It's rare for a concrete structure not to be stained by something: iron rust, oil, chewing gum, or just plain dirt, to name some common offenders. The good news is that these materials can be removed. Read more
THE PROBLEM: Reinforcing steel frequently must pass through a construction joint to lap with bars in the next placement and establish continuity--for example at wall and slab intersections or at vertical joints in walls. Read more
Every year in the United States, more than 100 people are killed in trench cave-ins. Most of these accidents happen on smaller jobs in excavations less than 20 feet deep. Even if the excavation is only 5 feet deep, a cave-in can kill or maim workers setting forms, placing concrete, stripping forms, placing drain tiles or waterproofing walls. Read more
This article is primarily concerned with the joints that are needed to allow the concrete structure to function properly. It also gives some instruction about installing various embedded items that may be required: sleeves, anchors and other inserts, waterstops, heating ducts, radiant heating systems and snow melting systems. Read more
Said to be economical for spans between 24 and 34 feet, a patented composite floor system consists of hollow-core precast planks supported at the ends by composite beams. The planks are set on precast beam forms that are supported by scaffolding. Beams are then cast by filling the pocket between the ends of the planks with concrete. Read more
Pumping concrete from the bottom up made good sense to engineers and superintendents assigned to the Providence Hospital construction project in Mobile, Alabama. Read more
Color Concerto was designed for Purdue University Calumet in Hammond, Indiana with color as the primary purpose of the sculpture. Read more
Recently we put in a floor very close to some power lines. When we realized that the handles of bull floats could easily come into contact with the power lines, we quickly slit some large rubber hose to slip over the handles and bound it in place with ele Read more
We were pouring a slab for an outside loading area and had a sudden heavy rain on the last day of a two-day pour. Read more
Is there anything one can do, short of putting a slip joint between a slab and the masonry bearing wall that it rests on, to prevent breaking the bond to the mortar joint between them? Read more