INDUSTRY NEWS
Highlights of the 2006
PCI Committee Days
PCI Membership Committee Chair Todd
Adams speaks at the Thursday luncheon
during Committee Days.
Approximately 400 PCI committee
members converged April 26–30 at
the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel
in Chicago, Ill., to participate in PCI
Committee Days. In addition to the
more than 40 committee meetings held
over 5 days, various social functions al-
lowed for camaraderie among concrete
industry colleagues.
Thursday Luncheon
PCI President Jim Toscas welcomed
PCI members to Committee Days in
the opening luncheon on April 27. PCI
Membership Committee Chair Todd
Adams also addressed the crowd gath-
ered in the Millennium Knickerbocker
Hotel Ballroom. After lunch, the group
was entertained by ComedySportz Chi-
cago, which performed an audience-
interactive competition between two
teams of professional comedians.
113 PCI JOURNAL
Education Foundation Bylaws Leslie D. Martin Award of Merit, and a
Ceremony new Professorship in Civil Engineering
has been established at the University
At the Education Foundation Bylaws of Nebraska at Lincoln in his honor.
Ceremony at the Friday luncheon, on The inaugural Leslie D. Martin Award
April 28, PCI President Jim Toscas of Merit was bestowed on the PCI In-
introduced details of the PCI Founda- dustry Handbook Committee (Kim
tion. The mission of this initiative is to Seeber, chair). Together with Martin,
foster improvement in the quality and this committee played a major role in
sustainability of the build environment the development of the sixth edition of
by promoting education, research, and the PCI Design Handbook.
technology programs in support of Mike LaNier (TAC chair) presented
precast concrete construction systems the Leslie D. Martin Award of Merit
and the industry that produces them. plaques to Vera Martin, Seeber, and
One major goal of the foundation is all the other members of the Industry
to expand and maintain productive re- Handbook Committee who were pres-
lationships between the industry and ent at the luncheon. In accepting the
academic communities. The emphasis award on behalf of her husband, Vera
is on fostering advanced technology, Martin recounted the fact that she and
especially research and development. her four children all participated in
producing the first edition of the PCI
Leslie D. Martin Memorial Design Handbook. Literally hundreds
Ceremony of hours were expended at their home
typing, printing, collating, and binding
A major highlight of Committee early versions of the original book.
Days was the memorial ceremony
honoring Leslie D. Martin. The event
took place at the Saturday luncheon, on …Continued on page 116
April 29. Martin, PCI Medal of Honor
recipient and principal author of the
PCI Design Handbook, died on April
25, 2005, only two weeks after address-
ing the luncheon audience at Commit-
tee Days (see “Contributors to Design
Handbook Honored at PCI Committee
Days,” PCI Journal, May–June 2005,
pp. 126–127).
Honored guests who were present
at this year’s ceremony were Martin’s
wife, Vera Martin; his brother Lanny
Martin; and his son Russ Martin.
Jason Krohn, PCI technical director,
conducted the ceremony and remi-
nisced on the life and experiences he
shared with Martin and his family.
Krohn said that Martin always regard-
ed PCI as his second home and reiter-
ated Martin’s closing remarks at last
year’s Committee Days that this event
was not going to be his swan song;
Martin’s name and the inspiration he
left behind will live on. The Certificate PCI Associate Member Jim Voss
of Merit Award (for best technical com- addresses the crowd at the Education
mittee report) has been renamed the Foundation Bylaws Ceremony.
114 PCI JOURNAL
July–August 2006 115
…Continued from page 113
Soon after the death of Leslie Mar-
tin, PCI established a Martin Memorial
Fund. Some $7500 was contributed.
PCI thanks everyone who contributed
PCI technical director Jason Krohn
addresses the crowd at the Leslie D.
Martin Memorial Ceremony.
Vera Martin receives a plaque from
TAC chair Mike Lanier.
116 PCI JOURNAL
so generously to this fund. A PCI com-
mittee decided that the most appropriate
course of action would be to establish
a Professorship in Civil Engineering at
the University of Nebraska at Lincoln,
Martin’s alma mater. University of-
ficials readily agreed to this proposal,
provided that the required amount of
money could be raised. PCI chipped in
$2500, and Lanny Martin generously
donated the balance. Details of the pro-
fessorship are still being worked out.
In his emotional remarks, Lanny
Martin said that despite his brother’s
busy professional career, Leslie Mar-
tin still found time to be generous to
the members of his large family, par-
ticularly by attending anniversaries and
other special events.
Also during the Saturday luncheon,
three professionals were recognized
with plaque certificates for their distin-
guished services as PCI technical com- Roger Becker was recognized for his
mittee chairs: service to the Technical Activities
• Roger Becker, for his many years Committee by Chair Mike Lanier.
of service as a member of the
Technical Activities Committee; d’oeuvres and other delicacies. We ap-
• Don Raths, for his outstanding preciate Mike Malsom and his CEG
service, spanning 13 years, as staff for their hospitality and generos-
chair of the Journal Advisory ity. PCI wishes CEG an enjoyable and
Committee; and prosperous future in its new premises.
• Don Theobald, for his dedicat- The final function took place Friday
ed service during difficult times evening, April 28. The event featured a
(including Hurricane Katrina) as tour of the 570,000 ft2 (53,000 m2) con-
chair of the Prestressed Concrete crete accessory manufacturing and dis-
Piling Committee. tribution facilities of Universal Form
Clamp Co. in Bellwood, Ill. Much was
Social Events learned on this tour, and the food and
beverages were enjoyed by all. Our
Three social events were held dur- thanks go to Universal for arranging
ing this year’s Committee Days. The this tour.
first event was JVI’s popular annual
banquet held on Thursday, April 27, at
the company’s headquarters in Lincol-
nwood, Ill. The now traditional tender-
loin, salmon, and assorted delicious en-
trees were, as usual, outstanding. JVI’s
Concrete Chefs dinner party and social
gathering has become a popular place
to meet business partners, clients, and
friends. Thanks go to Jim Voss and
his Concrete Chefs for their hospitality
and gourmet cooking.
Another important social event was
The Consulting Engineers Group Inc. Don Raths receives a certificate
reception at its new offices in Mount recognizing his 13 years as Journal
Prospect, Ill. This event took place Advisory Committee chair from TAC
on Friday, April 28, and featured hors Chair Mike Lanier.
 Regional Council
PCI Regional Council Meets at
Headquarters
Building officals get learning units at
precast concrete training program.
PCI and the Regional Council held
a joint meeting April 13 and 14 at PCI
headquarters in Chicago. The council
met to discuss ways that the PCI staff
can help council members and how PCI
and the Regional Council can avoid du-
plicating efforts.
Regional Council members also re-
ceived training on PCI’s new member-
ship database.
Chicago-Area Building Officials
Learn Advantages of Precast,
Prestressed Concrete Products and
Methods
PCI, Precast Prestressed Producers of
Illinois and Wisconsin (PPPI&W), and
executive director of PPPI&W Marty
McIntyre offered their local Suburban
Building Officials Conference (SBOC)
of Illinois a special precast concrete
training program. The three-hour work-
shop was accredited by the Internation-
al Code Council (ICG) and provided
attendees with much-needed learning
units in this important subject.
On March 17, more than 150 build-
ing and public officials attended this
educational event near Chicago. Rep-
resentatives from several organiza-
tions and area communities attended.
The lectures were focused on hollow-
core floors and walls, architectural and
structural precast, and parking struc-
tures. Housing, commercial, office,
public works, and a variety of other
types of applications constructed in the
Midwest were featured.
Many strategic lessons were learned:
July–August 2006 117
• The shortfalls of the International
Building Code (IBC) with its
relaxed height and area separations
that can greatly increase fire loads
in buildings inducing structural col-
lapse and fire spread.
• The vulnerability of property and
life safety when extensive sprinkler
tradeoffs eliminate non-combus-
tible constructed compartments that
serve to confine fire to its point of
origin.
• The need for better building codes
and local ordinances that will better
ensure that structures can endure
fire, wind, rot, mold, impact, earth-
quake, floods, arson, and terrorist
attacks.
• The inability of the insurance
industry underwriters to absorb the
losses that are occurring with low-
grade construction methods and
materials.
• The legacy of bad construction,
poor housing, and early blight that
can be imposed on local commu-
nities when minimum codes and
standards permit marginal builders
and developers to profit and run.
• The right of local community
leaders to insist on better quality
construction and buildings that will
perform in their regions.
• That precast, prestressed concrete
products and methods are techni-
cally advanced, quality driven, and
both durable and attractive.
• A complete review of the benefits
to designers, builders, owners,
occupants, and the community
when precast, prestressed concrete
products and methods are used.
• How public officials can work with
the precast, prestressed concrete
industry to upgrade codes and
achieve precast, prestressed con-
crete construction locally.
• How to partner with the precast,
prestressed concrete industry to
ensure quality and excellence when
these materials and methods are
used.
PPPI&W retained Ed Gregory of
GDS Inc., a PCI consultant, to conduct
these lectures. Gregory has served as a
building official and is an active teach-
ing member in the ICC.
PCI Producer Members Dan Kolb of
Prestress Engineering and Phil Iverson
of Spancrete Industries also participat-
ed with commentary and fielded vari-
ous questions from the floor.
Each participant also received the
PCI fire brochure and the Portland Ce-
ment Association multi-housing bro-
chure. Other PCI publications were
also made available at literature tables.
Don Plass, SBOC officer and build-
ing official, expressed gratitude for
excellent program content and its rel-
evance to the local community needs.
Several public officials expressed their
appreciation and requested ongoing
support from PPPI&W and PCI in their
work.
Several officials asked that pre-
cast/prestressed concrete technology
be more clearly discussed in the fu-
ture versions of the IBC, possibly in
a new and separate chapter. Others
asked that PCI Plant Certification be
made more visible and easy to ref-
erence in IBC. They were assured
that the industry would work toward
those ends.
PCI Producers nationwide are encour-
aged to follow the lead of PPPI&W and
other PCI groups that are now working
with public officials and building and
fire inspectors to inform and educate
on precast/prestressed concrete prod-
ucts, methods, and benefits. These are
the people who vote on the codes and
enforce them with architects, builders,
and developers each day.
Let us win the support, earn the re-
spect, and establish a preference for
precast/prestressed concrete with these
community leaders. Our markets will
grow and prosper as we better serve
humanity with our advanced technolo-
gies and methods.
…Continued on page 118
Due to the popularity of the May–
June 2006 issue of the PCI Journal,
we are offering our subscribers an
online version of the issue on our
website, five months ahead of its
normal posting date. Thank you for
making PCI Journal your resource
for the latest information about the
precast/prestressed industry.
 PCI Standard for Thin Brick

The objective of this standard is to outline material standards and specification criteria for brick manufacturers to adhere
to when supplying materials to precast concrete manufacturers. The intent is to establish acceptable dimensional toleranc-
es and consistent testing standards for brick embedded in precast concrete systems. The brick manufacturers must confirm
through the provision of independent test results that their brick products comply with the PCI Standard.
The PCI Standard should appear in all specifications as the new approved industry standard. Brick manufacturers have
agreed to promote the compliance of their brick with the new PCI Standard.
The following parameters have been established based on the successful use of embedded brick in precast concrete
projects. The parameters set forth for use in these proposed standards are attainable brick properties that have been de-
rived with input from brick manufacturers, precasters, engineers, and architects, as well as consideration of existing test
results.
A. Thin Brick Units: PCI Standard, not less than 1/2 in. (13 mm) or more than 1 in. (25 mm) thick with an overall toler-
ance of plus 0 inches, minus 1/16 in. (+0 mm, -1.6 mm) for any unit dimension 8 in. (203 mm) or less and an overall
tolerance of plus 0 inches, minus 3/32 in. (+0 mm, -2.4 mm) for any unit dimension greater than 8 in. (203 mm) mea-
sured according to ASTM C67.
1. Face Size: Modular, 2 1/4 in. (57 mm) high by 7 5/8 in. (194 mm) long.
2. Face Size: Norman, 2 1/4 in. (57 mm) high by 11 5/8 in. (295 mm) long.
3. Face Size: Closure modular, 3 5/8 in. (92 mm) high by 7 5/8 in. (194 mm) long.
4. Face Size: Utility, 3 5/8 in. (92 mm) high by 11 5/8 in. (295 mm) long.
5. Face Size, Color, and Texture: [Match architect’s approved samples] [Match existing adjacent brickwork].
a. <Insert information on existing brick if known>
6. Face Size: Metric modular, 57 mm high by 190 mm long.
7. Face Size: Metric norman, 57 mm high by 290 mm long.
8. Face Size: Metric closure, 90 mm high by 190 mm long.
9. Face Size: Metric utility modular, 90 mm high by 290 mm long.
10. Special Shapes: Include corners, edge corners, and end edge corners.
11. Cold Water Absorption at 24 Hours: Maximum 6% when tested per ASTM C 67.
12. Efflorescence: Provide brick that has been tested according to ASTM C 67 and rated “not effloresced.”
13. Out of Square: Plus or minus 1/16 in. (+/-1.6 mm) measured according to ASTM C 67.
14. Warpage: Consistent plane of plus 0 inches, minus 1/16 in. (+0, -1.6 mm).
15. Variation of Shape from Specified Angle: Plus or minus 1 degree.
16. Tensile Bond Strength: Not less than 150 psi (1.0 MPa) when tested per modified ASTM E 488. Epoxy steel plate
with welded rod on a single brick face for each test.
17. Freezing-Thawing Resistance: No detectable deterioration (spalling, cracking, or chafing) when tested in accor-
dance with ASTM C 666 Method B modified to withstand 300 cycles.
18. Modulus of Rupture: Not less than 250 psi (1.7 MPa) when tested in accordance with ASTM C 67.
19. Chemical Resistance: Provide brick that has been tested according to ASTM C 650 and rated “not affected.”
20. Surface Coloring: Brick with surface coloring shall withstand 50 cycles of freezing and thawing per ASTM C 67
with no observable difference in applied finish when viewed from 10 ft (3 m).
21. Back Surface Texture: [Scored], [Combed], [Wire roughened], [Ribbed], [Keybacked], [Dovetailed].

Test sample size and configuration shall conform to the following parameters in order to validate compliance by brick
manufacturer with PCI Standard for use in embedded brick precast concrete systems:
1. Minimum Number of Test Specimens: Comply with appropriate specifications except for freezing-thawing and
tensile bond strength tests on assembled systems.
2. Minimum Number of Test Specimens for Freezing-Thawing and Tensile Bond Strength Test: Two assembled
systems measuring 12 in. × 32 in. (300 mm × 810 mm) long with the brick embedded into the concrete substrate
(assembled system), and then saw cut into two equal specimens, Sample A and Sample B, each 12 in. × 16 in.
(300 mm × 405 mm).
The precast concrete substrate shall have a minimum thickness of 2 1/2 in. (63 mm) plus the embedded brick thickness.
The precast concrete shall have a minimum compressive strength of 5000 psi (34.5 MPa) and 4% to 6% entrained air.
The embedded brick coursing pattern for testing purposes shall be modular size brick on half running bond pattern with a
formed raked joint geometry of 3/8 in. (9 mm) wide and a depth no greater then 1/4 in. (6 mm) from the exterior face of brick.
Five brick on each Sample A shall be tested for tensile bond strength (Item #16), five brick on each Sample B shall be tested
for freezing-thawing resistance (Item #17), and then tensile bond strength (Item #16).

118 PCI JOURNAL

 TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES
Blast Resistance and Structural
Integrity Committee
This committee (Alvin Ericson and
Rafael Magna, chairs) met April 27
during Committee Days at the Mille-
nium Knickerbocker Hotel in Chicago,
Ill. S. K. Ghosh presented on the topics
of structural integrity, seismic design,
and progressive collapse. Status of the
PCI Research Fellowship and testing at
Tyndall Air Force Base was presented
by Clay Naito. Guest Steve Samuels
gave a presentation on blast testing.
Connection Details Committee
Larbi Sennour chaired a meeting
of the Connection Details Committee
during Committee Days on April 29 in
Chicago. The committee is immersed
in the production of the next edition of
the manual, with an expected publica-
tion date of October 2006.
Hollow-Core Slab Producers
Committee
David Wan, chair, presided over the
Hollow-Core Slab Producers Commit-
tee Meeting on April 27 during Com-
mittee Days in Chicago. Dan Fisher,
from Girder-Slab, gave a comprehen-
sive and targeted presentation on how
hollow-core producers can help market
and participate in upcoming Girder-
Slab projects. Ed Gregory reported on
the Fire Committee’s activities, namely
that the insurance industry’s reports fol-
lowing last year’s hurricane losses gave
precast concrete structures high marks.
Industry Handbook Committee
The Industry Handbook Committee
(Greg Force, chair) met on April 27
during Committee Days in Chicago.
Helm Wilden (Continuing Education
Committee, chair) updated the com-
mittee on the nine Design Handbook
Seminars held to date. Member Steve
Peterson offered the committee an
update on the Sixth Edition PCI De-
sign Handbook errata. The committee
further discussed feedback from the
July–August 2006 119
production of the sixth edition of the
handbook and offered suggestions and
lessons learned for publication of the
seventh edition. Chairs for the seventh
edition of the handbook reported on the
status of their respective chapters.
Journal Advisory Committee
The Journal Advisory Commit-
tee (Millard Barney, chair) meeting
was held on April 28 during Commit-
tee Days in Chicago. Staff members
presented a PCI style guide that was
being developed, and asked for input.
Staff members also discussed proposed
changes to the organization of the PCI
Journal. These changes are expected to
be incorporated this year.
Precast Sandwich Wall Panels
Committee
On April 29, the Precast Sandwich
Wall Panel Committee (Pat Hynes,
chair) met during Committee Days in
Chicago. The progress of the State-of-
the-Art report was discussed. The final
report will be published in PCI Jour-
nal. The committee also discussed the
status of the request for proposals for
Recommended Practice and promotion
of sandwich wall panels.
Prestressed Concrete Poles
Committee
The PCI Committee on Prestressed
Concrete Poles (Fouad H. Fouad,
chair) held its meeting on April 29
during Committee Days in Chicago.
In the absence of Fouad, Dennis Mize
conducted the meeting. Mike LaNier
(TAC chair) and Chuck Merydith
(PCI marketing director) were present
at the meeting and contributed substan-
tially to the discussion. The first order
of business was to finalize the session
on prestressed concrete poles at the up-
coming PCI Convention in Grapevine,
Tex., this fall. A tentative list of top-
ics and speakers was selected and will
shortly be finalized by the chairman of
the committee. LaNier emphasized that
the committee had the full support of
TAC and encouraged its many activi-
ties. Merydith said that he would pro-
duce a marketing brochure on poles for
the committee by convention time. The
bulk of the meeting was devoted to re-
viewing the report on “Recommended
Practice for the Design of Prestressed
Concrete Sports Lighting, Communi-
cations, and Traffic Signal Poles.” It
is expected that this report will be sub-
mitted to TAC for final publication ap-
proval later this year.
Professional Member Committee
The Professional Member Commit-
tee (Don Raths, chair) held its meet-
ing on April 28 during PCI Committee
Days in Chicago. Major topics includ-
ed proposed changes to the PCI bylaws
(regarding changes to the member
classifications) and ways to retain new
members gained through Design Hand-
book Seminar promotions.
Manual Aids Evaluation, Repair
of Precast Concrete Bridge
Components
PCI has published a bridge-repair
manual that will aid designers, state
agency officials, and precasters in eval-
uating damage that has occurred with
precast concrete components during
early stages in the plant, in transit, or
during erection of a beam, deck panels,
or similar precast products. The manu-
al presents methods for repairing any
defects to keep the bridge construction
on schedule.
PCI MNL-137-06, Manual for the
Evaluation and Repair of Precast, Pre-
stressed Concrete Bridge Products, is
designed to promote a greater degree
of uniformity among owners, engi-
neers, and industry officials and ensure
that damage is accurately assessed and
treated, explained John Dick, direc-
tor of transportation systems with PCI.
The 80-page, perfect-bound book took
more than two years to complete and
has been circulated in draft form to a
variety of agencies, where it has re-
ceived favorable responses.
Sixteen experts, including state en-
gineers, precasters, and university
researchers, contributed to the book.
“The manual provides a significant re-
source that will aid owners, designers,
…Continued on page 120
 …Continued from page 119
inspectors, and fabricators in reaching
informed decisions regarding repair
options and help ensure their responses
are measured, appropriate, and cost
effective for the situation,” Dick said.
Included in the manual are chapters
on troubleshooting approaches, stan-
dard repair procedures, patching meth-
ods, epoxy-injection procedures, and
references for additional information.
The troubleshooting guide features
sections on causes and prevention of
common damage, as well as engineer-
ing effects and repair considerations.
“This manual meets a market need
that is currently not provided to design-
ers,” Dick said. “Plant-cast prestressed
concrete bridge beams and similar prod-
ucts fabricated in PCI-Certified plants
are manufactured in quality-controlled
environments that meet high standards
for processes and equipment. But, as
with any manufacturing process, dam-
age or defects can occur. This guide
helps provide a uniform assessment and
approach to fixing many defects.”
The manual is available at the sug-
gested retail price of $50, with a 50%
discount for PCI members. To order a
copy, visit the PCI Bookstore at www.
pci.org/Publications, or request a copy
from 209 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 500,
Chicago, IL 60606-6938; Phone: (312)
360-3214; Fax: (312) 786-0353; or
Email: info@pci.org.
INDUSTRY PEOPLE
Seguirant, Brice, Khaleghi Receive
2006 T. Y. Lin Award in St. Louis
At the Structural Engineering Insti-
tute Awards luncheon on May 19 in St.
Louis, Mo., Stephen J. Seguirant, P.E.,
M.ASCE; Richard Brice, P.E.; and
Bijan Khaleghi received recognition
for their January–February 2005 PCI
Journal paper “Flexural Strength of
Reinforced and Prestressed Concrete
T-Beams.” The 2006 T. Y. Lin Award
went to the paper for its role in clear-
ing up American Association of State
Highway and Transportation Officials
code conflicts, which led to code adop-
tion of analytical procedures proposed
by the paper.
120 PCI JOURNAL
Seguirant, a PCI fellow, is vice presi- and development of code provisions
dent and director of engineering at Con- for post-tensioned, unbonded, flat-
crete Technology Corp. in Washington plate slab systems and for his lifelong
State, Brice is a software applications contributions to teaching and research
engineer with the Washington State in prestressed concrete structures.”
Department of Transportation (DOT), Burns is a PCI Fellow and received
and Khaleghi is a concrete specialist PCI’s Distinguished Educator Award
with the Washington DOT. in 2000.
The T.Y. Lin Award was endowed
to ASCE in 1968 by Professor T.Y.
Lin, the design engineer, teacher, and ACI’s CRC Boase Award Goes to
author who contributed enormously to Ghosh
the early growth of prestressed concrete
in the United States. This award is pre- S. K. Ghosh was
sented to the best paper in the subject recognized by ACI
area of prestressed concrete published for his work in the
during a 12-month period in a publica- areas of earthquake
tion from the American Concrete In- engineering and
stitute, the American Society of Civil seismic design. He
Engineers, and the Precast/Prestressed is an authority on
Concrete Institute. the structural design of concrete and on
seismic design.
Bruce Inducted into Tulane Ghosh is a PCI Fellow and received
Engineering Hall of Fame the Charles C. Zollman Award in 1998
and 2005 for his work on a PCI Journal
Robert N. Bruce paper.
Jr., Ph.D., was se-
lected for induc-
tion into Tulane Herrin Joins Gate Precast
University’s School
of Engineering Hal Herrin has
Hall of Fame for joined the sales
2006. Bruce has been an institution in and marketing de-
the Tulane School of Engineering for partment at Gate
over 50 years as both a teacher of civil Precast Co., a
engineering and a researcher in the manufacturer of ar-
field of prestressed concrete. Bruce’s chitectural precast
many accomplishments include three concrete. For over 20 years, Herrin
Fulbright honors and PCI’s Martin P. has worked in various positions in the
Korn Award. Bruce has a B.S. in civil construction industry. His background
engineering and his M.S. degrees from includes project management, opera-
Tulane. He completed his Ph.D. in civil tions, and sales management. He most
engineering at the University of Illinois. recently served as area sales manager
The Engineering Hall of Fame was es- with Metromont Corp.
tablished in 1994 and is among the high-
est school honors bestowed by the Tu-
lane University School of Engineering. Hurd Given ACI Award for
An inscribed plaque bearing Bruce’s Distinguished Service
image will be on permanent display.
Mary K. Hurd
Burns Receives ACI’s Anderson Award was the recipient of
ACI’s Delmar L.
Ned H. Burns ac- Bloem Award for
cepted the American Distinguished Ser-
Concrete Institute’s vice for her direction
(ACI) Anderson of ACI’s Committee
Award “for contri- 124 on Concrete Aesthetics.
butions in research Hurd is a PCI Professional Member.
Johnsrud Named First Director of
Midwest Precast Association
Michael Johnsrud,
formerly the execu-
tive director of the
Minnesota Con-
crete Masonry As-
sociation (MCMA),
has been named ex-
ecutive director of the Midwest Precast
Association (MPA). Johnsrud is the
first executive named to lead this group,
which to date has worked informally as
an Organizational Member of PCI.
“My strong background in formulat-
ing marketing and business plans will
help this experienced group of Mid-
western precast concrete manufacturers
communicate with architects, engineers,
and buildings owners,” Johnsrud said.
“Precast concrete offers a great deal
of benefits for all types of commercial
buildings, and I intend to work closely
with the members to ensure owners and
designers have the resources and infor-
mation they need to create aesthetically
pleasing, quickly constructed, and cost-
effective structures.”
MPA consists of 12 precast concrete
manufacturers based in Iowa, Nebras-
ka, Minnesota, North Dakota, South
Dakota, and Wisconsin. The group was
formed in 1999 by several Iowa precast-
ers who wanted to focus on commercial
architects rather than the local depart-
ment of transportation, which was
served by the existing precaster organi-
zation. Those members were joined in
2001 by precasters in several surround-
ing states. MPA is now formalizing its
activities and creating a more compre-
hensive marketing program.
Johnsrud spent six years at MCMA,
where he created plans to expand the
group’s penetration into other market
segments. Prior to that, he was vice
president of marketing for the hospitali-
ty firm Tonka Total Triple Inc. He holds
an MBA in operational marketing from
Hamilton University in Akron, Ohio,
and a bachelor’s degree in finance and
marketing from Aalborg University
Center in Aalborg, Denmark.
Johnsrud began his tenure with MPA
on April 17, and he is currently creating
marketing plans to alert local designers
and engineers to the capabilities and re-
July–August 2006 121
sources available through MPA and the ship in the conduct of interdisciplinary
member precasters. For MPA contact research.” Shah is a Walter P. Murphy
information see PCI Regional Direc- Professor of civil engineering at North-
tors & Offices on p. 136. western University, Evanston, Ill. His
research interests include promoting
Lapier Named Sales Specialist for cement and concrete research globally.
Degussa Admixtures
Tomasetti Elected Chairman of
Degussa Admixtures Inc. announced New York Building Foundation
the addition of positions dedicated to
precast concrete sales in the Eastern Richard L. To-
United States. masetti, P.E., Hon.
Gerald Lapier was named sales AIA, chairman
specialist, responsible for coordinating and co-founder of
the precast concrete sales efforts and Thornton-Toma-
support in the eastern division. Lapier setti, was elected
began his career with Degussa Admix- chairman of the
tures Inc. in January 2002 managing New York Building Foundation, the
precast concrete customers in New charitable arm of the New York Build-
England. ing Congress.
Johnanthony Fiorilli joined Degus- The New York Building Founda-
sa Admixtures as the new precast sales tion was formed in 1998 to promote
specialist for Pennsylvania, New Jer- the long-term growth and well being of
sey, and Maryland in March 2006. He the industry through a program of re-
comes to Degussa from the construc- search, educational, and philanthropic
tion products division of Bekaert Corp. activities. Tomasetti has more than 35
Fiorilli will report to Lapier. years of extensive experience in the de-
sign of major innovative commercial,
Restrepo Receives ACI Award for industrial, and residential projects.
Excellence in Structural Research
PCI Professional …Continued on page 122
Member José Re-
strepo received the
Chester Paul Siess
Award for Excel-
lence in Structural
Research for the
July–August 2004 ACI Structural Jour-
nal article “Force-Displacement Char-
acterization of Well-Confined Bridge
Piers,” which he coauthored with Eric
M. Hines and Frieder Seible. Restre-
po is involved in the new PCI research
and development PRESSS program on
diaphragms.
Shah Receives ACI’s CRC
Philleo Award
ACI gave Suren-
dra Shah the CRC
Philleo Award “for
pioneering develop-
ments in high-per-
formance concrete
and fiber-reinforced
cement-based materials and for leader-
 Industry Firms
ASBI 2005 Bridge Award
Winners Announced
Eight segmental bridge construction
projects received recognition in ASBI
and Concrete Products magazine’s
second biennial Bridge Award of Ex-
cellence Competition.
The following bridges were recog-
nized November 7 during the 2005
ASBI Convention Awards luncheon in
Washington, D.C.:
• Victory Bridge, New Jersey: New
Jersey Department of Transporta-
tion, owner; FIGG, designer and
construction engineering inspection;
George Harms Construction Co.,
contractor; LoBuono/Weidlinger,
construction engineering; Dy-
widag Systems International, post-
tensioning materials; Bayshore
Concrete Products Corp., precaster;
Southern Forms, formwork; Sika,
epoxy/prepackaged grout; Deal
and LoBuono Expansion, special
erection equipment; and The D.S.
Brown Co., devices and bearings.
• Four Bears Bridge, North Dakota:
North Dakota Department of Trans-
portation, owner; FIGG, designer;
Bilfinger Berger AG, contractor;
KLJ, FIGG, and Braun Intertec,
construction engineering inspec-
tion; VSL, post-tensioning materi-
als; Sika, epoxy/prepackaged grout;
EFCO, formwork; Watson Bowman
Acme Corp., expansion devices; and
Strukturas, segment lifting beam
and winch.
• Air Train JFK International Air-
port, New York: The Port Author-
ity of New York and New Jersey,
owner; FIGG (Superstructure),
designer; Air Rail Transit Consor-
tium–Koch Skanska, contractor;
FIGG, construction engineering;
FIGG (Superstructure), construction
engineering inspection; Dywidag
Systems International, post-tension-
ing materials; Bayshore Concrete
Products Corp., precaster; South-
ern Forms, formwork; Sika, epoxy;
FIGG, special erection equipment
designer; and Cherubini, special
erection equipment fabricator.
122 PCI JOURNAL
• Route 364 Creve Coeur Lake Me- ATCO, contractor; and Mexpresa,
morial Park Bridge, Missouri: post-tensioning materials and form-
Missouri Department of Transpor- work and expansion devices.
tation, owner; Jacobs Civil Inc., To be eligible for the award, concrete
designer; Walter Construction, segmental and cable stayed bridges had
contractor; Parsons, construction to be opened to the public or dedicated
engineering; VSL, post-tensioning between January 1, 2003, and August
materials; Sika, prepackaged grout; 1, 2005.
Watson Bowman Acme Corp.,
expansion devices; and The D.S. Chicago Carl Walker Moves
Brown Co., bearings.
• SR9/I-95 Palm Beach Internation- The Chicago office of Carl Walker
al Airport Interchange, Florida: Inc. has moved to the following ad-
Florida Department of Transporta- dress:
tion, owner; Beiswenger, Hoch and Carl Walker Inc.
Associates Inc., designer; Reynolds, 2 East 22nd St., Suite 301
Smith & Hills Inc., sub-consultant; Lombard, IL 60148
Botas Engineering Group Inc., sub-
consultant; PSI Inc., geotechnical Harris Theater in Chicago Receives
services; Modern Continental South AIA Citation of Merit
Inc., general contractor; Parsons,
construction engineering; Wash-
ington Infrastructure Service, con-
struction engineering inspection;
Dywidag Systems International,
post-tensioning materials; Sika,
epoxy/prepackaged grout; and The
D.S. Brown Co., expansion devices
and bearings.
• Sidney Lanier Bridge, Georgia:
Georgia Department of Transporta-
tion, owner; T. Y. Lin International,
designer; Recchi American–GLF The Joan W. and Irving B. Harris
Construction Corp. Joint Venture, Theater for Music and Dance in Chi-
contractor; Finley McNary Engi- cago, Ill., received the AIA Chicago
neers, construction engineering; Citation of Merit Award under its Dis-
FIGG Bridge Inspection Inc., con- tinguished Building Awards program.
struction engineering inspection; The theater opened in November 2003
Dywidag Systems International, in the newly transformed, 24.5 acre
post-tensioning materials and stay Millennium Park in the heart of down-
cables; Freyssinet International, town Chicago.
heavy lifting and lowering equip-
ment; and The D.S. Brown Co., ex-
pansion devices and bearings.
• Panama Canal Second Cross-
ing, Puente Centenario, Panama:
Ministry of Public Works, Panama,
owner; T. Y. Lin International, de-
signer; Bilfinger Berger AG, con-
tractor; Leonhardt, Andra and Part-
ners, final construction details; and
Freyssinet International, stay cables The Consulting Engineers Group
and post-tensioning materials and Inc. was the precast structural engineer
heavy lifting and lowering equip- for the project and worked with Pre-
ment. stress Services Inc. LLC to value-en-
• Tarango Bridge, Mexico: SEDU- gineer a precast concrete structural so-
VI, Government of Mexico City, lution. Thorton-Tomasetti Engineers
owner; Mexpresa–CFC, designer; acted as the structural engineer. A do-
mestic steel frame was not a viable op-
tion because of the cost and schedule.
An unusual feature is that most of the
building is underground, and a large
portion of the roof has soil and plant-
ings covering it, so it functions as part
of the park.
Hanson Building Materials Expands
Ohio Business
Hanson Pipe & Precast Inc., north-
east region, recently announced that it
will invest $10.2 million in a plant and
equipment expansion project at its Co-
lumbus, Ohio, facility. The investment
includes the construction of a new
physical plant at the present location
on 1500 Haul Road and a significant
investment in equipment. Construction
began in March and is expected to be
completed in October. The Columbus
plant currently employs approximately
50 people.
Hinman Consulting Engineers Moves
To accommodate its growing New
York office, Hinman Consulting En-
gineers has moved to the following
Lower Manhattan location:
Hinman Consulting Engineers P.C.
61 Broadway, Suite 1608
New York, NY 10006
Meadow Burke Products and
A.L. Patterson Join AltusGroup as
Innovation Partners
Continuing to expand its network
of companies that can deliver Carbon-
Cast™ precast concrete technology,
AltusGroup Inc. has welcomed
Meadow Burke Products and A.L.
Patterson as Innovation Partners of the
organization. These new AltusGroup
Innovation Partners will contribute
their technical expertise and market-
ing strength toward the advancement
of CarbonCast carbon fiber–reinforced
precast concrete made using C-GRID™
reinforcement.
As part of AltusGroup’s industry
technology partnering effort, both
companies will contribute to the de-
velopment of innovations in precast
concrete, currently centering on the use
of carbon fiber reinforcing to improve
July–August 2006 123
strength, lower weight, and reduce cor-
rosion in precast concrete components.
They will also have access to co-mar-
keting opportunities at industry events,
AltusGroup educational sessions, and
advertising in trade publications.
NACA Members Partner for
Successful Gulf Coast Workshops
One hundred and eighty builders,
architects, engineers, contractors, and
building officials received seven pro-
fessional development hours on hur-
ricane-resistant concrete construction
during three workshops in April in the
Gulf Coast states affected by Hurricane
Katrina.
Hattiesburg, Miss.; Baton Rouge,
La.; and Mobile, Ala., hosted the one-
day workshops, which each began with
a session on Fortified…for safer liv-
ing® homes, a program of the Institute
for Business and Home Safety (IBHS),
followed by sessions on building code
requirements, concrete masonry, pre-
cast concrete, tilt-up concrete, remov-
able forms, and insulating concrete
forms.
The workshops were sponsored by
Mississippi Concrete Industries As-
sociation, Concrete and Aggregate
Association of Louisiana, Alabama
Concrete Industries Association, Con-
crete Homes magazine, and Concrete
Monthly magazine. The program was
organized by the National Ready Mixed
Concrete Association and presented by
IBHS, Portland Cement Association,
National Concrete Masonry Associa-
tion, Precast/Prestressed Concrete In-
stitute, Tilt-up Concrete Association,
Concrete Foundations Association,
and Insulating Concrete Form Asso-
ciation. North American Concrete Al-
liance (NACA) members are currently
planning additional seminars in other
regions of the country.
Oldcastle Building Products
Acquires MMI Products
MMI Products Inc. announced in
April that stockholders of its parent
company, Merchants Metals Holding
Co., have agreed to sell their interests
to Oldcastle Building Products Inc., the
North American operation of CRH plc.
CRH is a worldwide producer and dis-
tributor of building products and con-
struction materials, with 2005 sales of
over $17 billion. MMI will become the
foundation of a fifth product group for
CRH’s Americas Products & Distribu-
tion Division.
Precision Sure-Lock Acquired by
Actuant
Actuant Corp. announced in April that
it purchased the outstanding stock of
Precision Sure-Lock for about $43 mil-
lion. Precision Sure-Lock will be part
of the industrial tools business within
Actuant’s tools and supplies segment.
Precision Sure-Lock, based in Dallas,
Tex., generated approximately $25 mil-
lion in sales in the past 12 months and
employs approximately 75 associates.
Shockey Provides Precast Concrete
for Hospital Parking Structures
Shockey Precast Group was re-
cently awarded contracts for parking
structures at the Johns Hopkins Bay-
view Campus and Sinai Hospital, both
in Baltimore, Md.
The precast concrete components
for both structures were fabricated
at Shockey’s Winchester, Va., plant.
…Continued on page 124
The Johns Hopkins Bayview campus in Baltimore, Md., added a 700-car parking structure with Shockey Precast.
The Johns Hopkins structure required
5217 yd3 (3989 m3) of double tees,
walls, stairs, columns, beams, and slabs,
while the Sinai Hospital structure used
3684 yd3 (2817 m3) of flanges, slabs,
stairs, stair walls, beams, spandrels,
124 PCI JOURNAL
columns, walls, and ramp walls.
The parking facility for Johns Hop-
kins has four levels of buff concrete
with a sandblast finish, and the span-
drels and wall panels use thin brick.
Challenges to constructing the 400-
car parking structure and pedestrian
bridge for Sinai Hospital included
nearby traffic congestion and the prox-
imity of surrounding office buildings.
Thornton-Tomasetti Organizes
Kansas City Autodesk Revit
Users Group
Thornton-Tomasetti, a 500-person
international engineering and design
firm, announced that Patrick Davis,
a senior building information mod-
eler in the Kansas City, Mo., office,
has organized the first regional users
group for Autodesk Revit, a family of
architectural design and engineering
software specifically created for build-
ing information modeling. Davis will
serve as president of the group.
Todd Williams, a CAD manager
for HOK SVE, will serve as vice pres-
ident. Dave Willard, a CAD manager
with Gould Evans, will serve as secre-
tary of the users group.
User group meetings, currently open
to new members, will feature guest
speakers such as Autodesk applica-
tion engineers, Autodesk technical
evangelists, and architects, engineers,
and designers sharing their knowledge
of the Revit family of products. User
groups will focus on the needs of in-
dividual members and will provide
educational opportunities and share
information pertinent to their locale.
Local user groups can also be a great
source for industry news, product sup-
port, and relationship building within
a multitude of technical fields.
More information on the group can
be found at www.kcrevit.com.
Gagliano Joins Timothy
Haahs & Associates
Vicky Gagliano has joined Timo-
thy Haahs & Associates Inc. as a
parking specialist.
Her responsibilities include re-
searching, analyzing, and recommend-
ing solutions to parking problems
through the performance of parking
supply and demand, alternatives and
site analysis, market and financial fea-
sibility, shared parking, revenue con-
trol, and parking management studies.
Gagliano earned her master’s de-
gree in business administration from
the University of South Florida. Her
professional affiliations include the
Florida Parking Association and the
National Parking Association as a cer-
tified parking facility manager.
 NEW APPOINTMENTS
to PCI Committees PCI tolerance committee needs you
The following individuals have ac- PCI is soliciting interested participants for the re-formation of the PCI Tol-
cepted appointments to PCI commit- erance Committee. Previously, this committee developed manual MNL–135,
tees. We appreciate their interest and Tolerance Manual for Precast and Prestressed Concrete Construction. The
voluntary participation. publication of this manual established PCI as one of the tolerance leaders in the
construction industry. After the publication of this manual in 2000, the commit-
Blast Resistance and Structural tee asked to be discharged, as its mission had been completed.
Integrity Committee With the advent of new CAD technology, new connection technology, and
Bill Sanders the continuing evolution of interfacing building systems, there is a need to take
Sirko Associates Inc. another major step forward to maintain the PCI construction tolerance leader-
ship in the building and bridge construction industry.
Denver, Colo.
This committee needs members with both practical and theoretical tolerance
backgrounds and/or interests. Members with a knowledge of precast qual-
Building Code Committee
ity control, field construction quality control, and erection of precast concrete
New Chair: Christopher P. Mosley
members would also be excellent contributors to the work of this committee.
The Consulting Engineers Group
If you have an interest in this important subject, contact Jason Krohn, PCI
San Antonio, Tex. technical activities director, jkrohn@pci.org, for appointment to this committee.
Hollow-Core Slab Producers
Kurt R. Melby Research &Development mental results will be evaluated in re-
Tulsa Dynaspan Inc. lation to shear requirements specified
Broken Arrow, Okla. Daniel P. Jenny Research Fellow- in ACI 318-05 Building Code.
ships Awarded for 2006–2007 2. “Horizontal Shear Tie Require-
Greg Saterdalen ments for Composite Precast/
Hanson Structural Precast Earlier this year, PCI solicited pro- Prestressed Concrete Construc-
Midwest Inc. posals for Daniel P. Jenny Research tion” at Lehigh University under the
Maple Grove, Minn. Fellowships from the civil engineer- guidance of Professor Clay Naito.
ing departments of universities in the The objective of this research is to
Mark Schumacher United States and Canada. assess whether horizontal shear ties
CTI Inc. Out of the 36 high-quality propos- can be eliminated or significantly
Green Bay, Wis. als we received on topics pertinent to reduced in precast concrete bridge
PCI’s interests, the R&D Committee beam construction while still main-
Han-Ching Wu (C. Douglas Sutton, chair) selected 7 taining composite action. The scope
ConArt Inc. fellowships at the PCI Committee Days of work includes a literature review
Cobb, Ga. meeting in Chicago, Ill., in April. of relevant past and ongoing re-
The selection process was based on search, a survey of local industry
Parking Structures Committee the timeliness of the proposed research practice, an analytical assessment
Robert D. Hyland and its potential benefit to the precast/ of the horizontal shear demands in
HNTB Architecture Inc. prestressed concrete industry, as well standard PCI bridge beams, and an
as on the research capabilities of the experimental investigation of topped
Kansas City, Mo.
investigator and additional industry beams without horizontal shear ties.
support available from producers or 3.“Standardized Physical Property
David L. Chapin
state associations. The following seven Testing for Self-Consolidating Con-
Tpac, a division of Kiewit Western
fellowships have been approved for an crete (SCC)” at the University of
Phoenix, Ariz.
award of $20,000 each: Wyoming under the supervision of
1. “Shear Strength of Deep Hollow- Professor David Mukai. The prima-
Student Education Committee Core Slabs” at the University of Min- ry objective is to develop a series of
Van V. Diep nesota under the direction of Profes- standardized test procedures and the
The Consulting Engineers sor Art Schultz. The primary objec- associated test equipment for SCC
Group Inc. tive of this research program is to produced at PCI plants to measure
San Antonio, Tex. investigate the shear strength of thick segregation, compressive strength,
hollow-core floor slabs. A series of tensile strength, creep, and shrinkage.
Carin L. Roberts-Wollmann tests will be performed on 12-in.- The equipment and procedure devel-
Virginia Polytechnic Institute thick (300 mm) and 16-in.-thick (400 oped through this research will allow
and State University mm) hollow-core slabs at varying
Blacksburg, Va. magnitude of prestress. The experi- …Continued on page 127

July–August 2006 125

SURVEY ON HIGH-PRIORITY TOPICS FOR RESEARCH AT PCI
To: PCI Producer, Associate, and Professional Members
Do you know that each year PCI allocates 7% of producer
and associate member dues for projects conducted under the
auspices of the PCI Research & Development Committee?
Despite this commitment by PCI, total industry expenditures
for research conducted on topics of specific interest to the
precast industry are still relatively low compared with those
for other competitor industries. It is especially important that
we spend PCI’s research dollars wisely. Accordingly, we are
asking for your help.
Periodically we solicit input from the entire PCI com-
munity regarding your opinions on technical research
activities that could produce knowledge which would
benefit your organization and the industry’s market share.
We summarize these data in the form of a prioritized
listing titled Top 10 PCI Research Topics. This list is
then shared with prospective researchers to assist them as
they develop research proposals to be funded as regular
PCI (major) projects and/or PCI (Dan Jenny) Research
Fellowships, as well as those to be funded entirely or in
part by other research agencies, such as NSF, NIST, and
FHWA.
We have created a survey form designed to facilitate your
providing us with opinions regarding current technical
research needs. In addition, we are requesting that you tell
us about your company’s current and recent (nonproprietary)
research and development activities.
Please send your response to Paul Johal at PCI as indicated
on the survey form.
C. Douglas Sutton
Chair, PCI Research & Development Committee

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT SURVEY

Please list below the four most pressing technical problems that, in your opinion, confront the precast/prestressed concrete
industry today. Provide a brief statement of scope and objective(s) of research that would address each proposed topic. Attach
additional sheets as required.
1. ________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please describe your company’s current and recent (past 5 years) nonproprietary research and/or testing. Attach additional sheets
as required.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Additional comments. Attach additional sheets as required.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Please mail/email/fax this sheet to: Name: _______________________________________________
(Please Print)
Paul Johal
Director, Research and Education Position:______________________________________________
Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute
209 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 500 Company:_____________________________________________
Chicago, IL 60606 Telephone: ___________________Fax No: ___________________
Telephone: (312) 360-3213 Fax: (312) 786-0353
Email: pjohal@pci.org Email:________________________________________________

126 PCI JOURNAL

…Continued from page 125 ness of blast reinforcement concepts investigating innovative materials and
for precast concrete walls subjected construction procedures to improve
PCI Producers to win the approval of to blast forces. The program includes concrete bridge performance.
state departments of transportation in analytical work and explosive test- Roberts-Wollmann received a B.S. in
the use of SCC products. ing of precast concrete walls to be civil engineering from the University of
4. “Determination of Strength Re- conducted as part of the collabora- Nebraska, and her M.S. and Ph.D. from
duction Due to Fire Damage” at tion between the Air Force Research the University of Texas at Austin. Her
Clemson University under the di- Laboratory, PCI, and other concrete industry experience includes four years
rection of Professor Scott Schiff. industry trade associations. working for a bridge contractor in Texas
The scope of work includes a litera- as an engineer in the precasting yard for
ture review of past and current re- STUDENT EDUCATION a segmental bridge project. Roberts-
search, destructive and nondestructive Wollmann has also worked for Parsons
testing of damaged and undamaged Young Educator Achievement Brinkerhoff Quade and Douglas and
beams, and final analysis of all the Award Goes to Roberts-Wollmann was involved in many segmental and
research data. A correlation between conventional bridge design projects.
established fire endurance models Carin L. Roberts- Roberts-Wollmann is a member of
and the test results will be analyzed Wollmann will be PCI’s Bridges, Journal Advisory, and
to establish a model for predicting the conferred with the Student Education Committees.
post-damage strength of fire-damaged PCI Young Educa-
structural concrete members. tor Achievement Steinberg Selected for PCI’s
5. “Behavior of Connections Made of Re- Award in October Distinguished Educator Award
inforcement Cast in Grouted Conduit at the PCI Annual
Subjected to Static and Cyclic Load- Convention & Exhibition in Grapevine, Eric P. Steinberg
ing” at Portland State University under Tex. This award recognizes young edu- will be conferred
the guidance of Professor Franz Rad. cators in the fields of engineering, ar- with PCI’s Distin-
The purpose of the research program is chitecture, and construction technology guished Educator
to experimentally determine the behav- who have made significant contribu- Award for 2006 in
ior of connections made of reinforce- tions in their early careers to the precast/ October at the PCI
ment cast in grouted conduit subjected prestressed concrete industry. Roberts- Annual Conven-
to monotonic pull and cyclic loading. Wollmann has been an assistant profes- tion & Exhibition in Grapevine, Tex.
The research is especially relevant to sor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and The award was developed by the
walls that are subjected to shear forces State University in Blacksburg since
and overturning moments. 1999. Her research interests include …Continued on page 128
6. “Design of Anchorages for Unbond-
ed Post-Tensioned Strands in Seis-
mic Regions” at the University of
Notre Dame under the supervision of
Professor Yahya (Gino) Kurama.
The objective of the research pro-
gram is to investigate the ultimate
strength and deformation capac-
ity of unbonded post-tensioning
strands for use in seismic regions.
Premature failure of the strands has
been observed inside the anchorage
during recent investigations of un-
bonded, post-tensioned, precast con-
crete frame and wall systems. The
research will develop seismic design
guidelines and recommendations for
the practical application of anchors.
7. “Analysis of Precast Wall Panels
Subjected to Blast” at the Univer-
sity of Alabama under the direc-
tion of Professor James Davidson.
The objective of this research is to
understand blast energy manage-
ment mechanisms and the effective-

July–August 2006 127

…Continued from page 127
Student Education Committee and
recognizes distinguished educators
in the fields of engineering, archi-
tecture, and construction technology
who have made significant contribu-
tions to the precast/prestressed con-
crete industry.
Steinberg is an associate profes-
sor in the Civil Engineering Depart-
ment at Ohio University in Athens.
He joined the faculty at Ohio Uni-
versity after completing his Ph.D.
at Michigan Technological Univer-
sity in 1991. He served as assistant
chair for the department from 1997
to 2005.
Steinberg developed a prestressed
concrete design course at Ohio Uni-
versity shortly after arriving and has
taught the class numerous times, with
over 100 students completing the
course. The course also includes a
tour of a prestressing/precast facility
to provide students with another av-
enue to learn about the industry. He
has also taught an annual reinforced
concrete design course that has intro-
duced approximately 500 students to
the concepts of precast/prestressed
concrete. Steinberg’s research in-
terests include prestressed concrete
design, ultra-high-performance con-
crete, and structural reliability.
Steinberg is a member of PCI’s
Student Education Committee, for
which he produced the PCI Elec-
tronic Image Library, and he has
also been actively involved with
the Big Beam Student Competition.
Steinberg is also a member of PCI’s
Bridge Committees, on which he
has worked with the subcommittee
that produced the recently published
document A Manual for the Repair
of Precast Prestressed Bridge Beams
and Deck Panels. He has served as
a reviewer for PCI Journal and the
FHWA/PCI Bridge Conferences and
Symposiums numerous times. Stein-
berg has annually attended PCI Com-
mittee Days and Convention and has
provided some consulting services to
the industry.
In 2005, Steinberg also was named
PCI Central Region’s Professor of
the Year.
128 PCI JOURNAL
INDUSTRY NOTES
PCI Promotes Precast Month
in September
PCI is inviting its producer mem-
bers to participate in National Precast
Month, a celebration of precast con-
crete technology, manufacture, and
construction. The promotion is high-
lighted by plant tours and luncheons
during which designers learn about
how the versatility and speed of precast
concrete can enhance their projects.
National Precast Month will be con-
ducted similar to the 50 Days of Pre-
cast event held in 2004. Postcards and
emails will announce details for regis-
tration, a producer kit, and other pro-
motional items.
PCI Launches Marketing Intranet
As PCI’s new branding initiative—
designed to reposition precast concrete
in the construction industry and re-
fresh the image of PCI as an organiza-
tion—continues to accelerate and gain
momentum, our branding team has
launched a new resource: an intranet
for PCI marketing. Called Brand Cen-
tral, this information hub displays all
aspects of the branding initiative and is
designed to give members a complete
array of information and tools to keep
them in sync with the marketing and
branding efforts of PCI. We’ll contin-
ue to update and expand the resources
available to the extended family of PCI
marketing professionals.
You can access Brand Central under
the Members section of the PCI web-
site, www.pci.org.
U.S. Army to Switch to LEED
Construction Standards
In a January memo, Deputy Assis-
tant Secretary of the U.S. Army (In-
stallations and Housing) Joseph W.
Whitaker announced an update to the
Army’s strategy for “integrating the
principles and practices of sustainabil-
ity on our installations as we minimize
the impacts and total ownership costs
of Army systems, material, facilities,
and operations.”
To help achieve this goal, Whitaker
said the Army will shift from its Sus-
tainable Project Rating Tool (SPiRiT),
its own system, to the U.S. Green
Building Council’s (USGB’s) Lead-
ership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) Green Building Rating
System,® effective with the fiscal year
2008 military construction program.
LEED ratings to be achieved are desig-
nated for the various project types.
Labor Relations Board Settles
Illinois Jurisdictional Dispute over
Precast Concrete Setting
In April, the National Labor Rela-
tions Board decided that employees of
Freesen Inc. represented by Iron Work-
ers Local 112 are entitled to perform
the setting of precast concrete beams
on steel bearings for bridge work on the
Interstate 74 upgrade in Peoria, Ill. The
board came to this conclusion based
on employer preference and past prac-
tice, area and industry practice, relative
skills and training, and economy and
efficiency of operations.
Freesen CEO James Buhlig and man-
ager of bridges and structures William
Coates testified that the Iron Workers
could perform the work more effi-
ciently and economically because they
require a five-person crew. The Mid-
Central Illinois Regional Council of
Carpenters, which filed the complaint,
would require a six- or seven-person
crew, including two Iron Workers be-
cause only they can adjust the bearings
and set the anchor bolts for the retain-
ers. The Carpenters did not approve of
Buhlig’s initial proposal that Freesen
use a crew of Carpenters, Iron Work-
ers, and Laborers Local 165 members.
Highway construction company
Freesen Inc. is a signatory member of
the Associated General Contractors of
Illinois, through which it is bound to a
series of collective-bargaining agree-
ments with Iron Workers Local 112,
Carpenters Mid-Central Illinois Region-
al Council, and Laborers Local 165.
MIT Academic Leader to Be
Lehigh’s Next President
After directing research for one of
the world’s leading research univer-
sities for almost five years, Alice P.

Gast, vice president for research and
associate provost at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, was named to
head Lehigh University in Bethlehem,
Penn., on May 9.
As the next president of Lehigh Uni-
versity, she succeeds Gregory C. Far-
rington, who last fall announced his
plans to step down in June. Gast offi-
cially starts her new role as Lehigh’s
13th president on August 1.
Gast is known as a teacher and schol-
ar in the field of complex fluids and
colloids. Her scientific findings have
had a direct impact on and applications
in biotechnology, nanotechnology, and
advanced materials, and her research
has attracted support from major agen-
cies, including the National Science
Foundation and NASA, as well as from
several major industries.
Grace Launches Website to
Promote Decorative Concrete
Grace Construction Products is fo-
cusing on “Changing the Color and
Texture of Concrete” by launching
a website dedicated to showcasing
decorative concrete. The new site,
www.gracedecorativeconcrete.com,
promotes the design and aesthetic op-
tions now available with color and sur-
July–August 2006 129
face finishes. The website has separate
areas for homeowners, architects and
specifiers, and contractors. A photo
gallery shows illustrations of decora-
tive concrete’s use to add color, style,
and a distinctive look to driveways,
pool decks, patios, and walkways. The
site also features a color selector for
easy reference.
In addition, the section for contrac-
tors lists the advantages of integral
liquid pigments and contains down-
loadable information such as Grace’s
Top-Cast™ Decorative Finishing
Guide and Contractors Guide to
Colored Concrete.
PCI Implements New Phone System
PCI employees started using their
new voice-over-IP (VOIP) phones on
May 2. Extensions are now the last
four digits of each individual’s direct-
dial telephone numbers. Most PCI
employees’ telephone numbers have
remained the same. The new phones
replace the former outdated system
and were chosen to serve PCI custom-
ers better. The new system uses Inter-
net technology, allowing for ease of
use when staff members travel. The
system also has a new, more user-
friendly auto attendant.
Following is a list of PCI employee
telephone numbers:
Main (312) 786-0300
Atkin, Jennifer (312) 583-6785
Brown, Kim (312) 360-3200
Bulvan, Chris (312) 360-3218
Burgess, Michelle (312) 360-3215
Burnett, Jessica (312) 583-6774
Coleman, Becki (312) 583-6783
Davis, Brenda (312) 360-3211
Derwent, Ed (312) 583-6772
Dick, John (312) 360-3205
DuPere, Ken (312) 360-3208
Esho, Esho (312) 360-3216
Faul, Colin (312) 583-6781
Freedman, Sidney (312) 360-3203
Grigonis, Paul (312) 360-3217
Johal, Paul (312) 360-3213
Krohn, Jason (312) 583-6771
Lang, Danielle (312) 360-3212
Lopez, Ann (312) 583-6779
Lorenz, Emily (312) 583-6773
McIntosh, Kris (312) 583-6784
Merydith, Chuck (312) 360-3206
Nasser, George (312) 360-3202
Okun, Allyn (312) 360-3210
Pakal, Steve (312) 583-6775
Schneider, Jim (312) 360-3207
Toscas, Jim (312) 360-3204
Ulrich, Keith (312) 360-3209
Ward, Cindi (312) 360-3214
Industry Products
New PCI Designer’s Notebook
Available as Standalone Publication
Because of reader demand and the
extensive length of the Designer’s
Notebook report on Energy Conserva-
tion and Condensation Control, PCI
has published the series separately. The
64-page booklet combines the three
previously published sections from
Ascent with the remaining seven sec-
tions of this extensive discussion.
Martha VanGeem, P.E., the man-
ager of building science and sustain-
ability at CTL Group and a Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED)–accredited professional, wrote
the series. The first part of this report,
published in the spring 2005 issue of
Ascent, discussed key factors in energy
conservation, including building orien-
…Continued on page 130
…Continued from page 129
tation and shape, glazing and daylight-
ing, color, wind, texture, air infiltration,
and shading. Part two, published in the
summer 2005 issue of Ascent, present-
ed information on thermal resistance
and thermal bridges. Part three, to be
published in the winter 2006 issue of
Ascent, focused on topics such as heat
capacity and thermal mass.
The remaining sections include dis-
cussions of climate; condensation con-
trol; sources of moisture; condensation
on surfaces; condensation with walls
and use of vapor retarders; air infiltra-
tion, exfiltration, and air barriers; con-
siderations at windows; application of
insulation; and precast concrete sand-
wich panels.
Order the series online at the PCI
bookstore for $4 for members and $8
for nonmembers, or download the pub-
lication free at www.pci.org.
ACI Releases Guide for the Design
and Construction of Structural
Concrete Reinforced with FRP Bars
ACI’s Guide for the Design and Con-
struction of Structural Concrete Rein-
forced with FRP Bars (440.1R-06) of-
fers general information on the history
and use of fiber-reinforced polymer
(FRP) reinforcement, a description of
the unique material properties of FRP,
and guidelines for the construction and
design of structural concrete members
reinforced with FRP bars. The guide
is based on worldwide experimental
research, analytical work, and field ap-
plications of FRP reinforcement.
CADWELD Reinforcing Bar Splices
Exceed Minimum Specified Yield
The CADWELD mechanical splic-
ing system joins two sections of rein-
forcing bar by interlocking them with
molten-steel filler. The CADWELD
reinforcing bar splice is a butt splice
(metal filled, not welded) that produces
a joint with basically the same mechan-
ical properties as a continuous piece of
reinforcing bar.
The CADWELD process, developed
by ERICO in 1938, uses an internally
grooved sleeve working in conjunction
130 PCI JOURNAL
with the reinforcement deformations to
develop strength and consistency.
The splice is capable of exceed-
ing 150% of minimum specified yield
(Grade 60). CADWELD splices meet
the requirements of ACI 318, ACI 349,
and ASME 359. They are also designed
to meet or exceed many major building
code requirements.
The splices work on all standard
grades of reinforcing steel with defor-
mations. Only handheld tools are re-
quired for installation.
Applied Technology Council
Announces Availability of
Guidelines for Data Use in
Postearthquake Response
The Applied Technology Coun-
cil (ATC) announced the availability
of the ATC-54 report, Guidelines for
Using Strong-Motion Data and Shake-
Maps in Postearthquake Response,
Vic Perry (far right) of Lafarge North America prepares to cut the ribbon with (left to
right) Brian Moore of Wapello County; Jerry Parker, Mike Petersen, and Steve Siegel
of the Wapello County Board of Supervisors; Brent Phares of Iowa State University;
and Dean Bierwagen of the Iowa Department of Transportation.
funded by the California Strong Mo-
tion Instrumentation Program (CSMIP)
of the California Geological Survey.
The ATC-54 guidelines address two
main topics: effective means for using
computer-generated ground motion
maps (ShakeMaps) in postearthquake
emergency response and procedures
for rapidly evaluating (on a near-real-
time basis) strong-motion data from
ground sites and instrumented build-
ings, bridges, and dams to determine
the potential for earthquake-induced
damage in those structures. The docu-
ment also provides guidance on the
form, type, and extent of data to be col-
lected from structures in the vicinity of
strong-motion recordings and pertinent
supplemental information, including
guidance on replacement of strong-
motion instruments in, on, and near
buildings, bridges, and dams.
The ShakeMap guidance describes
data resources and procedures as well
as real and hypothetical examples illus-
trating the use of ShakeMap products
in emergency response.
North America’s First Ductal™
Highway Bridge Opens in Iowa
Lafarge and its partners celebrated
the completion of North America’s
first highway bridge built with Ductal™
at a special ribbon-cutting ceremony
on May 5 in Wapello County, Iowa.
Ductal is Lafarge’s ultra-high-
performance concrete that offers a
combination of superior strength, du-
rability, ductility, and aesthetic flex-

Wapello County’s newly constructed bridge is North America’s first-ever bridge
made with Ductal.
ibility. The Federal Highway Admin-
istration’s (FHWA) Innovative Bridge
Construction Program funded the
Mars Hill Bridge.
The bridge is the result of five years
of collaborative research and develop-
ment among FHWA, the Iowa Depart-
ment of Transportation, Iowa State
University’s Bridge Engineering Cen-
ter, and Lafarge North America.
With a single-span, three-beam cross
section, the bridge contains three 110 ft
Ductal girders with no reinforcing bars
for shear stirrups. The unique girders
were produced by Lafarge’s precast
concrete operations in Winnipeg, Mani-
toba, Canada, and were delivered to the
site in Iowa for installation by local con-
tractor Bloomfield Bridge and Culvert.
The compressive strengths of Ductal
reach up to 30,000 pounds per square
inch, and its flexural strengths reach up
to 6000 pounds per square inch.
TX Millennium Products Designed
as Self-Cleaning, Polution Reducing
Essroc Cement Corp. has begun
North American production of TX
Millennium. TX Millennium was
launched in the Unites States in Janu-
ary at the Las Vegas, Nev., World of
Concrete trade show and consists of
two key products: TX Arca cement,
which provides concrete with a self-
cleaning benefit, and TX Aria cement,
which gives concrete the added ability
of mitigating environmental pollution.
July–August 2006 131
To accomplish these feats, the product
uses a hydraulic binder with photocata-
lytic properties.
TX Arca reduces the maintenance
requirements for concrete structures or
buildings by destroying most organic
and inorganic pollutants that come into
contact with the concrete surface and
cause discoloration.
TX Aria effectively destroys air-
borne pollutants, which are responsible
for urban organic pollution.
Concrete applications for TX Mil-
lennium include vertical and horizontal
surfaces, structural and architectural
precast concrete, plasters and coat-
ings, concrete blocks, median barriers,
retaining walls, concrete paving/roads,
and cementitious tiles.
Italcementi’s Technical Research
Center in Bergamo, Italy, developed
the TX Millennium technology over
a decade of research. TX Millennium
was highlighted in the Dives in Miseri-
cordia Church in Rome, which contains
256 precast concrete elements and was
designed by American architect Rich-
ard Meier.
Foundation Engineering Handbook
Now Available from McGraw-Hill
Foundation Engineering Handbook:
Design and Construction with 2006
International Building Code by Robert
W. Day is now available from McGraw-
Hill and contains hands-on engineering
data, procedures, and calculations for
all aspects of foundation design and
construction, including preliminary
subsurface explorations, seismic analy-
sis, underpinning, and load testing.
The book also covers:
• Determine soil and rock strata
thickness, estimate depth to
groundwater, obtain soil and
rock samples, and conduct pen-
etration tests.
• Calculate existing stresses in soil
mass and increase in stresses
due to applied loads.
• Calculate correct foundation
bearing capacity, estimated
settlement, and other critical
design parameters.
• Increase safety factors for foun-
dations built on slopes with low
surficial stabilities.
• Determine soil’s susceptibility
to liquefaction in the event of an
earthquake.
• Select the optimum import fill
for soil improvement.
• Comply with International
Building Code requirements
for structural tests and inspec-
tions, structural design, soils and
foundations, concrete, site work,
grading, and seismic analysis.
Hamilton Form Develops
Adjustable Riser Stair Form
Hamilton Form has developed an
adjustable riser stair form to increase
the number of products that could be
cast out of one form. The form was
designed to cast on edge with inte-
gral head and foot landings and can be
adjusted several ways. Riser height,
throat thickness, length of landings,
and number of steps can be adjusted.
The final form can handle a multitude
of designs, providing the precaster with
added flexibility and a better return on
investment.
Keys features of the product include:
• An internal soffit was built to act
as a template to adjust the risers
from 6 ft to 7 ft (1.8 m to 2.1 m).
• The soffit can be shimmed to
different elevations to change
the width of the stairs.
• Internal headers can be used to
…Continued on page 133
 JOHN A. WILKE
1946–2006
John A. Wilke, director of quality assurance,
Precast/Pretressed Concrete Institute, Chicago, Ill., died
on May 8, 2006, at the age of 59. For the previous six
months, Wilke had been undergoing chemotherapy and
radiation treatment for colon cancer. From all indica-
tions and his doctor’s assessment, Wilke appeared to be
making a remarkable recovery. Indeed, all who saw him
at PCI Committee Days the last week in April remarked
on how well he looked. Shortly after Committee Days,
however, Wilke unexpectedly developed a blood clot
that traveled to his
heart, resulting in a
fatal heart attack.
About 60 people
attended Wilke’s
memorial service,
which was conduct-
ed by the Reverend
Don Niswonger, on
June 3 at the Dieter-
le Memorial Home
in Montgomery, Ill.
In remembrance
of Wilke, Jim To-
scas, PCI president;
Dick Taylor, a sales
representative for
Strand-Tech Martin
Inc.; Henry Clark,
Ross Bryan Associ-
John and Susie Wilke socialize at JVI’s banquet during PCI Committee Days.
ates Inc. president;
Ed McDougle, Ross
Bryan secretary/treasurer; John Dick, PCI director of
transportation systems; Jessica Burnett, administrator,
quality assurance; and Loretta Snee, a long-time family
friend, gave eloquent eulogies.
Wilke joined the PCI headquarters staff in February
2002 as director of certification programs. His main re-
sponsibility was to oversee the Plant Certification Pro-
gram and work closely with Ross Bryan Associates Inc.,
PCI’s auditing agency, and the Plant Certification Com-
mittee. His tenure at PCI was only four years, yet he
made a major impact here. Wilke brought precast erec-
tor companies into the PCI membership and developed a
certification program for their eligibility. He also worked
diligently in revising and updating the Manual for Quality
Control for Plants and Production of Structural Precast
Concrete Products and the Manual for Quality Control for
Plants and Production of Architectural Precast Concrete
Products (MNL-116 and MNL-117). In particular, he led
the change in product curing procedures. Wilke also en-
joyed teaching the quality assurance workshops for plant
personnel and took special delight in encouraging young
men and women to enter the precast concrete industry.
132 PCI JOURNAL
Wilke received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engi-
neering from Newark College of Engineering (now New
Jersey Institute of Technology) and a master’s degree in
business administration from Rutgers University. After
college, he entered Officers Training School and during
the Vietnam War was stationed at U.S. military bases in
Japan and South Korea.
He began the first 13 years of his professional career
in the precast/prestressed concrete industry with Florida
Mining and Materials in the Tampa area, where he served
as sales engineer,
division engi-
neer, and general
manager of their
Tampa division.
Later, he worked
for several PCI
member compa-
nies, including
Oldcastle/Span-
crete Northeast
Inc., Fabcon LLC,
Stress-Con Indus-
tries, and Atlantic
Metrocast.
Wilke also
worked for sev-
eral years for
Wafflecrete in the
Philippines and
Thailand. There,
he helped train
local personnel in setting up efficient production opera-
tions and quality control procedures for precasting plants.
During the past 30 years, he worked in many different
capacities, including plant manager, operations manager,
quality control manager, and project engineer. He had
extensive knowledge of the precast/prestressed concrete
industry and enjoyed his job immensely.
In his spare time, Wilke was an adventurer and outdoor-
sman. He and his wife, Susie, were avid motorcyclists and
loved animals, especially dogs. Wilke was fond of telling
anecdotes about his experiences in Japan, South Korea,
Thailand, and the Philippines. He recounted heroic stories
that his father told him about the U.S. Air Force and espe-
cially the Flying Tigers during World War II.
Wilke also liked to poke fun at himself, but he had a
serious side, too. He could not tolerate injustice and had
deep compassion for the downtrodden. As a final deed, he
donated his remains for medical research.
Wilke was born December 5, 1946, in Plainfield, N.J.,
and was married to Susie on August 30, 1975.
Our deep sympathy goes to Susie Wilke and the Wil-
ke’s entire family and friends.
…Continued from page 131
marketplace
adjust the length of the landings.
• The thickness of the throat area
and landings can be adjusted ENGINEERING MANAGER
from 6 ft to 10 ft (1.8 m to 3 m). Proven hands-on manager with P.E. in civil or mechanical preferred by dynamic, growing,
• Individual sections are bolted team-oriented, 58-year-old custom steel form fabricator. Direct department of 3 individu-
together and can be removed als & be part of a dynamic Senior Management Team. Company sells nationwide, some
or added to vary the number of travel req’d. Benefits include profit sharing, 401K & performance bonuses. Send resume
tread and risers. including compensation requirements & detailed references to: P.O. Box 07847, Colum-
bus, OH 43207-0847.
Saf-T-Mag ON/OFF Magnet
Improves Safety and Flexibility
Are you receiving Place Your Classifed Ad
The use of magnets instead of bolt- duplicate copies of the Classifed advertisements are a
down systems for adjusting steel rails
for concrete forms is fast becoming the PCI Journal? quick and economical way to adver-
preferred method in prestress concrete Is your name misspelled on the tise open positions in your firm. The
production. Working with magnets address label, or is your address PCI Journal’s Marketplace listings are
around steel forms has its drawbacks, incorrect? Please alert us to any attractively placed within the popular
however. Production personnel must Industry News section, making them
discrepancies in your subscription to
be careful that magnets don’t acciden- highly visible to readers.
the PCI Journal. Send an email with
tally slam into each other, the magnets
your changes to memberservices@ Marketplace classified ad are avail-
can be difficult to disengage, and mag-
nets attract metal debris. pci.org. able for just $170 per column inch.
To solve these problems, Hamilton Please be sure to include: You write the text, we do all the rest,
Form Co. has announced the availabil- • Your name as it appears on the including typesetting. Your company
ity of the Saf-T-Mag, ON/OFF magnet. Journal mailing label logo and color can be included for an
The Saf-T-Mag is designed to be safer • Your address as it appears on the additional fee.
and easier to handle than conventional For more information, call PCI’s
Journal mailing label
magnets because the magnet can be
•Y  our contact information, in case Ann Lopez at (312) 583-6779 or email
turned on and off. The magnet will not
turn on unless it is placed on a steel we need to reach you. her at alopez@pci.org.
surface. Once in place, use a wrench to
turn the knob 90 degrees to activate the
magnet. The Saf-T-Mag is available in a
500 lb or 2000 lb (227 kg or 907 kg) ca-
pacity to stay firmly in place. When the
magnet needs to be moved, use a wrench
to turn the knob to the “off” position to
disengage the magnetic attraction.
Once the magnet is off, it can easily
be removed from the casting surface.
Metal shavings and debris are not at-
tracted to the magnet, which makes
cleaning easier. Also, with no magnetic
attraction, the magnet won’t acciden-
tally slam into a form. Workers no lon-
ger face the risk of pinched fingers and
injuries associated with conventional
magnets.
The Saf-T-Mag allows for quick
form release and relocation, and it can
be used for a variety of applications in
addition to adjusting rail widths. The
magnet has also been used for window
block-outs and to hold headers and Hamilton Forms’ adjustable riser stair increases the number of products that can be
welding plates in place.is cast from one form.

July–August 2006 133