Fundamentals, Decorative titles extend ACI Craftsman Series

The American Concrete Institute has added two books to the Concrete Craftsman Series for industry professionals, joining Slabs-on-Ground, Supported Beams and Slabs and Shotcrete for the Craftsman titles.

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The new titles are available from the ACI Customer Service Department, 248/848-3800; www.concrete.org.

Concrete Fundamentals suits anyone who wants an introduction to concrete and concrete construction. It starts with the most basic question of all, “What is concrete?” with later chapters covering materials, construction practices and testing. The book is a valuable starting point for someone in the concrete industry, ACI notes, whether they are an apprentice, a journeyman, a foreman, a material supplier, a finisher, or even a young engineer without field experience. It can also be incorporated in training and development programs, and is priced affordably at $49 (ACI members $29). Chapters include: Concrete materials; Mixture proportioning; Batching and mixing concrete; Handling, placing, and consolidating concrete; Curing and protection; Field testing and control of concrete quality; and, Evaluating concrete strength – core and cylinder strength tests of hardened concrete.

Placing and Finishing Decorative Concrete examines the materials, equipment, and techniques required to successfully install premium flatwork. Published to raise the quality of education for the decorative concrete industry, it supplements existing resources and covers mixture design; use of integral color and dry-shake color hardeners; identification and uses of decorative finishing tools, equipment, stamping mats, and stencils; use of surface retarders and set-retarding admixtures to produce exposed aggregate surfaces; stamping and texturing concrete; seeding fresh concrete surfaces with decorative aggregate; decorative treatments for stair treads and risers; and, decorative slab cleaning and sealing methods.

Additionally, Decorative Concrete covers topics that are universal to concrete flatwork construction: jobsite and personal safety; ensuring the design adheres to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines; and, preplacement site preparation; and Identification and uses of concrete finishing tools. The book also includes two chapters of texture samples and project examples. It is priced at $65 (ACI members $39).


SDC SLATES $100K FOR BIM RESEARCH

The ACI Foundation’s Strategic Development Council (SDC) has committed $100,000 to match donations supporting Phase 3 research to develop Building Information Modeling standards for exchanging digital information on cast-in-place concrete construction. Dubbed Industry Foundation Classes (IFC), the standards are open, international models for exchange of data in BIM, and will permit interoperability among current and future software platforms and programs.

SDC has been working with industry partners to accelerate acceptance of BIM in concrete. It compelled the American Concrete Institute’s formation of a technical committee, ACI 131, Building Information Modeling of Concrete Structures, to deliver a global data exchange for BIM in cast-in-place concrete construction.

With technical assistance from Georgia Institute of Technology’s Charles Eastman, ACI 131 has completed the first two phases behind IFC development. Phases 1 and 2—netting ACI’s 131.1R-14 Information Delivery Manual for Cast-in-Place Concrete and Model View Definitions report, respectively—have been funded principally through the Charles Pankow Foundation with ACI Foundation and partner support. 

“In August of 2015, members of ACI 131, software vendors, concrete-related associations, and contractors met to discuss interoperability standards. The group overwhelmingly believes these standards are needed, and that ACI 131 work will be welcomed by BIM software vendors,” says Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute CEO David McDonald, who is championing SDC’s BIM efforts. 

SDC is committed to continuing ACI 131 work and BIM project completion at Georgia Tech under Eastman’s direction, he adds. Council members estimate that Phase 3—translation of the three most beneficial engineering models, Reinforcement Placement Sequence, Structural Design, and Construction Reference Schedule, into exchange software—requires $200,000. Additional information can be obtained from SDC Managing Director Doug Sordyl, 248/848-3755.