of Brazil’s most memorable sights is Igassu Falls, 275 cataracts on its Argentine border. A guided tour takes tourists near enough to the falls to get wet. It was an incredible experience, one I hope to repeat.

The second half of this trip took me to Peru, and the protective care of Teodoro Harmsen, ACI Honorary Member, and his charming, exquisite wife, Ana Teresa. Here I indeed felt like royalty; the Harmsens are the best hosts imaginable. Teodoro, president of one of the largest Peruvian contracting firms, has just completed his 59th year of evening teaching at the Catholic University in Lima! A truly impressive record.

A very active chapter, some years ago the Peru Chapter was ACI’s largest, boasting 1200 members. In 1997, the chapter earned the status of "excellent." The offices are filled with sunshine, natural wood, and green plants—delightful surroundings for the staff. Our evening seminar drew 250 participants, many of them students.

A visit to Peru wouldn’t be complete without time spent at Machu Picchu, the ruins of the last Inca city, on top of a mountain in the Andes. But that’s another story, and the ruins are not concrete. (In fact, no mortar was used at all, but you can’t get even a business card between the stones!)

In all places, I was welcomed heartily and treated royally. ACI is well-respected in these South American countries, and we will all benefit greatly from increased exchanges of technology. In addition to Peru, we currently have active chapters in Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico (two here), Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. The International Task Group, chaired by ACI Vice President James O. Jirsa, is an important element in continuing these efforts.

Jo Coke
President
American Concrete Institute

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