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Week of Learning and Fun at The Concrete Convention and Exposition

4/23/2015

These students are not weight-lifting – they’re taking part in the recent Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Polymer Composites Student Competition at The Concrete Convention and Exposition in Kansas City, MO.

More than 1,700 attendees and guests gathered for the Exposition, April 12-16, 2015, joining colleagues for sessions, committee meetings, student competitions, personal awards, and networking, in addition to many social events.

If you attended the convention you might have noticed some people wearing very large buttons that said, “Ask Me About the Gala.” These colorful buttons and “Save the Date” pins were to raise awareness for the inaugural ACI Excellence in Concrete Awards Gala taking place November 9, 2015 in Denver, CO, USA. Vibrant kiosks in the exhibit area also provided information for attendees on this exciting event, plus ACI University, and the ACI Foundation.

Convention attendees had many session choices – but a core theme was Resilience. Presentations ranged from the impact of climate change on concrete structures to resilience as a design objective. Attendees learned that stricter standards and design elements can go a long way to reaching our goal of being "resilient."

In a session titled: Is Global Climate Change Killing Our Concrete Structures? Interactions between climate change and concrete infrastructure were discussed. Other environmental themed sessions included Ternary Blends and More; Toward Sustainable Infrastructure with Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites Session; and Resilient Housing: Making the Case for Sustainable Residential Concrete.

Contractors' Day, featuring sessions, a lunch presentation, and an evening networking event is always a hit with general contractors, project managers, and concrete industry professionals, at every Concrete Convention and Exposition. This day was no exception, with presentations discussing how to translate between contractor and supplier, the prevention of plastic shrinkage cracks, obstacles and challenges concrete contractors face every day. Attendees also enjoyed a lunch presentation by Jeffrey W. Coleman, The Coleman Law Firm, LLC, titled “When a Crack is a Construction Defect.”

The well attended Decorative Concrete and Aesthetic Innovations Session featured nationally recognized decorative concrete experts who outlined specialized materials and methods, and their role in successful placement and maintenance of polished concrete, concrete colorants, and specialty decorative finishes. Find session handouts online.

Student teams were invited to participate in the Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites Competition. During this exciting competition, students designed, constructed, and tested a concrete structure reinforced with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bars to achieve the optimal load-to-cost ratio, predicted the ultimate load, and predicted the load that would result in a piston deflection of 3.5 mm (0.14 in.). First place in Category 1 (Straight Prismatic Beam) went to Universidad Central del Ecuador, and first place in Category 2 went to Universidad de Cuenca. View all winners and photos.

Congratulations to all the winners of the ACI Student Competition! #ACIConvention http://t.co/SxzU2lXwK0 pic.twitter.com/5s2zbWe65O

— AmericanConcreteInst (@ConcreteACI) April 14, 2015

Global cooperation was in evidence as ACI President Sharon Wood chaired the ACI International Forum, a networking event that is held on Sunday at each convention. Exposition attendees from around the world gathered to  meet and learn from ACI international partners, ACI chapter representatives, and ACI leadership about worldwide events, activities, initiatives, and common themes of interest to the concrete materials, design, and construction industry. The forum featured presentations from Australia, Guatemala, and RILEM among others.  David Millar, of the Concrete Institute of Australia captured the aim of the all international concrete institutions present at the forum – “bringing the world of concrete to our members.”

In addition to meetings and sessions, there were opportunities to network including the Concrete Mixer, the Women in ACI Reception, and the Faculty Network Reception. The Student and Young Professional Networking Event was a chance for seasoned professionals to give guidance to those just starting in the industry, and answer the questions of students. View photos on ACI’s Facebook page.

Finally, the next ACI president, vice president, and four board members were introduced. Sharon L. Wood was elected to serve as president of the Institute for 2015-2016, Khaled Walid Awad was elected ACI vice president for a two-year term, and Michael J. Schneider is now the Institute’s senior vice president, which is also a two-year term. Additionally, four members were elected to serve on the ACI Board of Direction, each for three-year terms: JoAnn P. Browning, Cesar A. Constantino, Kimberly Kayler, and Roberto Stark.

The Concrete Convention and Exposition is dedicated to improving the design, construction, maintenance, and repair of concrete structures. The event provides a forum for networking and education and the opportunity to provide input on concrete industry codes, specifications, and guides. The Exposition is open to all who are interested in concrete, aligning with ACI’s strategic goal to proactively gather and share information on transformational ideas, practices, and techniques, and establish strong and productive relationships with external organizations and individuals.

The next Concrete Convention and Exposition in Denver, CO, will take place at the Sheraton, Denver, November 8-12, 2015. Mark your calendars and plan to attend this gathering of industry leaders from around the world! More information will be available at www.aciconvention.org soon!