For more than 50 years, concrete contractors have relied on the written word of the industry’s experts to help improve their skills and on-site practices. Now for the first time, attendees will have the opportunity to take witness products and techniques in practice These events will take place in Concrete Construction’s How to Zone, a 1600 sq ft portable facility, that will located in the Concrete Surfaces and Decorative Pavilion. Among the activities that will occur are Concrete Construction Live Educational Events and Contractor Clinics.
Concrete Construction Live
The Concrete Construction Live Educational Events, are three-hour long sessions, in which attendees have an intimate view of the live-action activities. Instructors will be actively demonstrating the techniques and procedures, backed up by audio-visual presentations.
Registration is limited to 50 attendees per session. Registrations for the Concrete Live Educational Events cost $125 before 12/8/11; $155 after 12/8/11 and including onsite registrations. (These educational events are not part of the World of Concrete Seminar program, nor part of the Master Certificate Program.)
Advances in Decorative Concrete Stenciling
Monday: January 23, 2012, 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
Concrete stenciling has grown up. The multi-layer, registration-aligned vinyl stencil makes possible an unprecedented level of precision for multi-color designs. Along with advances in dye materials and application techniques, this technology has brought dyed, polished concrete into the realm of commercial art. This educational event will explore the use of stencils and solvent-based dyes, with a special focus on the technique of color alignment using registration marks. The instructor will explain the entire stenciling process, including surface preparation, stencil usage and dye application, and additional tips and tricks such as creating shadows to give added dimension.
It will include the live application of a 3-dimensional design on concrete.
The instructor, Rachel Bruce, is an expert in multi-layer stencils for dyeing concrete. A graphic design veteran of 15 years, Ms. Bruce expanded her horizons into decorative concrete in 2008. Her company, Floor Map Designs, both designs and applies complex stencils for placing graphic art into the surface of concrete.
How to Efficiently Lay Out and Form Steps and Risers
Monday: January 23, 2012, 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Efficiently building safe concrete stairs is the topic of this special seminar. Those who take this class will learn how to lay out and set the formwork for exterior steps, making use of some of the latest technology. This educational event will combine design theory, the use of tools and instruments to streamline the process, and some interesting tips from craftsmen who will share their secrets.
The course will cover four types of steps: straight, tiered, cantilevered, and curved.
Instructors are Dave Blasdel (check sp), a contractor with more than 25 years of experience, and Joe Nasvik, senior editor of Concrete Construction.
Testing Concrete Slabs Properly
Thursday January 25, 2012, 8:00 am to 11:00 am
Using a concrete slab specially poured for the educational event, students will witness live demonstrations of the proper procedures used to test the characteristics of concrete slabs. Students will leave with first-hand knowledge of how testing defines a concrete slab.
There will be three parts to this course. Students will first watch consultants demonstrate tests for flatness and levelness, both for random traffic floors and defined traffic (Fmin) floors and a discussion of joint curling and stability. Equipment used for these procedures include the Dipstick, the F-Meter, the Floor Pro, and a profileograph. This session will be followed by testing for moisture and pH using a surface applied calcium chloride kit to determine moisture vapor emission rate (MVER), pH paper, a pH meter, and internal relative humidity with two types of RH testing devices. The final hour will include testing for concrete strength and internal condition with various nondestructive testing devices including radar, infrared, and ultrasonics, plus properly drilling a concrete core for strength testing.
Instructors include David Fudala of AllFlat Consulting, Bill Palmer, editor of Concrete Construction magazine, and Mike Schuller of Atkinson-Noland Associates.
Contractor Clinic
Contractor Clinics are educational presentations designed to bring concrete contractors face-to-face with suppliers, manufacturers, and service providers through live, interactive demonstrations.
Exhibitors will show attendees how their product can increase productivity, improve quality, and expand their business opportunities.
Each presentation will be 30 minutes long followed by a 15-minute question and answer period. Two representatives from the company staging the demonstration will be on stage during the presentation. Only one exhibitor will present in each time period.
