Clark Branum Decorative & Polished Concrete Specialist The Voice Newsletter October 2023

The Annual Conference was a big success! Many of us met up with old friends and made some new ones. For me, it is always exciting to meet new, young people coming into our industry and organizations who possess fresh, innovative ideas and a willingness to learn from the industry veterans. These young people are the future of our industry, and it is up to us to mentor them and help them navigate new territories. This is what the ASCC is great at, providing educational resources and helping them get dialed into their chosen field of expertise. The Emerging Leaders’ Committee is always a great meeting to attend. I find it refreshing to listen to the younger generation talking about their positions and challenges they face as they grow in our industry. I wish that I had access to a resource like that when I was beginning my career. The talks about the Decorative Concrete Experience at the WOC 2024 generated a lot of excitement and produced some great ideas. During the CPC meeting we had several sponsors commit to supporting the event. A special thanks goes out to them for stepping up and helping to make this event a success.

It is Fall now and the leaves are changing colors. My wife Ronnie and I drove to Leavenworth, WA on Sunday over Highway 2, and the drive was beautiful! This time of year reminds us that Winter is not too far away as the temperatures are dropping, and the subbase is cool and damp in the mornings. This is great concrete weather, but it can also create some unique issues such as surface crusting and plastic shrinkage cracks. When the subbase is cool and damp, it can slow the set time at the slab base, while sunny or windy conditions can create a skin at the surface that dries faster than the base. This can cause issues for the finisher. I remember contracting, this time of year there always is an urgency to complete or even begin projects that may have been delayed for one reason or another. Everyone (owners and general contractors) wants to get their projects done before the Winter weather prevents or slows the progress. Be sure to review your technical documents for cold weather concreting and how to deal with early carbonation on the surface from use of combustible heaters, curing methods, and placement procedures. You may need to begin using an accelerating admixture to compensate for the cooler temperatures. As always, the ASCC is here to assist you in getting the right information in your hands to make good decisions and continue moving forward.