SDC Technology Forum #34 will examine issues and technologies in the infrastructure and building communities. It sometimes appears that concrete used for infrastructure is quite distinct from that used for buildings: that the infrastructure and building communities are “parallel universes,” never intersecting in codes, design, or practices. However, each uses the common material — concrete — and similar issues affect concrete regardless of the “universe” in which it is used. Is there a benefit to occasionally understand what is occurring in another “universe”?
This SDC meeting will also feature well-known representatives from FHWA, the FAA, State DOTs, and research centers who will highlight technologies and advances in their community, and together we can examine the potential for coordination to eliminate duplicate efforts in research, education, and possibly certification.
Additionally, SDC will host a workshop on “Establishing Standards of Care for Prepackaged Powdered Materials for Use in Construction” at the same location on Sept. 4 — the day before the Technology Forum. Packaged powder materials used for repair products, grouts, and other uses are commonly used for construction. These products may contain binders such as Portland cement, fillers, fine and coarse aggregates, admixtures, and polymers. Recently, users of these products are finding a number of quality issues impacting the projects where they are being used. These issues include: unwanted chlorides inadvertently added to the cement, contamination of product from previous use of blending equipment, large bag weight variations affecting binder to liquid ratios and cured properties, tested mechanical properties falling below specifications, segregation of product components after mixing and placement, and other issues.
This workshop will bring understanding of the issues of product variability and quality, impacts to the industry, and what might be done to improve quality.
