Concrete Construction articles from April 2003

Concrete Construction archives from April 2003

Freedom. (Editorial Comment).(Editorial)
April 1, 2003... Perhaps the most important business freedom we have in the United States is the freedom to fail. Any company that is inefficient or that is making a product or providing a service not in demand will soon be gone. There's no one to protect it,...

Sharing responsibility. (Reader Response).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2003... The issues discussed at CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION'S Industry Trends Roundtable ("Finding True North," December 2002, p. 45) are definitely real; however there are probably solutions to most of the initiatives in question. The real question is how...

Sidewalk stamps. (Reader Response).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2003... Regarding "Pride in Sidewalks" (Reader Response, January 2003, p. 16), I'm enclosing some slides taken about 10 years ago on one of my quests. There are many sidewalks here in San Antonio with just such stamps. Most, if not all, are at least 60...

Face companies present Golden Trowel Awards. (News & Events).
April 1, 2003... Each year the Face Company presents Golden Trowel Awards to contractors who have achieved excellence in 30 categories related to floor flatness and levelness. In order to qualify, F-Numbers (Face Floor Profile Numbering) must be independently...

Introduction to concrete technology. (News & Events).(Fifth Edition of Concrete Primer (SP-001))(Book Review)
April 1, 2003... Looking for an authoritative, concise, and clearly written introduction to concrete technology? ACI's Fifth Edition of Concrete Primer (SP-001) is now available and will help readers to better understand concrete technology. The Concrete Primer...

Proposal to lift tax exemption. (News & Events).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Testifying before a panel, AGC Director of Congressional Relations Phil Thoden urged the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to withdraw its proposal to tax off-road, mobile machinery commonly used in construction. "The proposal is not needed and is...

Liberty Mutual Research Center for Safety and Health renamed. (News & Events).(US)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The Liberty Mutual Research Center for Safety and Health is now changing its name to the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety. Internationally recognized, the institute conducts original investigations into job-related accidents,...

The first measure of marketing: How good are your products and services? (Tips & Trends).
April 1, 2003... Fancy new trucks are fun to drive and will impress your customers. An impressive Web site with animation is sure to leave your prospects in awe. And those new brochures you just spent a few thousand dollars to print are so appealing that your...

Crane safety. (Safety Report).
April 1, 2003... A loaded concrete bucket struck and killed a 50-year-old male carpenter at a municipal construction site during a crane tipover. The victim was removing forms from a newly constructed concrete wall while a concrete finishing crew was filling...

The Modern: mammoth concrete structure--unlike any other. (project of the month).(Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth has built a breathtaking structure. Its new facility, called "The Modern," provides patrons with one of the most unusual art museums in the nation, It has been called "an architectural achievement of...

Being artistic with concrete: at the World of Concrete, huge crowds watched as creative concrete contractors demonstrated the leading edge of the decorative concrete market.
April 1, 2003... At a time when other segments of the concrete industry are struggling to keep busy, the decorative concrete industry is growing and evolving. One reason is that decorative concrete can be used in many areas of concrete construction. New...

Concrete comeback: the World of Concrete draws over 73,000 optimistic attendees.
April 1, 2003... One of the good things about a downturn in the construction business, noted CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION editor Bill Palmer at his annual industry trends talk during the World of Concrete, is that the tighter margins and stiffer competition leave the...

Innovative concrete homes: a variety of construction methods are being used. (Residential Concrete Special Section).
April 1, 2003... Being innovative does not mean just being creative with design. It encompasses all aspects of the construction process. Of the many market applications for concrete homes each takes advantage of different benefits of the material. Many...

Estimating costs for wood formwork fabricated onsite. (Formwork).
April 1, 2003... The two tables provided in this article are intended to help the contractor estimate formwork costs on a job. The first table provides the load capacities in pounds per square foot of Plyform plywood forming panels as defined by APA--The...

Optimum concrete temperature. (Problem Clinic).
April 1, 2003... Q. Almost all manuals say that 70[degrees]F is the optimum concrete temperature for strength. Do you find this to be true? The higher the concrete temperature, the more water needed to maintain a specified slump, therefore lowering the...

Two-layer slab doesn't set. (Problem Clinic).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Q. Recently we cast an 18-inch-thick slab in two separate layers using ready-mixed concrete. The first layer, 12 inches thick, was cast with concrete that was mixed with waterproofing agent (powder form--waterproofing by crytallization...

Job specifications and familiarity affect the choice of power screeds. (Product Update).
April 1, 2003... Just as no single "correct" sequence exists for completing many construction projects, no single powered screeding technology is the only correct one. Still, some flatwork or paving projects seem to lend themselves more to a vibrating truss...

Requires only one operator. (Product Update).
April 1, 2003... The new Porto-Screed requires only one operator, increasing efficiency and productivity on the jobsite. A 4-hp Honda gasoline engine powers the unit, which delivers 4300 vibrations per minute. The high vibrating speed and amplitude allow...

Various engine configurations. (Product Update).
April 1, 2003... This company's power screeds can be operated by one person and configured for high- or low-slump concrete applications. The Model VS-400 accepts screed boards up to 15 feet wide and the VS-800 accepts screed boards up to 30 feet wide. An...

Specially contoured float blade. (Product Update).
April 1, 2003... The walk-behind Quik-Screed features a strong, lightweight magnesium float blade that is available in 8- 10-, and 12-foot lengths. This float blade is specially contoured to provide uniform, smooth surfaces and more consistent vibration across...

Easy-to-operate, damage-resistant unit. (Product Update).
April 1, 2003... This manufacturer's power bar and power transfer system produce a high-frequency vibration designed to eliminate honeycombing and speed up finishing time. Its power transfer system has no flexshaft to be lubricated; its rubber coupler is...

Horizontal and vertical vibration. (Product Update).
April 1, 2003... New gas-powered PRO3200 Series power screeds have patented magnesium blades that cut and roll fresh concrete in front of the screed, reducing grading requirements. These screeds feature blades from 4 to 14 feet wide for one-person operation and...

A rigid triangle bar. (Product Update).
April 1, 2003... The ScreedLite features a 3-foot to 12-foot equilateral triangle bar designed to resist bending, warping, and twisting. Its rugged cast aluminum parts make the screed strong and light (23 pounds) and improve operator comfort and productivity....

Infinitely variable speed. (Product Update).
April 1, 2003... The Roller Screed has a hydrostatic drive that eliminates chains, belts, clutches, and cables. Its infinitely variable speed and instant forward and reverse increase finishing efficiency, even for low-slump mixes. A high-speed oscillating front...

Durable, comfort-enhancing unit. (Product Update).
April 1, 2003... The Vibra Strike II uses a four-stroke 1 1/2-hp Honda GX31 engine to provide a finish faster than the original model. The vibrator has a steel cylinder tubing insert that houses the bearing and drive shaft for extended life. Megaflex cable...

Roller friction screeds. (Product Update).
April 1, 2003... This company's striker roller friction screeds allow the contractor to sweep fresh concrete forward and cut the surface grade immediately. Unlike other power screed systems that require manual grading before placement and guessing where to...

Double-life finishing tubes. (Product Update).
April 1, 2003... The Speed Screed truss screed can be configured in variable widths by adding 2 1/2-, 5-, or 10-foot sections. It also comes in three different service levels from ultra-lightweight to heavyweight. These screeds can be set up to form a parabolic...

"Green" concrete practices. (From the Trenches).
April 1, 2003... Being an architectural concrete contractor in Southern California, or anywhere in the United States for that matter, increasingly requires an in-depth knowledge of environmental regulations. Architectural concrete contractors modify concrete...