THE PRECAST/PRESTRESSED CONCRETE INSTITUTE ( P C I ) invites producers to "Stay in Tune for Success" at the 58th annual Convention and National Bridge Conference to be held Sept. 29-Oct. 2 in Nashville, Tenn. "The most successful professionals and businesses stay in tune with their customers, industry stakeholders, and markets," says PCI president, James Toscas.
The event takes place at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, beginning with a welcome reception and silent auction on Saturday, Sept. 29. The exhibit hall will be open four hours each day, beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30.
Educational opportunities will include 40 sessions, in which more than 100 peerreviewed papers will be presented. Attendees can earn continuing education credits in multiple tracks: marketing, technical, sustainability, productivity, executive leadership, R&D, and transportation. Highlights include a two-part education session dedicated to contracts and insurance, four presentations focused on the Japanese perspective on Precast Concrete, and a discussion of the first use of PCI's New England Extreme Tee inverted double T-beam.
Plant tours will take place Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 2, with an opportunity for participants to earn continuing education credits. Hosting producers are Gate Precast Co. in Ashland City, Tenn., and Mid South Prestress, in Pleasant View, Tenn.
At an awards banquet Tuesday evening, PCI will honor people and companies who have made outstanding contributions to the industry by presenting PCI Design Awards, Member Company Awards, and Individual Awards (including PCI Journal, Educator, Fellows, and Medal of Honor).
National Bridge Conference events begin with a plenary session on Sunday, Sept. 30, and conclude Oct. 2. Featured educational sessions will include topics ranging from Evaluating Design Assumptions to Performance Enhanced Concrete Bridges.
Experience all the city has to offer on organized tours Monday, Oct. 1 to local attractions such as Th e Hermitage (home of Andrew Jackson), a Kitchen Culinary Tour at Belle Meade Plantation, and the Grand Ole Opry House.
For more information, visit http://pciconvention.org/2012. Following are products from some of the show's exhibitors. Booth numbers were correct at time of publication.
— Whitney Helm
Mobile twin-shaft mixer Upgrade or convert an existing dry batch plant to a wet mix plant, with the company's trailer-mounted mobile twin-shaft mixer. The dry-mix plant feeds material into the mixer without any special modifications. A standard mix requires only 30 seconds of mixing time. Mixed concrete is discharged onto a concrete discharge belt, which loads directly into a dump or mixer truck. Liebherr Concrete Technology. 866- 879-6312. www.liebherr.usBooth #422
Lightweight anchor The high-strength P92SF Sandwich Panel Erection Anchor helps erect precast insulated panels with minimal insulation loss, when used with the company's Fleet-Lift recess void formers and lifting hardware. The anchor evenly distributes loads up to six tons to both concrete wythes, and allows for deeper tension bar placement for increased tension load performance. Dayton Superior. 800-745-3700. www.daytonsuperior.com/precast  Booth #606
Insulated sandwich wall panels THiN-Wall insulated precast sandwich walls are structurally and energy-efficient. The panels use 30% less concrete to accomplish the same structural capacity as thick structural walls. Interior and exterior wythes act together structurally, and are fully insulated with no thermal bridges from connectors. Hughes Brothers. 800-869-0359. www.thin-wall.com Booth #523
Rubber-tired gantry crane The company's double-beam mobile gantry crane's standard features include: spacious and easily accessible operator compartment, direct wheel drives for precise control, low mounted hoists for ease of inspection and maintenance, and formed plate double tapered columns. Available from 30- to 200- ton capacities. Shuttlelift. 920-743-8650. www.shuttlelift.comBooth #502
Thin brick inlay Versa-Brix Vertical thin brick inlay system is an easy-to-use, cost-effective option for cast-in-place and vertical precast walls. It is ideal for bridges and retaining walls, with quick installation. Versa-brix Vertical is a green building product, reusable up to 50 times and can be custom-manufactured with fast delivery to meet specific needs of contractors and precast producers. Architectural Polymers. 610-824-3322. www.architecturalpolymers.comBooth #500
Versatile lifting anchor The company's double-tee lifting anchor is a three-in-one solution for end bearing, lifting and erection, and tie back. The anchor can lift ultimate mechanical loads of 80,000 lbs. each, and its 1/2-in. base plate also functions as a bearing plate. The lift head and optional weld angle facilitates easy and efficient tieback connection. Meadow Burke. 877-518- 7665. www.meadowburke.comBooth #407
Fibers improve performance TUFF-MIX high-performance concrete, made with the company's PVA fibers, offers 5000 psi in seven days, and over 7000 psi in 28 days. The mix includes 6 lb./cu. yd. of PVA RF4000 and 3 lb./cu. yd. of PVA RSC15. The fibers develop a molecular bond to concrete, which provides improved abrasion- and impact-resistance without loss of compressive strength. Nycon Corp. 800-456-9266. www.nycon.comBooth #200
Box culvert design program ETCulvert is a Windows-based concrete box culvert design program that handles precast or cast-in-place, 3- or 4-sided, and from 1- to 4-cell configurations. In automatic design mode, ETCulvert quickly analyzes and optimally designs wall thicknesses and reinforcement sizes and spacing. It produces a comprehensive reinforcement schedule with all bar dimensions and bends. Eriksson Technologies. 813-989-3317. www.LRFD.comBooth #423
Improve surface appearance PerFin-305 concrete admixture is specifically formulated to improve the surface appearance of concrete products. It is ideal for concreting applications where minimal surface defects and surface appearance are critical, such as architectural and interior exposed precast elements. When used with self-consolidating concrete, PerFin produces a virtually bug hole-free surface. Sika Corp. 800-933-7452. www.sikausa.comBooth #216
High-volume mixer The DWM twin-shaft mixer with counter rotating shafts delivers fast mixing action and rapid discharge, even for mix designs with coarse aggregates. Features include wear-resistant Ni-Hard arms and shovels, and replaceable Armor Plate wear liners. An oversized, hydraulically actuated discharge gate provides fast discharge and shorter cycle time. Advanced Concrete Technologies, Inc. 603-431-5661. www.concretebiz.comBooth #618
Pumice pozzolan Use HessPozz, a natural pumice pozzolan, as a cement replacement to reduce concrete's carbon footprint, as well as an admixture to combat chemical reactions of chemicals such as alkali-silica, sulphate, and chloride.Combine the natural pozzolan with high-range water reducers to produce high-strength, low-shrink high-performance concrete.Add HessPozz on the jobsite or at the plant.Hess Pumice Products Inc. 800-767-4701.www.hesspumice.comBooth #106
Double-tee anchor The 9-ton QUIKLIFT Double Tee Anchor is recessed to lift precast double-tees without the costs of jobsite removal associated with stand lifters. The anchors are designed using ¾-in. round bar with forged feet to ensure the anchor's proper engagement in concrete and minimize interference with prestressed strands. A.L. Patterson Inc. 800-332-7090.www.patterson-online.comBooth #200Â
Double tee stem cleaner The Double Tee Stem Cleaner targets one of precasters' most difficult areas to clean. When used after every casting to remove concrete debris, the tool protects steel forms by preventing heavy build-up, produces a better finish, and makes products easier to strip. The self-contained machine rides easily on forms and is easy to transport. Its cone-shaped brush fits double tee stem width and depth. Hamilton Form Co. 817-590-2111. www.hamiltonform.comBooth #217
Load-transfer device for insulated wall panels The company's new load transfer device enhances precast sandwich wall panels without compromising the continuity of insulation. The Xshaped device is comprised of fiber-composite bars and an insulated receptacle capable of setting the depth of the bars. The bars, made from a resilient glass fiber reinforced composite material, have negligible thermal conductivity and resist compression and tension loads.Thermomass. 800-232-1748. www.thermomass.comBooth #201Â
Protect the environment, maintain performance EnviroMix allows producers to design and manufacture concrete that is both greener and more profitable. It boosts performance of supplementary cementitious materials, allowing higher cement replacements, while maintaining the desired plastic and hardened concrete properties. Chryso Inc. 800- 936-7553. www.chrysoinc.comBooth #303
High-performance mixers The company manufactures four models of high-performance mixers. Planetary Mixers feature a patented counter-current mixing action that produces a homogeneous mix in 30 seconds. The Turbin XL is a fast, economical producer of high-quality mixes. The 4- and 6-cu.-yd. output Twin Shaft Mixer provides mixing times from 60 to 90 seconds. Praschak Horizontal Shaft Mixers are now available with spiral blades or paddles for wet or dry materials. Mixer Systems Inc. 800-765-4937. www.mixersystems.comBooth #309
Structural wall connector The PSK Wall Shoe fastener is designed for tension splices of walllike precast concrete elements. Wall shoes are used in a building's stiffening structures such as core walls and elevator shafts to transfer loads from wall to foundations or other load bearing structures with the help of anchor bolts and the walls' reinforcement. The pre-engineered structural wall connectors are mechanically connected to increase reliability and avoid onsite grouting. Peikko USA Inc. 888-734-5561. www.peikkousa.comBooth #416
Concrete distribution system AEROVAN Flying Buckets improve production rates through efficient concrete delivery; each bucket can carry 5 ¼ cu. yds. of concrete at a speed of 780 ft./min. The automated concrete distribution system helps maintain concrete's properties up to the casting phase. It is operated by an innovative hi-tech wi-ficontrol system through the Compumat Control System, reducing the risk of accidents. MCT Group Inc. +39 075 988551. www.marcantonini.comBooth #300
Improve productivity and stay competitive StructureWorks software turns vast quantities of information into valuable knowledge. The PieceTracker product management system organizes and disseminates information to help utilize resources more efficiently. When integrated, the products give precast producers relevant, accurate, real-time information. StructureWorks, LLC. 407-367-2400. www.structureworks.net Booth #505
Precast plant design services  The company specializes in the conception, production, assembly, and implementation of production plants for the precast concrete industry. Module-based plants can be adapted to almost all market requirements, with technologies including: stationary production lines; pallet circulation plants for the production of slabs, double, massive and walls; Multi-Function-Shuttering-Robot; Insulation-Process-Application-Robot; and shuttering and magnetic systems.Sommer Anlagentechnik GmbH. www.sommer-landshut.deBooth #526
Seamless deck protection Deckguard spray-applied waterproofing system protects highway and rail bridge decks by forming a durable barrier against water penetration and stray electrical current. The cold-applied 100% solids elastomeric material meets or surpasses DOT and AREMA standards. Deckguard can be installed in climates ranging from -20° to 104° F. The thin coating resists road salt and oil. The D.S. Brown Co. 419-257-3561. www.dsbrown.comBooth #402
Milestone for epoxy-coated reinforcing steel The group is celebrating 40 years of epoxy-coated reinforcing steel in North America, during which it has been used in parking garages, marine piers, pavements, and more than 70,000 bridge decks. Significant improvements in coating adhesion and chemistry — including reduction in surface contamination and designation of required steel surface roughness prior to coating — have made epoxy-coated bars more durable, with improved abrasion and flexibility. Epoxy Interest Group, Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute. 847-517-1200. www.crsi.orgBooth #626
Custom precast products The company specializes in manufacturing and delivering custom precast products such as treads, copings benches, signs, and planters with the ability to match specific colors and finishes. A team of project managers assists with everything from planning to completion of any precast concrete project, with manufacturing expertise that allows for precise fit and easy installation. Wausau Tile. 800-388-8728. www.wausautile.comBooth #604
PCI Convention exhibitorsSee more products and services that will be on display at the 2012 PCI Convention and National Bridge Conference, Sept. 29-Oct. 2.
