Concrete Construction articles from January 2004

Concrete Construction archives from January 2004

Learn for life.(Editorial Comment)
January 1, 2004... Education comes in all shapes, colors, and sizes and there is no one-size-fits-all. But whether you call it education, training, or school, there is one absolute--you can't do without it. I suppose there was a time in the distant past, when the...

Thawing and curing are different topics.(Reader Response)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION'S timing for an article on ground heating systems (October Product Update, p. 56) was excellent, however, we feel you missed the mark on several issues. Although portable hydronic heating equipment is being used by small...

Additional benefits of shear stud systems.(Reader Response)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... There are advantages to using shear stud assemblies for the architect, engineer, and contractor that were not contained in your article "Do-it-yourself punching shear resistance" (October, page 66). For the architect, it eliminates the...

PCA maintains the importance of a labor market strengthening.(News & Events)
January 1, 2004... The September U.S. edition of The Monitor, a monthly analysis of trends in the construction and cement industries published by the Portland Cement Association, maintains that a turning point was reached in the U.S. labor market this fall....

High-performance concrete compilation.(News & Events)
January 1, 2004... Information about 19 high-performance concrete bridge projects is now available on a compact disk from the Federal Highway Administration. The compiled information includes a bridge description, structural design criteria, concrete mix...

U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee unveils transportation bill.(News & Events)
January 1, 2004... Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America has joined the bipartisan leadership of the U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee on Nov. 19 to introduce a $375 billion, 6-year highway and transit funding bill designed to address...

FAS 150 for nonpublic companies delayed.(News & Events)
January 1, 2004... The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has "indefinitely delayed" certain aspects of the Financial Accounting Standard No. 150 (FAS 150). FAS 150 was projected to have an adverse impact on the business operations of a vast number of...

Promotional mixers.(News & Events)
January 1, 2004... If you have seen a concrete mixer on the road with life-size football players or athletes in action you may be experiencing the out-of-the box promotional tool created by Staker and Parson Companies and Fluid Studio Design. Staker and...

NRMCA reviews spec recommendations with postal service.(News & Events)
January 1, 2004... Field promoters for the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association are developing a strategy to review the U.S. Postal Service's national specifications with its eight regional offices. Promoters reported that following a recent presentation...

Career information program.(News & Events)
January 1, 2004... Thanks to a comprehensive career guide and educational program designed by the Building Contractors Association of New Jersey (BCANJ), thousands of high school students throughout the state are learning about career opportunities they may never...

International Apprentice Contest.(News & Events)
January 1, 2004... Six crafts were represented at the BAC/IMI International Apprentice Contest in October at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC: brick, cement, marble, plaster, stone and tile. Many contestants had worked their ways up from local and...

The path to take: Muskegon, Michigan.(Project of the month)
January 1, 2004... In western Michigan, approximately 25,000 square feet of decorative concrete was placed as the entrance to a lakefront development in Muskegon. More impressive than the amount of concrete, however, were the method and the time involved. On the...

Selling to affluent customers--tips for decorative concrete contractors.(Tips & Trends)
January 1, 2004... Today's affluent consumers are used to receiving excellent service. They expect the same when they buy concrete countertops, stained interior floors, and stamped concrete patios, pool decks, and driveways. Although these consumers will...

Something new for you and for us.(Erlin & Hime on Concrete)
January 1, 2004... We are pleased to be able to "speak" to you by way of this column. In case you don t know us, we have been friends and partners for over 45 years. Our experience goes back to the Research and Development Laboratories of the Portland Cement...

Computers in construction: computing technology has grown up enough to provide contractors with powerful tools.(Cover Story)
January 1, 2004... Computers have pervaded our society, and it is time to consider how they can best serve the concrete construction business. As computing hardware has shrunk from room-sized to pocket sized, capabilities have skyrocketed. Computing speed and the...

Two for the price of one.
January 1, 2004... If you're still undecided about whether to attend this year's World of Concrete in February, consider this: your World of Concrete registration badge also gives you complimentary access to the A|E|C Systems exhibit hall, just a few steps away....

Maturity and strength: maturity methods can speed up concrete construction and increase safety.
January 1, 2004... Concrete in test cylinder and concrete in a structure seldom exactly the same temperature. During cold weather, the structure may cure more slowly, or it could cure more quickly as cement hydration heats up the concrete in the forms. But since...

Marquette's no-crack, no-curl floor: Marquette University wanted its new gymnasium floor to be without control joints, without cracks, and without curling--and it had to be ready for flooring in 6 weeks.
January 1, 2004... What Marquette University, Milwaukee, wanted for its new AlMcGuire Center sounded simple enough--a 22,000-square-foot maple gym floor that would be flat and would not buckle and warp over time due to moisture problems, For Milwaukee's Opus...

Waterstops.(showcase)
January 1, 2004... SYNKO-FLEX Waterstop is a specially formulated preformed adhesive joint sealant that provides a lasting, watertight bond to both fresh and cured concrete surfaces. HYDRO-FLEX Waterstop is a preformed adhesive hydrophilic waterstop designed...

Concrete stamping tools.(showcase)
January 1, 2004... Scofield announces a new generation of HIGH OUTPUT LITHOTEX[R] Pavecrafters[R] tools for imprinting and texturing. The improved polyurethane composition provides significantly lighter weight without reduction in durability for a longer working...

The new world of high-tech instruments.
January 1, 2004... When you think of high technology, you probably imagine a software engineer sitting behind a computer, coding some new program. But high tech is more than just computers. It includes cutting-edge applications of physics, chemistry, material...

Bugholes in formed concrete: ASCC position statement #8.(Industry Issues)
January 1, 2004... Bugholes, also called surface air voids, are small regular or irregular cavities, usually not exceeding 5/8 in. (16 mm), resulting from entrapment of air bubbles in the surface of formed concrete during placement and consolidation. They...

Techniques for chemically staining concrete.(Decorative Concrete)
January 1, 2004... Chemical stains aren't like paint. They don't produce solid, even coloration. And there aren't many colors available--only six or seven. Chemical stains produce translucent colors with somewhat unpredictable variation, hut that's why people are...

Resin floor bond.(Decorative Concrete Products)
January 1, 2004... Epoxy Terrazzo is a resinous flooring product that combines the decorative appearance of marble with a high degree of durability, chemical resistance, and ease of maintenance. It bonds directly to the concrete slab, giving the designer and...

Formliner for thick brick.(Decorative Concrete Products)
January 1, 2004... The innovative concrete VersaBrix brick gasket formliner can be used in almost any application when a thick brick system is needed. The flexible liner can be manufactured with variable mortar joints; perfectly ground brick sizes are not...

Color selection guide.(Decorative Concrete Products)
January 1, 2004... This company is releasing a new color selection guide that includes a wide palette of its most popular colors during the past 2 years. The chips in the binder illustrate the company's pigments added to gray cement, 1/2-gray-and-1/2-white...

Versatile covering.(Decorative Concrete Products)
January 1, 2004... Super-Tex overlayment is composed of a specially formulated, portland-based material with an emulsion. The product can be used to cover a variety of existing substrates, such as walk-ways, pool decks, patios, and concrete driveways. In...

Decorative problem clinic.(Decorative Concrete)
January 1, 2004... Q. I recently tried to use acid stain on a that had been cast 1 week earlier. The stain "fizzed" during the application, but the color effect was very weak. When I reapplied it, the result was the same. There were no curing agents or coatings...

Patented grinding technology offers new ready-mix options: Portland cement substitute yields economic, environmental, and durability benefits.(Innovations)
January 1, 2004... Soon you may have the option of using a specially modified fly ash to replace half of the portland cement in concrete. That can reduce your material costs while providing a more durable product. Recycling this waste product of coal combustion...

Rain's effect on fresh concrete.(Problem Clinic)
January 1, 2004... Q. We had a concrete patio placed. About 3 hours after it was placed, it began to rain and continued to rain for 2 hours. Will that compromise the integrity of the concrete with respect to strength, durability, and so on, over the long term?...

Horizontal drilling.(Problem Clinic)
January 1, 2004... Q. I have to drill a large number of 5/8" to 1 1/8" holes in reinforced concrete on vertical surfaces for embedding steel rods using epoxy. Many must be drilled above shoulder height, sometimes while on a ladder. It's very difficult and...

Durability of light-weight concrete.(Problem Clinic)
January 1, 2004... Q. I am designing a supported slab that will carry forklift traffic. I am planning to use light-weight concrete. What wearing surface would be appropriate with lightweight? A. ACI 213 "Guide for Structural Lightweight Aggregate Concrete"...

Normal concrete weight loss.(Problem Clinic)
January 1, 2004... Q. I am working on providing material for crane counter-weights. What is considered a normal weight loss (in pounds per cubic foot) for concrete, from say its plastic weight to a normal exposure weight, after perhaps a month or two? My guess...

Fly ash in concrete pavement.(Problem Clinic)
January 1, 2004... Q. What are the effects of using fly ash in concrete pavements? Does it have an impact on abrasion resistance of the mix? Are case studies or field data available, especially where more than 30% fly ash was used in the mix? A. Jerzy...

PATH progresses with compact demolition equipment: product case study.(Product Update)
January 1, 2004... Although already scheduled for a complete restoration, September 11 made the Port Authority Trans-Hudson Subway a top priority. The World Trade Center PATH station was destroyed, sending mounds of debris into the tunnels and crippling the...

Industry trends roundtable: compensation and bonuses.(Contractors to Watch)
January 1, 2004... By popular demand, here is another short excerpt from last summer's Industry Trends Roundtable (see "Five Guys Pointing in a Circle," November 2003). An issue that the group discussed was paying workers what they are really worth and...