Concrete Construction articles from March 2004

Concrete Construction archives from March 2004

Concrete 2104.(Editorial Comment)
March 1, 2004... This month marks the 100-year celebration of the founding of the American Concrete Institute. Although concrete has been around longer, ACI's origin can be considered the beginning of the concrete industry as we know it today. Over the years,...

Water/cement ratio and performance.(Reader Response)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... In Reader Response (CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION, Dec. 2003, p. 16), Bob Neal asserts that water-cement ratio is a "performance" criterion in a specification. I agree with Mr. Neal that w/c is very important to the performance of a concrete, but it...

They all curl and most of them crack.(Reader Response)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... I was very surprised to read the title of the article "Marquette's No-Crack, No-Curl Floor" in the January 2004 issue of CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION, P. 47. My experience in 45 years of research and technical service to the concrete industry has...

Cement formulation change promises improved emission performance.(News & Events)
March 1, 2004... Members of the Portland Cement Association announced the latest effort by their industry to significantly reduce emissions and provide key environmental benefits by proposing a change in the manufacture of portland cement. Tom Chizmadia, PCA...

White House contact imperative to TEA-21 reauthorization effort.(News & Events)
March 1, 2004... At press time, the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association was encouraging its members to contact President Bush regarding one of the biggest legislative initiatives being considered in Congress this year--the reauthorization of the...

1000th student graduates from CSDA training program.(News & Events)
March 1, 2004... A milestone has been achieved with the 1000th student graduating from the Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association training class held November 6 through 15, 2003. The CSDA offered its first class, Cutting Edge, in 1993, and 686 students have...

Walls and columns handbook and equipment guide.(News & Events)
March 1, 2004... VIBCO Inc., well-known in the concrete and construction industry for high quality American-made vibrators and vibration products, now offers a Handbook and Equipment Guide for External Vibration of Walls and Columns--a good reference guide for...

Innovative waterproofing system in Bronx Zoo exhibit.(News & Events)
March 1, 2004... An innovative waterproofing system created by Kryton International is replacing traditional external membranes in the new Tiger Mountain exhibit at New York's Bronx Zoo. Home to six Siberian tigers, the three-acre, $8.5 million Tiger Mountain...

Concrete industry trans-America bicycle ride.(News & Events)
March 1, 2004... The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association and The Conservation Fund have launched a nationwide program to support local greenway initiatives and improve access to the outdoors for all Americans. Centered around a 3500-mile cross-country...

ICRI Spring Convention and VISION 2020 Workshop.(News & Events)
March 1, 2004... The International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) will hold its 2004 Spring Convention at the InterContinental Hotel, Chicago, April 1 & 2. The convention theme is facade repair and will consist of a full slate of technical presentations...

Workers' compensation: who really pays the claim? It's you, not the insurance company.(Tips & Trends)
March 1, 2004... Are you being overcharged by the workers compensation insurance system? When so many hands tinker with your workers' compensation insurance, you're bound to be overcharged. Just check out who is involved figuring out your workers'...

Are you weighing your concrete? Why not?(Erlin & Hime on Concrete)
March 1, 2004... There are a number of ways to tell if the concrete you ordered is what arrived at your jobsite. One of the simplest ways is to weigh a sample. Air is the concrete component that most affects weight because it weighs zilch compared to all of the...

Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church: Winter Park, Florida.(project of the month)
March 1, 2004... Clancy & Theys Construction Company built Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Winter Park, Fla., with a focus on the highest quality construction and craftsmanship. The church required extensive attention to detail. Some of the more...

Vapor barriers: nuisance or necessity? Where a moisture-sensitive floor covering or coating is planned, plan to take the ground out of play.
March 1, 2004... The subject of vapor barriers or retarders beneath concrete slabs on grade has long been controversial. Some justifiably argue that slabs placed in direct contact with a vapor barrier or retarder are more susceptible to curling and other slab...

Fast-track tilt-up construction: constructing the Super Target Store in Miramar, Fla., may have set a new record for fast-track construction.
March 1, 2004... For many contractors and subcontractors "fast-track" is a dirty word. It often means compressing a building schedule, thereby causing conflict between trades as they scramble to finish their work. Fast-track construction can reduce the quality...

If I can do it, anybody can! A concrete contractor learns to design a good slab mix.
March 1, 2004... As a concrete contractor who specializes in high tolerance and super flat floors, I usually found the owner and general contractor to he ecstatic with the finished product on the day I poured and finished my floors. I would, in most cases, get...

Moisture-Sensitive floor coverings on concrete slabs: ASCC position statement #10.(Industry Issues)
March 1, 2004... Many design professionals, construction managers, contractors, flooring and adhesive manufacturers, and concrete producers currently face problems related to moisture-sensitive floor coverings installed on concrete floors. The problems range...

Why do some overlay cement applications fail?(Decorative Concrete)
March 1, 2004... Overlay cement is one of today's fastest growing decorative concrete sectors. Overlays can be sprayed very thinly or placed at up to 2 inches thick onto the surface of a slab. Placement can be by trowel or with gage rakes as a self-leveling...

Texture roller system.(Decorative Concrete Products)
March 1, 2004... This line of texture rollers uses one roller frame that can be fitted with eight different texture sleeves. The interchangeable sleeves are 22 1/2 inches wide; contractors can obtain additional textures. The frame handle protrudes from only one...

Stamped overlays.(Decorative Concrete Products)
March 1, 2004... This stamped overlay system is suitable for a range of applications, including commercial and residential jobs, interior or exterior surfaces, pool decks, driveways, and walkways. The stamp mix is a proprietary blend of polymer modified cement...

Stain eraser.(Decorative Concrete Products)
March 1, 2004... Pour-N-Restore concrete and masonry stain remover erases stains caused by motor oil, grease, hydraulic/transmission fluid, antifreeze, tar, wax, vegetable oil, and other substances. It can be used on a wide variety of surfaces. The product...

Testing aggregate to avoid staining.(Decorative Problem Clinic)
March 1, 2004... Q. Is there a quick test to detect the presence of iron sulfide in aggregates? The aggregate I am considering will be used in an exposed decorative application, so repeated wetting and drying of the aggregate will occur at the surface, and I am...

Concrete for a pond.(Decorative Problem Clinic)
March 1, 2004... Q. About 5 years ago I built my first pond. It measured 5x8 feet and was about 2 feet deep. I just dug a hole with outward sloping sides and used bagged posthole-type cement from Home Depot. I made it 2 1/2 inches thick, with a little chicken...

Vapor barriers.(Products for the Pros showcase)
March 1, 2004... AQUAFIN VAPORTIGHT COAT, a post applied vapor banter, reduces moisture vapor emission of up to 25 lbs to 3 lbs or less, allowing sate installation of adhesives and floor coverings. Economical, easy one coat application, with flooring installed...

Grouting systems.(Products for the Pros showcase)
March 1, 2004... ChemGrout manufactures the world's largest selection of grouting equipment. From high capacity colloidal systems to hand grout pumps Production rates to 45 GPM and pressures to 2000 PSI. Their patented pumps ore industry standards offering...

8" footing bracket.(Products for the Pros showcase)
March 1, 2004... Advantages: * Cost Savings--More than 50% savings in time & labor during set-up & stripping of forms. Reduced use of materials * Adjustable, Durable & Re Usable Easy to use: Set the desired with, clamp & go. Easy to store & transport....

Waterstops.(Products for the Pros showcase)
March 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...

Starter packages.(Products for the Pros showcase)
March 1, 2004... Hydraulic Mudpumps, Inc. manufactures five different slab raising pumps to fit a variety of applications including slabjacking, shotcreteing, and pressure grouting. Starter packages are available that include mixers, pumps, carrying racks and...

Grouting door frames?(Products for the Pros showcase)
March 1, 2004... The GP-7 Grout Pump is perfect for filling hollow metal door frames. You can fill both sides of the frame simultaneously. Being hand operated, no external power source is needed. Output capacity is 5 gallons per minute. Net weight is 35 pounds...

Concrete stamping tools.(Products for the Pros showcase)
March 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...

Measuring humidity in concrete.(Products for the Pros showcase)
March 1, 2004... HM44 Meets New ASTM Standard for Measuring Humidity in Concrete. Vaisala's HM44 kit meets the new ASTM standard and is the ideal solution for easy, reliable and accurate measurement of humidity in concrete. During construction, it is critical...

Hole-in-one driveway.(Problem Clinic)
March 1, 2004... Q. In a driveway that I placed recently, there is a dime-sized hole about a quarter inch deep that doesn't want to set up. It has been this way for several days now. I've been pouring concrete for 15 years and have never seen anything like...

Too late to revibrate?(Problem Clinic)
March 1, 2004... Q. We observed a concrete pour where concrete was revibrated after it had set up. The vibrator head did not "readily penetrate" the concrete as described in ACI 309. In fact the inspector relayed that "it took 15 to 30 seconds of vibrating at...

Forming on a bond breaker.(Problem Clinic)
March 1, 2004... Q. I need to pour a 9-inch-thick paving slab atop a structural slab, but there is a 3-inch cement stabilized sand bond breaker required between the structural slab and the paving slab. How do I keep my formwork in place while I pour the paving...

New options for using welded wire.(Innovations)
March 1, 2004... Structural welded wire reinforcement (WWR) provides an economical alternative to tied-in-place rebar in both cast-in-place and precast/prestressed concrete. Several developments in recent years have opened up new opportunities for the use of...

Side or edge forms for slabs and tilt-up panels.(Product Update)
March 1, 2004... When you construct concrete slabs or tilt up panels, the process of edge forming, or side forming, sounds simple enough. Construct the edge form out of plywood or lumber. That's the way it has been done for years. Yet when you are faced with a...

Contractors to watch.
March 1, 2004... * I started in the trades as a framing carpenter, working for a GC who was having some trouble with his concrete forming. It did not take long before I realized there was more opportunity in concrete than there was in flaming so I made the...