Newsletter

Jim Klinger, Concrete Construction Specialist The Slab Newsletter June 2025 Full Disclosure: On 18 May 2025, Dr. Ward Malisch--The Original ASCC Hotline Operator--passed away after a long battle with cancer. The following morning, a memorial tribute summarizing and showcasing Ward's extensive concrete industry accomplishments--including his significant contributions to the ASCC--was publ...

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Mike Hernandez, Technical Director The Slab Newsletter June 2025 ASCC contractors may need to revisit material prices considering recent tariffs, including the 50% tariff on steel announced last month. In the near term, rebar prices have been rising since January. From June 2–9, four major rebar manufacturers raised prices by $60/ton. If bids were submitted this spring and not yet awar...

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Jim Klinger, Concrete Construction Specialist The Slab Newsletter May 2025 Question: We have been asked by the general contractor (GC) to place cementitious slurry backfill in a MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) trench containing a group of 2-inch diameter CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) pipes. Our scope of work is to pump, place, and finish cementitious slurry to cover CPVC pipin...

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Mike Hernandez, Technical Director The Voice Newsletter May 2025 Several weeks while attending the Annual Conference of the Design & Construction Excellence Exchange (The DCX) it hit me that ASCC Contractors should strive for a Culture of Quality like the Culture of Safety has been developed for the last few decades. Why? Let’s start with safety. Surprisingly, two ENR top 20 con...

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ST. LOUIS, MO – April 14, 2025 – ST. LOUIS, MO – The Decorative Concrete Council and the Concrete Polishing Council of the American Society of Concrete Contractors are excited to welcome Chris Sullivan back as the DCC and CPC Programs Director! Chris is widely recognized as a leading expert in the decorative concrete industry, with a career spanning over two decades focused on...

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Jim Klinger, Concrete Construction Specialist The Slab Newsletter April 2025 Question: We are building a 4-story, post-tensioned (PT) concrete parking structure that has a footprint area of 75,000 gross square feet (GSF). The structure has a long, rectangular aspect ratio (in plan), featuring entrance/exit ramps at each end. The plan dimensions are 600 linear feet (LF) in length and 125 LF i...

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JT Mesite, P.E., CRMCA & CTAC Program Manager Edited by Mike Hernandez, ASCC Technical Director Concrete construction is an intricte process where quality control is paramount. Field testing must continuously meet specific ASTM requirements, and project concrete depends on maintaining precise temperature controls, effective initial curing processes, and a clear understanding of role...

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Greg Hryniewicz, Vice President Observant Leadership In the demanding world of concrete, our workforce is diverse in skill and personality. For many of us leaders, our primary role is optimizing our team’s productivity. One strategy I have been working on is observing and understanding my employees. Observation is a deceptively simple yet powerful tool. By watching how individuals p...

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Mike Hernandez, Technical Director The Voice Newsletter March 2025 Have you ever been frustrated by what was included or not mentioned in an ACI document? If so, you are not alone which is why numerous contractors, material suppliers, ready mixed producers, engineers and university professors have engaged in the ACI document creation and editing process. As of January of 2025, ASCC Contracto...

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Jim Klinger, Concrete Construction Specialist The Voice Newsletter March 2025 Question: Two weeks ago, we kicked off the structural excavation, formwork erection, reinforcing steel placement, and concrete placement activities for the foundation supporting a 6-story post-tensioned (PT) parking garage located south of San Francisco airport (SFO). The garage is intended to provide 1540 parking ...

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