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
In our blogs about mass concrete and hot-weather concreting, we’ve alluded to what happens when concrete cures at elevated temperatures. Now let’s take a look at the materials science behind […]
Hot-weather concreting
As the weather warms up, it’s good to review best practices for hot-weather concreting. The American Concrete Institute defines hot-weather concreting as “one or a combination of the following conditions […]
Concrete: adaptive and resilient engineering for climate change
Julie Buffenbarger will present a FREE webinar on June 3 titled “Concrete: Adaptive and Resilient Engineering for Climate Change.” The presentation has been approved for 1 AIA LU. All attendees […]
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 […]
Trends in modern concrete floors
Kevin MacDonald is presenting a webinar sponsored by the Minnesota Concrete Council. It’s at 8:00 a.m. CDT on May 21st. The topic is “Trends in modern concrete floors.” Almost one-third […]
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 […]