ORGANIZATIONS – JULY 2021

After eight years as Massachusetts Institute of Technology Concrete Sustainability Hub executive director, Jeremy Gregory has transferred to a position with the newly formed MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium. MIT officials credit his spearheading of impactful research, encouraging connections between lab members, fostering industry partnerships, and greatly expanding the CSHub’s reach and presence nationally and internationally.

“His insight, clarity, and optimism benefit any organization that he is a part of,” says CSHub Co-Director Randolph Kirchain. “Over the last decade, he has shaped CSHub’s research so that today it delivers not only innovation but also real impact.” Impacts have been far reaching, he adds, as Gregory’s work at CSHub has culminated in more than two dozen peer-reviewed publications, which in turn garnered coverage in national news outlets on the order of Scientific American and Wired. 

“Jeremy’s impact on the MIT CSHub cannot be overstated,” affirms Julie Garbini, executive director of the RMC Research & Education Foundation, which has underwritten CSHub activities with the Portland Cement Association. “He has been able to bring together industry leaders and a diverse group of researchers to prioritize and implement a multi-layered approach to concrete and cement sustainability—and then communicate that agenda and results to owners, designers, manufacturers, policymakers, and the general public.”

“Jeremy’s vision connecting the lab bench with industry practice defined a new paradigm of research at MIT and beyond,” notes CSHub Faculty Director Franz-Josef Ulm. “It will continue to reverberate throughout our research and implementation efforts in the CSHub for many years.”

The Build With Strength Coalition is sponsoring the Concrete Academy on BNP Media’s Continuing Education Center. Concrete Academy explores the emerging topic of concrete and Net Zero buildings, emphasizing innovations, specifications and designing for carbon neutrality. 

BNP Media publishes Architectural Record magazine and, as part of the sponsorship, will promote the Concrete Academy to its audience. Coalition officials note that the concept of Net Zero buildings, which aims to improve the negative environmental impact of the built environment, is a key component of the discussion on concrete sustainability.

The ACI Foundation’s Strategic Development Council will host its next virtual Technology Forum August 24-26. The presentation will include technology showcases that highlight new materials plus industry research needs, and examine collaborative research models that have the potential to advance the industry. 

Forum Technology Showcases are titled “World’s First Concrete Bridges Made with Glass Powder”; “Eliminating Pour Strips with the PS=Ø Mechanical Rebar Splicing System”; and, “Automated Quality Control of Poured & Placed Concrete.” Scheduled presentations include “A Reliable Measurement & Speciation of Sulfur in Concrete,” will explore a standardized method for sulfur content in concrete aggregates, and how the industry can establish precision and bias data for the most promising test methods. “A Collaborative Research Model” will feature the Research Center on Concrete Infrastructure, established to innovate scientifically and technologically for the purpose of developing high-performing, durable and multipurpose concrete infrastructure. “Case Study: Deconstruction of the Champlain Bridge,” will examine a sustainable approach to managing a complex engineering project that will likely generate 287,000 tons of used aggregate and other materials from the retirement of a St. Lawrence Seaway crossing in service from 1962-2019. 

More information about SDC Technology Forum 50, including registration, updates to the agenda, schedule and past agendas is available at www.acifoundation.org/technology. 

During its annual business meeting, staged virtually, ASTM International expressed optimism for October 2021 resumption of face-to-face committee meetings. Board Chair John Logar previewed the Society’s annual report, entitled “Resilience,” and cited the past year’s measures to support global health by offering no-cost access to standards used in personal protective equipment production and testing.

“Thanks to the efforts of our dedicated members, there are now more than 13,000 active standards that work to promote ASTM International’s mission of helping our world work better,” said Logar, senior director of aseptic processing and terminal sterilization at Johnson & Johnson Microbiological Quality and Sterility Assurance. “By providing a best-in-class development infrastructure, we aim to continuously enhance the technical quality of ASTM standards and related content.”

ASTM International’s global collaborative forum for PPE was another 2020 highlight featured at the business meeting. Created during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, it addressed challenges facing PPE and accelerating standards development.

The American Society of Civil Engineers has elected Maria Lehman, P.E, F.ASCE, as president for the 2022-2023 term. Along with officer duties, she serves on the Society’s Industry Leaders Council and is a member of Committee on America’s Infrastructure, which is responsible for preparing the quadrennial Infrastructure Report Card. She is also GHD Inc.’s Infrastructure Market Leader for the United States. Lehman was formerly Parsons vice president for Critical Infrastructure; New York State Thruway chief operating officer and executive director; and, Erie County (N.Y.) Commissioner of Public Works. She has 40 years of technical and leadership experience between the private and public sectors, serving on more than 700 projects ranging from $10,000 to $3.9 billion in scope.

Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis recently broke ground on a new home build, bringing together a collaborative team led by Concrete Strategies, part of St. Louis-based Clayco Enterprises and its affiliated workforce diversity nonprofit Construction Career Development Initiative (CCDI). Clayco founded CCDI as a 501(c)(3) in 2015 in response to the unrest in Ferguson, Mo. to provide career development opportunities to young minority adults who are underrepresented within the construction industry. The organization works to bridge the workforce diversity gap by partnering with various school districts in North St. Louis County and St. Louis City, community leaders, plus organizations such as St. Louis Job Corps and North Technical High School to cultivate a renewed interest in apprenticeships or career technical education programs. 

Twelve skilled Clayco team members and CCDI volunteers took place in the build, which involved pouring foundations for two homes in the St. Louis Gate District. While Concrete Strategies and CCDI are providing volunteers and donations, the project is also fueled by a partnership with the St. Louis Job Corps Center’s construction program, Geotechnology, Inc., and other local subcontractors who partner with CCDI to hire program graduates into full-time employment. Three CCDI graduates who are now employed full-time with Concrete Strategies are participating in the build.

“Habitat for Humanity appreciates the tremendous planning, skills and time that each of the partners in this build have dedicated,” says Habitat for Humanity St. Louis CEO Kimberly McKinney. “It’s especially meaningful knowing we are bringing together a changemaking group of individuals to participate. Our team of community partners are driving equitable opportunities for the underserved in our community.”

“This build signifies our shared commitment to placing underserved young people into full-time employment. Expanding our joint reach to ensure as many people as possible have access to career development in the construction field is critically important,” says CCDI President and Clayco Corporate Business Unit Executive Vice President Tom Sieckhaus. 

Groundworks Companies, the nation’s largest foundation services company, announced its 19th acquisition with the addition of Baker’s Waterproofing, in Pittsburgh, Pa. Its footprint now spans 27 states and 40 offices, with over 3,200 employees and 17 locally operated brand names. Groundworks is the industry-leading national company providing residential water management and displacement services, including foundation repair, basement waterproofing, crawl space repair, and concrete lifting. With a payroll of 85-plus and motto, “Strong Reputation. Solid Foundation,” Baker’s Waterproofing has been serving the Tri-State area of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio for nearly five decades. Under Groundworks, it will retain its brand identity, local community involvement, and team.

“Brian Baker and his team have shown that the quality of service they provide is superior to all other brands in their region and that customer satisfaction is essential to their company beliefs. This aligns perfectly with our culture,” says Groundworks Founder and CEO Matt Malone. “It is no coincidence we selected Baker’s as our first partner to expand into the Northeast. As we solidify our reach across the nation, this region is one in which we see the opportunity for continued growth. We will continue to grow our national platform to provide industry-leading foundation repair and water management services along with career advancement opportunities and world-class training for our dedicated team of employees.”

The International Concrete Repair Institute has effected a new licensing agreement with Technical Applications for Concrete Materials, granting rights to the usage of the industry standard trademarked ICRI Concrete Surface Profiles, CSP. Referencing ICRI Guideline 310.2R-2013, TACM has developed a process for concrete samples that are comparative to ICRI’s “rubber chips.” 

The ICRI CSP chips were introduced to the repair industry in 1997. They have gained world-wide adoption for being the method of concrete surface profile identification and remain the industry standard when referring to concrete surface profiles. Guideline 310.2R-2013 defines the CSP numbers ranging from 1 (nearly flat) through 10 (very rough; amplitude greater than 1/4 in.). The TACM concrete samples are mechanically or chemically processed by an actual method used to obtain the ICRI CSP profiles on a construction jobsite. While these profiles can be achieved utilizing various methods, the TACM samples will be produced specifically using the following methods: CSP 1 Acid Etched, CSP 2 Ground, CSP 3 Light Shotblast, CSP 4 Light Scarification, CSP 5 Medium Shotblast, CSP 6 Medium Scarification, CSP 7 Heavy Shotblast, CSP 8 Surface Retarder, CSP 9 Heavy Scarification, and CSP 10 Breaker/Abrasive Blast. 

The TACM CSP samples will be available in sets of 10 different profiles, and boxes of one profile containing 12. As no two concrete surfaces are created the same, the new TACM concrete samples will depict a range of prepared surface profiles that could be produced on a jobsite as a complement to ICRI’s CSP rubber chips. Release of the new product is anticipated for Summer 2021. ICRI Guideline 310.2R-2013 and rubber chips are available at www.icri.org.