Fiber-Reinforced Concrete as an Alternative to Conventional Steel
As the demand for more sustainable construction grows and raw material shortages like steel continue to be a challenge, fiber-reinforced concrete has become an increasingly popular choice for flatwork and elevated construction—from precast and ready-mix concrete to shotcrete. Fibers make concrete significantly more resistant to cracking from plastic and drying shrinkage, leading to a highly […]
Aerial Photography Technology, Old and New
By: Mitch Bloomquist and James Baty | Concrete Foundations Association Drones continue to be a very hot topic these days. Whether you attend World of Concrete, pay attention to the news media or pay attention to the photos posted throughout social media, the age of drones is here. The news offers a wide variety of […]
Twisted Steel Micro-Rebar in Load-Carrying Concrete Walls
by Samhar Hoz, Jeff Novak, Luke Pinkerton Concrete walls are widely used in building construction. Concrete is strong in compression; however, its tensile strength is only 8 to 15 percent of the compressive strength. Thus, plain concrete does not have good tensile properties. Cracks can develop due to loads, restrained shrinkage, or temperature changes […]
UNDERSTANDING PYRRHOTITE IN CONCRETE
by James Baty, Gary Ehrlich, Jamie Farny, Don Penepent, and Dennis Purinton Concrete, the most widely used construction material in the world, is a complex matrix of materials that transforms into a reliable structural product. With so many variables—different ingredients, different performance requirements, varying exposures—specifiers are faced with many choices when designing durable concrete mixtures […]
2017 Product & Services Showcase
This feature brings you the current products & services that may be found represented by the member companies of the Concrete Foundations Association to make the work of concrete contractors more efficient and of higher quality. PRODUCT & SERVICES SHOWCASE AUTOCAR | www.autocartruck.com | 877-973-3486 At Autocar, building trucks isn’t just what we do – it’s […]
Elevating Board Form Concrete to a Marketable Aesthetic
If the Great Recession has taught us anything as a company, it is that a concrete construction company can be extremely resilient when everything is on the line. In order to be resilient, our company had to be creative and apply ourselves to finding work and finding uniqueness any way possible. Out here in the […]
I Can Hear You Now! (Tech Bit 49)
Cell phones have become an integral part of society… There are over 200 million cell phone users (that’s two out of every three people in the United States). When I sold the family rep agency in 2000, I decided to use my cell phone as my primary business phone number. With as much traveling as I’ve done since, it […]
Social Networking At Work For You Through the CFA
If you spend much time on the Internet, it will not take you long to see how many opportunities there are for joining online groups, be it social or business related. This is the new wave sweeping the world and drawing our large planet together into an ever-tightening world market and social environment. Whether you deem this to be a […]
COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTION for Insulating and Finishing Poured Concrete Walls benefits Contractor, Builder and Homebuyer
CertainTeed’s T-RocTM Thermal Laminate Foundation Insulation System equips contractors with a tool to save builders money and provide extra living space for homebuyers — without the additional construction and labor costs associated with traditional basement finishing. Using the T-RocTM Thermal Laminate Foundation Insulation System, the builder is able to bypass several costly, time-intensive tasks typically involved with finishing below-grade concrete walls, and offer a prized upgrade to prospective home buyers–a […]
DELTA®-FOOTING BARRIER
DELTA®-FOOTING BARRIER is a 3-ply sheet membrane containing a polyester needle punched fabric, a polyethylene barrier, and an ant-slip surface layer. Its primary purpose is to act as a capillary break between the footing and the foundation wall to prevent the capillary rise of moisture. Building Code in several jurisdictions across North America have begun to require basements to be insulated to […]
