CONCRETE INTERNATIONAL

MARCH 2022 V. 44 No. 3

V. 44 NO. 3

29 A Concrete Diamond in
the Northern Cape
DECORATIVE & ARCHITECTURAL CONCRETE
MARCH 2022

@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
Help
falling walls
stand tall.
Introducing Heli-Tie™ helical wall and stitching ties from Simpson Strong-Tie.
Our helical wall tie stabilizes damaged masonry walls by anchoring the facade to structural
members, while the helical stitching tie repairs cracks. Both ties provide an inconspicuous
repair that preserves the appearance of the building — allowing your clients to avoid
rebuilding or unsightly fixes. Their helical design distributes loads uniformly over a large
surface area, and Type 304 stainless steel provides excellent corrosion resistance. And with
our complimentary field validation and follow-up testing, you’ll maximize the effectiveness of
your project repair and regain wall stability.
®
For more on how Simpson Strong-Tie Heli-Tie helical wall and stitching ties can help you
restore damaged masonry walls, visit go.strongtie.com/helitie
@seismicisolationor call (800) 999-5099.
@seismicisolation
© 2022 Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc. HELITIE21E
 ACI SLABS WEEK: APRIL 26-29, 2022
ACI Resource Center – Southern California

Earn Your ACI Specialty

Commercial/Industrial Concrete
Flatwork Finisher and Technician
Certification

ACI Educational Seminars (eligible for CEUs)

• Design of slabs-on-ground
• Construction of slabs-on-ground

Review Sessions
• Specialty Commercial/Industrial Concrete Flatwork Finisher and Technician
• Concrete Flatwork Finisher
• Decorative Concrete Flatwork Finisher

ACI Certification Exams

• Specialty Commercial/Industrial Concrete Flatwork Finisher and Technician
• Concrete Flatwork Finisher
• Decorative Concrete Flatwork Finisher

To register, click here.

@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
Ci
MARCH 2022 V. 44 No. 3
Concrete
international
The Magazine of the Concrete Community

DECORATIVE & ARCHITECTURAL CONCRETE

35
29 A Concrete Diamond in the Northern Cape
Sol Plaatje University Student Resource Centre’s floating concrete
façade challenges the limits of lateral stability
by Deborah Huso

34 2021 Decorative Concrete Council Award Winners

36 Hallowed Ground
Restoration returned the United States Air Force Academy Air Garden
to its former glory
by Sean O’Keefe

39 O.S. Fowler’s Octagon House

Renowned phrenologist was a proponent of gravel wall construction
by Luke M. Snell

37
ALSO FEATURING
19 ACI’s New Fellows
Members to be awarded at the ACI Concrete Convention – Spring
2022

26 How the ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards

Got its Start
After 8 years, the program is growing with a new, self-nomination
option for entries

43 Microspheres in Hardened Concrete

Criteria for assessing cyclic freezing-and-thawing durability
by Emmanuel K. Attiogbe

64 Concrete Q&A: Specifying Architectural Concrete

@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 3

Ci
Concrete international
PUBLISHER
Rex C. Donahey, PE
rex.donahey@concrete.org
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Keith A. Tosolt
keith.tosolt@concrete.org
ENGINEERING EDITOR
W. Agata Pyc
agata.pyc@concrete.org
MANAGING EDITOR
Lacey J. Stachel
lacey.stachel@concrete.org
EDITOR
Demitri A. Kanellopoulos
demitri.kanellopoulos@concrete.org
ADVERTISING
Dan Kaste
MCI USA
dan.kaste@wearemci.com
PUBLISHING SERVICES
SUPERVISOR
Ryan M. Jay
EDITORS
Erin N. Azzopardi, Kaitlyn J. Dobberteen,
Tiesha Elam, Hannah Genig,
Angela R. Noelker, Kelli R. Slayden
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Susan K. Esper, Ryan M. Jay,
Gail L. Tatum
http://www.concrete.org
Tel. +1.248.848.3700
Fax. +1.248.848.3150
4 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
March
27
departments
CONCRETE INTERNATIONAL
MARCH 2022 V. 44 No. 3
7 President’s Memo
10 News
V. 44 NO. 3
29 A Concrete Diamond in
the Northern Cape
15 On the Move
DECORATIVE & ARCHITECTURAL CONCRETE
17 Calls for Papers
51 Products & Practice
54 Product Showcase
56 Industry Focus
MARCH 2022
The newly constructed Sol Plaatje 59 Meetings
University Student Resource Centre,
the centerpiece of the first public
60 Public Discussion
university to be built in South Africa 62 Sinopsis en Español
since 1994, has a design like the cut
of an inverted diamond and employs 63 Advertiser Index
concrete as its primary structural and
aesthetic feature. This pays homage 63 What’s New from ACI
to the diamonds that built the city of
Kimberley, South Africa, and to the
native Brakdak style of construction
where wood is nearly nonexistent. For
details on the new building in the heart
of the university’s campus, see the
article on p. 29.
Copyright © 2022 American Concrete Institute. Printed in the United States of America. All correspondence should be directed to the
headquarters office: 38800 Country Club Drive, Farmington Hills, MI 48331. Telephone: +1.248.848.3700. Facsimile (FAX): +1.248.848.3701.
Concrete International (US ISSN 0162-4075) is published monthly by the American Concrete Institute, 38800 Country Club Drive,
Farmington Hills, MI 48331. Periodicals postage paid at Farmington, MI, and at additional mailing offices. Concrete International
has title registration ® with the U.S. Patent Trademark Office. Subscription rates: $188 per year payable in advance: single copy
price is $27.00 plus shipping, prepaid. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Concrete International, 38800 Country Club
Drive, Farmington Hills, MI 48331. The Institute is not responsible for the statements or opinions expressed in its publications.
Institute publications are not able to, nor intended to supplant individual training, responsibility, or judgment of the user, or the
supplier, of the information presented. Permission is granted by the American Concrete Institute for libraries and other users
registered with the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) to photocopy any article herein for the fee of $3.00 per transaction. Pay-
ments marked ISSN 0162-4075/97 should be sent directly to the Copyright Clearance Center, 21 Congress St., Salem, MA. 01970.
Copying done for other than personal or internal reference use without the express permission of the American Concrete Institute
is prohib­ited. Requests for special permission or bulk copying should be addressed to the Publisher, Concrete International,
American Concrete Institute. Canadian GST #126213149RT
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
 Ci
American Concrete Institute
IN Board of Direction
President Directors
Cary S. Kopczynski Scott M. Anderson Maria G. Juenger
Your Construction Project Past President
Michael C. Brown Kamal H. Khayat
Anthony R. DeCarlo Jr. Michael E. Kreger
Could Win Board Members Walter H. Flood IV Kimberly E. Kurtis

S
David A. Lange John W. Gajda Ishita Manjrekar
ince the first awards cycle was Randall W. Poston G. Terry Harris W. Jason Weiss
Jeffrey W. Coleman
launched in 2014, the ACI
Excellence in Concrete
Construction Awards program has Vice Presidents Executive Vice President
recognized outstanding design and Charles K. Nmai Antonio Nanni Ronald Burg
construction projects around the world.
Structures built with innovative technology
and exceptional architectural elements are Technical Activities Educational Activities Certification Programs
selected for first- and second-place honors Committee Committee Committee
chair chair chair
in seven categories, with one overall Michael C. Brown Thomas M. Greene Frances T. Griffith
Excellence winner named by the judging
secretary staff liaison staff liaison
panel comprised of industry experts. Matthew R. Senecal Kathryn A. Amelio John W. Nehasil
Any concrete project that has won an
ACI chapter award is automatically Timothy S. Folks Diana Arboleda Eric Bedard
Robert J. Frosch Tara Cavalline Bryan R. Castles
considered for the Excellence Awards. Other Wassim Ghannoum Arturo Gaytan Covarrubias Oscar Duckworth
projects can be nominated by ACI chapter Mary Beth D. Hueste Walter H. Flood IV Werner K. Hellmer
officials or an ACI international partner. Maria G. Juenger Seamus F. Freyne J. Scott Keim
Keith E. Kesner Lance S. Heiliger Steve R. Lloyd Sr.
Now, another way to receive
Kamal H. Khayat Kimberly Waggle Kramer Jorge M. Rivera Torres
recognition for projects is being Carl J. Larosche Robert C. Lewis Christopher J. Robinson
introduced. For engineering firms and Barzin Mobasher John B. Robertson Robert L. Varner
constructors that do not have an ACI Anton K. Schindler Jackie A. Sempel Wayne M. Wilson
Thomas J. Van Dam
chapter or partner award program W. Jason Weiss
available in their area, self-nomination is
an option. The deadline for entries is
approaching (p. 26).
In this issue of CI, the focus is on
award-winning projects featuring ACI Staff & Departments
decorative and architectural concrete. The Executive Vice President: Ronald Burg, ron.burg@concrete.org
exterior shell of the Sol Plaatje University Senior Managing Director: John C. Glumb, john.glumb@concrete.org
Student Resource Centre is a monolithic
ACI Foundation: Human Resources:
concrete envelope with the walls ann.masek@acifoundation.org lori.purdom@concrete.org
cantilevered to the outside to create a Certification: Information Systems:
floating façade. A sustainable heating and aci.certification@concrete.org support@concrete.org
cooling system is also incorporated (p. 29). Chapter Activities: Marketing:
A review of the 2021 Decorative john.conn@concrete.org julie.webb@concrete.org
Concrete Council Award Winners Engineering: Member/Customer Services:
includes the WOW! Award for best techinq@concrete.org acicustomerservice@concrete.org
overall project. A highlight of Little Event and Publishing Services: Professional Development:
Island at Pier 55 is a 700-seat lauren.mentz@concrete.org claire.hiltz@concrete.org
amphitheater with architectural concrete Finance and Administration: Publishing Services:
designed for a 100-year life cycle (p. 34). donna.halstead@concrete.org ryan.jay@concrete.org
When the ACI Concrete Convention
takes place this month, a group of ACI’s
annual awardees will be honored, Sustaining Members
including the newest ACI Fellows (p. 19). See pages 8-9 for a list of ACI’s Sustaining Members.
They represent ACI’s goal of “Always
To learn more about our sustaining members, visit the ACI website at
advancing”—which is also reflected in
www.concrete.org/membership/sustainingmembers.aspx.
the industry’s award-winning projects.
Keith A. Tosolt
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 5
 Get the
Recognition
You
Deserve

E xcellence in Concrete Construction Awards

2022 Call for Entries

Submission deadline is April 29, 2022
ELIGIBILITY
There are three ways to nominate a project:
1. The project is nominated by an ACI chapter.
2. The project is nominated by an ACI international partner.
3. Project team member or owner may self-nominate by paying a nonrefundable $500 nomination fee.
The nominated project must consist of new construction substantially completed within 36 months of the
submission deadline.

For more information, please contact Doreen Dickerson at +1.248.848.3162,

@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
Doreen.Dickerson@concrete.org or visit www.ACIExcellence.org
President’s
Memo
Looking Ahead
T
his is my last Memo as hardware and software for designing structures will
ACI President. As I undoubtedly have changed—how? In construction, what new
pondered ideas for the systems and equipment will be in use, and will they be
message I wanted to convey, I controlled by human beings or artificial intelligence?
considered several topics. I These are all important questions. And if you assume as I
thought about recapping the past do that change in all areas of our industry—education,
year and discussing ACI’s many materials, design, and construction—will be rapid and
achievements. I considered continual, it’s intriguing to ponder where those changes will
going in a different direction and take us. And most importantly, to commit to being a
giving you an insight into the participant and not a bystander. Participants will lead the
COVID-19 related challenges change; bystanders will follow it. ACI is in a unique position
that ACI staff and leadership to lead it. That being the case, I’ll offer some final thoughts on
Cary S. Kopczynski
faced over the last 2 years and where future ACI leadership should target its efforts.
ACI President how adroitly they were
confronted and overcome. And “envisioning the future is more
I also considered writing about ACI’s expanding international
role and the valuable partnerships we are nurturing around important than dwelling on the past”
the world.
These topics were all worthwhile for my last Memo. But in Knowledge growth—not just in our industry but in all
the end, I decided to direct my thoughts to the future because areas of human endeavor—leads to specialization. As growth
envisioning the future is more important than dwelling on the continues, one specialty becomes two, and two become four.
past. What’s done is done. But what’s yet to be created Although knowledge growth is net positive, it does have
originates from our vision and our willingness to pursue it. So negative consequences. Chief among these is the tendency to
instead of writing about what the Institute has accomplished, divide and fracture fields of activity, which makes unification
as impressive as it is, I decided to explore where it’s going. of effort increasingly difficult. Using the example of a
What exciting opportunities await us if we are bold enough to construction project, modern projects involve dozens—
pursue them? Where will they take us? And how should ACI sometimes hundreds—of design and construction disciplines,
position itself to play a leading role? each playing a specialized role. In times past, that same
Let’s begin with one of the biggest challenges confronting project was handled by the “Renaissance person” who could
our industry—achieving carbon neutrality. It’s no mystery that do it all. No longer.
concrete is responsible for nearly 10% of excess global carbon ACI can play a crucial role in combatting the consequences
emissions. It’s also no mystery that many political entities, of a fractured industry. As a professional, consensus-based
trade associations, companies, and individuals in the concrete organization, we are uniquely positioned to unify and not
industry are working on this problem. A challenge going divide, to promote collaboration over competition, and to
forward is to unify and focus these activities, and this can best nurture global relationships that benefit our entire industry.
be accomplished by a professional organization with a global That should be our focus. May it always be so.
wingspan. That entity is ACI. Our Center of Excellence for It has been a great honor to serve as your President. My
Carbon Neutral Concrete will soon be introduced and begin respect for the Institute, its members, and what we represent
work. It will serve as a resource for the entire industry and nationally and internationally has grown with each new
assist the many incubating companies that need help scaling experience. And this increased respect has strengthened my
up their ideas, products, and services. commitment to remaining an active participant in and
Looking further ahead, I find it intriguing to ask ourselves contributor to this great organization we call ACI. May we
what our industry will look like in 50 years, 100 years, or continue together in the spirit of “Always advancing.”
longer. What differences will there be in education? What new
advancements will have occurred in concrete materials? Our Cary S. Kopczynski
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 7
ACI SUSTAINING
The Foundation
Sustaining Members show true dedication
to advancing concrete knowledge.
The continued support from these organizations has
enhanced the progress of the concrete industry.

www.amengtest.com www.ascconline.org www.arcosalightweight.com

+1.800.972.6364 +1.866.788.2722 +1.678.777.6278

American Engineering Testing, Inc.
(AET), specializes in geotechnical,
pavement, and construction materials
engineering and testing; environmental
consulting; forensic engineering; building
technology; and petrography/chemistry.
ASCC is a nonprofit organization for cast-
in-place concrete contractors, dedicated
to enhancing the capabilities of those who
build with concrete and providing them a
unified voice in the industry.
Arcosa Lightweight is America’s largest
producer of expanded shale and clay
lightweight aggregate, with operations
in California, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana,
Alabama, Kentucky, Indiana, and
Arkansas.

www.peri-usa.com www.premform.com www.usa.sika.com

+1.410.712.7225 +1.905.790.3555 +1.800.933.SIKA

PERI is one of the largest manufacturers
and suppliers of formwork, shoring,
and scaffolding systems worldwide.
Their expansive network of rental yards
and engineering offices have made
them a preferred supplier for concrete
contractors across the U.S.
As a concrete forming company with
over 25 years of experience, Premform
takes pride in building—and acting—with
creativity, expertise, and integrity at every
step.
Sika develops and produces systems and
products for bonding, sealing, damping,
reinforcing, and protecting in the building
sector and automotive industry.

American Engineering Testing, Inc. Boral Resources Dayton Superior Corporation

American Society of Concrete Contractors Cantera Concrete Company Doka USA Ltd.
Anchormen Construction LLC Ceco Concrete Construction, LLC The Euclid Chemical Company
Arcosa Lightweight CHRYSO, Inc. GCP Applied Technologies Inc.
Ash Grove Cement Company Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute Goss Foundations, Inc.
B&B Concrete of Kansas, LLC Concrete Sealants, Inc. Hawkins Construction and Flat Work, LLC
Baker Concrete Construction, Inc. Concrete Strategies LLC Keystone Structural Concrete, LLC
@seismicisolation
Barrier One, Inc. CTLGroup@seismicisolation LafargeHolcim (US) Inc.
Bentley Systems, Inc. Curecrete Distribution, Inc. Lehigh Hanson, Inc.
MEMBERS
of Our Success
To learn more about Sustaining Members,
visit www.concrete.org/sustainingmembers.
Read more about this month’s featured
Sustaining Members in the profiles below!
NEW SUSTAINING MEMBER

www.flyash.com www.wrmeadows.com www.meiercon.com

+1.901.984.9400 +1.847.314.2100 +1.858.485.1800

Boral Resources—America’s leading
marketer of coal combustion products—
operates an extensive distribution network
and offers proprietary technologies
ensuring consistent, high-quality fly ash.
W. R. MEADOWS’ extensive line of high- Three generations of Meier structural
performance, premium-grade construction concrete contractors have been providing
products have been developed for use in, Southern California with foundations for
on, around, and under concrete. their communities for over 60 years.

NEW SUSTAINING MEMBER

www.ssiteam.com www.vector-corrosion.com www.ztexconstruction.com

+1.877.774.2677 +1.813.830.7566 +1.915.591.6900

For over 25 years, Structural Services,
Inc., has pioneered the development of
new placing, finishing, and monitoring
procedures which make construction of
superior on-ground and suspended slabs
both possible and practical.
Vector Corrosion Technologies has
innovative solutions for concrete corrosion
repair and protection in reinforced
concrete structures.
ZTEX Construction provides cost-
effective concrete solutions and
innovative problem-solving strategies to
west Texas and Southern New Mexico.
Our team, commitment, and dedication to
every project are what sets us apart.

Master Builders Solutions US, LLC
W. R. Meadows, Inc.
Meier Construction, Inc.
Metromont Corporation
Municipal Testing Group
North S.Tarr Concrete Consulting, PC
Oztec Industries, Inc.
Penetron International Ltd.
PERI Formwork Systems, Inc.
Phoenix Industrial Superior Construction Services
Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute TEKNA CHEM SpA
Premform TWC Concrete Services, LLC
Seretta Construction, Inc. Vector Corrosion Technologies
Sika Corporation Xypex Chemical Corporation
Specialty Products Group, Inc. ZTEX Construction Inc.
STRUCTURAL
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
Structural Services, Inc.
Sullivan Construction Group
News
ACI Releases New Repair Code
ACI released ACI CODE-562-21: Assessment, Repair, and
Rehabilitation of Existing Concrete Structures—Code and
Commentary in print and digital formats. This code provides
minimum requirements for assessment, design and
construction, or implementation of repairs and rehabilitation,
including quality assurance requirements, for structural
concrete in service. ACI CODE-562-21 was written
specifically to be integrated into building codes as a
mechanism for building officials to have increased confidence
that repairs are performed in a manner that provides an
acceptable level of protection for the public. Previous versions
of ACI CODE-562 have already been adopted by North
Carolina, Hawaii, Ohio, and Florida.
“This fourth edition of ACI CODE-562 now provides users
with a clearer direction when approaching a repair project
using the document in conjunction with the IEBC or as a
stand-alone code,” states Michael L. Tholen, ACI Managing
Director, Engineering and Professional Development. “ACI
CODE-562-21 provides all parties involved in a concrete
repair project with a common and clearly defined set of
requirements upon which to base its assessment, repair, and
rehabilitation.”
ACI CODE-562 is available to subscribers of the online
ACI Collection of Concrete Codes, Specifications, and
Practices and the ACI Concrete Repair Subscription, or it can
be purchased individually in print or digital formats.
To learn more about ACI CODE-562-21 and to purchase,
visit www.concrete.org/aci562.
ACI Announces New Editor for Concrete
International
Demitri Kanellopoulos joined ACI as Editor for Concrete
International. Kanellopoulos received his bachelor’s degree in building code-related
professional writing and his minor in public relations from
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA. He is a
self-published author, experienced blog writer and editor, and a member
has aided in public relations campaigns for the City of East
Lansing and the Broad Art Museum. Presently, Kanellopoulos
hopes to assist readers by providing them with current and
accurate information about the concrete industry and the
advancement of concrete technology.
Plant Certification for Composite Producers to
be Developed
The American Composites Manufacturers Association
(ACMA), ACI, and NEx: An ACI Center of Excellence for
Nonmetallic Building Materials (NEx) have signed a
memorandum of understanding to develop a new plant
certification program. The agreement sets the framework of an
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
10 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
important partnership to establish a plant certification program
for producers of fiber-reinforced polymer composite bars and
tendons for use in concrete.
ACMA, ACI, and NEx each agree the program should
comply with applicable ANSI, ISO, or AASHTO/NTPEP
requirements for a plant certification program and should be
developed under the auspices of a Standards Developing
Organization. This new certification program aims to
accelerate the adoption and use of fiber-reinforced polymer
composite bars and tendons.
“This endeavor challenges our industry to certify
manufacturers to standards which future nonmetallic building
materials can abide by,” said Jerzy Zemajtis, Executive
Director, NEx. “NEx, ACMA, and ACI are committed to
improving the protection of the health, safety, and welfare of
the public at large and to facilitate the needs of the market,
and this agreement is a major step in that direction.”
Constantino Named 2022 Chair of ASTM
International Board of Directors
Cesar A. Constantino, FACI, Director
of Business Development for Separation
Technologies LLC, a Titan America
Business, is the 2022 Chair of the ASTM
International Board of Directors. An
ASTM International member since 2005,
Constantino is active on ASTM
Committees C01, Cement; C09, Concrete
Constantino and Concrete Aggregates; and E60,
Sustainability. He has contributed to the
ASTM Memorandum of Understanding program throughout
Latin America. Constantino participates as a liaison between
ASTM International and academia, industry trade associations,
institutes, and other standards
development organizations. Constantino previously served as
an ASTM Board Vice Chair in 2021. In addition, he served as
of the ASTM Finance and Audit Committee.
He is a member of ACI Committees 130, Sustainability of
Concrete; 228, Nondestructive Testing of Concrete; 232, Fly
Ash and Bottom Ash in Concrete; 239, Ultra-High-
Performance Concrete; and 308, Curing Concrete; and ACI
Subcommittee 308-B, Curing-Specifications, and the
International Conferences/Conventions Subcommittee.
Constantino has been with Titan America since 2005,
serving as a Manager of Technical Services, Director of
Concrete Technology, Director of Process and Quality, and
Vice President of Corporate Engineering. Before joining Titan
America, Constantino worked as a researcher and a consultant
both in Panama and the United States.
Constantino received his bachelor’s degree in civil
 News

engineering, a master’s degree in structural engineering, and a
doctorate in construction materials from The University of
Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Applications Open for ICC Committee on
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The International Code Council (ICC) opened applications
for a new Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion (DEI). The goal of this committee is to increase DEI
in the association while helping ICC members diversify their
own organizations and, ultimately, the building safety
profession overall.
ICC has been a catalyst in welcoming the next generation
of leaders through its Safety 2.0 initiative. The new committee
will help ICC determine the next steps in bringing in new
individuals to the association and the building safety industry
to fill the workforce gap and create a more inclusive
community.
All meetings will be conducted via teleconference.
Participation will be voluntary and unpaid. Applicants from
all backgrounds are encouraged to apply, including code
officials, architects, engineers, and contractors. Applicants do
not need to be current ICC members.
Visit www.iccsafe.org for more information.
2022 Fazlur Rahman Khan Distinguished
Lecture Series
The speakers for the 2022 Fazlur R. Khan Distinguished
Lecture Series at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA,
will include:
• Adrian D. Smith, Partner, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill
Architecture, Chicago, IL, USA, “Supertall Towers +
Green Cities,” March 25, 2022, 4:30 p.m. EST; and
• Mitsuyoshi Akiyama, Professor and Chair of the
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan, “Increasing the

The electric flex shaft Control Speed Vibrator enables contractors to choose between set
speeds of 6,000, 8,000, 10,000, and 12,500 VPM via a bluetooth app on IOS or Android.
Once the speed is chosen, the CSV will maintain speed as concrete load changes. www.minnich-mfg.com

@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 11
News

Resilience of Highway Bridges Under Multiple Hazards Ben Wiese, Green Umbrella Systems, were elected new
Including Earthquake, Tsunami, Corrosion, and Climate Directors.
Change,” April 29, 2022, 4:30 p.m. EST. The Concrete Polishing Council (CPC) re-elected Scott
Lectures will be on campus in-person and via Zoom. The Metzger, Metzger/McGuire, Concord, NH, USA, as Council
Structural Engineering Institute-Lehigh Valley Chapter will be Director, and Ryan Klacking, SYNCON Inc., as Council
awarding 1 PDH credit for each lecture to eligible attendees. Director-Elect. Re-elected as Directors were David Botley,
Industrial Caulk & Seal, Inc.; Roy Bowman, SOLID Surface
ASCC 2022 Election of Officers Care, Inc.; Clark Branum, SUNDEK; Kristen Fox, Runyon
Chris Klemaske, Sundek National Surface Prep; Ted Jessop, Phaze Concrete; Carla Nickodemus,
Accounts, Grand Prairie, TX, USA, was BORIDE Engineered Abrasives; and Joe Zingale, CTS
elected First Vice President of the Cement Manufacturing Corporation. Elected new Directors
American Society of Concrete Contractors were Kim Robles, Robles Concrete Design, and Chris Wright,
(ASCC), St. Louis, MO, USA, for 2022. Durable Surfaces.
Elected Vice Presidents were Paul
Albanelli, Albanelli Cement Contractors; CRSI Introduces Safe and Sound Initiative
Cory Lee, Martin Concrete; and Maizer The Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) launched
Klemaske Ouijdani, Conco. Aaron Gregory, Gregory a new landing page based on its new tagline, “Safe and
Construction, was elected Treasurer. Sound: Steel Reinforced Concrete.” The new web page is
Heather Brown, Middle Tennessee State University; Peter designed to provide quick information on the world’s most
Emmons, STRUCTURAL; and Keith Wayne, Wayne Brothers common building material and act as a vehicle to address,
Companies, were re-elected Directors. Newly elected inform, and respond to pressing industry topics.
Directors are Greg Hryniewicz, Hyde Concrete; T.R. Kunesh, A social media and email awareness campaign kicked off
Somero Enterprises; Marc Ness, DPR Construction; and in January. The campaign focuses on the inherencies of
Ashley Stamper, DANKO Concrete Construction. steel-reinforced concrete design and construction: resiliency,
ASCC Specialty Councils elected the following: durability, and sustainability, among other benefits.
The Decorative Concrete Council (DCC) re-elected Jeff Visit www.safeandsoundsrc.com for more information.
Eiswerth, H&C Decorative Concrete Products, Cleveland, OH,
USA, as Council Director. Michael Campbell, Trademark CRSI Announces New Board Members
Concrete Systems, Inc.; Rich Cofoid, Increte; Dan Kroesen, CRSI announced the appointment of Jeff Estep as
Musselman & Hall Contractors, LLC; Rick Lobdell, Concrete Chairman of the Board, along with six new officers, to
Mystique Engraving; and Brandon Meeks, Birmingham navigate the Institute through its next 2 years of operations.
Decorative Concrete, were re-elected Directors. Jeff Hershberger, Estep is the General Manager of Farwest Steel Corporation, Inc.,
Deco-Crete Supply; Meghan Hryniewicz, Hyde Concrete; located in Vancouver and Auburn, WA, USA, respectively.
Chris Simpkins, H&C Decorative Concrete Products; and New officers on CRSI’s Board include Andre Belland,
Jeremy Wilkerson, Trinic, are newly elected Directors. Rebarfab, Inc.; and Layne Jones, Commercial Metals
The ASCC Safety & Risk Management Council (SRMC) Company, as At-Large Directors; and Marty Lancial,
re-elected Aron Csont, Barton Malow, Southfield, MI, USA, Commercial Metals Company, as the new Chairman of the
as Council Director, and elected Heather Baines, North Coast CRSI Foundation in a non-voting Director role.
Concrete, Cleveland, OH, as Council Director-Elect. William The full Board of Directors was approved at the Business
Bramschreiber, Charles Pankow Builders; John Messing, Meeting held during CRSI’s Fall Business and Technical
Joseph J. Albanese, Inc.; Manuel Rodriguez, TAS Commercial Meeting on November 8, 2021, in Chicago, IL, USA.
Concrete Construction; Matt Stier, McD Concrete Enterprises; The 2021/2022 Board also includes: Brad Cottrell,
and Rick Stone, Madison Concrete Construction, were Commercial Metals Company, Vice Chairman; Adam Simmet,
re-elected Directors. Joelle McGehee, Alliance Safety Simcote, Inc., Secretary/Treasurer; Donald Barney, Nucor
Council; Lan Moody, Martin Concrete Construction; and Corporation, Past Chairman; Kevin Cornell, Salit Specialty
Shawn Werner, Sundt, were elected Directors. Rebar; Bill Couturier, Barton Malow; Rob Faircloth,
Doug Rhiel, Schwing, was elected Council Director of the Contractors Materials Company; Robert McClean,
Manufacturers’ Advisory Council Board and Jeff Johnson was Commercial Metals Company; Eugene McManus, Harris/
elected Council Director-Elect. Mike Tracy was re-elected Nucor; and Dean Peery, Gerdau, At-Large Directors.
Director and Joe Daczko, Master Builders Solutions, and Ex-Officio Directors include: William Brack, Harris Rebar,
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
12 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
 News

Chairman, Marketing Committee; Lou as a consultant for most of the tall Chimneys. He culminated his
Colarusso, nVent, Chairman, chimney construction in the Midwest. professional career with his 1991
Engineering Practice Committee; and He became a Fellow of ACI in 1983 and textbook Statically Indeterminate
Matthew Schewe, Commercial Metals served on ACI Committee 307, Concrete Structures.
Company, Chairman, Member Services
Committee.
Region Representative Directors
include: Marcelo Acuña, ABC Coating
Company, Inc., Greater Southwestern
Region Director; Mary Alwin, Nucor
Steel Sedalia, Midwest Region Director;
Reliable products
Jim Melvin, Re-Steel Supply Co., Inc.,
Northeast Region Director; Spence
from “THE”
Peters, Steel Dynamics, Inc., Southeast
Region Director; and Bethany
Reliable source
Hennings, Cascade Steel Rolling Mills,
Inc., Western Region Director.

In Remembrance
Wadi Saliba Rumman, FACI,
passed away November 25, 2021, at the
age of 95, in Ann Arbor, MI, USA. He
received his BS, MS, and PhD in civil
engineering from the University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, in 1949, 1953,
and 1959, respectively. During his
school and early professional years, he
worked for engineering companies in
Toledo and Cincinnati, OH, USA, and
Detroit, MI. He was also part of an
engineering team that consulted on the Terrco Terrco 701
pier construction of the Mackinac Edger VX1500
Floor Grinders
7.5 h.p. – 40 h.p.
Bridge. Dry Vacs, 110V & 220V

Rumman began his teaching career

as an instructor while still a student at Bringing you higher performance and consistency, since 1999
the University of Michigan, and he
continued teaching until his retirement
in 1988 as a Professor Emeritus. He
received the James M. Robbins
Excellence in Teaching Award from Chi
Epsilon in 1986 and served as Chair or
Co-Chair for PhD and Professional
Degree Committees for nine graduate
students.
Professionally, Rumman was a leader
in advancing the engineering practice of
reinforced concrete chimneys, and he
was instrumental in revising and www.reditoo.com • 877-938-2523
updating industry standards through
national society committees. He served
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 13
 American Concrete Institute

Membership
Means
Knowledge!
Webinars • On-Demand Courses • Technical Documents
We have all the concrete resources you need.
Join 30,000 concrete professionals ACI membership now includes FREE access to all ACI
in more than 100 countries— University webinars and on-demand courses, plus
UNLIMITED access to the Institute’s practices (including all
be a part of the premier global ACI guides and reports) and symposium papers—providing
community dedicated to the best members with unprecedented access to all of the Institute’s
knowledge resources.
use of concrete!
Combined with the many other benefits ACI membership
provides—including substantial discounts, a monthly
magazine, research journals, free shipping, and more—
ACI membership provides you with the chance to save
time and money while increasing your productivity and
competitiveness.

Join Now at concrete.org

@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
On the
Move
The Deep Foundations Institute (DFI)
announced Salah Al Dilimi as the new
Chair of the DFI Middle East Regional
Chapter. He previously served as a Vice
Chair for the chapter. Al Dilimi is the
Rail Infrastructure, Maintenance
Manager in the Rail Agency within the
Roads and Transport Authority (RTA),
Dubai, UAE. He succeeds Emad Sharif Al Dilimi
of GTC Lab, who remains active in the
regional chapter.
Al Dilimi is a professional geotechnical engineer with over
33 years of international work experience in design,
construction, and management of geotechnical and civil
projects, including diaphragm walls, concrete piles, driven
piles, micropiles, and screw piles. He has worked in the UK,
Australia, New Zealand, and the Middle East. He has authored
several technical publications and contributed to the book
Geology of Dubai. Al Dilimi received his postgraduate degree
from the University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Honors and Awards
ACI Executive Vice President
Ronald Burg, FACI, was selected as a
2022 inductee of Distinguished Alumni
by the Department of Civil,
Construction, and Environmental
Engineering at Iowa State University
(ISU), Ames, IA, USA. The
Distinguished Alumni is for alumni who
have significant professional Burg
achievement and service in their chosen
field. Burg will be recognized at the Civil Engineering and
Environmental Engineering Awards Banquet on September
15, 2022, at the ISU Alumni Center. Before joining ACI, he
served as Vice President at CTLGroup, Skokie, IL, USA. In
addition, he served on the ACI Board of Direction, Technical
Activities Committee as a member and Chair, and various
technical committees. He contributed to numerous papers and
publications and received the 2001 ACI Wason Medal for
Materials Research along with his co-authors for their paper
“Compression Testing of HSC: Latest Technology” in
Concrete International. In 2021, the ACI Foundation
established the Burg‐Coleman Iowa State ’77 Fellowship,
which was generously funded by Burg and Jeffrey W.
Coleman, ACI Past President, both 1977 graduates of the ISU
College of Engineering.
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
The Slag Cement Association (SCA)
presented ACI member John M.
Melander with the SCA Distinguished
Service Award. Long-time SCA staff,
Melander served as the SCA Executive
Director from 2013 through 2017 and is
currently the Technical Consultant to
SCA. His work for SCA has focused on
developing and disseminating technology Melander
on the use of slag cement and slag
blended cement in concrete. Melander has more than 30 years
of experience in the areas of cement, concrete, and masonry
materials technology. He is a member of ACI Committees
C670, Masonry Technician Certification; 233, Ground Slag in
Concrete; and 524, Plastering. He is also a Fellow of ASTM;
an Honorary Member of ASTM Committee C01, Cement; and
a member of ASTM Committee C09, Concrete and Concrete
Aggregates; and Subcommittee C09.27, Slag Cement.
Melander has received numerous recognitions for his
contributions to the development of cement, concrete, and
masonry standards, including the ASTM C01 Bryant Mather
Award and the ASTM C12 J. Ivan Davison Award.
Frank Vecchio, FACI, University of
Toronto Engineering Professor, has been
elected to the 2022 Fellows of the
Engineering Institute of Canada for his
excellence in engineering and services to
the profession and to society. Vecchio is
the former Bahen/Tanenbaum Chair in
Civil Engineering. An internationally
respected authority on the behavior of Vecchio
concrete structures, he has contributed
substantially to increasing the safety and reliability of
Canada’s infrastructure. Vecchio is the co-developer of the
Modified Compression Field Theory, a groundbreaking
conceptual model for describing the behavior of reinforced
concrete under general load conditions, which has been
incorporated into design codes in Canada and internationally.
He also developed a suite of software, called VecTor, for
predicting the response of concrete structures to practically
any action, which has been widely adopted for teaching and in
industrial and research applications. Vecchio is a member of
Joint ACI-ASCE Committees 441, Reinforced Concrete
Columns, and 447, Finite Element Analysis of Reinforced
Concrete Structures.
(Content courtesy of Carolyn Farrell, University of Toronto Engineering
News.)
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 15
Each year, approximately
95 students with concrete-
related degrees miss out on
scholarship opportunities
due to lack of funding.

Let’s make it zero.

Through the generosity of donors

like you, the ACI Foundation is able
to provide scholarships and fellowships to
the best and brightest our industry has to offer.
Join us in supporting the future of the concrete industry
by visiting us at acifoundation.org.

@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
Calls for
Papers
IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Industry Technical
Conference
Meeting: 65th Annual IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Industry
Technical Conference, May 1-5, 2023, in Las Vegas, NV,
USA.
Solicited: Papers should be on topics related to the
practical application of electrical technology, standards,
equipment, safety, and systems of interest to the cement
industry within the scope of the Cement Industry Committee
Working Groups. All papers presented are subject to peer
review and are published in the conference record. Papers are
also evaluated for publication in either the IEEE Transactions
on Industry Applications Magazine or the Industry
Applications Magazine.
Requirements: Visit https://cementconference.org/
call-for-papers for more information.
Deadline: Abstracts are due by April 1, 2022.
World of Concrete
Meeting: World of Concrete 2023, January 16-19, 2023, at
the Las Vegas Convention Center, in Las Vegas, NV.
Solicited: Presentations must be tailored for the concrete/
masonry professional, showing evidence of material that will
make a significant contribution to the development of
attendees’ professional capabilities and knowledge of the
field. Types of presentations accepted include well-defined
learning objectives that can be readily implemented in the
workplace; how-to sessions that stimulate and provide
attendees with a new skill, technology, or process; and
practical and forward-thinking content that will promote an
interactive exchange of ideas. Presenters with strong
speaking experience and in-depth knowledge of the topic and
audience needs are invited to submit proposals. Visit
www.worldofconcrete.com/en/education/topic-submissions.html
for more information.
Requirements: Submit questions and proposals to
seminars@worldofconcrete.com.
Deadline: Submissions are due by April 8, 2022.
Smart Bridges Design, Manufacturing, and
Maintenance
Publication: Advances in Bridge Engineering special issue.
Solicited: Bridge engineers are beginning to understand
and take advantage of new technologies, such as building
information modeling (BIM), digital twins, machine/deep
learning, big data analytics, data-driven modeling, and
blockchains. As a result, new concepts within the smart
infrastructure domain have been emerging and rapidly
developing. This special collection is intended for
documenting the recent advances that specifically pertain to
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
Calls for Papers: Submission Guidelines
Calls for papers should be submitted no later than 3 months prior to the
deadline for abstracts. Please send meeting information, papers/presentations
being solicited, abstract requirements, and deadline, along with full contact
information to: Lacey Stachel, Managing Editor, Concrete International,
38800 Country Club Drive, Farmington Hills, MI 48331; email: lacey.stachel@
concrete.org. Visit www.callforpapers.concrete.org for more information.
smart bridges. The specific topics include, but are not limited
to, data-driven modeling bridge performance under service
and extreme loads, optimization-based smart bridge design,
manufacturing and design of smart bridge components, point
cloud and computer vision-based techniques for quality
control, BIM-based virtual bridge preinstallation, smart
monitoring of bridge construction, novel sensing technologies,
self-healing and other advanced/smart material applications,
adaptive bridges, accelerated bridge construction, three-
dimensional/four-dimensional printing with embedded
smartness, and digital twin-based concepts for life-cycle
cost-benefit analysis of bridges.
Requirements: Visit https://aben.springeropen.com/
submission-guidelines for more information.
Deadline: Submissions are due by July 31, 2022.
Contact: Steve C.S. Cai, Chair Professor, Department of
Bridge Engineering, School of Transportation, Southeast
University, Nanjing, China; email: cscai@seu.edu.cn.
Career Center
Hiring the right people
for the right jobs has
never been easier.
 Find the right
candidate
 Save money
 Save time
The ACI Career
Center is the right
solution for your
hiring needs.
Follow @ACICareerCenter
to learn more.
www.concrete.org/careercenter
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 17
Concrete Resource Subscriptions

ACI Collection Online

ACI offers digital Includes nearly 50 codes and
specifications plus 200+ practices

and on-demand (including all guides and reports).

ACI University Subscription

access to popular Offers all-access to ACI University
webinars and 260+ on-demand courses.

bundles of the ACI Concrete Repair Subscription

Institute’s leading
Includes 65+ codes, specifications,
guides, and reports; 16+ educational
publications and documents; 33+ on-
technical and demand courses through ACI University;
and 25+ symposium volumes.

educational ACI Symposium Papers

Subscription
content. Provides access to over 6000 papers
published since 1962—including new
papers that are published.

@seismicisolation www.concrete.org
@seismicisolation
ACI’s New Fellows
Members to be awarded at the ACI Concrete Convention – Spring 2022
A
CI will recognize 20 members who have been
honored with the rank of Fellow of the American
Concrete Institute (FACI) at the ACI Concrete
Convention in Orlando, FL, USA. The new Fellows will be
introduced during the Opening Session and Keynote
Presentation on March 27, 2022. The ACI Concrete
Convention is scheduled for March 27-March 31, 2022. More
information can be found at www.aciconvention.org.
As stated in the ACI bylaws, a Fellow is an individual who
has made “outstanding contributions to the production or use
of concrete materials, products, and structures in the areas of
education, research, development, design, construction, or
management.” The Fellows Nomination Committee selects
those to be considered for the award and then forwards its
recommendations to the Board of Direction for final action in
the fall. Nominations may come from the committee itself,
from local chapters, from the International Advisory
Committee, or by a petition signed by at least five current
ACI members.
The ACI Board of Direction approved the nominations of
this latest group of honorees in fall 2021. Including the new
honorees, 610 members are current Fellows of the Institute.
The rank of FACI was first established by the Institute in 1973.
ACI’s new Fellows are:
Scott Anderson is the CEO of Pankow Builders and
provides leadership of the strategic and cultural direction of
the company. He drives and supports the development of
high-performing teams by focusing on the well-being and
development of Pankow’s people. He has established
noteworthy standards and continuously improves the
operations at Pankow to achieve its organizational goals.
Anderson leads the company in its mission to reimagine
the building experience through human innovation. He aims
to enable the company’s leaders and people to fulfill their
passion to make a difference, while consistently delivering
exceptional client service and business results.
His contributions can be seen in a number of significant
projects, such as the LEED Platinum certified headquarters
for the San Francisco Department of Public Works, the San
Francisco Public Safety Building, a state-of-the-art LEED
Gold certified home for the San Francisco Police Department
(SFPD) Police Command Center, the Southern District Police
Station and a neighborhood San Francisco Fire Department
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
(SFFD) Fire Station; the historic rehabilitation of the vital
civic asset, the San Francisco War Memorial Veterans
Building, and the Sutter Health Van Ness Medical Office
Building and Parking Structure.
Anderson is a 25-year Pankow veteran. Since joining the
company in 1995, he has served as Senior Vice President/
Regional Manager, Project Executive, Project Sponsor,
Project Engineer, and Field Engineer. Throughout his career,
he has actively supported the advancement of construction
industry education. He serves as Chair of the ACI Foundation
Scholarship Council; is a member of ACI Committee 362,
Parking Structures, and Joint ACI-ASCC Committee 117,
Tolerances (serving multiple terms as both Secretary and
Chair); and is a former member of the Board Advisory
Committee on Sustainable Development. He is a member of
New Fellows of ACI
As approved by the ACI Board of Direction, the 20
members elevated to the rank of Fellow of the American
Concrete Institute are:
Scott Anderson, Oakland, CA
Mohamed Bassuoni, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Daniel T. Biddle, Grove City, PA
Aldo De La Haza, Glenview, IL
Anthony R. DeCarlo Jr., Cincinnati, OH
William B. Denison Jr., Chesapeake, VA
Ehab El-Salakawy, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Michael S. Faubel, Fort Worth, TX
Werner K. Hellmer, Las Vegas, NV
Plinio E. Herrera, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Insung Kim, San Francisco, CA
Emily Lorenz, Chicago, IL
Joe Nasvik, Downers Grove, IL
Larry D. Olson, Wheat Ridge, CO
Khaldoun N. Rahal, Kuwait City, Kuwait
Kyle A. Riding, Gainesville, FL
Kenneth Sears II, Los Angeles, CA
Gene R. Stevens, Denver, CO
Shashiprakash G. Surali, Cleveland, OH
Paul H. Ziehl, Columbia, SC
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 19

Anderson Bassuoni Biddle De La Haza Pervious Concrete; and ACI
the San Francisco Collaborative Partnering Steering
Committee and a member of the Urban Land Institute and the
Lean Construction Institute. He received his BS degrees in
civil engineering and mathematics from the University of
Maryland, College Park, MD, USA, and his MS in structural
engineering from Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Mohamed Bassuoni is a Professor in the Department of
Civil Engineering at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg,
MB, Canada. He has authored and co-authored more than
140 technical papers/reports, two ACI Special Publications,
and a registered patent.
Bassuoni is a member of ACI Committee 201, Durability
of Concrete, and Chair of Task Group 201-TG2, Physical Salt
Attack. He is also a member of ACI Committees 236, Material
Science of Concrete; 237, Self-Consolidating Concrete; and
241, Nanotechnology of Concrete. He received the 2020 ACI
Wason Medal for Materials Research. He is a member of
ASTM Committees C01, Cement, and C09, Concrete and
Concrete Aggregates, and is an associate member of the
Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Committee A23.1/
A23.2, Concrete Materials and Methods of Construction/Test
Methods and Standard Practices for Concrete.
His research interests include the design and behavior of
cementitious materials/composites, the durability of concrete
infrastructure under chemical and physical damage
mechanisms, and applications of nanotechnology in concrete.
He received his BSc and MSc in construction engineering
from The American University in Cairo, Egypt, in 1999 and
2003, respectively, and his PhD in civil engineering from the
University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada, in 2008.
He is a licensed professional engineer in the province of
Manitoba, Canada.
Daniel T. Biddle retired from FORTA Corporation in the
Spring of 2020 after 41 years of service, ending as Vice
President, Sales. He began his career at FORTA in 1979.
During his career, he was a frequent national speaker on the
performance and proper application of fiber reinforcement.
He authored scores of articles and technical reports on the
advantages and advancements of micro and macro fibers,
many of which were compiled in a book published by FORTA performed extensive research on the use of the GPR test
Corporation in 2020 titled 40 Years of Fibers.
During his fiber career, he was the co-inventor of 14 U.S.
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
20 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
and international patents in the field of
synthetic fiber technology and novel
applications. He continues to be an active
member of ACI Committees 302,
Construction of Concrete Floors; 325,
Concrete Pavements; 330, Concrete
Parking Lots and Site Paving; 360,
Design of Slabs on Ground; and 522,
Subcommittee 325-F, Concrete Pavement
Overlays. Biddle was especially engaged
in the research, promotion, and successful application of
macro synthetic fibers to reduce or eliminate conventional
control joints in concrete floors, pavements, and overlays.
Biddle received his BA in communication arts from Grove
City College, Grove City, PA, USA, in 1978. In retirement,
Biddle continues to closely monitor his own 155 ft (47 m)
long joint-free and crack-free fiber-reinforced concrete
driveway placed in September of 2011.
Aldo De La Haza is the President of AD Infrastructure
Consultants, LLC. He also serves as Vice President of
uGRIDD Corporation and as a Project Manager for YA
Engineering Services. De La Haza has been a member of ACI
Committee 228, Nondestructive Testing of Concrete, since
1990, where he has served on multiple subcommittees,
including the development of the certification program for
NDT Technicians (ACI Committee C691, Nondestructive
Concrete Specialist Certification) and served as a judge for
the last 20 years to help administer the ACI-James Instruments
Student Award for Research on NDT of Concrete. He also
served as a Guest Editor for the Special Section of the 25th
Anniversary Session for ACI 228, “Building on the Past for
the Future of NDT of Concrete,” where he also published two
technical papers in Elsevier’s Construction and Building
Materials journal: “Condition Assessment of Concrete
Structures Using a New Analysis Method: Ground-Penetrating
Radar Computer-Assisted Visual Interpretation” and
“Assessment of Concrete Structures using the MIRA and
Eyecon Ultrasonic Shear Wave Devices and the SAFT-C
Image Reconstruction Technique.” De La Haza is also a
member of ACI Committees 131, Building Information
Modeling of Concrete Structures, and 364, Rehabilitation, and
ASTM Committee C09, Concrete and Concrete Aggregates.
His research interests include nondestructive testing of
concrete. In the late 1990s, De La Haza performed some of
the original ground-penetrating radar (GPR) research for the
Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) NDE Validation
Center in Mclean, VA, USA, which led to the development of
the HERMES and PERES prototype GPR systems to produce
tomographic images of concrete bridge decks, which is used
by Departments of Transportation nationwide. He has
method to determine concrete deterioration due to corrosion
of the embedded reinforcement and has worked closely

DeCarlo Jr. Denison Jr. El-Salakawy to date are crack-free, with rapid chloride permeabilities
together with equipment manufacturers to assist in the
development of the ultrasonic shear wave tomography
(USWT) test method, known as the MIRA system, to assess
the condition of concrete structures.
He received his BS in civil/structural engineering from the
Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, USA, in 1988.
Anthony R. DeCarlo Jr. is the Operations Officer for
TWC Concrete, LLC, in Cincinnati, OH, USA. He has been a
part of ownership and in a lead management position with
TWC Concrete for over 20 years.
He is Chair of ACI Subcommittees 301-F, Architectural
Concrete - Section 6, and 301-L, Tilt-Up Construction -
Section 12. He is also a member of ACI Committees 301,
Specifications for Concrete Construction; 330, Concrete
Parking Lots and Site Paving; and 347, Formwork for
Concrete. In addition, he serves on the ACI Board of
Direction and the Financial Advisory Committee.
He received his BS in construction management from the
University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, in 1999. He
received the designation of Certified Professional Constructor
from the American Institute of Constructors (AIC) and is a
Vice President of the American Society of Concrete
Contractors (ASCC).
William B. Denison Jr. is the Construction Materials
Testing Department Manager and Senior Project Manager for
ECS MID-ATLANTIC, LLC, Chesapeake, VA, USA, and is
an Adjunct Professor of civil engineering technologies at
Tidewater Community College, Virginia Beach, VA.
Since 1991, he has been a National Ready Mixed Concrete
Association (NRMCA) Certified Concrete Professional,
Post-Tensioning Institute (PTI) Professional member, and
pioneer in pervious concrete design and research. He also
authored technical papers in ASTM International STP 1551,
Pervious Concrete. He is active with the American Society of
Civil Engineers (ASCE) Student Chapter at Old Dominion
University, Norfolk, VA, and works with the Higher Education
STEM Educators and Students.
Denison has more than 38 years of experience with
advanced concrete designs and research in the areas of
concrete technology mitigating alkali-silica reaction and
sulfate attack. He uses supplementary cementitious materials,
which increase concrete designs for durability, longevity, low expertise to aid with basic subsistence needs such as clean
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
shrinkage, and very low permeabilities. He has contributed to
the quality of concrete in all related design areas, from
lightweight to heavyweight concrete mixtures with extensive
service life-cycle designs in the marine environment
exceeding 300-year service life that is corrosion-free,
impermeable, and crack-free with moderate cementitious
factors. His designs for the drilled tunnels in the Hampton
Roads municipality districts exceeding 50,000 yd3 (40,000 m3)
averaging statistically during production less than 150 Coulombs.
He is a member of ASTM Committees A01, Steel,
Stainless Steel and Related Alloys; C01, Cement; C09,
Concrete and Concrete Aggregates; and C12, Mortars and
Grouts for Unit Masonry. He is a member of the ACI Virginia
Chapter and an ACI Faculty Network member. He also serves
on the Virginia Ready Mixed Concrete Association Technical
Committee, VDOT Co-op Technical Committee, and the Civil
Engineering Technologies Board of Advisors for Civil
Engineering between Tidewater Community College and Old
Dominion University.
He is involved with the ASCE, Society of American
Military Engineers (SAME), and Hampton Roads Green
Building Council (HRGBC).
Ehab El-Salakawy is a Professor of structural engineering
in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of
Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada. He has authored or
co-authored more than 300 technical papers and reports.
El-Salakawy is a member of ACI Committee 440, Fiber-
Reinforced Polymer Reinforcement, and ACI Subcommittee
440-H, FRP-Reinforced Concrete, and is a past member of
Joint ACI-ASCE Subcommittee 445-C, Shear & Torsion-
Punching Shear. He is also a member of the American Society
of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Canadian Precast/
Prestressed Concrete Institute (CPCI). He serves as an
Associate Editor of ASCE’s Journal of Composites for
Construction. His research interests include durability, design,
modeling, large-scale laboratory testing, and rehabilitation of
reinforced concrete structures using fiber-reinforced polymer
(FRP) reinforcement.
He received his BSc and MSc in civil engineering from
Menoufia University, Shibin Al Kawm, Al Minufiyah, Egypt,
in 1989 and 1993, respectively, and his PhD in structural
engineering from Menoufia University and the University of
Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada, in 1998. He is a licensed
professional engineer in the provinces of Ontario and
Manitoba, Canada.
Michael S. Faubel leads Technical Services and Quality
for Landmark Structures I, LP, a specialty construction and
composite elevated tank constructor in Fort Worth, TX, USA.
Family is his primary passion, followed closely by
international short-term missions where he incorporates his
nearly 25 years of construction and project management
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 21
Faubel Hellmer Herrera Kim Lorenz Nasvik

water or housing and to provide disaster relief. Anchor Installer Certification; and C681, Concrete Anchor
He is Chair of ACI Committees 305, Hot Weather Installation Inspector Certification. He is also a member of the
Concreting, and 371, Elevated Tanks with Concrete Pedestals. American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
He is also a member of ACI Committee 124, Concrete He received the 2017 ACI Chapter Activities Award and
Aesthetics. In the last 16 years, he has actively served on the 2019 ACI Certification Award. His research interests
various task groups for ACI Committees 228, Nondestructive include concrete anchorage and concrete durability.
Testing of Concrete; 303, Architectural Cast-in-Place Concrete; Hellmer’s experience includes working for a small
306, Cold Weather Concreting; and 308, Curing Concrete. engineering firm that performed geotechnical design and
He served as President of the ACI Northeast Texas Chapter inspection and testing of construction materials. He has also
in 2007. In his role as the concrete subject-matter expert for worked for a general contractor, performing construction
Landmark, he has been awarded several architectural and management and quality assurance.
structural concrete awards from various clients and He received his BS in civil and environmental engineering
professional organizations in Texas, New Mexico, Iowa, from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA, in 1994,
Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Faubel is a member of ASTM and his MS in civil and environmental engineering from the
Committee C09, Concrete and Concrete Aggregates. His University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, in 2003.
research interests include architectural concrete mixture He is a licensed civil engineer in Nevada.
design, innovative methods of placement in adverse
conditions, in-transit and in-place concrete monitoring, and Plinio E. Herrera is Concrete Research and Development
use of sustainable materials in architectural and structural Manager at Cementos Progreso in Guatemala City,
concrete construction. Guatemala. During his over 30 years of experience in concrete
He received his BA from the University of North Carolina materials, he has promoted the research and development of
at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA, in 1998. He is a products and solutions related to concrete and its applications.
certified National Ready Mixed Concrete Association He has worked tirelessly on knowledge transfer to the
(NRMCA) Concrete Technologist Level IV, as well as a construction industry and academia in cement, concrete,
National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) aggregates, concrete pavements, and housing. Herrera has
Level III Coating Inspector. reviewed and sponsored several theses and experimental
projects with students from state and private universities in
Werner K. Hellmer has served in various capacities at the Guatemala. He has participated in proposing, reviewing, and
Clark County Department of Building, Las Vegas, NV, USA, translating national standards related to cement, concrete, and
since 1999. He is the Manager of Plans Examination, where their applications. He is also a speaker in international
he oversees permit intake, plan review, and permit issue staff. seminars and meetings related to cement, aggregates, concrete
Previously, Hellmer served as the Manager of Engineering for technology, concrete roads, and housing.
the department and has been involved with some of the largest Herrera is a member of ACI Committees 130, Sustainability
projects on the Las Vegas Strip, performing structural and of Concrete; 211, Proportioning Concrete Mixtures; 225,
geotechnical plan review, oversight of special inspection and Hydraulic Cements; 237, Self-Consolidating Concrete; and
testing programs, and monitoring of structural observation E701, Materials for Concrete Construction; and ACI
programs. He has been actively involved in the building code Subcommittees 130-G, Education; 211-N, Proportioning
development process at both the local and national levels. with Ground Limestone and Mineral Fillers; and C601-E,
He is Chair of ACI Committee C630, Construction Concrete Construction Sustainability Assessor. In the past, he
Inspector Certification, and is a member of several other ACI assisted with translation reviews for ACI International
committees, including Codes and Standards Advocacy and Development and ACI University. He is the Vice President
Outreach; the Certification Programs Committee; C631, of the ACI Guatemala Chapter. He is also a member of
Concrete Transportation Construction Inspector Certification; ASTM International and the American Society of Civil
C670, Masonry Technician Certification; C680, Adhesive Engineers (ASCE).
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
22 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
 His research interests include self-consolidating concrete,
fiber-reinforced concrete, high-strength/high-performance
concrete, ultra-high-performance concrete, and three-
dimensional (3-D) printing materials and processes.
Herrera received his degree in civil engineering from the
Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala City,
Guatemala, in 1994, and his MBA from the Pontificia
Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile, in 2008. He is
a licensed civil engineer in Guatemala. He received the
distinction of 25 years of professional service as a civil
engineer in Guatemala.
Insung Kim is a Senior Associate at Degenkolb Engineers,
San Francisco, CA, USA. He is Chair of ACI Subcommittees
369-A, General Provision, and 374-B, Guide to Nonlinear
Modeling. He is also a member of ACI Committees 369,
Seismic Repair and Rehabilitation; 374, Performance-Based
Seismic Design of Concrete Buildings; and ACI
Subcommittees 318-C, Safety, Serviceability, and Analysis;
440-F, FRP-Repair-Strengthening; and 562-E, Seismic. He is
a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
and the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI). His
research interests include seismic analysis, design, and retrofit
of concrete buildings.
install decorative concrete and warehouse flooring. He worked
as a Senior Editor for Concrete Construction magazine. His
articles were educational in nature and often focused on
challenging groundbreaking concrete project constructions.
He also wrote freelance articles about concrete and
construction for Concrete Contractor magazine. This editorial
work spanned a 20-year period.
As an editor, Nasvik attended various ACI committee
meetings to keep up with developments in the industry. He is a
past member of ACI Committees 124, Concrete Aesthetics;
302, Construction of Concrete Floors; C641, Decorative
Concrete Finisher Certification; and Joint ACI-ASCC
Committee 310, Decorative Concrete.
Larry D. Olson has served as President and Chief
Engineer of Olson Engineering, Inc., for 36 years since its
founding in 1985. He founded its subsidiary, Olson
Instruments, Inc., in 1995.
He has authored and co-authored over 90 technical papers
and articles on nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of civil
structures and infrastructure, including concrete bridges,
dams, buildings, foundations, pavements, and tunnels. He has
41 years of consulting experience in structural condition

Ci
He received his BS in civil engineering from Yonsei

Read
University, Seoul, Korea, in 2001, and his MS and PhD in civil
engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, Austin,
TX, USA, in 2006 and 2008, respectively. He is a licensed
professional engineer in California, Washington, and Texas.

Emily Lorenz is an independent consultant in the areas of

life-cycle assessment (LCA), environmental product Online
cover-to-cover
declarations (EPDs), product category rules (PCRs), green
building, and sustainability in Chicago, IL, USA.
Lorenz is a member of ACI Committee 130, Sustainability
of Concrete; Joint ACI-TMS Committee 122, Energy
Efficiency of Concrete and Masonry Systems; Joint ACI- A full version of the current issue of CI is
ASCE Committee 550, Precast Concrete Structures; and ACI available to ACI members by logging in at
Subcommittee 318-2N, Sustainability. She is a member of the www.concreteinternational.com.
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), ASTM
International, and the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute Click “DOWNLOAD THE ISSUE” on the
(PCI). Lorenz serves as an engineer in the areas of green magazine’s home page.
structures and practices, energy efficiency, thermal properties,
and moisture mitigation. She also specializes in building code
and standards work and advocacy.
She received her BS and MS in civil engineering
(structural emphasis) from Michigan Technological
University, Houghton, MI, USA, in 1997 and 1999,
respectively. She is a licensed professional engineer in
Michigan and Illinois.

Joe Nasvik is currently retired. He received his master’s

degree in both group dynamics and social work. He became
involved in the concrete industry in 1974 when he started a
concrete construction company in the Chicagoland area to
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 23
 Canada, in 1993. He is a licensed
professional engineer in Lebanon.

Kyle A. Riding is a Professor at the

University of Florida, Gainesville, FL,
USA, and holds a University of Florida
Foundation Professorship. He has been
at the University of Florida since 2016.
Olson Rahal Riding Sears II Previously, he spent 8 years on the
faculty of Kansas State University,
Manhattan, KS, USA.
assessment and monitoring, materials, pavement, geotechnical, Riding is Chair of ACI Committee 231, Properties of
geophysical, and vibration engineering. He has been the Concrete at Early Ages. He is a member of ACI Committees
Principal Investigator (PI) or co-PI on over $1.8 million of 201, Durability of Concrete; 207, Mass Concrete; 236,
funded research projects on studies of nondestructive Material Science of Concrete; S803, Faculty Network
evaluation of concrete strength, unknown foundation depths, Coordinating Committee; S804, Walter P. Moore Award
concrete bridge assessment, concrete pipes, and pavements. Committee; and ACI Subcommittee 318-A, General, Concrete,
He is a member of ACI Committees 228, Nondestructive and Construction. Riding was awarded the 2011 ACI Wason
Testing of Concrete; 309, Consolidation of Concrete; and 342, Medal for Materials Research and the 2013 ACI Young
Evaluation of Concrete Bridges and Bridge Elements. He has Member Award for Professional Development. He is also a
co-chaired and helped organize many ACI Convention member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
sessions related to nondestructive testing. Olson served as and the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI). His
President of the ACI National Capital Chapter in 2015. He is a research interests include concrete durability, concrete
member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) early-age properties, and ultra-high-performance concrete
and its Geophysics Committee. He has also been an instructor (UHPC).
of the ASCE seminar on “Structural Condition Assessment of He received his BS in civil and environmental engineering
Existing Structure” since 1997 and, in 2009, developed a new from the Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA, in
ASCE seminar, “Bridge Condition Assessment and Performance 2002, and his MSE and PhD in civil engineering from The
Monitoring.” He is a member of ASTM International and University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA, in 2004 and
ASTM Committee E17, Vehicle - Pavement Systems. 2007, respectively. He is a licensed professional engineer in
Olson received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering Florida, Kansas, and Nebraska.
and his master’s degree in geotechnical engineering from the
Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering Kenneth Sears II is the Manager of Sales and Technical
Department at The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, Innovation for Orca Aggregates, a Vulcan Materials Company,
USA, which honored him as a distinguished alumnus in 2006. in Southern California. Prior to his current position, he served
in technical and management roles with increasing
Khaldoun N. Rahal is a Professor in the Department of responsibility in ready mixed concrete for 25 years, and
Civil Engineering at Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait, supplementary cementitious materials for 8 years.
where he has served on the faculty since 1996. He is a Sears has held positions within his local ACI Chapter as
member of Joint ACI-ASCE Committee 445, Shear and President and Vice President, served on the Board of
Torsion, and a member of ACI Subcommittees 445-D, Shear Directors, chaired the technical committee, and has assisted
& Torsion-Shear Databases, and 445-E, Shear & Torsion-SOA with student competitions during ACI Conventions. He
Torsion. He also served on the ACI Kuwait Chapter Board of previously chaired the local “Greenbook” Public Works
Directors for 24 years, three of which he served as President. Construction Concrete Ad-Hoc Committee for over 10 years.
He was the co-recipient of the 1999 Gzowski Medal from He has been a member of the ACI Southern California
the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers (CSCE). He was also Chapter Certification Committee for over 15 years and has
the recipient of numerous research awards in Kuwait. His been assisting with the Concrete Field Testing Technician -
research interests include shear and torsion design of Grade I certification classes as a Supplemental Examiner
structural concrete and structural design of concrete made since 1989. He currently chairs the Concrete Flatwork
using recycled concrete aggregates. Associate, Finisher, and Advanced Finisher Certification
Rahal received his BE in civil engineering from the committee, as well as performs the Examiner duties for this
American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, in 1986; program. In 2013, he received the highest honor the ACI
his MASc in civil engineering from the University of Southern California Chapter can bestow upon a member, the
Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, in 1987; and his PhD in civil Sam Hobbs Award, which recognizes outstanding service to
engineering from the University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, both the Chapter and the concrete industry.
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
24 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com

Stevens Surali Ziehl
He continues to be a leader in maintaining the high level of
educational offerings the ACI Southern California Chapter
provides to not only their members but also to the
construction community. With nearly 35 years of experience,
Sears possesses an extensive understanding of construction
materials in the Southern California ready mixed concrete
market, with heightened knowledge of specification writing
and review, concrete design, and materials testing. His
interests include high-performance concrete, supplementary
cementitious materials, and the recent advances in optimizing
concrete mixtures for low embodied carbon.
Sears received both his BSc and MA in business
management from the University of Redlands, Redlands, CA,
USA, in 2007 and 2010, respectively.
Gene R. Stevens is a Principal with J. R. Harris &
Company, Structural Engineers, in Denver, CO, USA. He has
over 45 years of structural engineering experience. For the
past 40 years, Stevens has specialized in the behavior and
response of existing structures to earthquakes; assessed
distressed, damaged, and understrength concrete buildings;
and designed structural repairs and rehabilitations for
concrete structures.
He is the Founder of the Structural Engineers Association Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
of Colorado, Existing Structures Committee. He is a past
member of ACI Committee 562, Evaluation, Repair and
Rehabilitation of Concrete Structures, and past Chair of ACI Committees 437, Strength Evaluation of Existing Concrete
Subcommittee 562-A, Administration. Currently, he is a
member of ACI Committee 563, Specifications for Repair
of Structural Concrete in Buildings; Joint ACI-ASCE
Committee 352, Joints and Connections in Monolithic
Concrete Structures; and ACI Subcommittees 562-B, Loads, Joint ACI-ASCE Committee 335, Composite and Hybrid
and 562-E, Seismic.
Stevens has presented and authored or co-authored over
35 technical papers on existing structures, concrete systems
and connection rehabilitation and new design, and seismic
engineering.
He received his BS (with Honors) in civil engineering
from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
Urbana, IL, USA, in 1976, and his MS in engineering from
the University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA,
in 1984. He is a member of the American Society of Civil
Engineers (ASCE) and Structural Engineers Association of
Colorado (SEAC).
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
Shashiprakash (Prakash) G. Surali is a Senior Engineer
at Master Builders Solutions Admixtures US, LLC, in
Cleveland, OH, USA, where he has been employed since
2005. He has over 30 years of international experience in
research and development, material testing, construction,
marketing, technical service, and specifications. He has
worked extensively in the areas of chemical admixtures,
supplementary cementitious materials, and durability of
concrete over the years.
Surali is the Secretary of ACI Subcommittee 350-L,
Specification, and is a member of ACI Committees 350,
Environmental Engineering Concrete Structures; 350C,
Environmental Engineering Concrete Structures Code; and
362, Parking Structures; and ACI Subcommittees 350C-C,
Materials and Durability, and 362-A, Updating Guide For
Structural Maintenance of Parking Structures. He was past
Secretary of ACI Committee 350A, Materials and Concrete,
from 2016 to 2021. Surali is also a member of PTI Committee
DC-25, Parking Structures, and ASTM Committee C15,
Manufactured Masonry Units.
He received his BE in civil engineering and his ME in
prestressed concrete from Bangalore University, Bangalore
(now Bengaluru), India, in 1981 and 1984, respectively, and
his PhD in civil engineering from the Indian Institute of
Science, Bengaluru, India, in 1992.
Surali is a licensed professional engineer in Texas and a
certified Construction Documents Technologist (CDT). He
has over 30 publications to his credit.
Paul H. Ziehl is the Associate Dean for Research in the
College of Engineering and Computing; acting Smart State
Chair in Multifunctional Materials and Structures; and a
Professor in the Departments of Mechanical, Civil, and
Environmental Engineering at the University of South
He has authored or co-authored over 200 technical papers
and reports and six patents. Ziehl is a member of ACI
Structures; 444, Structural Health Monitoring; and 562,
Evaluation, Repair, and Rehabilitation of Concrete Structures;
as well as a member of ACI Subcommittee 562-SC, Steering
Committee. He is past Chair of ACI Committee 437 as well as
Structures. He is also a member of the American Society of
Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Precast/Prestressed Concrete
Institute (PCI).
His research interests include evaluating physical
infrastructure through machine learning and physics-based
simulations.
Ziehl received his BS in architectural engineering from
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA,
USA, in 1989, and his MS and PhD in civil engineering
(structures) from The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX,
USA, in 1996 and 2000, respectively. He is a licensed
professional engineer in South Carolina.
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 25
How the ACI Excellence in
Concrete Construction
Awards Got its Start
After 8 years, the program is growing with a new, self-nomination option for entries

I
n a global market where economic, environmental, and to provide a framework for the local chapters and international
aesthetic demands are evolving rapidly, the ACI partners to follow when creating programs of their own,” said
Excellence Awards promote the overall growth of the Chris Forster, past Chair of CAC and the National Chapter
concrete industry by encouraging creative building solutions Concrete Award Task Group. “Time has shown that this was a
and the use of new technologies. The original suggestion for successful approach. ACI chapters and international partner
ACI to host a project-based awards program arose in February groups have created award programs, or enhanced existing
2011, during one of the Institute’s chapter roundtables. The ones, to complement ACI’s annual event. This includes
Washington state chapter already had an established inviting speakers to their award ceremonies, investing in
Excellence in Concrete Construction awards program, and quality photography, and more. Their efforts have been
Bruce Chattin, Managing Director of the ACI Washington rewarded with increased participation and greater member
Chapter, wanted to provide another level of competition for involvement.”
projects entered in chapter and state award programs. “Local awards programs have definitely seen increased
“We wanted to increase the number of submissions we participation since the national program began; it is a big
were getting for our local program, and providing the next motivator. Team members on winning projects are excited to
level of national competition through ACI would be a good be represented nationally at the ACI gala. Some chapters even
incentive. Giving submitters a way to ‘level up’ and gain bring students to the gala, inspiring the next generation and
national recognition seemed like a way to increase showing them what they could aspire to be involved in,”
engagement. We also thought there would be a nationwide said Miller.
benefit in being able to showcase concrete construction from While ACI already had an Honors and Awards (H&A)
around the country,” said Chattin. Committee at the time the national program was being
In April of the same year, the idea was presented to the researched, the development of individual award programs
ACI Chapter Activities Committee (CAC) at its meeting laid outside the scope of that committee, whose responsibility
during the Spring 2011 ACI Concrete Convention in Tampa, was guidance and coordination of various awards and
FL, USA. honors subcommittees. The H&A Committee did, however,
“Establishing a national award program seemed like a good unanimously approve the establishment of a new project-
way to get synergy between ACI headquarters and its chapters,” based award program during its January 2012 midwinter
said Dawn Miller, Executive Director, ACI Las Vegas meeting.
Chapter, who was Chair of CAC at that time. “And it was a
way to spur interest and elevate local efforts and submissions.” International Project Awards Committee
A National Chapter Concrete Award Task Group was Formed
formed to assess the feasibility of an awards program and to A new Project Award Task Group was subsequently
research and develop a proposal. formed, with members representing several key ACI
“Developing a national award program was seen as a way committees: the Chapter Activities, Marketing (no longer
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
26 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
First Excellence Award winner in 2015, Museum of European and 2018 Excellence Award winner, Viaduct Over River Almonte in Spain
Mediterranean Civilizations, Marseille, France

active), Executive, and Convention Committees. follow, as well. In Washington, we’ve replicated several of
Over the next 2 years, the Project Award Task Group their strategies, from redesigning our logo to aligning our
investigated the development of a project-based, Institute- categories with the national ones to styling our video similar
level program that would involve ACI chapters. One of its to the one created every year for the gala. ACI has done an
initial goals was to establish the structure and scope of the outstanding job.”
award program. “I am personally astounded—and deeply gratified—to see
“The task group decided to create award categories based what our early task group efforts developed into. Today, the
on building type,” said Michael J. Paul, past Chair of the awards program not only recognizes the exceptional use of
International Project Awards Committee (IPAC). “We reached concrete all over the world, but empowers ACI at the chapter
consensus on this fairly quickly, as categorization by building and international-partner level,” said Paul.
type is a common and practical approach used by various “The program continues to grow, and with emphasis
construction award programs. Judging criteria were to rely shifting to industry-wide participation, it demonstrates that
heavily on the values ACI holds important, such as a project’s ACI lives up to its motto ‘Always advancing,’” said Forster.
sustainability, social impact, and efficiency.”
By the time of the Spring 2013 ACI Concrete Convention, How to Nominate a Project
held in Minneapolis, MN, USA, the task group was This year, ACI is introducing an additional path for project
developing the idea of an awards gala to be held each year at nomination. Historically, the network of ACI chapters and
ACI’s fall convention. Over the next few months, details for international partners has assumed responsibility for
the Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards program submitting projects, and this is still an excellent route for
were finalized, and the task group’s proposal and financial project nomination. Any concrete project that has won an ACI
impact statement were approved by the ACI Board of chapter award is automatically considered for the Excellence
Direction at the ACI Concrete Convention in Phoenix, AZ, Awards. Other projects can also be nominated by ACI chapter
USA, on October 24, 2013. officials or an ACI international partner.
At this point, the baton was passed to the board-level For companies or organizations that do not have an ACI
IPAC, which included the Chairs of the ACI Marketing, chapter or partner award program available in their area,
Chapter Activities, and Convention Committees. IPAC held its self-nomination is a solution. For this option, a nonrefundable
first meeting at the Spring 2014 ACI Concrete Convention in $500 nomination fee is required. The fee helps cover
Reno, NV, USA. The first award cycle was launched, and on administrative costs and allows the program to continue to
November 9, 2015, at the fall ACI Concrete Convention in grow.
Denver, CO, USA, the inaugural ACI Excellence in Concrete First- and second-place winners are declared in seven
Construction Award Gala was hosted. categories, with one project selected to receive the overall
“The Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards program Excellence Award. The annual awards gala, with the
has become bigger and better than I could have imagined, announcement of winners, will be held during the fall ACI
even going international,” said Chattin. “It’s been very Concrete Convention in Dallas, TX, USA, on October 24, 2022.
exciting to showcase construction projects from around the Entries for the 2022 ACI Excellence Awards are due April 29,
world. The format ACI has developed over the years has 2022. To self-nominate a project, visit www.concrete.org/
become a good model for states and international groups to aboutaci/honorsandawards/awards/projectawards.aspx.
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 27
 BRAND-BUILDING
Promotional Opportunities
Through ACI
Increase your company’s visibility by reaching thousands
of qualified decision-makers. ACI offers print,
electronic, and other opportunities to help
your business build its brand awareness
and better market its products
and services.

Show true dedication to advancing concrete knowledge through

ACI’s highest level of membership: Sustaining Membership.
ACI SUSTAINING MEMBERSHIP Enhance your company’s exposure to ACI members and customers
while improving access to current concrete construction technology
and information.

Sponsor or exhibit at ACI’s twice-annual conventions and reach

approximately 2000 industry experts. Your business will be in front
THE ACI CONCRETE CONVENTION of industry professionals from across the country and around the
world. Establish and build communication with your target market, as
well as showcase products and services to industry professionals.

CI is where ACI members go every month for the most trusted

CONCRETE INTERNATIONAL concrete news and technical information. Customers are key decision-
makers deeply involved in concrete construction, engineering, testing,
MAGAZINE (CI) and design. Ads appear in both printed and digital versions of the
magazine. Digital alert and landing page options are also available.

ACI’s free online education presentations web page features over

SPONSOR ACI ONLINE 500 presentations delivered by industry experts at ACI events,
with new presentations added weekly. Align your brand with these
EDUCATION PRESENTATIONS industry-leading presentations by becoming a sponsor (limited to no
more than six sponsors), and gain exposure for a full 12 months.

For more information on how to increase your company’s visibility,

contact Kim Spillane at Kim.Spillane@concrete.org, or call +1.248.848.3197
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concrete.org
A Concrete Diamond in the
Northern Cape
Sol Plaatje University Student Resource Centre’s floating concrete façade challenges
the limits of lateral stability

by Deborah Huso

D
iamonds built the city of Kimberley, South Africa, so firm responsible for the SRC’s design. “[Kimberley] has a
it seems appropriate that the building at the heart of very extreme climate, hot in the summer and cold in the
the city’s new public university should feature an winter with a high diurnal temperature range between day and
architectural vernacular hearkening to that mining history. The night throughout the year.” To address those climate extremes,
newly constructed Sol Plaatje University Student Resource DesignWorkshop created a building encased in an insulating,
Centre (SRC), the centerpiece of the first public university to seamless, cast-in-place concrete shell floating 2.4 m (7.9 ft)
be built in South Africa since 1994, has a design like the cut above the ground with an angular, origami-like roof and a
of an inverted diamond, while also calling to mind the thermally activated building system (TABS) to maintain
region’s native Brakdak style of construction where wood is a consistent climate control in the extreme conditions of the
nearly nonexistent feature. Employing concrete as a primary Northern Cape.
structural and aesthetic element, the SRC’s external concrete “Once you’re in the building, you want everybody
skin is structurally independent of the building’s inner core. connected into one space,” Horner says, explaining the
“The type of buildings that have happened in [this] part of glass-enclosed first floor with the “floating” concrete walls
the world had thick walls to insulate from the heat and create above it. “The void around the building provides an
thermal mass for the cold,” says Mark Horner, Project environmental response and also connects everyone on every
Director for Durban-based DesignWorkshop, the architectural floor throughout the building.”
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 29

Fig. 1: Floating façade of the Sol Plaatje University Student
Resource Centre (SRC)
Fig. 2: Staircases and open space between the concrete façade and
the inner core allow natural light to enter the building
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
30 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
Achieving a Floating Façade
The entire exterior shell of the building is a monolithic
220 mm (8.7 in.) thick concrete envelope with the walls
cantilevered to the outside. This signature floating façade
supported by intentionally visible, eccentric steel columns is
not only raised a story’s height above the courtyard that
surrounds it but is also separated from the interior floor slabs
by a 2.7 m (8.9 ft) void filled with a structural steel lift frame
that connects the interior concrete floor slabs with the
concrete outer shell all the way to the roof (Fig. 1). This
makes the concrete envelope completely separate from the
building’s interior core.
Meanwhile, that 2.7 m void between the concrete façade
and the stacked, reinforced concrete platform design of the
inner building core creates a “thermal duvet” between the
structure’s external shell and the interior habitable space,
according to structural engineering firm Aurecon’s Project
Director Heinrich Stander. Within that zone are staircases and
open space to allow natural light to enter the SRC’s seven
floors (Fig. 2).
However, because those exterior walls, 8.5 m (28 ft) at the
tallest, stand separate from the internal building structure and
separate from the ground above a 2 m (6.6 ft) glass façade,
they would have a tendency to fall outward without support
during the construction process. DesignWorkshop wanted as
little structure as could be managed for those 2 m of glazing.
To support the exterior walls, Stander says, the team at
Aurecon planned for 8 m (26 ft) centers to connect interior
floor slabs with the steel columns cast in footings sitting on
the inside of the wall (Fig. 3).
“In a normal concrete structure, you have lateral support
with slabs as you go up,” explains Andrew Murray, Chairman
of Murray & Dickson Construction Group in Johannesburg,
the general contractor on the project. “But here, slabs were
cast later [and] were never tied to the outside façade. [We] had
to manufacture special external props that had to stay in place
till the façade was attached to the cured concrete slabs by
structural steel struts.”
The team employed a sheer connection using three-angle
plates. “The concrete wall was then cast over that, so
[connections] were embedded and hidden inside the façade
wall,” Nick Bester, Aurecon’s Project Team Lead, explains,
“so you can’t see connections from the inside or outside [of
the building].”
Engineers divided the façade perimeter into three sections
via 300 mm wide (24 in.) shrinkage pour strips. As the wall
height incrementally increased in 2.4 m lifts (8 ft), instability
also increased, so the team installed large strut-and-tie
connectors and anchored them to counterweights at the portion
of the wall facing the courtyard. All those temporary supports
had to stay in place until the pour strips were filled in over the
height of the walls, the sloping roofs were placed, and the
structural steel canopy of the courtyard below was installed.
“We had a very heavy envelope resting on nothing and
that could take no lateral load until complete,” Murray says.
 Fig. 4: Steel A-frames of the ground floor auditorium provide
additional support for the structure

Fig. 3: Exterior walls are supported by steel columns cast in footings

and sitting on the inside of the wall

Thus, the building reached full strength only at construction
completion.
Inside the building, the cast-in-place concrete A-frames of
the ground floor auditorium (Fig. 4) also provide supporting
structure without the need for larger, intrusive transfer
beams, offering a 16 m (52.5 ft) column-free space made
possible by using two double-story reinforced concrete
hanging columns that suspend from the apex of the frame,
according to Bester.
During construction, those A-frames required bolstering
from large, temporary support columns before the team used
400 tonne (441 ton) jacks to push the A-frames upward and
then removed the shim plates to allow the A-frames to span
freely, providing for removal of the temporary columns.
Three sets of hanging steel stairs are all supported from
above, too, rather than below. Hanging from tension rods
from the roof (Fig. 5), the stairs were put in at the end of
construction once the roof was installed. The stairs connect to
the floor slabs only at landings.
Fig. 5: Steel stairs are supported from above by tension rods from
the roof
strain-performance concrete with stringent curing practices,
including the previously mentioned pour strips in some areas
of the façade walls and sloping roofline.
Those strips ran the full height of three sides of the
building and remained open for 90 days after placement.
Each corner of the building’s roofline stands at a different
level, corresponding to the height of the campus structures
that surround it. This resulted in steep roof slopes, which
also created placing challenges (Fig. 6). “Casting something
vertically and horizontally are things we’re all used to,”
Murray says, “but when you do it at a steep slope, you have
all kinds of problems because the concrete wants to run
down.” To address this, the team used a low-slump concrete
mixture for the roof, placing it in small sections to avoid
adding too much weight all at once.

Working Concrete in Challenging Conditions Installing Sustainable Heating and Cooling

One of the key challenges of the SRC’s construction was To address the extremes of heat and cold in Kimberley in a
placing the concrete that forms its external floating shell. To sustainable way, the SRC was built not only to capture passive
avoid shrinkage cracking, the team employed low-shrinkage, solar lighting but also to accommodate thermally moderated
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 31

Fig. 6: The sloping roof slab created placing challenges
Fig. 7: A thermally activated building system (TABS) was installed in
concrete slab floors and the roof to provide heating and cooling of
the building
concrete made possible by TABS. Composed of a webbed
network of chilled or heated water that circulates through the
concrete slab floors and the roof (Fig. 7), it offers a
sustainable system for moderating the structure’s heating and
cooling regardless of season.
“We’ve done a number of these [systems] in the past—
cooling and heating by pushing water of various temperatures
through the concrete,” Murray says. The concrete retains the
heat or coolness of the water circulating through it, so the
concrete shell is itself another thermal insulator. Meanwhile,
the floating floor slabs allow circulation of air between the floors.
Installation of the TABS made for a variety of coordination
challenges. The hydronic tubing had to be installed between
the top and bottom reinforcement mats, basically sitting in the
middle of the to-be-placed concrete slabs, Stander explains.
Then the team had to conduct lengthy pressure tests before
concrete placement to ensure there was no leakage. Lastly, the
team had to remove the soffit forms without damaging the
tubing after placement.
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
32 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
“We decreased the spacing of the top reinforcement so
concrete wouldn’t stick to all the plastic parts and break
them,” Stander says. “[We] had to tie them down and fill them
with water during the casting operation. It was like a radiator
lying in the floor.”
“The client wanted everything embedded in the concrete,”
adds Stander, “so it was kind of like working with Swiss cheese.”
The end result, however, creates an efficient and
environmentally sustainable way to maintain comfort in the
SRC throughout the year. In summer, for example, the
concrete with cooled water running through the embedded
hydronic tubing helps prevent the buildup of excessive
warmth in the building’s interior. Warm air hits the surface of
the cool concrete. The concrete then essentially absorbs the
heat, removing it from the interior habitable space.
Completing a Daring and Award-Winning
Structure
Completed in November 2017 and opened to students in
March of the following year, the SRC took 24 months to
build, following more than a year of design work and testing.
“The architects really challenged us on this project,” says
Stander. “The façade walls have an inherent stiffness you
want to activate, but how do you make use of that stiffness
when you’re lifting them off the ground? The floors basically
tie into the walls and lift them up, [transferring] the weight
from the floors to the walls.”
Challenging as the SRC was to build, the absence of
structural walls above the first level slab of the building
establishes incredible flexibility for the university’s future
growth, allowing for spaces within the SRC to be used
differently over time. It also creates a space in which every
floor is open to and connected to those above and below,
symbolizing the connectivity of the university community.
The Sol Plaatje University SRC won the 2017 Fulton
Concrete Award in the “Buildings More Than 3 Storeys”
category and received a commendation in the “Architectural
Concrete” category. The Fulton Awards of Cement and
Concrete SA, an ACI International Partner, are considered the
“Oscars” of concrete in South Africa.
Selected for reader interest by the editors.
Deborah Huso is Creative Director and
Founding Partner of WWM, Charlottesville,
VA, USA. She has written for a variety
of trade and consumer publications,
such as Precast Solutions, U.S. News &
World Report, Concrete Construction,
and Construction Business Owner. She
has provided website development and
content strategy for several Fortune 500
companies, including Norfolk Southern and GE.
 ACI University All-Access
ACI 212.3R-10
Digital Subscription
Report on Chemical
Admixtures for Concrete

Reported by ACI Committee 212

ACI Members receive free access

to all ACI live webinars and 220+
on-demand courses

• 12-month subscription available

for nonmembers
• Multi-user options available

Visit www.concrete.org/aciuniversity
to view all your access options

220+ On Demand Courses | Monthly Webinars | Multi-User Options | 55+ Different Topics

@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.ACIUniversity.com
2021 Decorative Concrete
Council Award Winners

T
he Decorative Concrete Council (DCC), a specialty
council of the American Society of Concrete
Contractors (ASCC), St. Louis, MO, USA, has
announced the winners of its 13th annual Decorative Concrete
Awards competition. The winners were recognized at ASCC’s
Annual Conference on September 23, 2021.
Ruttura & Sons Const. Co., Inc., West Babylon, NY, USA,
won the WOW! Award, best overall project, for Little Island
at Pier 55, Manhattan, NY. Little Island is a $250 million
Hudson River Park Trust project that takes the idea of piers
and parks to a new level. The most visible portion is the pots,
fabricated giant cups put together with pieces called petals.
Thirty-nine sets of formwork were made after extensive
three-dimensional (3-D) computer modeling to create the
132 pots. WOW! Winner, Little Island at Pier 55
While the pots were modeled, cast, and assembled, marine
contractors drove the pilings in stages, up to 200 ft (60 m)
below the river. The project includes a total of 267 cylinder Polished Concrete & Overlays, Under 5000 ft2
piles, each supporting approximately 250 to 350 tons (227 to 1st Place, Hyde Concrete LLC, Pasadena, MD, USA, for
318 tonnes). 6721 Columbia Gateway Drive
The “jewel” of the project, according to Kevin Zimont, a 2nd Place, Surfacing Solutions, Inc., Temecula, CA, for
project executive with construction management firm Hunter Alila Marea Beach Resort
Roberts Construction Group, is the 700-seat amphitheater.
“Architectural concrete designed for a 100-year life cycle Cast-in-Place Special Finishes, Over 5000 ft2
made it difficult to satisfy the architect’s wishes,” said 1st Place, T.B. Penick & Sons, Inc., San Diego, CA, for
D. Thomas Ruttura, Ruttura & Sons Const. Co. University of California San Diego Mesa Housing Pedestrian
Other winners are: and Bicycle Bridge
2nd Place, Bomanite International Ltd., Bury, United
Cast-In-Place Stamped, Over 5000 ft2 Kingdom, for OCT Harbour Plus Rose Square
1st Place, Bomanite Artistic Concrete & Pools, El Paso,
TX, USA, for El Paso Zoo Chihuahuan Desert Exhibit Cast-in-Place Special Finishes, Under 5000 ft2
2nd Place, Alchemy Concrete, Inc., Amherst Junction, WI, 1st Place, Musselman & Hall Contractors, Kansas City,
USA, for Nelson: Witenblauw MO, for St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station
2nd Place, Bomanite of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA, for
Cast-In-Place Stamped, Under 5000 ft2 Choctaw Cultural Center
1st Place, Salzano Custom Concrete, Aldie, VA, USA, for
National Harbor Showcase Intersection Vertical/Façades, Over 5000 ft2
2nd Place, Kaufman Construction, Inc., Casselton, ND, 1st Place, Coloscapes Concrete, Loveland, CO, USA, for
USA, for the Voss Residence Confluence

Polished Concrete & Overlays, Over 5000 ft2 Concrete Artistry, Over 5000 ft2
1st Place, Floor Seal Technology, Inc., Milpitas, CA, USA, 1st Place, T.B. Penick & Sons, San Diego, CA, for 3rd
for Skyline College Street Improvements, Phase 2
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
34 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
 Concrete Artistry, Under 5000 ft2
1st Place, Fisher Companies, Midland, MI, USA, for
Kalkaska Trout Inlay
2nd Place, Scott L. Aker, Architect, LLC, Philadelphia, PA,
USA, for June 5 Memorial Park

Multiple Applications, Over 5000 ft2

1st Place, Trademark Concrete Systems, Camarillo, CA,
for SoFi Stadium

Multiple Applications, Under 5000 ft2

1st Place, Colorado Hardscapes, Greenwood Village, CO,
for Red-Tailed Hawk Inclusive Playground
University of California San Diego Mesa Housing Pedestrian and
2nd Place, Tom Ralston Concrete, Santa Cruz, CA, for Bicycle Bridge
Santa Cruz Chinatown Monument

Stained & Dyes, Over 5000 ft2

1st Place, Bob Harris, SSI, Waxahachie, TX, and Lee Ann
Harris, Decorative Concrete Institute, Temple, GA, USA, for
Harris Re-creation of the Church of San Salvador

Architectural Cast-in-Place Concrete Structures, Over

5000 ft2
1st Place, Ruttura & Sons Const. Co., Inc., West Babylon,
NY; Long Island Concrete, Queens, NY; and Fort Miller Co.,
Inc., Greenwich, NY, for Little Island at Pier 55
2nd Place, Ruttura & Sons Const. Co., Inc., West Babylon, 3rd Street Improvements, Phase 2
NY, for Brooklyn Navy Yard

Cementitious Overlays, Over 5000 ft2

1st Place, Beijing Orangestone Hardscape Co. Ltd.,
Beijing, China, for Zhuhai Chimelong Hengqin Island Theatre
2nd Place, ATD Concrete Coatings, Grand Prairie, TX, for
Lakeshore Amenity Center

Cementitious Overlays, Under 5000 ft2

1st Place, Captivating Concrete, Prescott, MI, for Self’s
Reclaimed Basement

Countertops/Furniture/Firepits
1st Place, Lamberson Construction Concrete by Design,
Holton, KS, USA, for Happy Basset Barrel House
2nd Place, Hyde Concrete LLC, Pasadena, MD, for Mason Red-Tailed Hawk Inclusive Playground
and Rook Mobile Bar

Decorative Resinous Coatings, Under 5000 ft2

1st Place, Knox Concrete LLC, Lewiston, ID, USA, for
Brandon Beier
2nd Place, Birmingham Decorative Concrete, Leeds, AL,
USA, for P&M Mechanical, Inc.

The DCC is composed of contractors, manufacturers, and

suppliers of decorative concrete products. The Council is
dedicated to improving the technical and business expertise of
the contractors that pursue this specialty market. For more
information, visit www.ascconline.org. Zhuhai Chimelong Hengqin Island Theatre
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 35
Hallowed Ground
Restoration returned the United States Air Force Academy Air Garden to its
former glory

by Sean O’Keefe

A
rchitecture is an experience, one of time and place, filtered by a single chlorine-based unit, which meant that
purpose, and point of view. At the United States Air when maintenance was needed, all 600,000 gal. (2,270,000 L)
Force Academy (USAFA), just outside of Colorado of water had to be drained. The structure was plagued by the
Springs, CO, USA, the architectural experience is one of constraints of concrete construction at the time it was built.
exceptional order as the fundamental footfall on a path to While operational, the Air Garden underwent many
excellence. Perhaps the finest collection of Mid-Century impromptu rehabilitations of random piping, plumbing, and
Modern architecture anywhere in America, the Air Force temporary fixes.
Academy exudes a presence of place derived from a signature “Unfortunately, although the Air Garden was a visually
aesthetic. Designed by Walter Netsch of famed architectural spectacular element on campus, from a maintenance
practice Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the Academy’s standpoint, it was troublesome for the Academy,” continues
aesthetic takes root in Netsch’s Field Theory. Using 7 ft (2 m) Boyle. “Eventually, the decision was made to decommission
increments and multiples thereof, the Academy is laid out on the pools and fill them in with soil and grass.”
a 28 ft (8.5 m) grid, which organizes every aspect of campus Though the concrete rims of the pools remained visibly
life from the building forms to the plazas and everything in distinct, for the better part of 50 years, the elegant Air
between. Garden’s fluid purpose was obscured in the campus
“Netsch and the team at SOM approached the Academy’s experience. In 2018, as part of a larger campus restoration
design with a holistic sense of perspective that wasn’t just plan, the Academy decided to unearth the long-entombed Air
about the architecture or the site planning, but the landscape, Garden and return it to glory. Under the purview of general
the interiors, and the furnishings,” said Duane Boyle, the Air contractor GE Johnson Construction Company, the
Force Academy’s Campus Architect. Since 1983, when the architectural concrete expertise of Colorado Hardscapes was
Academy hired him to manage the realization of SOM’s engaged to excavate and rehabilitate the Air Garden. The
updated campus master plan, Boyle has devoted his entire $7.1 million restoration of the USAFA Air Garden was
career to preserving and protecting the campus’ architectural officially dedicated on October 23, 2021 (Fig. 1). The
legacy. The most hallowed ground on the campus is the 27 acre planning for the project began much earlier, and construction
(11 ha) Cadet Area, home to the iconic cadet chapel and the has been underway since 2020.
equally magnificent, though less well-known, Air Garden. “Working on the Air Garden was an incredible experience
“Renowned landscape architect, Dan Kiley, designed the for everyone involved,” says Torrey DeMasters, President of
Air Garden as a horizontal counterpart to the soaring spires of Colorado Hardscapes. “Part architecture and part puzzle, the
the chapel,” continues Boyle. Intended to be experienced as challenges of this site and building solution were immense.”
much from the air as from the ground, Kiley’s composition for The first step in solution building was to reconfigure the
the Air Garden sought to reveal a sense of movement on the Air Garden from a single body of water to 15 individually
land while embracing the organic order and balance in concert filtrated pools. The entire mechanical system was redesigned,
with the site’s vertical elements. Made of two fountain pools and the below-grade vaults were expanded to create a storage
and 13 interconnected concrete basins, the Air Garden was an system for filtered water (Fig. 2). The original cast-iron piping
essential part of the site’s organizational order and central toand drains were abandoned, leaving only the fountain and
the campus experience from 1954 until the early 1970s. pool shells salvageable.
The second step in solution building was redesigning the
Uncovered After 50 Years concrete walkway surrounding the pools. “The original 1950s
The Air Garden originally consisted of two large fountains design called for the walkways to be a white marble, but that
connected by an orderly grid of 13 pools and 20 bridges proved to be cost-prohibitive,” explains Boyle.
stretching across the site. The interconnected pools were all Instead, using a blend of Wisconsin sand, Texas aggregate,
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
36 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
Fig. 1: The USAFA Air Garden after the extensive renovation (photo courtesy of the Air Force Academy Foundation)
Fig. 2: The mechanical and filtering systems at the bottom of the pool
(photo courtesy of Colorado Hardscapes)
and Utah glass, Colorado Hardscapes mocked up a sparkling
white, exposed concrete finish. The improved concrete
construction practices resulted in a much higher strength (psi
or MPa) than the original concrete to provide a long, low-
maintenance lifespan.
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
Reconstruction Challenges Solved
Adding to the complexity, the Air Force Academy is
surrounded by several layers of security, with rigid entrance
inspections potentially delaying concrete. Colorado
Hardscapes worked with the Academy to establish a special
inspection line for concrete trucks and added a hydrational
stabilizer to the concrete to delay the set process and extend
mixing time.
Additionally, using the white mixture as a surface
application allowed Colorado Hardscapes to batch-mix the
topping materials to eliminate the risk of losing any of the
relatively expensive, specialized concrete to security delays.
Product innovations led to application innovations,
compelling Colorado Hardscapes to devise a special system to
efficiently mix and apply the topping slab across the complex
configuration of pools and walkways (Fig. 3).
“We combined a tow-behind mortar mixer and a fork-lift
attachment to create a tool that mixes the materials away from
the work,” says DeMasters. “This allowed us to boom the
product out over the pools to be poured directly from above.”
In addition to setting the topping slab on the 700 ft (213 m)
long Air Garden’s horizontal surfaces, the topping product
also had to be vertically applied to 6500 ft (1981 m) of the
edge face ranging from 6 to 18 in. (152 to 457 mm) tall along
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 37

Fig. 3: The careful process of applying white mixture topping to the
Air Garden walkways (photo courtesy of Colorado Hardscapes)
Fig. 4: The USAFA Air Garden in its final state and with its fountains
running (photo courtesy of Colorado Hardscapes)
Stay Up-to-Date with
the ACI Events Calendar!
Whether you’re interested in networking with industry leaders, learning
a new technology, or wanting to let others know about your upcoming
event, be sure to check out the ACI Events Calendar. With just a few clicks,
you can connect with an event near you or post your own event to share
with the world!
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
38 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
the upright surfaces of every pool, bridge, and sunken
landscape area. Facing these slow-setting surfaces required
developing new techniques of both edge forming and topping
placement.
Return to Glory
Funded by donations made by the USAFA classes of 1972,
1975, and 1976, the Air Garden’s return to glory is an
essential step in realizing the grand vision of the campus as
intended. Modern materials, methodologies, and technologies
were matched by artisanal craftsmanship in concrete placing
and finishing to reinvigorate this elaborate water feature as a
vital touchstone of cadet life. After improving the structural
integrity, realigning the layout, and reducing future
maintenance requirements, the Air Garden has finally been
restored as the inspirational landscape it was meant to be
(Fig. 4).
“The suggestion to use the specialty mix and Colorado
Hardscapes’ ability to adapt to the complexities of our
situation are where premium quality materials and exceptional
craftsmanship combine to become spectacular,” concludes
Boyle. “The Air Force realizes the importance of the
Academy’s architectural heritage and the value of our
investments. We always have to keep in mind that we are
building for the nation, now and well into the future.”
Selected for reader interest by the editors.
Sean O’Keefe is an architecture and
construction writer who crafts stories
and content based on 20 years of
experience and a keen interest in the
people who make projects happen. He
can be reached at sean@sokpr.com.
Search your Events Calendar by…
 Certifications and
Training

Seminars and
Webinars
 Events
Search, Click, Connect!
Visit the Events Calendar Page at
www.concrete.org/calendar
O.S. Fowler’s
Octagon House
Renowned phrenologist was a proponent of gravel wall construction

by Luke M. Snell

C
oncrete appears to be a simple material that anyone house with gravel walls was the ideal solution. The octagon
can make. All you need are aggregates, some kind of closely represents the spherical or round forms that nature
cement, and water—mix them together to create gives us in fruits, eggs, grains, nuts, and trees. Compared to
concrete. Therefore, we should not be surprised to find people other building styles, the octagon house provides more
with unusual backgrounds dabbling in concrete and coming useable space, no dark unusable corners, and better
up with unique ideas of construction with concrete. One such ventilation.
person was Orson Squire Fowler (1809-1887). He published the book The Octagon House, A Home for All
Fowler was a phrenologist—now considered as a in 1853. In his book, he begins by discussing what makes the
pseudoscience that involved the measurement of bumps on the perfect building material, and he stated that wood is an
skull to predict mental traits. This was very popular in the objectionable building material. Good pine lumber (in New
1800s, and Fowler was the expert. He was the editor and York) cost $35 to $45 per 1000 (board) ft (305 m). Fowler
publisher of The American Phrenological Journal and wondered what the cost would be in 50 years and did not see
Miscellany, as well as the publisher of many books on wood as an option for an inexpensive house. He also stated
diverse topics. As an extremely popular lecturer, who was that wood houses burn down, decay, allow rats and mice to
also an abolitionist and a vegetarian with the apparent ability have free-range, and needed to be painted every few years.
to “read the bumps” on famous people’s heads, he had a “Wood is not nature’s building material although a wood
ready-made audience to hear and read his opinions on house is better than none…”1
several diverse topics. He also disregarded brick houses as being too expensive.
In 1850, Fowler was first exposed to gravel wall Bricks are very laborious to both make and to build with. In
construction when he visited a house in Wisconsin that was his opinion, brick houses are damp and unsightly and should
made using lime, water, sand, and gravel. The owner of the not be considered. The only material he thought should be
house, Mr. Goodrich, reasoned that wood was scarce, but considered as the ideal building material was the gravel wall
lime, water, sand, and gravel were abundant everywhere and (lime, water, sand, and gravel) he saw in Wisconsin and that
could be used to make the ideal house. Fowler was allowed to he had used in his own house.
hit the wall with a hammer and was surprised that there was The specifications for making the gravel wall that Fowler
no damage. Goodrich said that Fowler could hit the wall with developed were:
a sledgehammer for 6¢ a blow. Goodrich was confident there Gravel/Stone—Use any size stones that will fit into the
would be minimal damage and that the 6¢ would cover the form. Use what is available at your building site. Oyster
cost of any repairs to the wall that might occur. shells, brickbat, furnace cinders, fieldstone, or anything that
Fowler was so impressed with the gravel wall that he is hard.
began experimenting to see if he could create his own gravel Sand—Sand is to fill the spaces between the stones. Use
wall. Once he had developed a technique of making a gravel whatever sand is available. Do not worry if the sand does not
wall, he built his own house with the idea of keeping it fill all the spaces between the stones. He states that any
inexpensive by using only locally available materials. resultant honeycombing will have a negligible effect on the
One of Fowler’s many interests was to make a house strength of the wall. He does caution that finer sand will
available for common people and let them have the pleasure require more lime and thus will make the walls more
of building their own homes. In his opinion, the octagon expensive.
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 39
Illustration of O.S. Fowler’s Octagon House (image courtesy of Using plain concrete construction, the McElroy Octagon House in
Wikimedia Commons) San Francisco, CA, USA, was built in 1861 (photo courtesy of Wikimedia
Commons)

Lime—The recommended lime is the common coarse lime The workers would then start to bring in the wheelbarrows
that the farmers put on their fields. This lime was slaked at the of stone and deposit them in the other end of the mixing bed.
kiln and cost 4.5¢ per bushel. If you plan to use it for After every wheelbarrow of stone was deposited and spread
plastering the wall, he recommends screening the lime to out evenly, three to four shovels of the mortar would be
remove the larger particles. thrown onto the stone. Fowler recommended using about
Water—He does not discuss the water. It appears that the 60 to 80 wheelbarrows of stone for the previously mentioned
water he used came from wells, and he assumed it was amount of mortar. The mixing would be completed by turning
acceptable for use. The gravel walls were not reinforced, so the mixture with shovels (Fowler calls this shoveling); he
there was little concern for protecting the reinforcement from recommended shoveling up to six times before placing the
any chemicals that might be in the water. mixture into the forms to build the gravel wall.
Selecting the location where you mix your concrete Fowler stated that four workers would be required for the
(mixing bed)—Three items needed to be considered when mixing operations and one worker to supervise the
selecting the location of where you will mix the concrete. The construction (“boss of the wall”). The boss of the wall would
location should have easy access to the materials you will use be responsible to make sure the mixture was correct, solve
in your mixture, be near your water supply, and be as close as any problems that might cause delays, and to apply good
possible to where you plan to place the concrete. judgment and an accurate eye to the construction. He used a
Mixing procedures—The normal procedure for making labor cost of $12 per month, giving a total of $79 for labor
concrete at that time was to put the aggregates and lime and materials to build his gravel walls.
together, mix until they are uniformed distributed, then add In 1855, several abolitionists moved to Kansas to make
water, remix, and then place the concrete. Fowler suggested sure Kansas entered the United States as a free state.2 George
a different approach. He recommended that eight Brown, the editor of the newspaper in Lawrence, KS, USA,
wheelbarrows of lime be placed in the mixing bed, then was worried about how they would build houses and barns
water would be added to make the mixture as thin as milk. because of a scarcity of wood and sawmills in the area. When
To this mixture, he would add 16 to 18 wheelbarrows of Fowler’s book came out, the octagon house with gravel walls
sand, adding two to three (or more) pails of water to make seemed to be the ideal solution. Although there was enough
sure the lime-water mixture was well mixed with the sand to lime, water, sand, and gravel, they still needed wood for the
create a mortar. After 15 to 20 minutes of hand mixing, the forms. Thus, the lack of wood was still a problem. About this
mortar was placed at one end of the mixing bed. If the same time, an entire town called Octagon City was planned
mortar would “follow the man about as fast as he would for just vegetarians (Fowler was a strict vegetarian) and for
walk back to the opposite corner (of the mortar bed),” the the abolitionists.3 Due to bad planning and a severe winter,
workers would know the mortar was acceptable and was this town was abandoned in 1856 and no octagon houses were
ready for the next step. built there.
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
40 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
 Although the octagon house and the gravel wall
construction never became very popular during the 1850s,
about 1000 octagon houses were eventually built by the early
1900s.4 The surviving octagon houses are elaborate multistory
houses that are more a mansion than a house for common
people. Thus, Fowler’s dream that everyone could build their
own house by using his design and construction was never
realized.
Much of the early history of concrete involves individuals
like Fowler, who saw a need and realized that concrete might
provide the solution. They were not deterred by the fact that
they knew so little about concrete, but instead, they performed
experiments to develop concrete that would solve their
problem. Fowler was also a visionary who saw concrete as the
perfect building material—a theme that still resonates with the
American Concrete Institute’s members today.
References
1. Fowler, O.S., The Octagon House, A Home for All, A.R. Shephard
& Co., copyright 1853, pp.16-30, 82-89.
2. Sutton, R.K., Stark Mad Abolitionists, Skyhorse Publishing, New
York, NY, 2017, pp. 45-47.
3. https://gizmodo.com/what-utopias-have-to-do-with-the-19th-
century-craze-for-1564535216, accessed Feb. 3, 2022.
4. www.wallswithstories.com/uncategorized/octagon-houses-a-
unique-style-popular-in-the-1850s-in-the-usa-canada.html, accessed
Feb. 3, 2022.
Selected for reader interest by the editors.
ACI Honorary Member Luke M. Snell is
a Concrete Consultant and a Professor
Emeritus of Southern Illinois University,
Edwardsville, IL, USA. He is a past
Chair of ACI Committee 120, History
of Concrete. Snell serves on the TAC
Concrete Terminology Committee
and numerous other ACI committees,
including 214, Evaluation of Results
of Tests Used to Determine the Strength of Concrete; S801,
Student Activities; and S802, Teaching Methods and Educational
Materials.

CALL FOR
ENTRIES
2022 AMERICAN CONCRETE
INSTITUTE (ACI) EXCELLENCE IN
CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION
AWARDS

@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 41
 Become an
ACI Sustaining Member
support the concrete industry

 Technical and Industry Knowledge

» Two free copies of the ACI Collection of Concrete Codes, Specifications,

and Practices
» Subscription to Concrete International magazine, the ACI Materials Journal,
and the ACI Structural Journal
» Ability to join three non-code technical committees
» ACI University course access
» Free copy of every new printed ACI technical document

 Discounts

» All ACI publications

» Registration fees for the ACI Concrete Convention
» Career Center listings on ACI’s website

 Exposure

» Company name listed monthly in Concrete International magazine with an

annual profile, including logo, reaching more than 21,000 subscribers
» Corporate logo featured and linked on the ACI website, displayed during
ACI’s Concrete Convention and Exposition for 2000+ attendees, and
displayed at the ACI World of Concrete exhibit

 Extras

» View all the benefits of becoming an ACI Sustaining Member and sign up
today at www.concrete.org/membership

@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
Microspheres in Hardened
Concrete
Criteria for assessing cyclic freezing-and-thawing durability

by Emmanuel K. Attiogbe

A
microsphere-powder blend with well-dispersed criteria are presented and described. These equations were
polymeric microspheres in a mineral powder medium derived in Reference 2, and they provide a micromechanics-
has been reported as an effective alternative to surfactant- based explanation of how microspheres protect concrete from
based air entrainment for protecting concrete from cyclic F-T damage. Use of the durability criteria is demonstrated by
freezing-and-thawing (F-T) damage.1,2 The quantity of mineral obtaining data for microsphere concretes at a higher
powder used in the formulation ensures that the microspheres magnification than typically used for air-entrained concretes
do not adhere to each other and form agglomerations while also per ASTM C457/C457M, “Standard Test Method for
ensuring an adequate quantity of microspheres to deliver the Microscopical Determination of Parameters of the Air-Void
intended performance without using an excessive dosage of the System in Hardened Concrete.”
powder blend in the concrete. The microsphere-powder blend is
packaged in a disintegrating bag or sack to easily dispense the Minimum Microsphere Content in Concrete
microspheres into a concrete mixture.1 Reference 2 provides an equation for the minimum
The work reported in Reference 2 shows that the ability of microsphere content by volume of concrete (volume fraction
microspheres to protect concrete from cyclic F-T damage Amin), needed to achieve a durable concrete under cyclic F-T.
depends on the density and thermal coefficient of expansion Amin is shown to depend on the air-free paste content by
and contraction of the microspheres. As such, these properties volume of concrete (p), the effective diameter for the
determine the quantity of microspheres of a given type needed microsphere type (De), and the maximum microsphere spacing
to protect the concrete. The analysis in Reference 2 establishes ( slimit ) at a given level of water-cementitious materials ratio
that for a microsphere type with a given density and thermal (w/cm) of the concrete. For both entrained air voids and
coefficient of expansion and contraction, there is a minimum microspheres, Amin is given by Eq. (1)
or effective diameter at which a minimum quantity or volume
pDe
fraction of the microspheres would protect concrete to the Amin = (1)
same level as entrained air voids, provided the size of the 8slimit − De
spherical voids created by the microspheres, tp, is sufficiently where:
large (tp ≥ 0.13 µm [0.5 × 10−5 in.]). The polymeric • slimit = 0.19 mm (0.008 in.) for w/cm ≥ 0.45;
microspheres in the powder blend reported here and in • slimit = 0.27 mm (0.011 in.) for 0.35 ≤ w/cm < 0.45; and
References 1 and 2 have a density ρp of 25 kg/m3 (1.56 lb/ft3), • slimit = 0.40 mm (0.016 in.) for w/cm < 0.35.
a thermal coefficient of volume expansion and contraction ctp The value of slimit decreases with increasing w/cm because
of 2180 × 10−6/℃ (1211 × 10−6/℉), and an effective diameter concrete permeability and the risk of critical saturation
De of 52 µm (0.002 in.). increase with w/cm. Equation (1) is multiplied by 100 to
This article presents data to show that compressive strength report Amin in percent if p is expressed as a volume fraction.
comparable to that of air-entrained concrete can be achieved For slimit of 0.19 mm, as a conservative value for assessing the
with reduced cement content when microspheres are provided durability of all grades of microsphere concrete at various
at the minimum volume fraction needed to protect concrete levels of w/cm, Eq. (1) becomes
from cyclic F-T damage. In addition, criteria are established
for assessing the durability of microsphere concrete based on pDe (2)
Amin =
the parameters of the microsphere system in hardened 1.52 − De
concrete. The key equations for developing the durability where De is in mm. For the microsphere type reported herein,
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 43
De = 0.052 mm. Therefore, Eq. (2) is reduced to
Amin = 0.035p (3)
Most concretes have p in the range of 25 to 32%, which
yields Amin in the range of 0.9 to 1.1% from Eq. (3). This
indicates that specifying a minimum microsphere content of
1.0% by volume is adequate for most concretes with p ≤ 32%.
To account for concretes with p > 32%, Eq. (3) can be used to
calculate Amin.
Microsphere dosing
As discussed in Reference 1, the microsphere-powder
blend is dispensed into a concrete mixture in a sack that
disintegrates during mixing, thus avoiding the problem of
dusting. The quantity of powder blend for a 1.0% dosage of
microspheres by volume of concrete is packaged as 5 lb
(2.27 kg) of the blend in a 20 L (0.71 ft3) sack. To dose a
0.76 m3 (1 yd3) batch of concrete, one 20 L sack of the
microsphere-powder blend is required to be added to the
concrete mixture. It is recommended to round up or down to
the nearest whole number of sacks for the batch size. This
dosage of one sack per 0.76 m3 batch of concrete is adequate
as most concretes have p < 32%, as noted earlier. However,
where p > 32%, the number of sacks added to the concrete
batch can be increased. For example, where p is 35%, the
microsphere volume fraction needed is 1.2% instead of 1.0%
(per Eq. (3)), which implies a 20% increase in the number of
sacks of the microsphere-powder blend to be added to the
concrete batch. This means that for a 7.6 m3 (10 yd3) batch of
concrete with p of 35%, 12 sacks of the powder blend would
need to be added to the concrete mixture. It should be noted
that an alternative approach to avoiding the problem of
dusting without using the disintegrating sack is to dispense the
microsphere-powder blend into a concrete mixture by
pre-blending it with cement, particularly on large projects
such as the construction of concrete pavements.
Cement content and compressive strength
In References 1 and 2, it was reported that at equal cement
contents, the compressive strength of a concrete with a
microsphere content of 1.0% was about 10% higher than the
strength of an air-entrained concrete with about 6% air
content. A test program was designed to evaluate this finding
further based on air-entrained concrete mixtures with 28-day
design compressive strengths of 28 and 42 MPa (4000 and
6000 psi), respectively. The goal was to determine if concrete
mixtures with the mineral-blended microspheres can have
lower cement contents yet match the strengths of mixtures
with conventional air-entraining admixtures (AEAs).
Six concrete mixtures with proportions listed in Table 1
(Mixtures A to F) had water-cement ratio (w/c) values of
either 0.57 or 0.42 and p in the range of 27 to 30%. A
microsphere content of 1.0% was used in Mixtures B, C, E,
and F. A commercially available Vinsol® resin-based AEA was
used at a dosage needed to achieve an air content of about 6% maximum spacing to achieve durability under cyclic F-T, as
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
44 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
in Mixtures A and D. For the mixtures with a w/c of 0.57,
Mixtures A and B had a cement content of 335 kg/m3 (565 lb/yd3)
and Mixtures C had a 10% lower cement content at 302 kg/m3
(509 lb/yd3). Similarly, for the mixtures with a w/c of 0.42,
Mixtures D and E had a cement content of 400 kg/m3 (674 lb/yd3)
and Mixture F had a 10% lower cement content at 360 kg/m3
(607 lb/yd3). A Type F high-range water-reducing admixture
(HRWRA) was used in all mixtures except Mixture A to
achieve a slump in the range of 125 to 180 mm (5 to 7 in.).
For each batch of concrete, the unit weight and air content
were measured per ASTM C138/C138M, “Standard Test
Method for Density (Unit Weight), Yield, and Air Content
(Gravimetric) of Concrete,” and ASTM C231/C231M,
“Standard Test Method for Air Content of Freshly Mixed
Concrete by the Pressure Method,” respectively (refer to
Table 1 for results). Also, six 100 x 200 mm (4 x 8 in.)
cylinders were cast for compressive strength testing at 28 and
56 days (three cylinders for each age) per ASTM C39/C39M,
“Standard Test Method for Compressive Strength of
Cylindrical Concrete Specimens” (refer to Table 2 for results).
For the two concrete mixtures with a w/c of 0.57 and a
cement content of 335 kg/m3, the compressive strengths at
28 and 56 days were 5% and 17% higher for Mixture B with
1% microspheres than the strengths for Mixture A with AEA,
respectively. When the cement content of the microsphere
concrete was reduced by 10% to 302 kg/m3, the 28- and
56-day compressive strengths for Mixture C were 8% and 3%
higher than the strengths for Mixture A with AEA and the
higher cement content of 335 kg/m3, respectively. Similarly,
for the two concrete mixtures at a w/c of 0.42 and a cement
content of 400 kg/m3, Mixture E with 1% microspheres
achieved 5% and 13% higher strengths at 28 and 56 days,
respectively, than Mixture D with AEA. When the cement
content of the microsphere concrete was reduced by 10% to
360 kg/m3, the compressive strengths for Mixture F were 10%
and 16% higher at 28 and 56 days, respectively, than the
strengths for Mixture D with AEA and the higher cement
content of 400 kg/m3.
The 16% higher 56-day compressive strength for the
microsphere concrete versus the air-entrained concrete at the
w/c of 0.42 compared to 3% higher at the w/c of 0.57 suggests
that a greater reduction in cement content may be achieved
with the use of microspheres the lower the w/c. These results
also show that a concrete mixture with 1.0% microsphere
content can have at least a 10% lower amount of cement and
yet achieve compressive strengths comparable to the strengths
of air-entrained concrete with about 6% air content. This
implies a sustainability benefit through reduction in carbon
footprint in using the microsphere-powder blend as a
replacement for air entrainment.
Microsphere Distribution and Dispersion in
Hardened Concrete
The requirements of minimum volume fraction and
presented in Reference 2 and reflected Table 1:
in Eq. (1) to (3), relate to how well the Concrete mixture proportions, slump, air content, and density
microspheres (as well as entrained air Concrete mixtures
voids) are distributed and dispersed in Constituents and
the concrete. Spatial distribution is the properties A (air) B C D (air) E F
way particles fill a space, whereas Cement, kg/m 3
335 302 400 360
dispersion is the way the particles are Coarse aggregate, kg/m 3
1009 1068 1086 1009 1068 1087
agglomerated or not.3 In the following
discussions, microsphere distribution is Fine aggregate, kg/m 3
685 699 758 692 705 763
quantified in terms of the volume Water, kg/m 3
191 172 168 151
fraction of paste within the zone of w/c 0.57 0.42
protection of the microspheres, and
AEA, mL/m 3
143.5 — — 148.1 — —
microsphere dispersion is quantified in
terms of the size and spacing of the Microsphere content,
— 1.0 1.0 — 1.0 1.0
microspheres. These quantities, which volume % of concrete
can be determined from microscopical HRWRA (Type F), mL/m3 — 550 385 237 654 662
examination of hardened concrete, can Slump, mm 175 175 175 155 165 145
be used in prequalification or post-
Air content, volume % of
placement assessment of microsphere concrete
5.9 2.0 3.8 5.6 3.0 3.4
concrete. Such assessment would
Density, kg/m3 2269 2373 2291 2298 2376 2373
determine if the microsphere concrete
can be expected to be durable under Note: 1 kg/m3 = 1.7 lb/yd3; 1 mL/m3 = 0.026 fl oz/yd3; 1 mm = 0.04 in.
cyclic F-T.
A good distribution of microspheres is Table 2:
one in which the paste is homogeneously Compressive strength of microsphere concrete and air-entrained concrete
filled with the microspheres, while a Concrete mixtures
good dispersion is one in which all the
A (air) B C D (air) E F
microspheres are as small as possible, as
no agglomerates exist (refer to Fig. Compressive strength w/c = 0.57 w/c = 0.42
1(a)). The schematic is a section through At 28 days, MPa 31.0 32.6 33.5 45.2 47.3 49.5
a given p and microspheres volume (A),
28-day strength, relative
where A = Amin. Figure 1(b) illustrates to air-entrained concrete 1.0 1.05 1.08 1.0 1.05 1.10
the case of a poor distribution but a (Mixture A or D)
good dispersion, where the particles are
At 56 days, MPa 30.6 35.8 31.5 46.1 52.0 53.7
fewer than in Fig. 1(a) and A < Amin.
Figure 1(c) illustrates the case of a good 56-day strength, relative
distribution but a poor dispersion, where to air-entrained concrete 1.0 1.17 1.03 1.0 1.13 1.16
(Mixture A or D)
the larger particles are agglomerates and
A = Amin. Note that in these illustrations, Note: 1 MPa = 145 psi
p + A is constant.
If both the distribution and the
dispersion of the microspheres in the
concrete are good, the concrete would
be expected to be durable under cyclic
F-T. A good dispersion with a poor (a)
distribution as well as a good
distribution with a poor dispersion
would not ensure durable concrete.

Microsphere distribution
Figures 1(a) and (b) indicate that for
(b) (c)
microspheres of a given size, p/A is a
good measure of the distribution of the Fig. 1: Schematics of microsphere distribution and dispersion: (a) good distribution and good
microspheres; the value of p/A would be dispersion; (b) poor distribution and good dispersion; and (c) good distribution and poor
higher the poorer the distribution, as in dispersion
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 45
Fig. 1(b) compared to Fig. 1(a). This implies that the volume
fraction of protected paste, F, would be lower the poorer the
distribution, as can be quantified from Eq. (4).2,4-8
8 as small as possible.
F= ≤1
p (4)
+1
A is obtained from Eq. (6) to be
Therefore, determining if the microspheres are well
distributed to achieve an F-T durable concrete means
determining if A is adequate for the given p. At A, a good
distribution of microspheres that yields a durable concrete
would be indicated by a value of p/A ≤ p/Amin, and, per Eq. (4),
by a value of F ≥ Fmin—that is
Fmin ≤ F ≤ 1 (5a)
As shown in Reference 2, if the size of the spherical voids
created by the microspheres under freezing conditions is
sufficiently large (tp ≥ 0.13 µm), as is the case for the
microspheres in the powder blend reported herein, Fmin is
expressed in terms of De and slimit to achieve an F-T durable
concrete
De
Fmin = ≤1 (5b)
slimit
With De = 0.052 mm for the microsphere type in the
powder blend and with slimit = 0.19 mm as a conservative
maximum spacing for assessing the durability of all grades of
microsphere concrete, Eq. (5b) gives Fmin = 0.27. For a given
concrete containing microspheres, the value of F, as a
microsphere distribution factor, can be determined from
microscopical examination of the hardened concrete, as
demonstrated subsequently. An F ≥ 0.27 for the microsphere
type reported here and in References 1 and 2 would indicate
an adequate volume fraction of evenly distributed
microspheres in the concrete. (Note that based on the
analysis in Reference 2, a microsphere type for which
tp < 0.13 µm would have an Fmin value calculated from
 0.13 
De
Fmin =   ≤ 1 ).
slimit  t p 
Microsphere dispersion
The average size of the microspheres in the case of poor
dispersion, Fig. 1(c), is larger than in the case of good
dispersion, Fig. 1(a). As such, for an equal A in Fig. 1(a) and
(c), the microspheres are fewer in Fig. 1(c); hence, their
average spacing over the entire paste volume is larger. This
means that when the microspheres are more widely spaced,
the poorer the dispersion. The average spacing, s , can be
quantified from Eq. (6)2,4-8, where α, the specific surface of
the microspheres, is smaller if the microspheres agglomerate
to form larger size particles, resulting in a larger spacing
p2 (6) meeting Eq. (8c) had durability factors greater than or
s = 2F
αA
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
46 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
Therefore, determining if the microspheres are well
dispersed to achieve an F-T durable concrete means
determining if their sizes are as small as possible and s is also
When the total paste is within the zone of protection of
microspheres, F = 1. Hence, as explained in Reference 2, slimit
p2
slimit = 2 (7)
(αA) min
where (αA)min is the minimum total surface area of
microspheres in a unit volume of concrete with p. An F-T
durable concrete would be achieved when there is an adequate
number of microspheres in the concrete for their total surface
area per unit volume of the concrete to be greater than or
equal to (αA)min. In general, a concrete with p in which αA ≥
(αA)min will reflect a good dispersion of the microspheres
because, per Eq. (7), s will not be larger than slimit . Therefore,
the parameter αA can be used as a basis for assessing the
durability of concrete under cyclic F-T. For a given concrete
containing microspheres, the values of αA and s as
microsphere dispersion factors can be determined from
microscopical examination of the hardened concrete, as
demonstrated in the next section. Rearranging Eq. (7), (αA)min
can be determined for a given concrete as
 2  2
(αA) min =  p (8a)
 slimit 
Equation (8a) shows that the value of (αA)min depends only
on the characteristics of the concrete mixture and not on the
properties (such as the size) of the microsphere type (or
entrained air voids). With slimit = 0.19 mm for assessing the
durability of all grades of microsphere concrete, Eq. (8a) gives
(αA)min = 10p2 mm2/mm3 (= 250p2 in.2/in.3) (8b)
An adequate number of uniformly dispersed microspheres
in the concrete is indicated if
αA
≥ 1 or αA ≥ (αA)min (8c)
(αA) min
Use of the αA parameter to assess the durability of
concrete under cyclic F-T for air-entrained concretes with a
large set of test data (172 data points) provided in Reference 6
is demonstrated. The test data consist of air-void system
parameters obtained from ASTM C457/C457M and durability
factors obtained from ASTM C666/C666M, “Standard Test
Method for Resistance of Concrete to Rapid Freezing and
Thawing.” Equation (8a) is used to calculate the (αA)min
values for the air-entrained concretes that represent three
ranges of w/cm having the maximum spacing values noted
previously in relation to Eq. (1). Figure 2 shows a plot of
durability factor versus αA/(αA)min—100% of the concretes
approximately equal to 80%, which is indicative of concretes
Fig. 2: Assessment of cyclic F-T durability based on total surface area Fig. 3: Comparison of relative dynamic modulus versus number of
of air voids per unit volume of concrete, αA. The test data are for F-T cycles for non-air-entrained, agglomerated microsphere and
air-entrained concretes reported in Reference 6 well-dispersed microsphere concretes

that can be considered to have excellent durability under microspheres in both blends were of the same type but the
cyclic F-T. For air-entrained concretes with αA/(αA)min < 1, agglomerated blend had an insufficient quantity of mineral
only about a third had durability factors greater than or equal powder blended with the microspheres. Photomicrographs of
to 80% and would be expected to have excellent durability. the two powder blends were presented and discussed in
These results show that the αA/(αA)min factor yields a fairly Reference 1. For the concretes with a paste content of 30%,
accurate and conservative prediction of the durability potential the two powder blends were used at the minimum
of concrete under cyclic F-T. microsphere content of 1.0% by volume of concrete to ensure
The microspheres in the powder blend reported here and in a good distribution of the microspheres over the paste volume,
previous studies1,2 are manufactured to have a consistent as discussed earlier. In addition, higher microsphere contents
particle size distribution, unlike entrained air voids that are of 1.5 and 1.75% by volume of concrete were used for the
generated through the mechanical action of mixing the agglomerated blend. The cyclic F-T test data in Fig. 3 show
concrete ingredients and are stabilized using an AEA. that while a 1.0% microsphere content for the well-dispersed
Therefore, αA/(αA)min is highly likely to be an even more microsphere blend was sufficient to render the concrete
consistent factor for predicting the durability potential of durable with a durability factor of over 80% after 300 cycles,
microsphere concrete than of air-entrained concrete. it took up to 1.75% microsphere content for the agglomerated-
microsphere concrete to achieve the same level of durability.
Microsphere agglomeration Therefore, if the microspheres are not well dispersed, a higher
If the microspheres agglomerate to form larger particles in volume fraction than that required for the well-dispersed
the concrete, they will have a specific surface αa, which is less microspheres would be needed to achieve durable concrete.
than α of the nonagglomerated or well-dispersed microspheres
(αa < α). The volume fraction of the agglomerated Microscopical Examination of Hardened
microspheres needed to achieve an F-T durable concrete, Aa, Concrete
can be determined from Eq. (9) To demonstrate use of the microsphere distribution and
dispersion criteria for assessing the durability of microsphere
αaAa = αAmin (9)
concrete under cyclic F-T, durability factor data were obtained
where αaAa is the total surface area of agglomerated per ASTM C666/C666M, Procedure A, along with data from
microspheres in a unit volume of concrete; and αAmin is the microscopical examination of hardened concrete based on
total surface area of well-dispersed microspheres per unit ASTM C457/C457M, Procedure B.
volume of durable concrete.
From this equation, Aa will be higher compared to Amin. Durability factor
The impact of microsphere agglomeration or poor dispersion Four microsphere concretes containing the well-dispersed
of microspheres is demonstrated by the cyclic F-T test data microsphere-powder blend formulation1,2 were evaluated. No
shown in Fig. 3 for a non-air-entrained concrete without AEA was used in the concrete mixtures. Table 3 provides the
microspheres and four microsphere concretes. Two mixture proportions and plastic properties for the concretes
microsphere-powder blends, one with the well-dispersed with a paste content of about 30%, while Table 4 provides the
microspheres and the second with agglomerated microspheres, concrete strength and F-T performance data. Mixtures 1 and 2
were used in the concrete mixtures that were proportioned had the minimum microsphere dosage of 1.0% and Mixture 3
with a paste content of 30% and w/c of 0.52. The had a lower microsphere dosage of 0.5%. Mixture 4 had a
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 47
Table 3: Parameters of the microsphere
Concrete mixture proportions, slump, air content, and density system in hardened concrete
Microscopic analysis of the four
Concrete mixtures
concretes was performed per ASTM
Constituents and properties 1 2 3 4 C457/C457M, using the modified
point-count method (Procedure B), at a
Cement, kg/m3 400 335 400 400
magnification of 200×. This
Coarse aggregate, kg/m3 1068 1068 1068 1068 magnification is higher than what is
typically used for air-void analysis
Fine aggregate, kg/m3 705 699 727 678
because the microspheres are much
Water, kg/m3 168 191 168 168 smaller in size than entrained air voids.
A photomicrograph of a concrete section
w/c 0.42 0.57 0.42 0.42
with microspheres is shown in Fig. 4.
Microsphere content, volume % of
1.0 1.0 0.5 1.9
Marked on the photomicrograph are
concrete microspheres with sizes ranging from
HRWRA (Type F), mL/m3 654 550 427 1050 0.03 to 0.08 mm (30 to 80 µm), shown
relative to the size of an entrapped air
Slump, mm 165 175 125 175 void (0.96 mm or 960 µm). One
Air content, volume % of concrete 3.0 2.0 4.5 3.4 hardened concrete sample was analyzed
for each of Mixtures 1, 2, and 3,
Density, kg/m3 2376 2373 2304 2282 whereas two samples were analyzed for
Note: 1 kg/m = 1.7 lb/yd ; 1 mL/m = 0.026 fl oz/yd ; 1 mm = 0.04 in.
3 3 3 3
Mixture 4. The microsphere systems
obtained from the hardened concrete
Table 4: analysis are described in Tables 5 and 6.
Compressive strength and durability factor of microsphere concrete The microsphere counts yield the same
type of parameters as obtained in a
Concrete mixtures
typical point-count analysis of air voids
1 2 3 4 in hardened concrete. Note from Table 6
w/c
that a values for the microspheres,
ranging from 1400 to 1756 in.2/in.3
Test results 0.42 0.57 0.42 0.42 (56 to 70 mm2/mm3), are much larger than
the typical values for entrained air voids,
28-day compressive
strength, MPa
47.3 32.6 41.5 47.6 which are mostly in the range of 300 to
1000 in.2/in.3 (12 to 40 mm2/mm3).8,9
Durability factor, % 100 100 64 91 Table 7 lists the microsphere system
Note: 1 MPa = 145 psi parameters (F, αA, and s ) that are used
to assess the durability potential of the
four concretes. The values of F and s
microsphere dosage of 1.9%, which is are calculated using Eq. (4) and (6),
about two times the minimum dosage. respectively, and the values of (αA)min
The presence of the microspheres in the are calculated using Eq. (8b). The values
quantities dosed was verified for of F, which range from 0.46 to 0.68 for
Mixtures 1, 2, and 4 in accordance with Mixtures 1, 2, and 4, with durability
ASTM C173/C173M, “Standard Test factors higher than 90%, are greater than
Method for Air Content of Freshly Mixed the minimum value of 0.27 that was
Concrete by the Volumetric Method,” previously noted. This indicates that
without using isopropyl alcohol.1 Table 4 there are adequate volume fractions of
shows that Mixtures 1, 2, and 4 with microspheres that are evenly distributed
microsphere dosages of 1.0 or 1.9% had in each of these concretes. The F value
Fig. 4: Photomicrograph of concrete section high durability factors ranging from 91 to of 0.25 for Mixture 3 with a lower
at 200× magnification showing microspheres 100% after 300 cycles of F-T testing. durability factor of 64% is less than the
Mixture 3 with a microsphere dosage of minimum value of 0.27. This indicates
0.5%, which is significantly lower than that the volume fraction of microspheres
the minimum dosage of 1.0%, had a is lower than needed and, because of
lower durability factor of 64%. this, the microspheres are considered
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
48 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
Table 5:
Results of microsphere counts per ASTM C457/C457M at a magnification of 200×
Concrete Length of Area counted, Microspheres
mixture Aggregate, % Paste, p, % Microspheres, A, % Total points traverse, in. in.2 crossed
1 68.8 26.9 2.0 1535 153.5 14.59 1049
2 71.5 26.0 1.6 1518 151.8 14.42 1075
3 70.4 25.3 0.8 1653 165.3 15.73 551
4 67.4 26.9 2.5 1536 153.6 14.60 1626
4 66.9 28.8 2.0 1543 154.3 14.66 1360
Note: 1 in. = 25.4 mm

poorly distributed in Mixture 3. Table 6:

As seen in Table 7, for Mixtures 1 Characteristics of microsphere system per ASTM C457/C457M at a
and 2 with a microsphere content of 1.0%, magnification of 200×
the αA values of 28.0 and 27.5 in.2/in.3, Concrete Chord length, Specific surface, a,
respectively, are approximately equal, mixture Frequency, n, 1/in. l , in. in.2/in.3
indicating that the total surface area of
1 6.8 0.0029 1400
microspheres per unit volume of
concrete in both mixtures are practically 2 7.1 0.0023 1721
the same, as would be expected. The
3 3.3 0.0025 1575
values of αA/(αA)min are greater than 1
for the highly durable Mixtures 1, 2, and 4 10.6 0.0024 1669
4, whereas the value is less than 1 for
4 8.8 0.0023 1756
the less durable Mixture 3. Therefore,
the microspheres are present in adequate Note: 1 in. = 25.4 mm
numbers and are uniformly dispersed in
Mixtures 1, 2, and 4, but are considered Table 7:
insufficient in Mixture 3. Microsphere system parameters for assessment of durability potential of
These results demonstrate that the F concrete*
and αA parameters provide an effective
basis for assessing the potential Total Minimum total
durability of microsphere concrete Protected microsphere microsphere
under cyclic F-T. The values of s show paste surface area surface area Micro-
that the average microsphere spacing in Paste volume per concrete per concrete sphere
each of the four concretes is smaller than Concrete volume fraction, F volume, αA, volume, αA spacing,
the slimit value of 0.008 in. (0.19 mm). It mixture fraction, p (≤1) in.2/in.3 (αA)min, in.2/in.3 (αA) min s , in.
should be noted that whereas the value 1 0.27 0.55 28.0 18.1 1.5 0.003
of αA for the less durable Mixture 3
does not meet the minimum 2 0.26 0.46 27.5 16.9 1.6 0.002
requirement, the corresponding value of 3 0.25 0.25 12.6 16.0 0.8 0.003
s satisfies the spacing requirement.
This implies that all three parameters, F, 4 0.27 0.68 41.7 18.1 2.3 0.002
αA, and s , must satisfy the respective 4 0.29 0.52 35.1 20.7 1.7 0.002
limits for the concrete to be expected to *
Values of A from Table 5 are expressed as volume fractions in calculating αA, with the values of α
have excellent durability. The limit taken from Table 6
values for these parameters or the Note: 1 in. = 25.4 mm
criteria to ensure durable concrete are
summarized in Table 8.
of 1.0% by volume can have at least a content. This implies a sustainability
Concluding Remarks 10% lower amount of cement and yet benefit through reduction in carbon
A concrete mixture with the achieve compressive strength footprint in using the microsphere-
previously described microsphere- comparable to the strength of air- powder blend as a replacement for air
powder blend at a microsphere dosage entrained concrete with about 6% air entrainment.
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 49
 Microscopical determination of parameters of the
microsphere system in hardened concrete per ASTM C457/
C457M is feasible, with the primary modification being a
higher magnification than typically used in the examination of
air-entrained concrete. A magnification of 200× was
successfully used in this study. Criteria for mixture
prequalification or post-placement assessment of microsphere
concrete for cyclic F-T durability are based on the
microsphere parameters obtained from the microscopical
analysis using the modified point-count method. These criteria
are summarized in Table 8, where the limit value of F is
applicable to the microsphere type described herein and the
limit values of αA and s are applicable to any microsphere
type. The parameter F quantifies the spatial distribution of the
microspheres in concrete, whereas the parameters αA and s
quantify dispersion of the microspheres. Under-dosing the
microspheres, indicated by F < Fmin, would yield a poor
distribution. Significant agglomeration of the microspheres,
which may be indicated by αA < (αA)min, or by s > slimit , or
by both of these parameters, would yield a poor dispersion.
All three parameters must satisfy the respective limits in
Table 8 for the concrete to be expected to have excellent F-T
durability.
A microsphere dosage of 1.0% by volume of concrete is
recommended for all grades of concrete with paste contents
lower than or equal to 32%. The 1.0% dosage means that one
20 L sack of the microsphere-powder blend described in
Reference 1 is added to a 0.76 m3 batch of concrete. Where
the paste content is higher than 32%, Eq. (3) can be used to
calculate the microsphere dosage and hence the number of
sacks of the material needed to ensure an F-T durable
concrete. However, it is recommended to round up or down to
the nearest whole number of sacks for the batch size.
Acknowledgments
The support of SGS TEC Services, Lawrenceville, GA, USA, particularly
that of laboratory General Manager Shawn McCormick, in performing
the concrete tests is gratefully acknowledged. Special thanks to Terry
Vines and Brian Wolfe, also of SGS TEC Services, for performing the
ASTM C457/C457M tests on the microsphere concretes.
References
1. Attiogbe, E.K., “A New Way to Deliver Protection from Freezing-
and-Thawing Damage,” Concrete International, V. 43, No. 1, Jan. 2021,
pp. 27-33.
2. Attiogbe, E.K., “Compliance Concept in Protection of Concrete
from Freezing-and-Thawing Damage,” ACI Materials Journal, V. 117,
No. 6, Nov. 2020, pp. 187-200.
3. Fakirov, S., “Polymer Nanocomposites: Why Their Mechanical
Performance Does Not Justify the Expectation and a Possible Solution to
the Problem?” eXPRESS Polymer Letters, V. 14, No. 5, Mar. 2020,
pp. 436-466.
4. Attiogbe, E.K., “Mean Spacing of Air Voids in Hardened Concrete,”
ACI Materials Journal, V. 90, No. 2, Mar.-Apr. 1993, pp. 174-181.
5. Hover, K.C.; Natesaiyer, K.; Simon, M.; and Snyder, K.,
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
50 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
Table 8:
Limit values for parameters of the microsphere system
in durable concrete under cyclic F-T*
Microsphere
distribution
factor Microsphere dispersion factors
aA s
F
in. /in.
2 3
mm /mm
2 3
in. mm
≥0.27 ≥250p2 ≥10p2 ≤0.008 ≤0.19
p is paste content expressed as a volume fraction
*
“Discussion of ‘Mean Spacing of Air Voids in Hardened Concrete’” by
Attiogbe, E.K., ACI Materials Journal, V. 91, No. 1, Jan.-Feb. 1994,
pp. 121-127.
6. Attiogbe, E.K., “Predicting Freeze-Thaw Durability of Concrete –
A New Approach,” ACI Materials Journal, V. 93, No. 5, Sept.-Oct. 1996,
pp. 457-463.
7. Attiogbe, E.K., “Volume Fraction of Protected Paste and Mean
Spacing of Air Voids,” ACI Materials Journal, V. 94, No. 6, Nov.-Dec.
1997, pp. 588-591.
8. Attiogbe, E.K., “Isn’t It Time to Let L Go?” Concrete
International, V. 20, No. 10, Oct. 1998, pp. 39-43.
9. Jana, D.; Erlin, B.; and Pistilli, M.F., “A Closer Look at Entrained
Air in Concrete,” Concrete International, V. 27, No. 7, July 2005, pp. 31-34.
Note: Additional information on the ASTM standards discussed in this
article can be found at www.astm.org.
Selected for reader interest by the editors.
Emmanuel K. Attiogbe, FACI, is a
Research Engineer in private practice in
Discovery Bay, CA, USA. He retired in 2016
as Head of Innovation for the development
of alternative reinforcements for concrete
at BASF Construction Chemicals, now
Master Builders Solutions. He is a past
Chair of the TAC Technology Transfer
Committee and the Technology Transfer
Advisory Group of the ACI Foundation’s Strategic Development
Council (now reorganized as the Concrete Innovation Council) and
a past member of the ACI Board of Direction. He is a member of
several ACI committees and the ACI Foundation’s Concrete
Research Council. He was awarded the 2021 ACI Wason Medal for
Most Meritorious Paper, the 2015 ACI Henry L. Kennedy Award,
and the 1995 ACI Wason Medal for Materials Research. He was
elected in 2021 into the Civil, Environmental, and Architectural
Engineering Academy of the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS,
USA, as a distinguished alumnus. He received his BSc in civil
engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and
Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, and his MS and PhD in civil
engineering from the University of Kansas.
Products &
Practice
Minnich Control Speed Vibrator
Minnich Manufacturing, a manufacturer of concrete dowel pin
drills, concrete vibrators, and vibrator monitoring systems,
introduced the Control Speed Vibrator (CSV). The CSV is a
lightweight, durable, electric flex shaft concrete vibrator
controlled by Bluetooth connection through the Minnich app on
an iOS or Android device. Operators have the option of setting a
specific speed or choosing between set speeds of 6000, 8000, or
10,500 vibrations per minute. Choosing slower vibration speeds lessens material separation and reduces surface blemishes and
repairs. Once a speed is chosen, the CSV will maintain that speed as the concrete load changes. The 15-amp (115-volt)
universal motor drives a full line of Minnich shafts and heads and comes standard with a quick disconnect that adapts to the
vibrators of many manufacturers. The CSV was designed with a soft start that saves energy and mechanical wear on the motor
and power system.
––Minnich Manufacturing, www.minnich-mfg.com

Smart Views Tool for Revit Users

AGACAD created Smart Views, a tool that makes project
documentation easier for architects and engineers who use Autodesk®
Revit®. Smart Views allows users to create any number of views with
automated dimensions for selected elements in Revit without creating
an assembly. Smart Views is especially suited for Revit users who
need to make drawings of sections and elevations of any building
element, all the way from preliminary design stages through to a
detailed design. Use examples include viewing a cast-in-place
concrete wall with mechanical, electrical, or plumbing penetrations;
elevations of selected walls; or a section at a particular connection.
––AGACAD, www.agacad.com

Blåkläder Workwear Products

Blåkläder, a manufacturer of workwear, launched two new products. A
Hi-Vis Softshell Jacket and Ripstop Pants join Blåkläder’s extensive line of
workwear known for functionality, durability, and comfort. The wind and water-
resistant softshell jacket is available in men’s and women’s cuts, was designed
with safety top-of-mind, and has reflective details and tape on the body and
sleeves. It features adjustable Velcro sleeves, front zipper pockets, an adjustable
collar, a detachable hood, an extended back, and an adjustable hem.
Blåkläder enhanced its 1691 Ripstop pants with highly requested utility
pockets. These pants also feature Cordura-stretch reinforced top-load knee
pockets, reinforced carpenter pockets, and a gusseted crotch panel made from
stretch material that increases flexibility and durability. The fabric is lightweight
and comfortable yet delivers durability. The Ripstop pants are available in three
colors—stone, navy blue, and black.
––Blåkläder, www.blaklader.com

@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 51
Products & Practice

ECOPlanet TerCem to Scale Green Building Solutions

LafargeHolcim introduced an ECOPlanet product, TerCem™, that is an ultra-low carbon footprint cement. TerCem, a
cement product tri-blend, offers up to 65% CO2 reduction. Specially developed in the Lafarge Whitehall cement plant in
Pennsylvania, USA, it offers early strength performance in concrete. ECOPlanet cement products, along with TerCem,
will enable low-carbon construction at scale. TerCem was designed for the building sector and post-tensioned concrete
structures in urban areas, with the potential to be used in numerous applications where a low carbon footprint is desired.
––LafargeHolcim, www.holcim.com

AlertCast PAVER Featuring Engineered Flange

Detectable Warning Systems™ (DWS) has engineered and developed its AlertCast PAVER in
response to air entrapment issues stemming from traditional ribbed paver designs.
The AlertCast PAVER delivers minimal aggregate displacement by combining four
side-flange vents and PENETRATOR® anchors, allowing easy and solid installations.
Whereas the rib designs of traditional pavers run center-to-center (north-to-south), AlertCast
PAVER’s design features four side-flange vents running right-to-left (east-to-west). The design thus
minimizes air entrapment between the paver and concrete.
AlertCast PAVER is a glass-reinforced thermoset composite panel engineered for superior impact resistance, slip resistance,
wear resistance, and long-term durability. It features truncated domes molded to comply with the in-line dome spacing
specifications in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines. The panels can be used in a wide range
of publicly accessible environments, including pedestrian crossings, railway platforms, and ADA curb ramps.
––Detectable Warning Systems, www.detectable-warning.com

Master X-Seed 66
Master X-Seed® 66 is a patent-pending, water-reducing, and strength-enhancing admixture that improves both early
and late age strength in the development of concrete while supporting sustainable construction. Master X-Seed 66
admixture is based on a technology that facilitates cement hydration. It includes polycarboxylate technology that helps
produce concrete mixtures with different levels of workability. Master X-Seed 66 admixture meets ATSM C494/C494M
requirements for Type A (water-reducing) admixtures. The strength-enhancing property of Master X-Seed 66 admixture
permits a reduction in the total cementitious materials content of a given concrete mixture while maintaining compressive
strength development equivalent to that of reference concrete with associated benefits in CO2 emissions reduction.
––Master Builders Solutions, www.master-builders-solutions.com

Ground Penetrating Radar GP8100

The GP8100 features the world’s first large scan width ground penetrating radar (GPR) with
the Superline scan to deliver object detection and data clarity alongside deep penetration depth.
One Superline scan with the GP8100 is the equivalent of six classical line scans. The portable
concrete GPR enables quick detection of objects of any size, allowing inspection engineers
to collect dense inspection data with just one Superline scan. Users also benefit from the
unique data clarity, with two-dimensional time-slice, three-dimensional tomography, and
augmented reality in real time. The GP8100 can be used for multiple applications,
including concrete inspection of large areas in buildings or bridge decks; object detection
and damage prevention before drilling, coring, or cutting into concrete; and GPR data
collection for concrete structural assessment and post-processing data.
––Screening Eagle, www.screeningeagle.com
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
52 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
 Products & Practice

Next Generation G2 Volumetric Concrete Mixer

Holcombe Mixers, a provider of volumetric concrete mixers and strategic
solutions for the concrete industry, announced the company’s next-generation
mobile mixer—the G2. The G2 features an Intellicrete Control System that
keeps admixtures and additives consistently in sync with the concrete
production rate, yielding unparalleled concrete quality. The mixer’s WaterSmart
Moisture Control System controls concrete slump with dynamic calibration
flow control with an electronic proportional water valve, and its InsightFlow
Cement Feed optimizes aggregate gate positioning. The G2 also features a load-sensing variable displacement hydraulic system
that reduces temperature and extends the life of components, and a patented modular cassette conveyor system that is an easily
removable modular conveyor cassette with engineered roller chain that enables belt changes in under 4 hours.
––Holcombe Mixers, www.holcombemixers.com

Book Notes
Fire Safety for Very Tall Buildings, Second Edition
by The Society of Fire Protection Engineers, The International Code Council, and Springer
The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), a professional society for fire protection and fire safety engineering; The
International Code Council (ICC), a global source of model building codes and standards and building safety solutions; and
Springer, a worldwide scientific and technical publisher, announced the release of the second edition of the engineering guide:
Fire Safety for Very Tall Buildings. The guide provides information on the fire safety performance of tall, very tall, and super tall
buildings, including emergency egress, fire resistance, building envelope, suppression, detection, alarms, and smoke control.
New guidance is provided on considerations for existing buildings, energy storage systems, aerial vehicle platforms, and unique
building features such as observation decks and firework displays. Additional information is provided on performance-based
design and international practices.
––The Society of Fire Protection Engineers, www.sfpe.org
––The International Code Council, www.iccsafe.org
––Springer, https://link.springer.com
$109, 276 pp.; ISBN: 978-3-030-79013-4

Sign up for
The smart way to stay
on top of concrete
industry news.
Concrete Created by SmartBrief in partnership with ACI,
Concrete SmartBrief provides a daily email snapshot
of the concrete industry with news from leading global
sources. Summaries of what matters to you, written
by expert editors, to save you time and keep you
informed and prepared.

Welcome to Concrete SmartBrief; sign up at:

www.smartbrief.com/ACI
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 53
Product
Showcase
Decorative Concrete
Products
WerkMaster ULTRAguard
WerkMaster’s range of environmentally friendly formulations have been
developed to eliminate the high-maintenance requirements of conventional
floor finishes, producing results that protect and enhance the cosmetic appeal
of the floor. WerkMaster ULTRAguard seals and protects polished concrete,
decorative concrete finishes, stone, and terrazzo floors. This stable sealer
provides a slip-resistant surface (James Scale Rating of 0.7) that is safe for use
in airports, shopping malls, and other commercial and residential projects,
especially in high-traffic areas. WerkMaster ULTRAguard is easy to apply, has
a 500 to 700 ft2 (46 to 65 m2) per gallon coverage rate, and has zero volatile
organic compounds.
—WerkMaster, www.werkmaster.com

SikaColor-400 Opaque
Sika Corporation introduced SikaColor®-400 Opaque, a reactive acrylic solid color
concrete stain that etches the surface and penetrates the substrate. It therefore adheres to the
concrete, lessening the potential for delamination and peeling of the coating. Its feature of
etching concrete surfaces eliminates an acid etching surface preparation step, which avoids
the need for hydrochloric acid and the associated risks of runoff into soil and drainage
systems. The concrete surface should be clean, dry, and free of foreign contaminants for
successful application.
—Sika Corporation, www.sika.com

Ultratop Decorative Topping Solutions

The Ultratop® systems of self-leveling concrete toppings from
MAPEI provide the ability to resurface a wide variety of interior
surfaces quickly and durably. The Ultratop Polished System uses
Ultratop SP and Ultratop PC self-leveling cementitious toppings
to provide a fine-aggregate exposed finish. The system is suitable
for light vehicular traffic in residential, commercial, and industrial
applications. It can be installed at depths from 0.4 in. (10 mm) and
extended with aggregate that is up to 0.25 in. (6 mm). The
Ultratop Terrazzo System uses Ultratop, especially the white
version. The system can be installed with large aggregate ranging
from 0.4 to 1 in. (10 to 25 mm), providing exposed texture to
recreate the look of Venetian cementitious terrazzo. The toppings
can be installed in a matter of hours, and they can withstand the
wear and tear of heavy traffic, spills, and repeated cleanings.
—MAPEI, www.mapei.us

@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
54 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
 Product Showcase

Stone Edge Surfaces Wall Mix

Stone Edge Surfaces Wall Mix is a “just add water,”
bagged polymeric concrete mixture with added fiber,
aggregate, and other proprietary additives that create a wall
mixture that allows 1 to 6 hours of working time for stamping
or carving. Stone Edge Surfaces Wall Mix can be used for
vertical or overhead applications. It is 33% lighter than
standard concrete or mortar and can be applied in thickness
ranging from 0.25 to 4 in. (6 to 102 mm) without drooping.
Stone Edge Surfaces Wall Mix can be used in residential and
commercial applications, in vertical, interior, or exterior
applications, to create custom finishes or match the look of
existing materials. Wall Mix creates a realistic simulation of wood, stone or brick veneers, stacked stone, cliff faces,
boulders, and grottos. Stone Edge Surfaces Wall Mix has been used in commercial aquariums to create natural-looking
mammal and aquatic habitats.
—Stone Edge Surfaces, www.stoneedgesurfaces.com

The Contractor’s Guide to

Quality Concrete
Construction
The fourth edition of the best-selling Contractor’s
Guide to Quality Concrete Construction is now
available in print and digital formats.

Written by and for contractors, and referenced

by many licensing authorities, this guide details
proven practices for quality concrete construction.

concrete.org ascconline.org

@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 55
Industry
Focus
LTU Dedicates the Center for Innovative
Materials Research to Nabil Grace
An infrastructure laboratory on the campus of Lawrence
Technological University (LTU) in Southfield, MI, USA, was
dedicated to ACI member Nabil Grace, Dean of the LTU
College of Engineering, and is now named the Nabil Grace
Center for Innovative Materials Research. This center has
been developed and overseen by Grace—who was
instrumental in its construction and operation—and who has
spent a lifetime researching advanced construction materials.
Completed in 2008, LTU’s Center for Innovative Materials
Research is a 7200 ft² (670 m²) research facility with a
30 ft (9 m) interior height. Grace joined the LTU faculty in
1988 and was named the Dean of the College of Engineering
in 2012. He has received numerous industry awards; holds
four U.S. patents; and has received dozens of federal, state,
and private research grants and contracts totaling nearly
$28 million.
Martin Marietta Acquires Lehigh Hanson’s
West Region Business
Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. completed its acquisition of
Lehigh Hanson, Inc.’s West Region business for $2.3 billion.
Consistent with the company’s Strategic Operating Analysis
and Review (SOAR) 2025 Plan, the acquisition adds 17 active
aggregates facilities, two cement plants, and related
distribution terminals, and targeted downstream operations
serving key California, USA, and Arizona, USA, regions,
including the Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, and
Phoenix. Integration of the acquired business is anticipated to
proceed as planned.
STACK and Followup CRM Help Contractors
Grow by Streamlining Processes
STACK Construction Technologies, a cloud-based
preconstruction collaboration software, announced an
integration with Followup CRM, an all-in-one construction
customer relationship management (CRM) program that
allows contractors to easily store and keep data on a cloud-
based platform. The integration combines STACK’s
preconstruction software with Followup CRM’s relationship
management tool designed for contractors. The partnership
makes it easier for STACK clients to communicate with team
members and leads by allowing access to important data on a
singular platform.
In addition to saving contractors time, the integration
provides information that allows construction companies to
make strategic business decisions. For STACK users,
Followup CRM will enable contractors to streamline the sales completely retracted due to the drill steel becoming stuck in
process while providing lists of all activities and due dates
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
56 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
that can be easily tracked. By leveraging reports and analytics,
the integration empowers contractors to think strategically by
providing data that better equips them to make business
decisions. The partnership uses preconstruction data with
actual numbers to help contractors highlight differences in
projects to better understand successes and potential problem
areas for future projects.
Leica Geosystems and Huddig Launch 3-D
Machine Control Solution
Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, announced a new
collaboration with Huddig AB, a Swedish manufacturer, to
offer a three-dimensional (3-D) machine control solution for
Huddig backhoe loaders. For over 60 years, Huddig has
supplied versatile and agile backhoes specialized for city,
cable, and rail projects. Adding 3-D machine controls from
Leica Geosystems to the Huddig backhoes can ensure even
higher productivity when working on individual projects or
with a fleet of machines that use 3-D machine control and
digital workflows.
Minnich A-4SCW Named to Equipment
Today’s 2021 Contractors’ Top 50 New
Products
The Minnich Manufacturing A-4SCW on-slab self-
propelled wireless dowel pin drill featuring the first I-QAN
remote communication system for dowel drills was listed in
Equipment Today’s 2021 list of Contractors’ Top 50 New
Products, which were chosen by readers. To select the 11th
annual list for its September 2021 issue, readers of the
equipment magazine—such as construction equipment owners
and end users—were the judges, and winners were determined
based on reader inquiries about new products featured.
Winning products represent the leading edge of innovation,
quality, efficiency, and productivity in the construction
equipment field today. The I-QAN system offers A-4SCW
operators maximum drilling efficiency and uptime via drill
monitoring, diagnostics, and remote access to Minnich
Manufacturing field support through an iPad tablet, iPhone, or
Android device on the jobsite. The I-QAN system runs on
24-volt power for compatibility with most large air compressors.
The A-4SCW features several more updates that enhance
safety and productivity on the jobsite. An all-new remote
control includes a joystick that controls speed, steering,
direction of travel, and a dust collection on/off switch. The
remote comes with two batteries and will communicate to the
operator if the connection with the drill is lost. A magnetic
feed sensor prevents the drill from traveling if the slider is not
the concrete.
 Industry Focus

CROM Recognized for
Commitment to Employee
Experience
The National Business Research
Institute (NBRI) welcomed specialty
contractor CROM to the NBRI Circle of
Excellence. The NBRI Circle of
Excellence Award recognizes
organizations with high levels of
employee experience. To qualify for this
honor, the organization must score at or
above stretch performance, which is at
the 75th percentile of its industry, or the
organization must improve a statistically
significant five or more percentiles at
the total company level. Benchmarked
against millions of industry scores,
CROM is performing at the 82nd
percentile of its industry. Best-in-class
organizations like CROM continually
assess employee experience and target
for improvement variables such as job
satisfaction, management style, culture,
and fairness. CROM demonstrates its
dedication to its employees by
continuously researching with best-in-
class provider NBRI and taking targeted
action based upon the scientific data.
equipment uptime and safety. The B2W information from forms—including
Inform application enables contractors to descriptions and photos—to flow directly
customize and manage electronic forms to the requests. B2W Maintain and B2W
for any requirement, including Inform use a single database for
equipment inspections. Form fields can equipment lists, jobs, employees, and
be mapped to the format of equipment other operational data. Linking inspection
repair requests, which are managed in the form fields to this database allows
B2W Maintain application. This drop-down menus to be populated with
connection allows inspection forms to valid, up-to-date options, minimizing
trigger repair requests automatically in errors and the effort required to fill out
the maintenance software and for forms.
NEW and UPDATED
ACI Specifications
Specifications for
Concrete Construction
ACI’s 301-20 is a specification that
architects and engineers can apply
to any construction project involving
structural concrete.

B2W Software Streamlines

Construction Equipment
Inspection and Repair Process
B2W Software, a provider of heavy
construction management software, has
introduced new capabilities within its
ONE Platform that enable contractors to Field Reference Manual
identify equipment defects and make ACI’s Field Reference Manual is a
compilation of ACI 301-20,
repairs faster and more cost-effective. “Specifications for Structural Concrete,”
The ONE Platform can generate repair and additional ACI documents.
requests automatically based on data
from electronic forms used for
completing equipment inspections. The
enhanced process relays detailed
information from equipment inspections
to the maintenance team immediately. By Order at www.concrete.org or
eliminating lag time and manual steps for
transferring this data, contractors can call us at +1.248.848.3800
identify and complete equipment repair
work more efficiently to minimize
maintenance costs while improving
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 57
Strong Partnerships Forge
Meaningful Certifications
When codes and
specifications require
ACI-certified personnel,
the choice is clear. Partner
with the American Concrete
Institute in our commitment to
quality concrete construction.

Learn more at concrete.org/certification.

@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
Meetings
Editor’s Note: Many conference dates were in flux prior to this issue’s publication. Verify all conference dates by visiting
conference websites.
MARCH
14-19 - RILEM Spring Convention Paris 2022
(RILEM 75th Anniversary), Online
www.rilem.net/agenda/paris-rilem-spring-
convention-2022-1378
15-18 - Sustainability and Emerging Transportation
Technology (SETT) Conference, Irvine, CA, USA
https://trb.secure-platform.com/a/page/Sustainability2022
15-18 - NRMCA’s 2022 Annual Convention, San Antonio,
TX, USA
www.nrmca.org
29-30 - Smart Construction Conference & Expo 2022,
Dubai, UAE
www.meteklive.com/smartconstruction
APRIL
4-6 - 2022 Design-Build for Water/Wastewater
Conference, Orlando, FL, USA
https://dbia.org/design-build-for-water-wastewater-conference
4-6 - 2022 ICRI Spring Convention, Baltimore, MD, USA
www.icri.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1521125
6-8 - 2022 Design-Build for Transportation/Aviation
Conference, Orlando, FL, USA
https://dbia.org/design-build-for-transportation-conference
7-9 - 2022 TMS Spring Meeting, Dallas-Fort Worth, TX,
USA
https://masonrysociety.org/meetings/2022-spring-meeting
20-23 - Structures Congress 2022, Atlanta, GA, USA
www.structurescongress.org
ACI Industry Events Calendar:
For more information and a listing of additional upcoming events,
visit www.concrete.org/events/eventscalendar.aspx. To submit
meeting information, email Demitri Kanellopoulos, Editor, Concrete
International, at demitri.kanellopoulos@concrete.org.
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
23-27 - PTI Convention, La Jolla, CA, USA
www.post-tensioning.org/events/convention.aspx
26-29 - Advancing Prefabrication: Transforming the
AEC Industry Through Industrialization, Phoenix, AZ,
USA, and Online
www.advancing-prefabrication.com
27-28 - HPW-DFI Helical Piles-Tiebacks-Anchors
Tradeshow and Educational Seminar, Bonner Springs, KS,
USA
https://dfi.org/hpw-dfihelical2022
MAY
11-12 - SCA Slag Cement School, Farmington Hills, MI,
USA
www.slagcement.org/resources/news/articleid/340/sca-slag-
cement-school-in-may-2022.aspx
20-22 - Seventh International Conference on Durability
of Concrete Structures (ICDCS 2022), Jinan, China
http://icdcs2022.ujn.edu.cn
25-27 - IABSE Symposium Prague 2022, Prague, Czech
Republic
https://iabse.org/Events/Prague-2022/Event
THE ACI CONCRETE CONVENTION:
FUTURE DATES
2022 — March 27-31, Caribe Royale Orlando,
Orlando, FL, USA
2022 — October 23-27, Hyatt Regency Dallas,
Dallas, TX, USA
2023 — April 2-6, Hilton San Francisco Union
Square, San Francisco, CA, USA
For additional information, contact:
Event Services, ACI, 38800 Country Club Drive,
Farmington Hills, MI 48331 | Telephone: +1.248.848.3795
www.concrete.org/events/conventions.aspx
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 59
Public
Discussion
ACI draft standards open for public discussion that are being processed through ACI’s ANSI-approved standardization
procedures can be found at www.concrete.org/discussion. These are not yet official ACI standards.

Document number Title Open for discussion Discussion closes

Building Requirements for Structural Concrete Reinforced with Glass

440 February 12, 2022 April 4, 2022
Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Bars—Code and Commentary

Proposed Standards
Building Requirements for Structural Concrete Reinforced with Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer
(GFRP) Bars—Code and Commentary (ACI CODE-440)
The ACI Technical Activities Committee (TAC) approved processing the subject document through ACI’s Standardization
Procedure in February 2022, as did the ACI Standards Board in February 2022.
Therefore, this draft document is open for public discussion from February 12, 2022, until April 4, 2022. The document
appears on the ACI website, www.concrete.org/discussion.
Pertinent discussion will be available on ACI’s website and announced in a future issue of Concrete International if received
no later than April 4, 2022. Comments should be emailed to discussion@concrete.org.

Public Discussion and Closure

Thermal Bridge Mitigation for Buildings Having Concrete and Masonry Walls and Masonry
Veneer—Code Requirements and Commentary (ACI-TMS CODE-122.1-21)
The ACI Technical Activities Committee (TAC) approved the draft standard subject to satisfactory committee response to
TAC comments in July 2020. The committee responded adequately to TAC’s comments and all balloting rules were adhered to.
Public discussion was announced on September 12, 2021, and closed on October 27, 2021. The committee responded to the
public discussion. TAC reviewed the closure and approved it on October 29, 2021. The Standards Board approved publication
of the ACI-TMS standard on November 10, 2021. TMS Standards approved publication of the standard on November 19, 2021.

Assessment, Repair, and Rehabilitation of Existing Concrete Structures—Code Requirements

and Commentary (ACI CODE-562-21)
The ACI Technical Activities Committee (TAC) approved the draft standard subject to satisfactory committee response to
TAC comments in May 2021. The committee responded adequately to TAC’s comments and all balloting rules were adhered to.
Public discussion was announced on July 9, 2021, and closed on August 24, 2021. The committee responded to the public
discussion. TAC reviewed the closure and approved it on October 29, 2021. The Standards Board approved publication of the
ACI standard on November 10, 2021.

Epoxy and Aggregate High Friction Surface on Concrete—Specification (SPEC-548.16)

The ACI Technical Activities Committee (TAC) approved the draft standard subject to satisfactory committee response to
TAC comments in October 2019. The committee responded adequately to TAC’s comments and all balloting rules were adhered
to. Public discussion was announced on August 21, 2021, and closed on October 5, 2021. The committee received no public
comments. The Standards Board approved publication of the ACI standard on October 20, 2021.

Type ES (Epoxy Slurry) Polymer Overlay for Bridge and Parking Garage Decks—Specification
(SPEC-548.9)
The ACI Technical Activities Committee (TAC) approved the draft standard subject to satisfactory committee response to
TAC comments in July 2020. The committee responded adequately to TAC’s comments and all balloting rules were adhered to.
Public discussion was announced on September 12, 2021, and closed on October 27, 2021. The committee received no public
comments. The Standards Board approved publication of the ACI standard on November 4, 2021.

@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
60 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
 ACI 318 PLUS

Subscribe Today!

SUBSCRIBE TODAY: An annual subscription that provides users with digital

interactive access to ACI CODE-318-19, “Building Code Requirements for
Structural Concrete and Commentary,” along with in-document access to
related resources and enhanced digital search features through all code
provisions and commentary.
Includes full digital interactive access to the ACI Detailing Manual and the
ACI Reinforced Concrete Design Handbook. Subscribers can make digital
notes alongside ACI CODE-318-19 provisions and commentary, and navigate
content by section, by chapter, and/or by provision.
For access and to subscribe, visit www.concrete.org/ACI318.

@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
Sinopsis en español
Cómo nacieron los premios Excellence in Concrete
Construction del ACI
Concrete International, V. 44, No. 3, marzo de 2022,
pág. 26-27
La gala inaugural del premios a la Excellence in Concrete
Construction del ACI se celebró en la Concrete Convention de
ACI de otoño en Denver, CO, EE.UU., el 9 de noviembre de
2015. La sugerencia del programa de premios se hizo durante
una de las mesas redondas de los capítulos del Instituto en
febrero de 2011 y se presentó al Chapter Activities Committee
del ACI en la Concrete Convention del ACI de la primavera
de 2011 en Tampa, FL, EE.UU.
Un diamante de concreto en el Cabo Norte
Huso, D., Concrete International, V. 44, No. 3, marzo de
2022, pág. 29-32
El recién construido Student Resource Centre de la
Universidad Sol Plaatje, en Kimberley (Sudáfrica), tiene un
diseño parecido a la talla de un diamante invertido. Para hacer
frente a las condiciones extremas del Cabo Norte y
proporcionar un control climático, el edificio está encerrado
en un armazón de concreto construido en sitio con un techo
angular tipo origami y un sistema de construcción
térmicamente activo.
Ganadores del Premio del Decorative Concrete Council
2021
Concrete International, V. 44, No. 3, marzo de 2022,
pág. 34-35
El Decorative Concrete Council ha anunciado los ganadores
de su 13º concurso anual de Premios al Concreto Decorativo.
Los ganadores fueron reconocidos en la Conferencia Anual de
la American Society of Concrete Contractors el 23 de
septiembre de 2021. ¡Un proyecto ganó el premio WOW!
Premio al mejor proyecto global, mientras que el primer y
segundo puesto se otorgaron a proyectos de 17 categorías.
Tierra sagrada
O’Keefe, S., Concrete International, V. 44, No. 3, marzo de
2022, pág. 36-38
El Air Garden de la United States Air Force Academy, en las
afueras de Colorado Springs, CO, EE.UU., fue restaurado a su
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
62 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
gloria original. La restauración incluyó la excavación de los
estanques cubiertos de hierba, la reconfiguración del jardín de
una única masa de agua a 15 estanques filtrados
individualmente, el rediseño del sistema mecánico y el
rediseño de la pasarela de concreto alrededor de los estanques.
Casa Octogonal de O.S. Fowler
Snell, L.M., Concrete International, V. 44, No. 3, marzo de
2022, pág. 39-41
Uno de los muchos intereses de Orson Squire Fowler era
poner casas a disposición de la gente común y permitirles el
placer de construir sus propios hogares. Construyó una casa
con paredes de grava utilizando únicamente materiales
disponibles en la zona, y creyó que la casa octogonal con
paredes de grava serviría para su propósito. A principios del
siglo XX se construyeron unas 1000 casas octogonales.
Microesferas en el concreto endurecido
Attiogbe, E.K., Concrete International, V. 44, No. 3, marzo
de 2022, pág. 43-50
Las microesferas poliméricas bien dispersas en un medio de
polvo mineral pueden utilizarse para proteger el concreto de
los daños cíclicos por congelación y descongelación. El
artículo presenta criterios para evaluar la durabilidad del
concreto con microesferas basados en los parámetros del
sistema de microesferas en el concreto endurecido. También
se proporcionan las ecuaciones clave para desarrollar los
criterios de durabilidad.
Preguntas y respuestas sobre el concreto: especificación
del concreto arquitectónico
Concrete International, V. 44, No. 3, marzo de 2022, pág. 64
Las preguntas y respuestas de este mes proporcionan
información sobre los requisitos de construcción obligatorios
para el concreto arquitectónico que deben incluirse en los
documentos contractuales, así como algunos requisitos
opcionales. Se habla de las maquetas de campo y de la
aceptación del concreto arquitectónico basado en las
maquetas, y se ofrecen recomendaciones sobre el tratamiento
de los cavidades en las superficies de concreto visto.
Advertiser
Index
March CI Advertisers What’s
For more information, contact:
Dan Kaste, Account Executive
MCI USA +1.410.584.8355
New from
E-mail: dan.kaste@wearemci.com
TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS
Computers and Structures, Inc.................................Outside Back Cover
CP-1 40th Edition: Technician Workbook
Freud Tools (Diablo)..................................................Inside Front Cover
for Concrete Field Testing Technician—
Minnich................................................................................................ 11 Grade I
Reliable Diamond Tool, Inc................................................................. 13 This workbook contains information about the ACI
Simpson Strong-Tie............................................................................... 1 Concrete Field Testing Technician—Grade I certification
program, study questions, sample checklists, and a
practice exam. The program covers the following ASTM
standards, which ARE NOT included in this workbook:
C1064/C1064M–17, C172/C172M–17, C143/C143M–
CI Advertisers in the 2022 Concrete 15a, C138/C138M–17a, C231/C231M–17a, C173/
Product & Service Guide C173M–16, and C31/C31M–19.

Altair Engineering, Inc.

+1.248.614.2400, www.altair.com
Computers and Structures, Inc.
Do you have a story to tell?
+1.510.649.2200, www.csiamerica.com
The staff of Concrete International
Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) can help you publish an article
+1.847.517.1200, www.crsi.org about your latest project
Diablo collaboration…
+1.800.334.4107, www.diablotools.com
Or how you solved a
GCP Applied Technologies, Inc. constructability issue…
+1.617.876.1400, www.gcpat.com
MUHU (China) Construction Materials Co., Ltd. Or any topic related to design
+96.10.69687750, https://muhuchina.com/seeks-global- and construction.
partners/concrete-admixtures/
Oztec Industries, Inc.
To get started, contact
+1.800.533.9055, +1.516.883.8857, www.oztec.com
Keith Tosolt
PERI Formwork Systems, Inc. Editor-in-Chief
+1.410.712.7225, www.peri-usa.com keith.tosolt@concrete.org
Screening Eagle Technologies
+1.727.512.0330, www.screeningeagle.com
Simpson Strong-Tie
+1.800.999.5099, www.strongtie.com
Xypex Chemical Corporation
+1.800.961.4477, +1.604.273.5265, www.xypex.com

Visit Concrete International online at www.concrete.org/

publications/concreteinternational.aspx

@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
www.concreteinternational.com | Ci | MARCH 2022 63
Concrete
Q&A
Specifying Architectural
Concrete
Q.
I’m working on a project that includes architectural
formed concrete elements. What requirements
should be included in contract documents? Are
full-scale field mockups required? How can I define an
acceptable amount of bugholes to be allowed on the formed
surfaces?
A.
Section 6 of ACI 301-201 provides information
that is required to define the scope and finishes for
architectural concrete.The Mandatory
Requirements Checklist instructs the specifier to include the
following items in contract documents:
• Designating the portions of the project to be constructed as
architectural concrete and specifying requirements for each
designated area (Section 6.1.1);
• Specifying the cone diameter for form ties (Section
6.2.1.8(a)); and
• Specifying which of the finishes listed in Section 6.3.9
(textured, exposed aggregate, abrasive blast, mechanical
tooling, or as-cast formed finish) or other finishes that are
required.
Additional requirements can be found in the Optional
Requirements Checklist.
Per Section 6.1.3.2(a), field mockups must be provided for
all concrete elements designated as architectural concrete.
They will be used to establish acceptance criteria for the project.
The mockups should include repaired area(s) to define
acceptable color and texture matches if any repairs are
needed. Section 3.5.4 of ACI 303R-122 suggests that the repair
should be aged at least 1 month to provide a true indication of 347.3R-13),” American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI, 2013,
its color in service. After mockup(s) have been constructed,
the owner’s inspection agency should review the specifications
and meet with the architect/engineer and contractor to avoid
ambiguities and confirm evaluation criteria for the final
product against the mockup(s) (Section 3.5.6.1 of ACI 303R-12). Thanks to Bruce A. Suprenant, Technical Director, American Society of
Details regarding constructing mockups and acceptance of
architectural concrete based on mockups are discussed in
Section 6.1.4.4 of ACI 301-20. Completed portions of
architectural concrete will be checked by the architect/
engineer for conformance with accepted field mockups
(Section 6.1.4.5(a)). Unacceptable concrete surfaces will have
to be repaired or replaced (Section 6.1.4.5(b)). Per Section
6.3.12, the final acceptance of architectural concrete (with
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
64 MARCH 2022 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
surface repairs and patching of tie holes) is based on matching
it with approved field mockups viewed in daylight at 20 ft (6 m).
To help describe mockups in contract documents, ACI
347.3R-133 provides information about different categories of
formed concrete surfaces and pertaining requirements, as well
as visible effects on as-cast formed surfaces (refer to Tables
3.1a and 3.1b, respectively). The information on concrete
surface void ratios on formed surfaces (bugholes) and
suggested concrete placement practices to achieve the desired
appearance can be found in Table 3.1d. Even though ACI
347.3R is not a specification, items within this document can
be rephrased in mandatory language and incorporated into the
contract documents.
As stated in ASCC Position Statement #8: “Because
bugholes are a natural feature of all as-cast vertical concrete
structural components, it is unrealistic to expect that surfaces
will be free of bugholes.”4 However, if bugholes are not
acceptable in architectural formed concrete, ASCC concrete
contractors recommend specifying a rubbed finish.4 Details of
the rubbed finish are discussed in Section 5.3.3.3 of ACI 301-20.
References
1. ACI Committee 301, “Specifications for Concrete Construction
(ACI 301-20),” American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI,
2020, 69 pp.
2. ACI Committee 303, “Guide to Cast-in-Place Architectural
Concrete Practice (ACI 303R-12),” American Concrete Institute,
Farmington Hills, MI, 2012, 32 pp.
3. ACI Committee 347, “Guide to Formed Concrete Surfaces (ACI
17 pp.
4. “ASCC Position Statement #8: Bugholes in Formed Concrete,”
American Society of Concrete Contractors, St. Louis, MO, Aug. 2011, 1 pp.
Concrete Contractors, St. Louis, MO, USA, for providing the answer to
this question.
Questions in this column were asked by users of ACI documents and have
been answered by ACI staff or by a member or members of ACI technical
committees. The answers do not represent the official position of an ACI
committee. Comments should be sent to keith.tosolt@concrete.org.
THE WORLD’S GATHERING PLACE
FOR ADVANCING CONCRETE

Help develop the standards, guides, and

technical documents used in the concrete
industry when you attend any of the 300+
committee meetings!

Share your
KNOWLEDGE
MARCH 27-31, 2022
Caribe Royale Orlando, Orlando, FL, USA

View the committee meeting

@seismicisolation
schedule and register
at aciconvention.org
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation
@seismicisolation