ACI Foundation’s Strategic Development Council brings the future faster

In the mid-1990s, leaders urged the concrete industry to fundamentally improve itself to meet the challenges of the upcoming millennium. In response to their call, several industry groups developed and implemented strategic plans and initiatives that dramatically changed the entire concrete industry, such as the Ready Mixed Concrete 2000 and Precast Concrete Institute 2010 movements. Supporting these industry-wide initiatives from the start was the work performed by the American Concrete Institute Foundation’s Strategic Development Council (SDC). SDC members resolve issues that often hinder new technology acceptance within the concrete industry. Through SDC’s leadership, the lead time for acceptance of a new idea from its initial proposition to either code acceptance or standard practice can be reduced.

A BRIGHT FUTURE

At February’s SDC Technology Forum 45, held in La Jolla, Calif., newly elected chair Charles Hanskat outlined the group’s continuing mission to more than 50 industry leaders. Hanskat prefaced his comments by stating the need for faster inclusion of proper technology in concrete construction is greater now than it was in the 1990s. “SDC’s mission statement, ‘Be the catalyst to optimize the use of concrete to serve societal needs’ is still very valid,” he told attendees.

Hanskat also announced the SDC Board of Direction approval of a restructuring of its committee structure. The move focuses SDC committee action on four key goals contained in the Vision 2029 Roadmap, an industry-supported initiative led by the American Society of Concrete Contractors. SDC committees will focus on the improvement of 1) the durability of concrete, 2) rules for design, 3) innovation implementation, and 4) productivity and quality by contractors.

NEW TECHNOLOGY EXPOSURE

A key SDC industry activity is alerting council members of new technologies proposed for the concrete industry. At each Forum, SDC invites innovators to present new technology to members. Members often participate in a review of the technology looking for barriers or obstacles that would prevent or slow the adoption of the technology within the concrete industry.

When appropriate, SDC committees can opt to aid the technology owner. This support can be in the form of referral to the appropriate industry technical committee, organizing task groups of similar minded technology owners to help resolve industry concerns, or providing framework that could lead to research to fill in needed gaps of information or verification.

SDC Technology Forum 46 is scheduled for August 27-29, 2019 in Pittsburgh. To learn more on how to attend, visit www.acifoundation.org/sdc/forums.




A 3D-printed structure from team SEArch+/Apis Cor being prepared for hydrostatic leak testing. The team won first place in Phase 3: Level 3 of the 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge. PHOTO: SEArch+/Apis Cor
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The Pennsylvania State University team performs a hydrostatic leak test on their 3D-printed habitat element for Phase 3: Level 3 of the 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge. PHOTO: Pennsylvania State University