Concrete Construction articles from April 2005

Concrete Construction archives from April 2005

Who's the best?(Editorial Comment)
April 1, 2005... I love hardware stores. All the little bins full of nuts and bolts and nails, the crusty old guy behind the counter, even the smell. I can spend hours wandering the aisles, buying tools I don't really need and stuff for projects that may never...

Working for free.(Reader Response)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2005... Editor's Note: We received lots of calls and e-mails in response to my February Editorial Comment. The following are typical of what contractors had to say.--WDP I hear from GCs that "any moron can do concrete work and besides there's 10...

ASCC CEO Forum.(News & Events)
April 1, 2005... The American Society of Concrete Contractors, St. Louis, will hold its CEO Forum June 23-25, 2005, at The American Club, Kohler, Wis. The ASCC CEO Forum, founded and cosponsored by CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION magazine, is a three-day event for CEOs,...

New ACI book and commentary.(News & Events)
April 1, 2005... The highly anticipated 2005 Edition of Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318-05) and Commentary (ACI 318R-05) is now available from the American Concrete Institute. It contains the latest code requirements for concrete...

Construction Technology Laboratories becomes CTLGroup.(News & Events)
April 1, 2005... Construction Technology Laboratories, Skokie, Ill., marks the next phase of its evolution with a new name, CTLGroup, which better reflects the breadth and variety of services it provides to clients. The new corporate identity was introduced...

... And the Site Commander goes to ...(News & Events)
April 1, 2005... Mark Latham, a Durango Colo., toolnut picked up the keys to the 2004 SITE Commander after being selected as the grand prize winner from more than 52,000 entries. Hilti vice preseident Michael Schoeb preseneted the $94,000 truck and tools to...

ABC urges congressional approval.(News & Events)
April 1, 2005... Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today praised U.S. Representative Charles Norwood (R-Ga.) for introducing four bills that will improve workplace safety and reduce regulatory burdens on the small businesses that make up the majority of...

Record turnaround of nonresidential construction.(News & Events)
April 1, 2005... The value of construction put in place soared in December to an 11th consecutive record $1.03 trillion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, as reported by the Census Bureau. The preliminary full-year total for 2004 was $998 billion, a 9%...

Productivity.(The Business of Concrete Contracting)
April 1, 2005... Our clients often ask, "How can I get my construction crews to be more productive?" That simple, straightforward, and important question rarely has a simple solution. Consider that, in FMI's most recent survey of contractor productivity, 53% of...

Famous last words.(Erlin & Hime and Concrete)
April 1, 2005... "Et tu, Brute." "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." "We are not responsible for the contents of articles that we publish." Some words leave indelible marks in our history. There also have been final words...

Wildlife murals along a creek-side trail.(project of the month)
April 1, 2005... In creating the murals for the San Tomas Aquino/Saratoga Creek Trail, Linda Patterson spent extensive time researching, observing, sketching, and designing a story wall that would interpret and complement the natural environment. Although...

Artistry in concrete 2005: pushing the limits with decorative concrete.(Cover Story)
April 1, 2005... More than 14,000 people visited and revisited the Artistry in Concrete demo at the 2005 World of Concrete (WOC) in Las Vegas--twice the number that visited the demos at the 2004 World of Concrete. About half of the people who attended the event...

NDT with GPR: testing takes the guesswork out of cutting concrete.
April 1, 2005... Ron Mundro has come across his share of challenges in the more than 20 years he has spent with Roughneck Concrete Drilling & Sawing Company, Morton Grove, Ill. The company's crews have for nearly a half century carefully cut and threaded core...

Back in Vegas and stronger then ever.(WORLD OF CONCRETE)
April 1, 2005... World of Concrete returned to Las Vegas January 17-21, 2005, attracting more than 73,000 construction professionals from over 111 countries, Thousands of new products, ideas, and technologies from 1597 exhibitors confirmed WOC's role as the...

Working out mix designs for decorative concrete.(Decorative Concrete)
April 1, 2005... As a decorative concrete contractor, you can obtain mix designs that can help you deal with weather extremes--hot or cold, wind and humidity--that can lead to surface crusting or affect set times. You should design these mixes with the help of...

Measure color precisely.(Decorative Concrete Products)
April 1, 2005... The MiniScan XE Plus portable color measurement instrument quickly and easily quantifies the color of concrete and raw materials, meaning you no longer need to use subjective visual methods to determine color differences. It can be used at the...

Seamless coating system.(Decorative Concrete Products)
April 1, 2005... The Granite-Coat system provides attractive finishes that simulate the elegant look of natural granite and terrazzo on patios, garage floors, and other surfaces. Manufactured with high-quality raw materials, it is durable enough to handle all...

Overlay tips.(Decorative Problem Clinic)
April 1, 2005... Q. I would like to specify an architectural concrete topping of about 2 inches on a 30-year-old concrete bleacher/gallery structure. I have been told I should use a bonding agent, a water reducer to prevent cracking and a higher than normal...

Making and curing concrete cylinders.(Concrete Basics)
April 1, 2005... Pity the poor concrete test cylinder. All it does is lie around for 28 days then get crushed. During its brief life, it seems only fair that we treat it well. How often have you seen concrete test cylinders sitting in the sun or rolling around...

Removing an oil stain.(Problem Clinic)
April 1, 2005... (aka "Out, damned spot!") Q. I am going to glue some fiber. reinforced polymer on a concrete beam, but I'm concerned that some oil spilled on the beam may prevent the epoxy glue from adhering well. How can I remove oil that has been...

Flooring concerns.(Problem Clinic)
April 1, 2005... Q. I am the lead of a building committee at a school where we are building a new 6000-square-foot gym that will have vinyl tile floor covering. We are installing 5/8-inch PEX tubing for hydronic heating in the 5-inch-thick, 3000-psi concrete...

More complicated than it looks.(Product Update)
April 1, 2005... Dry shake floor hardeners provide a denser, more abrasion-resistant surface to a concrete slab. By adding metallic oxide pigments, the contractor gets a harder and colored surface in one application. But while the concept seems simple enough,...

Attractive, long-lasting finish.(Product Update)
April 1, 2005... Stampcrete Color Hardener is specially formulated to be easily incorporated into durable, abrasion-resistant surfaces, providing streak-free vibrant colors and an attractive, long-lasting finish for any type of traffic. Available in 28...

Improved abrasion resistance.(Product Update)
April 1, 2005... Atlas Tech-Hard is a ready-to-use, high-performance, dry-shake floor hardener designed to provide an abrasion-resistant surface. Available in many colors, the product is a special blend of portland cement, natural silica aggregate, and...

Enhanced finishing.(Product Update)
April 1, 2005... QC Color Hardener is a premium, premixed dry-shake product that simultaneously colors, improves finishing, and hardens freshly placed flatwork. Ideal for imprinted concrete, it is available in 25 standard colors and a limitless range of custom...

Streak-free blend of pigments.(Product Update)
April 1, 2005... Dynamicast Color Hardener is a ready-to-use, dry-shake material for coloring, hardening, and finishing new concrete floors, walks, driveways, decks, and other architectural or imprinted concrete. It is stocked in 10 different colors, ready for...

Improved surface quality.(Product Update)
April 1, 2005... Superstone Color Hardener is a mixture of limeproof, ultraviolet- and weather-resistant color pigment, cement, hard aggregates, and surface conditioning agents that improve the properties of the finished concrete surface. The product is ready...

Twice as many colors.(Product Update)
April 1, 2005... Add vibrant color to the surface of freshly placed concrete with L.M. Scofield's newly expanded line of Lithochrome color hardeners. This ready-to-use, powdered dry-shake product produces long-wearing surfaces ideal for pedestrian or vehicular...

Synthetic and natural pigments.(Product Update)
April 1, 2005... Kolor Hardener, by Kover Krete, is made from pure synthetic and natural iron oxide pigments, blended with cement, quartz crystals, and surface conditioning agents for a lightfast, weather-resistant surface. It is an inexpensive way to add...

From soft and subtle to bold and vibrant.(Product Update)
April 1, 2005... Brickform Color Hardener is an engineered blend designed to bond with the concrete surface for a tough, abrasion-resistant hardscape. When properly applied and troweled into newly placed concrete, it forms a colored surface that is resistant to...

Australian 'pigging' debut.(Products Solving Problems)
April 1, 2005... Western Australian concrete contractor, G & N Conform, is completing the concrete work on two major high-rise projects in Perth. To provide air power in a "pigging" application to clean concrete delivery pipes, the company has purchased and is...

Ridley C-10[TM].(Products for the Pros showcase)
April 1, 2005... The C-10 is a powerful, compact machine designed for placing dry-mix gunite material. It delivers a steady flow of material allowing even hydration at the nozzle. The C-10 features a 9 HP air motor with heavy-duty spur gear drive (hydraulic...

Blastrac polisher/grinder.(Products for the Pros showcase)
April 1, 2005... The Blastrac[R] BMG 2500 is a high performance, plug style, dual headed grinding and polishing machine. The BMG 2500 features a 22" grinding path, removable weights and two head pressure settings: light for polishing applications or full...

Epoxy healer/sealer.(Products for the Pros showcase)
April 1, 2005... CCS[TM] Epoxy Healer/Sealer for cracked concrete. Clear, low viscosity, solvent free, structural repair adhesive for porous or cracked topping slabs, industrial floors, parking decks and loading docks. Flood application provides deep...

Polyurea for control joints.(Products for the Pros showcase)
April 1, 2005... CCS[TM] Polyurea SWL is a rapid setting flexible joint filler formulated for high durablility uses including industrial floors, warehouses, loading docks and freezers. Can open to traffic in ~ 1 hour. Long 12-minute pot life allows for either...

CG-550P mini grout pump & mixer.(Products for the Pros showcase)
April 1, 2005... Max output 5 gpm (18.9 l/m); mx. pressure 225 psi (16 bar). Features the CG-050 piston pump. Mixes and pumps most pre-packaged, non-shrink grouts and sand/cement ratios of up to 2:1. Large 34 gal. (129.5 1) mixing tank offers easy, continuous...

Self-leveling, non-shrinking underlayment.(Products for the Pros showcase)
April 1, 2005... Conspec's Conflow products are single component, cement-based underlayments that mix with water and can be pumped or poured. They achieve a smooth, level and exceptionally hard finish with no troweling! Walk on in less than 4 hours; ready for...

Rapid concrete roadway, runway & bridge deck repair.(Products for the Pros showcase)
April 1, 2005... Ready for traffic in 1-3 hours! EDOCO Fast Patch 928 rapid-setting repair mortar is designed for quick back-to-service times on highways, airport runways, roads and bridges and is ideal for dowel bar joint retrofit. It can be worked at...

Jimmy "T" Stake & Nail Puller.(Products for the Pros showcase)
April 1, 2005... This tool combines the benefits of our Stake Puller and Nail Puller tools into one integrated stake removal solution. The Jimmy "T" Stake & Nail Puller is made with quality, lightweight materials and comes with a 1-year limited warranty and is...

Grout pumps.(Products for the Pros showcase)
April 1, 2005... Kenrich Products grout pumps are ideal for grouting metal door frames and for placing grout anywhere that high pressure is not required. Their lightweight design (19 to 32 pounds) allows you to take the pump to where you need the grout. One air...

Molecular Cement Dissolver.(Products for the Pros showcase)
April 1, 2005... "Back-Set" Molecular Cement Dissolver is a unique acid add alternative formulated by RoMix, Inc. "Back-Set" works on the molecular level breaking down the ionic bond of the portland cement, turning it to a rinse free mud! "Back-Set" is...

Scofield Systems brochure.(Products for the Pros showcase)
April 1, 2005... Request the new Scofield Systems brochure for an easy selection guide. See the Difference with professional stains, dry-shake hardener, release agents, stamping and texturing tools, and cementitious toppings. Find out about our next generation...

1.1 Yd concrete/heavy material buggy.(Products for the Pros showcase)
April 1, 2005... Steelcon's new concrete buggy for skid loaders holds approximately twice the concrete of a standard 16 cubic-foot Georgia Buggy. The Steelcon buggy unloads 10 yards in 10-15 minutes, and cuts labor costs in half. It travels through loose...

Contractors to watch: Tony and PJ Lampasona CEO and President Lampasona Concrete Construction Franklin, Mass.
April 1, 2005... * My partner is my cousin, PJ. He and I started in this business about 1984--I was 12 years old. My father had a commercial concrete company, and we worked for him throughout high school and college on vacations and breaks. We learned the hard...