Concrete Construction articles from October 2005

Concrete Construction archives from October 2005

Concrete to the rescue.(Editorial Comment)
October 1, 2005... Knowing how to personally respond to something as terrible as Hurricane Katrina is difficult. Most of us--especially since we are in the construction business--have a knee-jerk reaction to want to go and help people dig out, clean up, rebuild....

Safety concern.(Reader Response)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... I find your magazine informative and helpful. Thanks for a quality product. However, I am concerned about the picture on the September 2005 cover. It appears that the leg straps of the worker's fall protection harness are not buckled. That may...

Temperature's up.(Reader Response)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... One small correction to your article, "Erlin & Hime on Concrete," p. 32 in the June 2005 issue of CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION. ASTM C 31 specifies 73[degrees]F for Standard Final Curing and not 70[degrees]F as implied in your article. After all,...

Restoration is key.(Reader Response)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... Your July 2005 news story "U.S. Cement Shortage Dire" indicates that the AGC has urged intervention to remove barriers to Mexican cement. I offer a solution that is simple, cost-effective, and meets sustainability goals: Invest in the...

Past year's project bidding increases.(News & Events)
October 1, 2005... According to a new study by PinnacleOne, one of the nation's leading construction consulting firms, an overwhelming majority (92%) of public owners have experienced a price increase in construction project bidding during the past year. The...

Bosch and SkillsUSA align to support the future of the building trades.(News & Events)
October 1, 2005... SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers, and industry working together to ensure the development of America's skilled workforce through education. From students in the trades and industrial occupational training to technical, service,...

CIM program seeking equipment donations.(News & Events)
October 1, 2005... The Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program at Middle Tennessee State University is moving forward with exciting plans to raise funds for a new building specifically to house CIM. As a significant step in this fundraising effort, and to...

Reward's ICF discount to families rebuilding.(News & Events)
October 1, 2005... Reward Wall Systems, manufacturer of insulating concrete forms (ICFs), is offering a $1-per-form discount to families who must rebuild in the wake of devastating storms like the tornados that ripped through Wisconsin recently. Homeowners can...

Increte opens Midwest training & distribution center.(News & Events)
October 1, 2005... Increte Systems has opened its Midwest training and distribution center in Aurora, Ilk The 100,000-square-foot facility will serve as a distribution hub and training center for operations throughout the Midwest. Increte Systems' commitment...

Construction Go! Belts.(News & Events)
October 1, 2005... The Construction Go? Belt is a construction-themed activity belt for kids, patterned after adult construction utility belts. Designed to be fun and an educational toy for kids and to foster and encourage interest in construction skills, it has...

How customer service shapes your image.(The Business of Concrete Contracting)
October 1, 2005... Why would a concrete contractor are about customer service? In order to answer that question, you first must decide whether we're talking about the service you get from your suppliers or the service your customers get from your company. Is it...

A near-apocalypse to be defused--a challenge to our future.(Hime & Erlin on Concrete)
October 1, 2005... We occasionally run across concrete conundrums that lead to acres of headaches. One of them is surface distress, usually blamed on finishing or cyclic freezing or both. Its cause depends upon circumstances; responsibility for it flip-flops...

A new building for Citigroup: Urbandale, Iowa.(project of the month)
October 1, 2005... Urbandale, Iowa, just west of Des Moines, will soon be the home of Citigroup's new 180,000-square-foot credit card processing center. Concrete Strategies provided design, engineering, and construction services for the project, one of several...

Tilt-up construction basics: forming, placing, and finishing panels.
October 1, 2005... Many factors must be considered when placing and finishing site-cast tilt-up concrete panels, but proper planning and thorough quality-control measures can ensure that this process is completed with ease. Since tilt-up concrete professionals...

High-rise California condo: moment-resisting frame and high-reactivity metakaolin lead to a successful job.
October 1, 2005... Affluent baby boomers becoming empty-nesters are fueling a demand for luxury urban living. The Californian, a new Los Angeles condominium built to meet the demands of this demographic, breaks new ground in two areas of concrete design and...

Working in cold weather: how one contractor successfully completed a challenging fast-track winter project.
October 1, 2005... Cold weather is defined by ACI Committee 306, "Cold Weather Concreting," as "a period when for more than three consecutive days the following conditions exist: 1) The average daily air temperature is less than 40[degrees]F (5[degrees]C)...

Material selection guide: tilt-up hardware.
October 1, 2005... Burke's David Kelly. "That's up about 25% over 2004, and that was up about 30% over 2003. Owners like the look of the new formliners and the brick or block finishes we can provide. And of course they like the speed of construction." In the...

Painting concrete.(Decorative Concrete)
October 1, 2005... Although painting concrete is the term most often used, it s not correct. Coating is the proper term for products that provide decoration and protection for exterior concrete walls; sealers or coatings are the products used on floors. Lorella...

Fast resurfacing.(Decorative Concrete Products)
October 1, 2005... Designed for fast-track resurfacing of concrete surfaces, Concrete Canvas self-leveling, polymer-modified overlayment comes in white and gray, and readily accepts acid stains and acrylic shading materials. It gives contractors the ability to...

Epoxy terrazzo floors.(Decorative Concrete Products)
October 1, 2005... Developed with natural marble aggregate, granite, mother of pearl, polyester chips, or recycled glass, the Thin-Set Epoxy Terrazzo system has a decorative, seamless finish well suited for high traffic. It doesn't contain volatile organic...

Software simulates engraving projects.(Decorative Concrete Products)
October 1, 2005... Simulated Artistic Layout Engraving Software (S.A.L.E.S) is a Windows-based program that allows contractors to simulate decorative concrete engraving projects before the projects begin. Contractors can work interactively with customers within a...

Chemical stain gives concrete character.(Decorative Concrete Products)
October 1, 2005... When placed on a cementitious surface, Kemco Pro Series Chemical Stains infuse color into the surface, becoming a permanent part of the substrate that will not crack, chip, fade, or peel. The single-component coloring solution chemically reacts...

Countertop strength.(Decorative Problem Clinic)
October 1, 2005... Q. Which is more important for a concrete countertop: reinforcement or a strong concrete mix design? A. If you mean reinforcement to provide tensile strength that allows a countertop to carry loads, the reinforcement would be less...

Using ride-on trowels.(Concrete Basics)
October 1, 2005... For the construction of floors of significant size, riding trowels have become indispensable. They are productive and can provide very flat finishes. The two types of machines on the market are overlapping and non-overlapping. The troweling...

Getting into decorative.(Problem Clinic)
October 1, 2005... Q. am a concrete contractor with no experience in decorative concrete work. How can I get involved in this industry without assuming too much risk? A. You've probably seen ads that suggest that decorative concrete work is easy and the...

Unsightly staining.(Problem Clinic)
October 1, 2005... Q. We recently had a driveway pour and the contractor covered wet concrete with polyethylene sheeting in case it rained. When the poly was taken off the next day, we saw discolored concrete in waves and stripes. Will this go away over time or...

Silt fence or hay bales?(Problem Clinic)
October 1, 2005... Q. Typical silt fence fabric seems to work fine but there's a lot of maintenance. Are hay or straw bales better? A. Different locales take different approaches to this problem. Some use a performance measure: "Keep the mud off the street...

Sand streaking.(Problem Clinic)
October 1, 2005... Q. We often find water trails on the surfaces of walls when the are removed. Is there a way to avoid this? A. The condition you describe is called sand streaking, and it's caused by excessive bleeding. As bleedwater moves upward along the...

Braces for tilt-up construction.(Product Update)
October 1, 2005... So you've decided to give tilt-up a try. You've poured the concrete and lifted it in place. Now, what? The simple answer is don't let it fall over. The wind will be your biggest enemy, and braces are necessary to resist these lateral forces...

Aluminum tilt-up forms.(Product Update)
October 1, 2005... The Ez-Tilt-Up forming system is fast, easy to learn, and stands up to the most stringent inspections. It also saves on labor time and is more economical than lumber. Constructed of ridged aluminum, it comes in various sizes and can be further...

Lifts anything that fits in a truck.(Product Update)
October 1, 2005... The Lift Off system allows contractors to pick up and unload heavy machinery or materials into a pickup truck at the touch of a button. Installation of this patent-pending device takes less than two hours, and there are no holes to drill. With...

Clean, degrease driveways and parking lots.(Product Update)
October 1, 2005... For preparing blacktop and masonry surfaces for sealing or staining, Driveway Kleen concentrated cleaner and degreaser removes oil, grease, mold, and dirt from driveways and parking lots. Packaged in an easy-to-use sprayer that turns a normal...

Diamond blades for every application.(Product Update)
October 1, 2005... The Bosch diamond blade line features 62 segmented, turbo, and continuous rim blade designs, color-coded by application. In segmented blades, which are laser welded for long life and exceptional diamond bonding, every fifth segment of the blade...

Fast and easy cutting.(Product Update)
October 1, 2005... Operators can slice through rebar safely and efficiently with nothing more than the squeeze of a trigger. The HBC-19, HBC-25, and BC-25 rebar cutters have rated power from 9 to 12 amps, and can cut rebar up to 1 inch in diameter. Each has a...

Blowout-resistant pad forms.(Product Update)
October 1, 2005... The patented stay-in-place Quick PadZ forms have perforated tabs built into their sturdy plastic corrugated sides for rebar insertion, minimizing setup time. The durable plastic material prevents blowouts and holds the rebar in...

Sidewalk grading system.(Product Update)
October 1, 2005... The SGS 2000 cuts sidewalk grading time and costs by half. It includes a Topcon positioning system for precise, consistent grades, and a Komatsu PC50 excavator with steel track and rubber shoes. Blade attaches in less than 30 minutes, and...

Contractor ditches buckets for concrete pump.(Products Solving Problems)
October 1, 2005... Worth Engineering found that hen it comes to getting concrete work done fast, sometimes it's not how many workers you have onsite but the type of equipment you use. That happened to be the case when the contractor was faced with the...

Toffolo joint rulers[TM].(Products for the Pros showcase)
October 1, 2005... The Toffolo joint rulers are a multifunctional stay in place concrete flatwork accessory product. The joint rulers, made of rigid PVC, are placed before pouring and finishing concrete slabs. They greatly improve the levelness of slabs and...

Blastrac Dust Collector.(Products for the Pros showcase)
October 1, 2005... The Blastrac[R] 1-13DC Dust Collector is a compact, versatile vacuum for use with hand tools and small walk-behind scarifiers, concrete grinders and shot blasters. It features a rugged, resin-reinforced, pressure-molded plastic chassis and body...

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

Repair joints (forever) in seconds.(Products for the Pros showcase)
October 1, 2005... We PERMANENTLY repaired thee feet of caulk cohesion failure in just 15 seconds with Polytite! Dayton Polytite is a pre-compressed joint sealant that forms a watertight, dust-proof, airtight, soundproof urethane insulated seal quickly and...

Pave Patch 3000 adds fizz to the Coca-Cola 600.(Products for the Pros showcase)
October 1, 2005... Overnight, Conspec's Pave Patch 300 was used to replace long stretches of pavement after a faulty liquid asphalt patch repair material loosened during the race and struck Jeff Gordon's race car. NASCAR's VP Jim Hunter says the "More durable...

Stake-free Footing Forms.(Products for the Pros showcase)
October 1, 2005... The Stake-free Fine Line Footing Forms are made of lightweight aluminum and drastically reduce time and labor costs. Assembly is easy and mistake-free, with no cutting or wasting lumber. The strong metal forms eliminate blowouts and last a...

Jimmy "T" Stake & Nail Puller.(Products for the Pros showcase)
October 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)
October 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...

Scofield Systems brochure.(Products for the Pros showcase)
October 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...

Molecular Cement Dissolver.(Products for the Pros showcase)
October 1, 2005... "Back-Set" Molecular Cement Dissolver is a unique acid 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 flee mud! "Back-Set" is...

Closed-cell foam expansion joint filler.(Products for the Pros showcase)
October 1, 2005... Replace heavy, fragile fiberboard with Cellu-Cushion[R] EXP 200 closed-cell foam expansion joint filler. Stiff enough to use on straight joints, flexible enough to shape to contours. Over 97% thickness recovery when compressed. It is...

Yanmar industrial engines.(Products for the Pros showcase)
October 1, 2005... Yanmar offers 10 compact TNV model Tier II Compliant liquid-cooled diesel engines stepped in horsepower from 13.7 to 83.5 hp. New design features result in gains in combustion efficiency, startability, noise and emission reduction. CAE...

Tony VerMeer: President TK Concrete Pella, Iowa.(Contractors to Watch)
October 1, 2005... * I started working during the summer for my grandfather's construction company when I was in the seventh grade and continued to do concrete work on the side as an adult. In August of 1992, I had enough work to start TK Concrete as a full-time...