Concrete Construction articles from July 2003

Concrete Construction archives from July 2003

Drawing the battle lines. (Editorial Comment).
July 1, 2003... Representing a national magazine like CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION means that I have the chance to travel around the country to talk with readers. Recently I have visited Chicago, Denver, New Orleans, New York, Detroit, Newark, Washington, and Dallas....

Icy (but not frozen) cylinders. (Reader Response).(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2003... Regarding the letter from Frank Kozeliski concerning curing of cylinders ("Icy Cylinders," Jan. 2003, p. 16), I agree with the comment that it's important to know the min/max temperatures to which the cylinders have been exposed. On the other...

What is a petrographer? (Reader Response).(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2003... Fellow petrographers, I've always kept this quote from Katherine Mather because I believe it states rather simply what we should be doing as professional concrete petrographers. It keeps me focused when sometimes the sample has me going off on...

Formwork problems. (Reader Response).(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2003... The information shown in Panel and Clamp Formwork Systems (Feb. 2003, p. 50) indicates that the tie holes for Safway Rasto forms are 15/16 inch (24cm). This is incorrect. The Rasto marketed in the United States has larger 1 1/8-inch (28.5 mm)...

ASCC elects new president. (News & Events).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The American Society of Concrete Contractors has elected D. Thomas Ruttura, president of Ruttura & Sons Construction Co., Farmington, N.Y., as president for 2003-2004. Ruttura's grandfather began the concrete, excavation, and drainage...

50th anniversary of the Baha'i House of Worship. (News & Events).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The Baha'i House of Worship, Wilmette, Ill., a national historic site and one of the region's top tourist attractions, celebrated the 50th anniversary of its dedication and the 100th anniversary of the conception of the project on May 17. ...

Slag cement use up 22.4% in 2002, 164% since 1996. (News & Events).(Slag Cement Association report)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Figures recently released by the Slag Cement Association (SCA) show slag cement use increased by 22.4% from 2001 to 2002. According to Randy Dunlap, president of SCA and vice president of marketing for SCA member Holcim (US), use of slag cement...

A new training tool from eTEC. (News & Events).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Engineering Training and Education Consultants (eTEC) has released Version 1.0 of "Concrete Field Testing Technician Certification." The affordable, interactive CD-based training tool is intended for individuals seeking to become ACI Certified...

PCA's two new educational CDs. (News & Events).(Portland Cement Association)(A dmixtures for Use in Concrete and Introduction to Concrete Mix Design)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... "A dmixtures for Use in Concrete" (CD039) is part of a series of interactive, distance learning CD programs offered by the Portland Cement Association's Education and Training Department. Designed for cement manufacturers, ready-mixed concrete...

Zoo animal barricades. (News & Events).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The threat of attacks since Sept. 11 has changed the look of many American cities. Now, says the Aggregate Research Institute, those ugly concrete barriers on sidewalks are being replaced by elephants, gorillas, or pandas--the concrete...

Eight states adopt I-Codes. (News & Events).(building codes created by the International Code Council)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Indiana has a new state building code. So do Minnesota, West Virginia, New Jersey, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming. These eight states have adopted new building safety codes created by the International Code Council. Nationwide, 46...

Web site results in accountability and self-esteem. (Tips & Trends).
July 1, 2003... Garber Brothers Precision Concrete has always had a culture and value system based on hard work and accountability. But once we exceeded 50 employees, we started losing the personal connection. That's why we developed a system that we call PC...

ASCC safety mentoring kit. (Safety Report).
July 1, 2003... The ASCC Safety Mentoring Kit is designed for people who are new to construction safety. This kit will not give you all of the answers, but it will provide resources that will point you in the right direction. There are many safety issues...

Project of the month.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Construction on one of the nation's most comprehensive treatment facilities, Stanford's state-of-the-art Center for Cancer Treatment and Prevention, is nearing completion. It will bring all of Stanford's resources for diagnosing and treating...

The 2003 CC100: who's winning the competition?(Illustration)
July 1, 2003... Of the ten fastest growing companies we highlighted in last year's CC100, two went out of business in the past year. That's one sign of how difficult 2002 was for many concrete contractors. On the other hand, there are contractors who had...

Contractors to watch: this year we recognize three contractors who have found different (but similar) pathways to success through education, innovation, and relationships.
July 1, 2003... BBP Concrete, Peoria, Arizona Gary Burleson started his Phoenix-based company, BBP Concrete, in 1979, focusing on single-family residential work. In the beginning, he was out there working with his crews and even digging foundations by...

Tilting it up: rigging considerations for tilt-up construction.
July 1, 2003... Modern tilt-up construction consists of lifting concrete panels that have been cast on the building's floor slab or on nearby casting slabs. Although tilt-up panels can be made much bigger than precast panels that are to be transported to the...

Training for everyone 2003.(Directory)
July 1, 2003... For the second year we are providing a list of associations, manufacturers, and businesses that offer training opportunities for the concrete construction industry. Technology, products, and installation techniques are changing rapidly. So...

Training opportunities 2003.(concrete industry)(Calendar)
July 1, 2003... Training Opportunities 2003 Association or Company Focus Dates Associations: American Concrete Seminars: Concrete Various Institute (ACI) design and construct- ...

Raising the bar: new tools ease the pain of bending, cutting, and tying rebar. (Special section: rebar tools).
July 1, 2003... They aren't called rodbusters for nothing, those tough guys who spend their days cutting and bending and positioning rebar. Using a manually operated hickey to make 90[degrees] bends, crouching over tying wire with a spring-return tying tool,...

Diamond saw cut patterning. (Decorative Concrete).
July 1, 2003... It's possible to completely change the character of a plain concrete slab or of decorative concrete by cutting curved or straight lines into the concrete surface with diamond saw blades. These cuts can be "borders and infills," grid patterns...

Interactive web site from Master Builders. (Decorative Concrete Products).
July 1, 2003... Concretelifestyles.com is an interactive site that explains the exceptional durability, low maintenance requirements, and lasting beauty of concrete construction in residential applications. The site illustrates how contractors and homeowners...

Precision stamped concrete tools. (Decorative Concrete Products).
July 1, 2003... Matcrete products from this company include three-dimensional texturing tools, seamless texture skins, and cast-aluminum tools. Shown are texture stamps measuring 36x36 inches and having a Grand Ashlar Slate pattern. This is just one of many...

Chicago high-rise with self-climbing formwork. (Formwork).
July 1, 2003... Number 55 East Erie, the latest high-rise residential development in downtown Chicago, is being built with the aid of Doka automatic self-climbing systems with wall formwork elements suspended from the platform. This makes it possible to...

Is it the slab's fault? (Problem Clinic).
July 1, 2003... Q. A flooring contractor has experienced problems on four occasions over The years with his two-part polyurethane floor covering not bonding to our concrete slab-on-grade. He has said that the acid-etch process prior to installing the covering...

Acquiring an articulating crane: what should a contractor consider as the options are investigated? (Product Update).
July 1, 2003... Selecting an articulating crane is not as complicated as one might think. Many times, a contractor will stew over different applications that might be faced, or various materials that could be handled. Actually, the decision can be approached...

New tie wire. (Product Update).
July 1, 2003... Gator Wire is a new and improved rebar tie wire from American Wire Tie, the company that pioneered the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coated tie wire 25 years ago. PVC coated wire protects against corrosion, salt, and abrasion. The PVC coated wire is...

New Somero equipment. (Product Update).
July 1, 2003... Over the past year, two new products introduced by Somero are the CopperHead S-9210 Laser Screed and the SuperGrader. The CopperHead is a small laser-guided screed that the operator walks ahead of to smooth concrete to the established grade....

Selecting estimating software. (Product Update).
July 1, 2003... Economic conditions have contractors looking to estimating software as a way to increase productivity without driving up overhead. But the world of estimating software can be unfamiliar ground for many contractors. Investing in estimating...

Portable batch plant. (Product Update).
July 1, 2003... Port-A-Pour has announced its latest portable batch plant. Designed to meet the demands of large commercial construction projects, it is computer-controlled for accuracy. The plant's flexibility in product selection makes it versatile enough...

Encapsulating pier rehab. (Innovations).
July 1, 2003... Reinforced concrete structures installed in saltwater are at 'high risk of damage from rebar corrosion. Cathodic protection is one solution, but its high cost and the perceived complexity of its design and installation have limited its...