Concrete Construction articles from September 2004

Concrete Construction archives from September 2004

Special needs.(Editorial Comment)
September 1, 2004... September, of course, means back to school, and my main contact with school is my 13-year-old daughter. Autumn is a little special--at least that's what the school district calls her: a special needs kid. Autumn was born with Williams syndrome,...

Stampable overlays.(Reader Response)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... I appreciate your many fine articles on Decorative Concrete, but I do take exception to a couple of statements in an article that you wrote in the March 2003 issue on stampable overlays. Technology today has allowed us to improve the single...

Corrections.(Reader Response)(Correction Notice)
September 1, 2004... In the July Project of the Month, p. 31, S.B. Ballard should have been listed as the concrete subcontractor for the project. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. The June Material Selection Guide for foundation...

Concrete: a Pictorial Celebration.(News & Events)
September 1, 2004... The American Concrete Institute's highly anticipated coffee-table book, Concrete: A Pictorial Celebration, celebrates concrete structures worldwide. This hardcover, coffee-table book is a tribute to architects, engineers, concrete...

ACI's centennial convention.(News & Events)
September 1, 2004... The American Concrete Institute announces its upcoming convention in San Francisco, October 24-28, 2004, with the theme: "Concrete--A Century of Innovation." The convention is expected to draw over 1000 worldwide attendees. Over 250 meetings...

TCA's sixth edition of The Tilt-Up Construction and Engineering Manual.(News & Events)
September 1, 2004... The Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA)--a non-profit international organization that serves to expand and improve the use of tilt-up as the preferred construction method--has announced the release of the sixth edition of The Tilt-Up...

Defining your company's language: six tips to make sure your company "talks the talk".(Tips & Trends)
September 1, 2004... As our operations and markets increasingly include international business, we have to understand cultures, politics, and language different from our own. But many of us trip over preventable misunderstandings within our own walls, with sister...

The many faces of ettringite: an astonishing concrete component.(Hime & Erlin on Concrete)
September 1, 2004... What inorganic compound having 125 atoms is probably within 10 feet many times during the day? Most common inorganic chemicals contain only a few atoms in their formula. The answer is ettringite in concrete. It can be expressed by several...

Setting time expectations for hard-trowel finishing: ASCC position statement #15.(Industry Issues)
September 1, 2004... Project specifications rarely set limits on concrete setting time. Concrete producers sometimes address setting-time requirements. Concrete contractors must always consider setting times because of the large impact that setting time has on the...

The Daugherty Residence, Henderson, Nev.(project of the month)
September 1, 2004... Those who assume that tilt-up construction is unappealing and boring may be surprised to see this custom residence made of tilt up concrete panels. Besides the beauty of the building, efficiency and durability are high on the list of...

Mega projects: big dreams demand big contruction, and concrete is an important part of nearly every big contruction project.
September 1, 2004... Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Everything is big in Texas. The Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, always the epitome of big, is now getting bigger. In its effort to remain the most important transportation hub in the south...

Some truths and fantasy about chloride de-icing chemicals: so, what about chloride chemicals applied to concrete surfaces too soon?
September 1, 2004... Concrete must be one year or older before de-icing chemicals are applied. Or does it? Our experience is that a one-year waiting period is not needed for concrete that is well made, well finished, of adequate strength, has undergone a short...

Material selection guide: picking post-tensioning.
September 1, 2004... Post-tensioned reinforcement is like most other construction systems. The architect designs the structure according to the owner's desires; the engineer determines the prestressing forces and tendon profiles needed to make the structure work...

Using liquid hardeners to enhance the diamond polishing process.(Decorative Concrete)
September 1, 2004... Many, or perhaps most, companies who diamond polish concrete use silicate hardening products to help them produce better looking surfaces. Several generic materials may be used for this purpose: sodium, potassium, and lithium silicates, and...

Water-based stains.(Decorative Concrete Products)
September 1, 2004... Smith's Color Floor line consists of extra-strength, waterborne stains that create a decorative, protective coating for concrete and masonry floors. Formulated as a user-friendly alternative to hazardous solvent- and acid-based stains, the...

Decorative products.(Decorative Concrete Products)
September 1, 2004... Concrete Impressions offers a number of tools and products that enable contractors to create beautiful decorative concrete installations. Its line includes dimensional concrete tools, quality coloring systems, sealers and maintenance products,...

Acrylic stain.(Decorative Concrete Products)
September 1, 2004... Shield Plus Ultra acrylic concrete stain is fortified with silicone for a high degree of waterborne performance. It can be used on new or old concrete, and users can apply it over previously painted surfaces. The product is easily cleaned up...

Seamless flooring systems.(Decorative Concrete Products)
September 1, 2004... Key Quartz decorative flooring systems--seamless products that require little maintenance and offer outstanding performance characteristics--are composed of 100% solids, clear-epoxy resin that can be filled with a variety of graded quartz,...

Character stamps.(Decorative Concrete Products)
September 1, 2004... These durable concrete hand-stamp characters are designed for marking wet concrete. A standard character set includes the numerals 0 through 8 and a '+' sign (the 6 is also used as the number 9). The stamps are machined from solid brass billets...

Building up a curb wall.(Problem Clinic)
September 1, 2004... Q. Late last fall I poured an 18-inch monolithic foundation a new garage, 20 feet by 36 feet with a 4-inch by 6-inch curb wall. I used a six-bag limestone mix with NYCON in it and have now decided that I would like a higher curb wall, adding...

Covering created efflorescence.(Problem Clinic)
September 1, 2004... Q. I hired a contractor to install a colored concrete patio at my home. He installed it on a 40[degrees] F day with a forecast for possible freezing temperatures that night, so I asked him to cover the slab to protect it from freezing. He...

Full load of tools.(Safety equipment)
September 1, 2004... The manufacturer's Construction Harness is designed for workers who carry a full load of tools all day and cannot be encumbered by fall-protection gear. The shoulder strap design eliminates the hassles of excess webbing, so there are no loose...

Anti-theft devices.(Safety equipment)
September 1, 2004... This company manufactures safety and anti-theft devices for the most commonly stolen vehicles in the construction industry, including skidsteers, backhoe loaders, excavators, trucks, and ball or ring hitch trailer equipment. The products...

Cool and comfortable.(Safety equipment)
September 1, 2004... The ExoFit XP safety harness has a number of design refinements that improve comfort, performance, and safety. Designed in collaboration with ergonomic experts, industrial engineers, and sporting goods manufacturers, the harness has padding...

Virtually unbreakable.(Safety equipment)
September 1, 2004... The streamlight Propolymer LED flashlights are virtually unbreakable corrosion-resistant, and waterproof. The super-bright light-emitting diodes extend battery life up to 20 times longer than standard flashlights. They are available in several...

Curved webbing.(Safety equipment)
September 1, 2004... The TechnaCurv full-body harness features the Curvilinear Comfort system, which curves the webbing around the neck area to prevent chafing. The Y Back D-locator pad allows complete adjustment of the back D-ring for a proper fit. The SecureFit...

Tough, rugged gloves.(Safety equipment)
September 1, 2004... The Gunn pattern, split-leather palm gloves are best suited for tough, rugged construction jobs and are available in knit wrist, safety cuff, or gauntlet cuff styles. All men's sizes feature full leather index finger, lined palm, and leather...

All-day harness.(Safety equipment)
September 1, 2004... The Eagle Lite is geared toward construction workers who need to wear a harness all day long. The front of the harness features adjustable shoulder pads, chest-strap restrictors, dual removable lanyard clips, springloaded buckles, removable...

Easy installation netting.(Safety equipment)
September 1, 2004... The Safenet provides complete fall protection from floor to ceiling on scaffolds or multistory construction. Installation takes minutes, bolting the nets to the surface wall and ceiling. Adjustable straps keep the tension on the net, for any...

Pump up your roadways.(Products for the Pros showcase)
September 1, 2004... The Airplaco SlabMaster The SlabMaster is a self-contained mud-jack/slab/-jack pump, grout spray pump, pressure grouter and mixer. It is designed to satisfy requirements of states, counties, municipalities and other departments for use in...

Carnie Cap[TM].(Products for the Pros showcase)
September 1, 2004... Rebar Protective System OSHA Compliant Reduce Product & Labor Costs... Reduce Risk. Prevents impalement and other injuries caused by exposed rebar. Used in conjunction with a 2" x 4" or 2" x 6" the system works in horizontal, incline and...

Dual Edge Channel Float.(Products for the Pros showcase)
September 1, 2004... Kraft Tool Co[R] introduces the Dual Edge Channel Float. The improved channel float has two unique finishing edges. A rounded front edge for floating and a square 90 degree back edge for finishing. This is a great tool for finishing floors...

Poly Meta Forms[R].(Products for the Pros showcase)
September 1, 2004... Poly Meta Forms[R] is a labor and money saving alternative to forming concrete with wood. Lightweight. Easy to set, strip and transport. Moisture resistant. No rotting, splintering or rusting. Durable & Reusable. Withstands harsh construction...

Ian Blair: CEO Blair Concrete Services Inc. Wilmington, N.C.(Contractors to Watch)
September 1, 2004... * I started in the concrete business in Halifax, Nova Scotia, around 1983. A friend was the son in a family concrete business. His father got out of the business, and then the son and I got into the concrete business. At that time I really knew...