S.C. McCraven

S.C. McCraven's Posts

• Features

  Fibers for Tomorrow

  by S.C. McCraven

  From humble beginnings more than 30 years ago as scrap byproducts of the carpet and steel wool industries, fibers today offer many advantages for reinforcing concrete. Today's market offers great variety, from short, hair-thin strands (micro- or monofilament) to macro-fibers up to about 2 inches long. Fibers are made of glass, carbon, steel, nylon, polypropylene, and other materials. They can be fibrillated (frayed) or smooth, crimped or flat, colored or transparent.

• Features

  Intense Geometry

  by S.C. McCraven

  Shaped as if by the forces of wind and water, a curvilinear concrete edifice clad in limestone is rising in a place of honor on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Scheduled to open in 2004, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) will pay tribute to and preserve the culture and traditions of Native peoples of the Western Hemisphere.

• Features

  High-Performance Concrete Today: Nothing Routine

  by S.C. McCraven

  High-performance concrete (HPC) is not one product but includes a range of materials with special properties beyond conventional concrete and routine construction methods.

• Features

  Equipment Rental or Ownership: How Do You Decide?

  by S.C. McCraven

  Concrete contractors must assure themselves that they are making smart financial decisions when it comes to rental or ownership of mobile construction equipment. Today's economy—with lower interest rates, critical cash flow considerations, and rental companies offering competitive prices and responsive service—presents new opportunities that well-informed contractors must weigh to successfully manage their equipment fleets.

• Features

  Why Do I Have to Be Certified?

  by S.C. McCraven, Warren E. McPherson

  Why would you want to be certified as a concrete flatwork finisher? What can ACI certification offer you? Do you feel that you know all there is to know about concrete from your own field experience as a contractor, finisher, producer, or project engineer?