Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute reflects on a century of impact

The 2024 World of Concrete provided the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute a springboard for 100th anniversary observances. Founded in 1924 with priorities that included legal measures to ensure fabricator payments, CRSI has emerged as the trusted industry resource and standards development organization for steel reinforcement, specifically rebar, in concrete construction. Since its inception, the Institute has continually built upon partnerships…

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Organizations – January 2024

National Ready Mixed Concrete Association Senior Vice President, Compliance and Regulatory Affairs Kevin Walgenbach, has been named executive vice president, Operations and Compliance, effective this month. Over a 17-year tenure, he has played a key role in conducting educational training for NRMCA members, including organizing regional seminars and workshops along with the Plant Manager, Safety, Dispatcher and Environmental courses. He…

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Researchers tie U-bolt connectors to rebar cage safety, integrity

Sources: Charles Pankow Foundation, Haymarket, Va.; CP staff An investigation geared to identifying fabrication and assembly practices curtailing rebar cage collapse or failure incidents confirms the potential of U-bolt hardware to replace tie wires commonly used in lateral and transverse bar connections and increase cages’ lateral strength. The Pankow Foundation teamed with the American Society of Civil Engineers Construction Institute,…

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Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute revises Industry Wide EPD for rebar

The Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, Schaumburg, Ill., has released Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for Fabricated Steel Reinforcement Bar, superseding a 2017 declaration. Aware of the increasing interest in transparent reporting of a construction product’s cradle-to-gate environmental performance, CRSI aims to demonstrate members’ sustainability leadership, underscored by their a) output of reinforcing bars of more than 97 percent recycled content, and…

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Institute revises Industry-Wide EPD for fabricated rebar

Sources: Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, Schaumburg, Ill.; CP staff The Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) has released Industry-Wide Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for Fabricated Steel Reinforcement Bar used in reinforced concrete construction, posted here. The document updates a 2017 declaration; averages data from five companies and 19 bar mills, plus 10 fabricators and 17 shops; and, covers product defined by ASTM…

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Critical ACI 318-19 Code changes streamline reinforced concrete structure design

By Lou Colarusso and Samuel Barker Throughout the past decade, committee members and key industry players attending meetings held by leading organizations [Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI), American Concrete Institute (ACI) and others] frequently engaged in unofficial discussions centered around what changes needed to be made to advance the reinforced concrete construction industry and to improve constructability and job site…

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ORGANIZATIONS – MAY 2021

Cary Kopczynski, principal of an eponymous engineering firm with Chicago and Seattle offices, has been elected American Concrete Institute president for 2021-22, succeeding Minneapolis attorney and (pre-AECOM) Ellerbe Associates veteran Jeffrey Coleman. A recognized expert in reinforced concrete and post-tensioned concrete building design, Kopczynski has served on the ACI Foundation Board of Trustees and ACI Board’s Financial Advisory Committee, and…

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ORGANIZATIONS – JANUARY 2021

The Pennsylvania Aggregates and Concrete Association has announced new Board, Associate Board and Young Leaders Development Group officers and directors, all for two-year terms. During a late-2020 virtual meeting, Bob Housel of Masters RMC Inc. was elected chairman, Jeff Detwiler of New Enterprise Stone and Lime Co. vice chairman, and Jamie Stilley of Amerikohl Aggregates Inc. secretary/treasurer.

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Digital ACI 318 guide launches with collaboration tools

Sources: Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, Schaumburg, Ill.; CP staff The Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute has released a pdf version of Design Guide on the ACI 318 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete, formatted with a digital rights management encryption service that enhances user experience through a commenting and collaboration platform. The service echoes best practices from other organizations’ digital rights…

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ORGANIZATIONS – JUNE 2020

The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association and Portland Cement Association have named Joe Roche as chief financial officer, reporting to NRMCA President Mike Philipps and PCA CEO Mike Ireland. Roche arrives with 30-plus years’ management experience supporting non-profit and trade organizations, and immediately transitions from the National 4-H Council in Chevy Chase, Md. He will lead ongoing evaluation, development and implementation of NRMCA and PCA financial processes and systems, and oversee the groups’ Finance Shared Services agreement. Based primarily at the Alexandria, Va., association offices, Roche will work with external finance partners to implement process improvements, maximize system capabilities, and focus on staff development.

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