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 of concrete is placed with soil support. While concrete floors are not a new development, and in fact are among some of the oldest pieces of concrete known to history, owner and contractor expectations continue to grow. In response there are industry innovations that address these owner concerns. Simultaneously the drive for sustainability often creates a tension between durability, constructability, and owners’ expectations. The presentation will concentrate on changes in owners’ expectations such as low maintenance, crack free and aesthetically pleasing slabs on grade. These will be reviewed in the context of new materials, such as alternative sources of binder, Type IL cements, sinusoidal or plate dowels, and the various techniques used to increase the spacing between joints, or even to remove them completely. The emerging requirements for flatness measurements that can rapidly measure the entire slab are having a massive impact on projects. All of these changes are in vain if we do not consider the constructability and expectations of the contractor. Some of these changes have made the “tried and true” methods of construction result in unintended problems. In others unintended consequences of sustainability cause performance issues that reduce resiliency, impacting the sustainability.
Register here for the free webinar.