ASTM C1866 Promotes sustainability
A new standard, ASTM C1866, specifies ground glass for use in concrete. It’s part of a trend to promote sustainability by making use of marginal and recycled materials in concrete. […]
Insights
When concrete cures at elevated temperatures
Elevated temperatures affect the mixing, placement, and finishing of fresh concrete. In our blogs about mass concrete and hot-weather concreting, we’ve alluded to what happens when concrete cures at elevated […]
Hot-weather concreting
As the weather warms up, it’s good to review best practices for hot-weather concreting. You can incorporate these ideas as needed into your project specifications. The American Concrete Institute defines […]
Alternative cements Q & A
Q: I’m a designer who’s concerned about carbon emissions. Are alternative cements more environmentally-friendly than portland cement? A: It depends. The best way to find out if an alternative cement […]
Poems for the Sons of Martha
This is the time of year for graduations. Unfortunately, there won’t be the usual ceremonies and other gatherings to mark the occasion this year. Instead, we offer some classic poems–and […]
Public health, safety, and welfare
For the 2019-2020 school year, the ABET criteria for student outcomes include “an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, […]
Concrete exposure classes
Concrete exposure classes are part of a decades-long trend toward performance specifications. Traditionally, specifications were prescriptive. That is, they specified what the concrete must be. So there might be limits […]
The ethics of technical writing
While looking for something else, I happened on the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) Rules of Practice regarding engineering communications. Here’s what they say about the ethics of technical […]
Natural cement in Minnesota and beyond
When we think of cement, it’s usually portland cement, which is made from limestone and clay. In Minnesota, we have to import portland cement because most of the carbonate rock […]
Making use of marginal fly ash
Electric utilities are under pressure to reduce carbon emissions and other pollutants from their power stations. More and more, they are shutting down their coal-fired plants in favor of natural […]