Technical

Jim Klinger, Concrete Construction Specialist The Voice Newsletter June 2024 Full disclosure: I received a call a few days ago from a former co-worker who is nearing retirement. Both of us started working concrete construction in the 1970's We spent some quality time on the phone looking back on our years in this tough business of ours. We talked as old men do. We first met on a large publ...

Read More

Dave MacNeel, Principal and Lean Coach, On Point Lean Consulting The Voice Newsletter June 2024 In lieu of Technical Director Mike Hernandez's article, this month we present an article from Dave MacNeel, Principal and Lean Coach, On Point Lean Consulting. His firm, On Point Lean Consulting, coaches general contractors and specialty trade contractors to apply Lean principles and tools in th...

Read More

Jim Klinger, Concrete Construction Specialist The Voice Newsletter May 2024 Question: We are estimating a mid-rise, pump-place-finish only job (P-P-F) that bids roughly 2 months from now. The base building structure is framed in steel, featuring seismic frame columns founded on a network of pile caps and connecting grade beams. The slab on grade (SOG) has a footprint of 44,585 square feet (SF)...

Read More

Mike Hernandez, Technical Director There has been much discussion about the challenges associated with mixes with high water demand, which can be a side effect of some high blaine I/II and IL cement, manufactured sands, and SCMs. Because of this higher water demand, early moisture loss has become more of an issue with these mixes. To keep the water inside the mix, most members have reported a s...

Read More

Jim Klinger, Concrete Construction Specialist The Voice Newsletter March 2024 "I heard it...I heard it...I heard it on the X..." ______________________________________________________________________________ Full Disclosure (back story):  Every so often, the ASCC Hotline receives calls for assistance regarding concrete that is resistant to elevated temperatures (aka &qu...

Read More

Mike Hernandez, Technical Director, The Voice Newsletter March 2024 The current and future challenges of concrete construction are what the ASCC Technical staff focuses on each day. Those challenges can come in many forms. Jim Klinger has a vast library of documents and decades of experience in structural concrete and receives Hotline calls. Clark Branum, the Decorative and Polished Concrete Sp...

Read More

Jim Klinger, Concrete Construction Specialist The Voice Newsletter February 2024 The Use of Laser Scanners Full Disclosure:  Imagine, if you will, the following scenario. You are an experienced project manager, patiently waiting to collect your retention for the reinforced structural concrete portion of a large, wood-framed condominium project. The stick framing begins at grade level--...

Read More

Mike Hernandez, Technical Director The Voice Newsletter February 2024 As we begin 2024, ASCC collaboration with other trade associations continues to expand. The challenges with concrete expectations and particularly with low carbon concrete can’t be solved by the concrete contractor alone. Concrete has traditionally competed to be the paving and building material of choice with asphalt,...

Read More

Jim Klinger, Concrete Construction Specialist The Voice Newsletter January 2024 Full Disclosure: One of the most valuable concrete industry documents that will ever cross the desk of an ASCC member is ASTM C94: Standard Specification for Ready-Mixed Concrete. Its companion document (prepared jointly in 2014 by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM International) and the National ...

Read More

Mike Hernandez, Technical Director The Voice Newsletter January 2024 Looking forward to our World of Concrete ASCC committee meetings, booths and events, 1/21/24 – 1/25/24. Committee meetings start Sunday afternoon 1/21 with MAC Board and Finishing Committee. All ASCC members are welcome to attend almost all committee meetings, with few exceptions. In case you missed it, PLC Alert! 2 was ...

Read More