Webinar Archives

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There are five commonly used procedures for designing industrial floor slabs. All of them are effective when their recommendations and details are followed. So, how does a designer choose the best method for a particular floor?  The most common approach is to determine the type of floor construction needed for expected loading conditions. Then, from the design procedures, select the most appropriate method for determining floor thickness, reinforcement, joint spacing, and other details.  This presentation will discuss the ACI 360 “Guide to Design of Slabs on Ground”.  It will briefly address the planning, design, and detailing of slabs. Background information on design theories is followed by discussion of the types of slabs, soil-support systems, loadings, and jointing. Some worked design examples for various types of concrete slabs-on-ground will also be covered.

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This presentation reviews failures, damages, and other incidences of poor performance in concrete structures that have served to shape today's building codes and the standard of care for the profession. Examples range from well-documented, high-profile collapses to lesser known but similarly influential structural and serviceability problems. Case histories will include discussion of excessive cracking, the cause of such distress, and mitigation measures. The case histories will illustrate how small details can often mean the difference between success and disappointment; and how codes have evolved to reduce the risk of future failures.

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Part of the Sustainable Structures Webinar Series: Now that architects have a good understanding of environmental impacts related to energy use, the next design frontier in tackling climate change is reducing the embodied carbon in buildings. This live webinar will focus on best practices for determining the embodied carbon in a building, including credible sources for embodied carbon data. It will introduce common practices and misconceptions about comparisons of embodied carbon. A case study will be presented that highlights how design decisions may be influenced when comparing among up-front carbon, use-phase carbon, or whole-life carbon. The presentation will highlight existing tools related to quantifying embodied carbon.

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Part of the Sustainable Structures Webinar Series: Look around and you’ll see many five to seven story projects being built today with a one- or two-story concrete pedestal, supporting up to five floors of steel or wood frame. These “pedestal” projects are assumed to be the cheapest way to build while longer term ownership implications of these designs are not well understood. This one-hour presentation dispels the myths that are driving the popularity of pedestal construction and demonstrates the value concrete provides.

The developer/owner’s perspective on building multi-family housing projects with Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) will be presented, and will include design, construction, and energy-efficiency implications, as well as tenant satisfaction. The presenter will overview his use of ICF’s and concrete for the exterior wall system at Kendal Lofts, a 42-unit project in Waukesha, Wisconsin. In addition, the presenter will also discuss his latest all-concrete residential projects in Wisconsin and Florida.

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The concrete industry has a goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.  In response to this goal, many industry organizations are tasked with getting their message related to decarbonization and sustainability to their customers, specifiers, and employees.  Transparency and recognition of goals and achievements are vital.  Kimberly will discuss a variety of methods and materials that should be used to effectively communicate progress.  Kimberly will help you identify key ways to communicate the steps your organization is taking, whether that be in the form of a new product or innovative process, that will help your organization reach your sustainability goals.

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Many issues related to construction can be alleviated by a fundamental understanding of the basics of concrete. This starts with knowledge of the standard components of a concrete mixture including cementitious materials, aggregates, water, and admixtures and their importance on the properties of fresh and hardened concrete. The combination of these materials in various proportions can produce mixtures suitable for a wide range of applications and placement methods. Once placed, the concrete must be properly cured to develop its intended properties. This presentation introduces the basics of concrete and describes its importance and application as a construction material.

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Concrete provides structures with strength, rigidity, and resilience from deformation. These characteristics, however, result in concrete structures lacking the flexibility to move in response to environmental or volume changes. Cracking is usually the first sign of distress in concrete. Cracking of concrete flatwork is natural, expected, and accepted. However, cracks may affect appearance, performance, and maintenance costs. This presentation will discuss the various types of concrete cracks and how to best minimize their occurrence.

Learning Objectives:
1.    Understand the different types of cracking in concrete.
2.    Understand what causes concrete to crack.
3.    Understand how to evaluate the difference between structural cracks and cosmetic cracks
4.    At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will know how to minimize concrete cracks.

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The performance life of asphalt surfaced parking lots can be extended by placing a bonded concrete layer on top of the existing asphalt. This technique has been used for many years for highway, street, and parking lot pavements but still engineers and owners are unfamiliar with the process. This session will cover the publication entitled the Guide to Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots and demonstrate the steps necessary to properly design and construct a concrete overlay.

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Part of the Sustainable Structures Webinar Series: This presentation will give a brief basic overview of insulating concrete forms (ICFs) and precast concrete.  The presenters will answer the following questions:  What are ICFs and what is precast concrete? What are the benefits of each system?  How is each installed/erected?  What types of buildings are constructed from precast concrete and ICFs?     

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Anyone who has watched a building under construction can appreciate its complexity and sophistication. Occasionally, inspection and testing requirements occur that the local code official may not be qualified or experienced to address, so third-party assistance is needed. The building codes address this need through a specific requirement for structural tests and “special” inspections. A special inspection can be required for materials, installation, fabrication, erection or placement of components and connections where special expertise is needed.  This presentation will cover the requirement of special inspections as well as some examples of when construction testing and inspections did not go as planned.