INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS
Technical Activities
Committee News
During the late summer months
and early fall, the Technical Activities Committee (TAC), chaired by
Roger J. Becker, has been busy
balloting the final chapters of the
PCI Design Handbook, Fourth Edition. A recommendation to publish
this document will be made to the
PCI Board of Directors at its winter
meeting in January.
TAC met during the PCI convention in Minneapolis, Minn., and discussed the status of several reports that it will be balloting during
the winter months. In addition, the
committee sponsored many successful technical sessions at the
convention. The technical program
was outstanding, well received and
well attended.
Many practical applications of
high strength concrete were presented in Minneapolis. The High
Strength Concrete Committee
(Charles W. Dolan, chairman) has
found that several producers are
finding that, on specific job situations, it is advantageous to produce high strength concrete. The
capacity of high strength concrete
to reduce sections and provide
longer spans, and the durability
benefits which result from the use
of high strength concrete, all help
to create a more profitable market
for such products.
The Precast Sandwich Wall Panels Committee (Peter D. Courtois,
chairman) had a very large audience for its session on precast
concrete sandwich wall panels.
The technology shared in the
state-of-the-art presentations
showed the viability of sandwich
panels, even during slow economic
conditions.
A survey of more than 200 existing precast concrete parking structures, conducted by the Parking
Structures Committee (Charles
November-December 1991
Magnesia, chairman), indicates
excellent performance of precast
concrete structures. A summary of
the survey was presented at the
convention. The session, which attracted many interested individuals, included presentations on designing, detailing, evaluation and
repair of precast concrete parking
structures.
During the session on seismic issues, attendees were informed of
existing techniques and design
methodologies that allow totally
precast concrete structures to be
built in all seismic zones. The Seismic Committee (James K. Iverson, chairman) session showed
that, under present codes, any
structure that can be designed and
built as a cast-in-place monolithic
structure can just as easily be a
precast concrete structure. This
design approach opens up new
markets for our industry.
Sessions on bridges, justice facilities, research and development,
and architectural precast concrete
rounded out the technical program
of the convention.
Many subcommittees of TAC
met and continued their progress
on the various programs and missions. In addition, several committees have finalized projects or reports during the last half of 1991.
The Bridges Committee (Joseph
B. LoBuono, chairman) gave the
"Spliced Girder Report" to TAC for
balloting, the Prestressed Concrete Piling Committee (Mcleod
C. Nigels, chairman) completed
the revision to its "Recommended
Practice for Design, Manufacture
and Installation of Prestressed Concrete Piling," and the Tolerances
Committee (Jerald A. Schneider,
chairman) finalized for publication
a supplement to the 1985 report on
"Tolerances for Precast and Prestressed Concrete."
Congratulations and thanks from
PCI and the entire industry goes to
these committees for their achievements.
The Precast Concrete Sandwich
Wall Panels Committee meeting
enjoyed good attendance and the
New Appointments to
PCI Technical
Committees
The following individuals
have recently accepted appointments to PCI technical
committees. We appreciate
their interest and voluntary
participation.
• Ad Hoc Committee on
A TLSS and PRESSS
H. S. Lew
National Institute of
Standards & Technology
Gaithersburg, Maryland
• Bridges Committee
Maher K. Tadros
University of Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
• JOURNAL Awards
Committee
Leslie D. Martin
(chairman)
The Consulting
Engineers Group Inc.
Mt. Prospect, Illinois
• Prestressed Concrete
Piling Committee
Richard R. lmper
Morse Bros. Inc.
Clackamas, Oregon
Richard L. Mogel
J. H. Pomeroy & Co. Inc.
Petaluma, California
• Research &
Development Committee
John M. Hanson
(chairman)
Wiss, Janney, Elstner
Associates Inc.
Northbrook, Illinois
111
committee made progress on its
report. It is still the feeling of the
committee that a state-of-the-art
report is needed at this time. An
outline of all the various systems
and concepts has been prepared,
with chapters now assigned and
writing underway.
Durability is a "hot topic" of interest and this was reflected by the
Dr.-lng. Hans Minetti
(1898-1991)
Dr.-lng. Hans Minetti,
honorary president of the
Deutscher Beton-Verein
(DBV) (German Concrete
Association), died at the
age of 93 on September 12,
1991.
When he was elected
president of the DBV in
1947, Dr. Minetti was a
member of the board of directors of an important German building contractor.
Under his leadership, his
scientific interest determined the objectives of
DBV. He was successful in
motivating the engineers of
the construction firms to cooperate in the DBV committees, in enlarging the organization into construction research, and in increasing
quality control on concrete
construction sites.
Many honors were bestowed on Dr. Minetti, including one of the highest
medals of the German Federal Republic. He was honorary senator of the Technical University of Berlin,
honorary member of the
Federation Internationals de
Ia Precontrainte (FIP), and
the DBV gave him the "Emil
Morsch Medal."
Dr. Minetti's ideas on the
relationships between science, economy and administration influenced a generation of civil engineers.
112
attendance at the first meeting of
the newly formed Durability Committee. Many guests, as well as
members, attended the meeting
and discussion was lively. Anthony P. Chrest of Walker Parking
Consultants accepted chairmanship of the committee.
It was agreed that enough technology exists for the Durability
Committee to make simple recommendations to the industry on how
to avoid alkali-aggregate reactivity
and how to successfully use silica
fume. These are the immediate
tasks assigned to the committee
by TAC. The long-term goal of
quantifying and presenting the
durability of precast concrete
brought out an interesting discussion which highlighted the excitement over the potentials of this
committee.
Along with its regular meeting,
the Bridges Committee also held
the traditional joint AASHTO/PCI
bridges meeting. Both groups are
heavily involved in the review of
the proposed LRFD AASHTO Design Specification. Several parametric studies have been completed which compare this code to
the existing code. The studies
point out that some changes need
to be made to the new design
specification in order to remove the
negative impact on precast concrete. Because service stresses
often control designs in our industry, the LRFD concept does not
very simply apply to precast concrete without careful treatment.
Communication between all parties
is underway to restore parity and
status quo.
Research & Development
Committee News
The Research & Development
(R&D) Committee (A. Fattah
Shaikh, chairman) met during the
PCI convention, and Chairman
Shaikh announced the appointment of John M. Hanson as the
committee's new chairman. Dr.
Shaikh's term as chairman of the
R&D Committee expires December 31, after nearly seven years of
outstanding service to the committee.
Dr. Hanson's two-year term of
service begins January 1.
Dr. Hanson has been president
of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc., Northbrook, Ill., for more
than 10 years, having joined the
consulting and research firm in
1972. Prior to that, he was employed by the Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill., and served
on the faculty of Lehigh University,
Bethlehem, Penn. A former chairman of PCI's Technical Activities
Committee, Dr. Hanson completed
his term as president of ACI in
March of 1991.
Several research programs have
been approved for 1992 - three
research fellowships; a research
project of high priority; a discretionary fund to investigate catastrophic events (such as an earthquake or bridge collapse) or other
projects of extreme emergency in
which precast or prestressed concrete is involved; support and involvement as industry advisors in
the ATLSS (Advanced Technology
for Large Structural Systems) and
PRESSS (Precast Seismic Structural Systems) programs; and research on GFRC optimum mixes
at Washington University, St.
Louis, Mo.
Two New Research
Projects Funded
During the Minneapolis convention, the PCI Board of Directors authorized $60,000 over a two-year
period for funding research on
"Durability and Corrosion Protection of Precast, Prestressed Concrete Structures." The R&D Committee had selected the study of
durability and corrosion protection
as the topic of highest research
priority, and the topic had also
been endorsed by the Marketing
Committee (Michael E. Quinlan,
chairman) and the Parking Structures Committee (Charles Magnesia, chairman). The top 20 PCI research topics are listed on page 59
of this issue.
In addition, the PCI Board of DiPCIJOURNAL
rectors authorized $8000 from the
research and development budget
to support the CPCI and the University of Toronto research project,
"Design Procedure for Bracing
Buildings by Precast Concrete
Cladding Panels." CPCI will be
contributing $84,400 during the
next two years, and the Natural
Sciences and Engineering Re search Council of Canada (NSERC)
is furnishing a grant of $89,500 to
this research program.
APA Awards Program Call for Entries
The Architectural Precast Association (APA) has announced its
call for entries for the 1992
"Awards for Design and Manufacturing Excellence." Any type of
structure entered must use precast
concrete architectural elements
and must be produced and registered in the competition by a member of the Architectural Precast Association or the Precast/Pre-
stressed Concrete Institute.
The 1992 competition will be
judged in Orlando, Fla., by three
prominent members of the architecture profession - Gary Dean,
AlA (jury chairman) , Dean & Associates Architects, Little Rock, Ark.;
Martha Jane Murray, Locus Architects, New Orleans, La.; and
Spencer Compton, AlA, Interactive Resources Inc. , Point Richmond, Calif.
Jurors will be looking for designs
that display a highly animated use
of precast concrete which gives life
and vitality to the building surface.
Other considerations include good
control of the medium, consistent
color and textural control, and a
design that exploits the potential of
architectural precast concrete.
Winning entries will be selected on
the basis of APA-established criteria that have evolved since the inception of the awards program.
Structures completed since January 1, 1990, are eligible for this
year's program. The deadline for
r=
Nashville in 1992
Now is the time to start thinking
about next year's PCI convention
in Nashville, Tenn. Scheduled for
October 11-14 at Opryland Hotel,
this convention site is a favorite of
the PCI membership.
One attraction you will not want
to miss while in Nashville is the
Grand Ole Opry, home of country
music's greatest stars. Because
the Opry is sold out months in advance, PCI has reserved a block
of seats for performances on Saturday, October 10. But you must
act now to reserve your seats.
The anticipated ticket price is
$16.00. (The price is subject to
change; any difference in price will
be refunded or collected in 1992.)
The first show is 6:30 to 9:00p.m. ,
and the second show is 9:30 p.m.
to midnight. Send payment (or
Visa/MasterCard information) directly to PCI, indicating which
show you wish to attend.
~---~
Zero Defect Engineering at Work ...
Specialists in the Design and Detailing
of Precast/Prestressed Concrete
•
•
•
•
•
•
Engineer of Record/Parking Consultant
Bridge Design and Products
Structural, Architectural and GFRC Products
Design/Build Projects
Value Engineering
CAD Services
Discover the Value of Quality Engineering
::E.'3E:.A.~~
ASSOCIATES
International, Inc.
November-December 1991
10730 North 56th Street • Suite 220 • Tampa , Florida 33617 • (813) 988-6870
7475 Dakin Street • Suite 205 • Denver, Colorado 80221 • (303) 426-0222
113
entries is January 31, 1992. For
additional information, contact
Tom Cory, chairman of the APA
Awards Committee, c/o APA, 1850
Lee Road, Suite 230, Winter Park,
Fla. 32789. Tel: (407) 740-7201.
rPRECAST;
PRECAST, INC.
COMPLETE DETAILING
ARCHITECTURAL
STRUCTURAL
CAST STONE
Preparations for
BIBM 93 Continue
(307) 733-2872
PO BOX 1185140 EAST BROADWAY
JACKSON, WYOMING 83001
Simple - Span
Prestressed
Beam Program
• OP'TlMIZING DESIGN MODE - creates best strand
pattern with lowest concrete strengths in seconds - no
iterations required. At ends, strands draped/debonded
to optimum location automatically. Program makes all
design decisions.
• ANALYSIS MODE -can analyze existing structures.
• Six Uve Load types. Large array af beam sections.
• Bridge Design in conformance with current MSHTO &
AREA Specifications. Commercial Design in conformance with ACI 318 Specifications.
• Brochure and fully operational demo with user manual.
1061 oMqrado Circle
Sutte 1232
Austin, Texas 78759
(512) 338-9723
PRESTRESSED &
ARCHITECTURAL
CoNCRETE
SERVICES
~ Quality Drafting &
V
Engineering Services
r~ [ -tj
7000 E. Shea Blvd., #2S2
Scottsdale, AZ BS2S4
- - · - - - {602) 998-1226
~(~
THE
C 0 N S U L
More than 2500 members of the
worldwide precast concrete industry will convene in Washington,
D.C., September 10-15, 1993, to
participate in the 14th International
Congress of the Precast Concrete
Industry (BIBM 93). Sponsored by
the Canadian and U.S. members
of the National Precast Concrete
Association (NPCA), BIBM 93 will
be the first time the congress has
been held in a North American location since the BIBM was
founded in 1954.
The theme of the congress, "Visions of the Future - The New
World of BIBM," will be reflected in
all facets of the business programs and technical sessions.
BIBM 93 will provide a forum for
engineers, industry experts, manufacturers and suppliers to define
future developments, trends and
challenges facing the concrete
products industry.
NPCA, along with seven concrete products industry cooperating organizations, will present two
days of concurrent programming
on structural units, concrete pipe,
concrete masonry, architectural
precast concrete, concrete pavers
and underground products. Members of the American Concrete
Norman L. Scott
Leslie D. Martin
Thomas J. D'Arcy
Armand H. Gustaferro
Gerald E. Goettsche
James K. Iverson
T
I
N G
E N G
N E E R S
I
Harold L. Nelson
Kenneth R. Kowall
Walter J. Korkosz
Paul N. Cardone
Michael J. Malsom
Peter G. Troiani
G R 0 U
P
INC.
55 E. Euclid • Suite 420 • Mt. Prospect, Illinois 60056 • {708) 255-5200 •
FAX {708) 255-5271
2455N.E. Loop410 •
San Antonio, Texas78217 •
{512)637-0977 •
FAX{512)637-1172
625 Imperial Way
•
Napa, California 94559
•
{707) 252-9544
•
FAX {707) 252-9544
103 Gravesleigh Terrace • Pittsfield, Massachusetts 01201 • {413) 442-8653 • FAX {413) 442-8653
•
•
•
•
Precast Concrete Specialists
Structural Engineering
Feasibility Studies
Plant Design
•
•
•
•
Shop Drawings
Problem Investigations
Fire Resistance Studies
Construction Market Research
Pipe Association, Architectural
Precast Association, Concrete
Paver Institute, National Concrete
Masonry Association, National
Precast Concrete Association, Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, Portland Cement Association
and the American Concrete Institute will lend expertise to the program development.
In addition to the concurrent sessions, a full day has been devoted
to the plenary sessions. The tentative program includes programs on
improvement of existing production
systems, earthquake zones - performance of precast/prestressed
concrete vs. cast-in-place structures, designs for 21st century precast concrete plants, and cementaggregate chemical compatability.
Leading suppliers to the precast
concrete industry will be displaying
the latest equipment and other
products of interest to BIBM 93
delegates. In addition, plant/factory
tours, construction site visitations,
social functions and historical and
cultural tours of the area will complete the program.
Full information regarding BIBM
93 and registration materials will
be available in June 1992. For additional information, contact BIBM
93, 825 E. 64th St., Indianapolis,
Ind. 46220. Tel.: (800) 428-5732
(Canada and U.S.) or (317) 2530486; Fax: (317) 259-7230.
Underground Space and
Earth Sheltered Structures
Subject of Conference
The Nova Terra Foundation is
organizing the "Fifth International
Conference on Underground
Space and Earth Sheltered Structures," scheduled for August 2-7,
1992. The conference will be held
in conjunction with the 150th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.
The conference themes will be
the planning, design, economy and
use of:
• lnfrastructural utilities
• Transport conduits (tunnels for
trains, vehicles and metro)
PCI JOURNAL
• Spaces for human activities/occupation (shopp ing centers ,
recreation , cultural activities)
• Spaces for storage (waste, energy, stock)
For more information , contact:
Congress Office ASD , P.O. Box
40 , 2600 AA Delft, Netherlands .
Tel. : 31-15120234 ; Fax : 3115120250.
ACI-ASCE Committee Call for Papers
The ACI-ASCE-550 Committee
on Precast Concrete Structures
has arranged a special session
and is requesting papers to be presented in Vancouver , British
Columbia , Canada . The main
theme of the session is "Precast
Concrete Shearwalls for Seismic
Loads. "
Please submit an abstract, not to
exceed 200 words, and a brief biographical sketch of the author before March 15, 1992, to Vilas Mujumdar (session chairman), 3984
SIRKO ASSOCIATES, INC.
(303 ) 428-0901
7000 Broadway #1-1 01 , Denver, Colorado 80221 .
II
CONSULTING ENGINEERS
Complete Engineering Design and Shop Drawing Services
COMMITTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE PRECAST CONCRETE BUILDING INDUSTRY
Nobel Drive , #1 01 , San Di'ego ,
Calif. 92122.
Prestressed Girder
Research Approved
A $107 ,500 two-year grant for
research on vibration effects on 16
ft (4.88 m) rectangular T- and 1shaped prestressed concrete girders has been authorized by the
National Science Foundation NSF).
The grant from NSF's structural
and building system program went
to Nabil Grace, associate professor of civil engineering , Lawrence
Technological University, Southfield , Mich . Four Lawrence Technological University students will
assist in the research .
"We will simulate 50 years of
load cycles in Lawrence Tech's
structural testing laboratory in two
months. We not only want to find
what it will take to make the girders
break, but what can be done to
correct a situation - such as
cracking, sagging or loss of prestressed tension - without demolishing a building," Dr. Grace said.
The research will be concentrated on girders that were cast
Specialized Personnel Serving the Precast Concrete Industry
•
Computer Aided Drafting Worhstatlons
•
Tablet and Menu Customlzatlon to Your
Standards
•
AutoCAST Tablet Expedites Drawings
•
CAD-I IS PERFORMANCE ORIENTED!
CiJII or write...
we can help/
7000 Broadway, #1 -101
Denver. CO 80221
(303) 421-CAD/ (2231)
November-December 199 1
115
with openings to allow for the passage of heating and cooling ducts
and pipes. How such girders have
held up to vibration from traffic or
machinery will be the focus of the
vibration testing, simulated with the
aid of a computer-interfaced hydraulic actuator provided by MTS
Systems Corp., Bloomfield Hills,
Mich.
After the test girders have been
cast, they will be equipped with
sensors, such as accelerometers
and strain gauges, and then subjected to static, dynamic and repeated loads until the members
crack.
Dr. Grace noted that the research was inspired by John M.
Hanson, who had questioned the
RECRUITING & ORGANIZATIONAL HELP
Professional services to PCI PRODUCERS
by an experienced insider at the lowest rate in U.S.
Too many people and not enough help?
MILLARD PEIRCE
904-677-5570
QUALITY!
Quality does not just happen. It is
intentionally produced by genuine effort, sincere
and intense diligence, intelligent focus and peak performance.
Of several available options, QUALITY is the wise choice. All of us at HWA
thank our precast, prestressed concrete producer clients for making the wise choice.
We offer others the opportunity to do so too.
OUR SERVICES: Structural Design-Erection Drawings-Piece Details
OUR PERSONNEL: Experienced-Practical-Plant Oriented
OUR PRIDE:
QUALITY
H. WILDEN
r.
ASSDC:IATES, INC:.
CONSULTING ENGINEERS
Established 1978
315 East Main Stl"eet • Macungie, PA 18062·1710 • 215·188·3835 • Fax: 21!5·886-4515
CONSULTING TO PRECAST
CONCRETE PRODUCERS
longevity of such girders. Dr. Hanson heads Wiss, Janney, Elstner
Associates Inc., Northbrook, Ill.
According to Dr. Grace, research
results will be forwarded to ACI for
possible use in the preparation of
codes and standards related to
prestressed concrete.
Hsu Named Distinguished
Eshback Professor
Thomas T. C. Hsu, professor
and former chairman of the department of civil and environmental engineering at the University of
Houston, Houston, Texas, is now a
visiting professor at Northwestern
University in Evanston, Ill. He has
been awarded the position of Eshback Society Distinguished Visiting
Scholar in the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering
and Applied Science for the 1991'92 academic year.
During his stay, Professor Hsu
will work closely with researchers
at the National Science Foundation
Center for Science and Technology
of Advanced Cement-Based Materials (ACBM), headquartered at
Northwestern University. His research interest is mainly in the
area of reinforced and prestressed
concrete structures, especially in
shear, torsion and fatigue behavior.
An author of numerous technical
papers, Professor Hsu holds a
master's degree and a Ph.D. from
Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. He
was development engineer at the
Portland Cement Association during the 1960s and professor and
chairman of the department of civil
engineering, University of Miami,
Coral Gables, Fla., during the
1970s.
Lichtenstein Named
ASCE Honorary Member
PCI professional member Abba
G. Lichtenstein, P.E., Dr. Eng., of
Tenafly, N.J., founder and former
president of A. G. Lichtenstein &
Associates Inc., Consulting Engineers of Fair Lawn, N.J., was accorded Honorary Member status
by the American Society of Civil
116
PCI JOURNAL
Precast/Prestressed Concrete
Beam Design (ACI)
• DT. ST. hollow core, inverted
tee, flat slab, etc.
• Point, uniform, and trapezoidal loads
• Straight, 1-pt, or 2-pt
depressed patterns
• Combined shear and
torsion design
• Advanced bi-linear deflection
analysis
• Cantilevers, stepped topping
and flange openings
Precast Concrete Connection
Design
• Reinforced bearing design
• Dapped-end design
• Ledge design
• Corbel design
• Welded headed stud groups
• Analysis of 3-D weld groups
• Also includes modules for
torsion design and moment
capacity by strain
compatibility
...... 0
~
Multi-Story Column and Wall
Panel Design
• Braced multi-story precast
compression members
• Slenderness effects by P-Delta
or moment magnification
• Circular or rectangular
columns
• DT. hollow core, flat slab, and
other wall types
• Prestressed strand, rebar, or
both
• Ultimate and service interaction diagrams
Load Table Generation lor
Precast/Prestressed Beams
• Rapid generation of tables of
allowable loads
• More flexible than PCI Design
Handbook
• Three levels of detail:
- several strand patterns,
range of span lengths
- one pattern, range of span
lengths
- 2-page verification of one
pattern, one span length
Simple-Span Prestressed Bridge
Beam Design (AASHTO)
• 1-beams, bulb tees, box beams,
DTs, slabs, etc.
• Automatic moving load
analysis
• Standard (HS20, E-80, etc.) or
non-standard vehicles
• Losses by AASHTO or BPR
methods, or manual entry
• Auto strand pattern and
debonding design
• Comprehensive output
Continuous Prestressed Bridge
Beam Design (AASHTO)
• All features of SPAN plus:
• Single-span or up to 12 spans
• Automatic moving load analysis for continuous spans
• Consideration for positive and
negative moment envelopes
• Calculation of continuity steel
in deck
• Sophisticated shear design for
continuous structure
Engineers (ASCE) at its annual
convention in Orlando, Fla. This is
ASCE's highest grade of membership. Dr. Lichtenstein also received
the prestigious Civil Engineering
History and Heritage Award.
A long -time PCI professional
member, Dr. Lichtenstein is recognized internationally for his pioneering work on the inspection and
rehabilitation of existing bridges,
and for his major contributions to
the preservation and restoration of
historic American bridges.
Pennell Receives Award
Richard H. Pennell, president
and chief executive officer of
Metromont Materials Corporation ,
has been awarded the Dean ' s
Award from the Clemson University College of Architecture. Mr.
Pennell, honored for his outstand-
ing service as
president of the
Clemson Architectural Foundation for 1990 and
1991 , was pre sented the award
during a recent
ceremony at the
university.
According to James F. Barker,
dean of architecture, "Mr. Pennell ,
as president of the foundation, has
significantly increased annual contributing membership and has initiated the major gifts committee as
well. He has invested an unprecedented amount of energy and invaluable knowledge into all as pects of the Foundation. "
The Clemson University College
of Architecture is composed of five
divisions: city and regional planning, architecture, landscape archi-
tecture , construction science and
visual arts and history. Clemson is
the only university in South Carolina offering degrees in city and
regional planning , architecture ,
landscape architecture and construction science.
Metromont Materials Corporation
is headquartered in Spartanburg ,
S.C . and produces ready mixed
concrete , masonry products , concrete pipe , precast prestressed
concrete, bridge products, pavers
and ancillary building materials.
deFion Appointed
Vice President
Ellerbe Becket has announced
the appointment of Richard L. deFion, AlA, as vice president for the
Kansas City Sports Facility Design
Group. Mr. deFion was the architect in charge of the White Sox
Stadium project, which used an extensive amount of architectural and
structural precast concrete.
ENGINEERING
"Engineering is a great profession. There is the fascination of
watching a figment of the imagination emerge through the aid of
science to a plan on paper. Then
it moves to realization in stone
or metal or energy. Then it
brings jobs and homes to men
and women. Then it elevates the
standards of living and adds to
the comforts of life. That is the
engineer's high privilege.
The great liability of the engineer compared to men (women)
of other professions is that his
(her) works are out in the open
where all can see them . His
(her) acts, step by step, are in
hard substance. He (she) cannot
bury his (her) mistakes in the
grave like the doctors. He (she)
cannot argue them into thin air,
or blame the judges like the
lawyers. He (she) cannot, like
the politicians, screen his (her)
shortcomings by blaming his
(her) opponents and hope the
people will forget. The engineer
simply cannot deny he (she) did
118
it. If his (her) works do not work,
he (she) is damned.... On the
other hand, unlike the doctor, his
(hers) is not a life among the
weak . Unlike the soldier, destruction is not his (her) purpose.
Unlike the lawyer, quarrels are
not his (her) daily bread. To the
engineer falls the job of clothing
the bare bones of science with
life, comfort and hope. No doubt,
as years go by the people forget
which engineer did it, even if
they ever knew. Or some politician puts his (her) name on it. Or
they credit it to some promoter
who used other people's money.
... But the engineer himself
(herself) looks back at the unending stream of goodness
which flows from his (her) successes with satisfactions that
few professions may know. And
the verdict of his (her) fellow professionals is all the accolade he
(she) wants."
Herbert Clark Hoover
31st President of the United States
(1929-1933)
Coreslab Structures Adds
Dy-Core™ to Product Line,
Names Davis Manager
Coreslab Structures Inc., a leading manufacturer of precast, prestressed concrete products in the
United States and Canada , has
added Dy-Core™ to its product
line. In addition, the company has
named Greg Davis as its Dy-Core
manager.
The Dy-Core line includes 8- and
10 in. (203 and 254 mm) high
strength hollow-core slabs used
primarily as a floor system for multistory apartments, hotels and dormitories. Because it is a zeroslump, extruded material , Dy-Core
has excellent compaction, which
allows it to support equal loads
with less weight than cast-in-place
concrete . Coreslab Structures is
the only precast concrete producer
in Phoenix offering a hollow-core
product manufactured with the
zero-slump extrusion process.
Prior to joining Coreslab Structures, Mr. Davis spent 12 years at
Phoenix Ready Mix , where he
worked in quality control and later
PCI JOURNAL
----------------~~~~-------------GREGORY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, INC.
"Marketing and Management Consulting for the Precast Concrete Industry"
6500 W. 166th Street, Tinley Park, Illinois 60477
Office: (708) 429-1444
Fax: (708) 429-9222
as plant engineer and plant manager. In his new position , Mr. Davis
will oversee production , scheduling
and shipping of the hollow-core
slabs.
Plant Tour Showcases
Quality Improvement
High Concrete Structures Inc.,
Denver, Penn ., recently sponsored
a tour of its plant and 67 architects,
engineers , contractors, erectors ,
magazine editors and suppliers
from the mid-Atlantic states and as
far away as Chicago came to see
the facility.
The theme of the plant tour and
open house was "Customer Satisfaction Through Quality Improvement. " High Concrete Structu res
Inc.'s quality improvement director,
Russel B. Hasson, explained that
the company has significantly re duced defects and increased its
profitability since implementing the
quality improvement process in
1987.
"We like to share our experiences in providing good customer
service based on our 'Do It Right
The First Time ' quality improvement philosophy. The plant tour
also affords us an opportunity to
keep our clients abreast of what's
happening in the precast concrete
industry and provide them with
new ideas to use in their projects ,"
he said.
"Economical, quality mix every time~'
~~ere's what
users like most about Turbin Mixers
• A high quality, homogenous mix that is 99%
uniform batch after batch.
• Reliability that keeps operating
costs low, profits high.
• Simple to maintain
with no complicated
gear drives, easy
November- December 199 1
access, fewer moving parts.
You can select the Turbin Mixer that's right
for you from seven models, capacities
from Y2 cu. yd. (20 C.F.) to
4 Y2 cu. yd . (162 C.F.) .
For complete information write or call today.
119
Staff members of High Concrete
Structures Inc. escorted gro.ups to
plant areas displaying the architectural forming process, a long span
double-tee bed and a one-of-a-kind
enclosed sandblast facility. In addition , a full-scale parking garage
structural section and architectural
samples were exhibited by the
award -winning precast and prestressed concrete manufacturer.
Employees also discussed various
products , panel components and
finishes , as well as industry innova-
tions for designers utilizing precast
and prestressed concrete.
Session Focuses on
Tennis Center
A session on the recently com pleted Connecticut Tennis Center
was part of the Precast Concrete
Fall Exposition, an industry conference sponsored by the New England Region of PCI and the New
England Chapter of ACI. Corporate
supporters of the event included
Bob Meier, High Concrete Structures Inc. marketing representative, demonstrates
the application of a broom finish on a double-tee bed. Pictured also are Jeff
Althouse (left) , quality control inspector, and lrv Keisling (center), prestress lead
person .
Precast concrete panels are sandblasted at High Concrete Structures Inc.'s oneof-a-kind enclosed facility.
120
Blakeslee Prestress Inc., the Branford , Conn. -based company that
fabricated and erected the stadium 's 1600 precast concrete
members.
Featured speakers on the Connecticut Tennis Center panel in cluded Paul DiMauro, project
manger for Fusco Corp., New
Haven, Conn ., construction manager on the project ; Frank Zamecnik, principal in Spiegel, Zamecnik
and Shah , New Haven , Conn .,
consulting structural engineers ;
Joseph Weiss of the architectural
firm Edward Larrabee Barnes/John
M. Y. Lee , Partners , New York,
N.Y. , which designed the structure;
and Leslie D. Martin of The Consulting Engineers Group Inc., Mt.
Prospect, Ill.
"We were dealing with a very
rigid deadline in this case; the stadium had to be open in time for the
Volvo Masters Tournament in August," said Mr. DiMauro. "There
was no way we would have fin ished the project on schedule if we
had gone with anything other than
precast concrete ," he explained.
"We started almost two months
late and without precast concrete,
it would have been impossible to
make up the time ."
As the construction manager for
the project, Fusco Corp. had been
the main proponent of the precast
concrete option , which not only
lent itself to speed of construction,
but also offered an economical
structure and high standard of
quality control. "With precast concrete, we were able to keep right
on going and disregard the
weather," added Mr. DiMauro.
The architects were also pleased
with the results. "Precast concrete
did everything it was supposed to
do," noted Mr. Weiss, project architect. "It gave the stadium a clean
architectural appearance. And because the pieces were fabricated
in a factory, it was possible to obtain a higher consistency of finish
than would otherwise have been
possible."
According to Mr. Weiss , most
stadiums hide their support structure behind externally imposed faPCI JOURNAL
and construction, and received a
master's degree in civil engineering from Purdue University, West
Lafayette, Ind.
In addition to his memberships in
PCI , ACI and ASCE, Mr. Kelly has
contributed to the industry through
his authorship of several published
papers in the PCI JOURNAL.
The firm's address is P.O. Box
579, Ocean Springs, Miss. 39564.
Tel. : (601) 875-5531 .
Coreslab Structures
Begins San Diego Project
Precast and prestressed concrete was used as the main structural frame for the
Connecticut Tennis Center.
cades. But, he said, "In this case,
the structure is the facade - so for
the stadium to work, the precast
concrete components had to work."
The stadium was also unusual in
that it was made entirely of precast
concrete, rather than a more conventional steel frame and precast
platform and seating risers , or a
cast-in-place frame with precast
seating .
"The surface area of the structurally supported deck [150,000 sq
ft (14000 m2 ) for seating , players'
facility and concourse decking]
made precast concrete an obvious
choice, " commented Mr. Zamecnik, engineer for the project. "It
could be produced in a plant while
the foundation and skeleton framing work was underway." Economy
of formwork, uniformity of finishing ,
quality control and durability to
weather exposure were all cited as
benefits of precast concrete.
Blakeslee ' s vice president ,
Robert J. Vitelli, pointed out that
the stadium 's superstructure featured an unusually cantilevered
support beam design, which called
for concrete members of up to 70 ft
(21 m) long. Also, while the stadium's L-shaped components and
slabs were fairly standard , the
company had to supply five types
of raker (stepped) beams, massive
concourse beams and trapezoidNovember-December 1991
shaped columns - all of which
had to be fabricated in custom designed molds.
As the consulting engineer, Mr.
Martin noted that a decision during
the planning stage to break up the
upper deck framir:~g into cantilevered sections helped pave the
way for a smoother erection process. "We had considered many different ways to cast the upper deck
framing of the cantilevered section
until the idea of breaking it into segments was suggested by [Blakeslee
president] Mario J. Bertolini," Mr.
Martin said. "This was a relatively
simple detail to accomplish and it
helped enhance the erection of the
precast components. "
Kelly Opens for Business
PCI professional member John
B. Kelly, P.E., recently formed a
consulting engineering firm in
Ocean Springs, Miss. The new firm
provides engineering, drafting and
consulting services to precasters,
contractors and the private sector.
A registered professional engineer in six states , Mr. Kelly has
been involved in the engineering
and management of two different
precast concrete companies since
1970. He has extensive experi ence in precast concrete segmental box girder bridge fabrication
Coreslab Structures Inc., San
Diego, Calif. , has begun construction of a seven-story parking structure at the San Diego Hyatt Re gency Hote l. The 250 ,000 sq ft
(22000 m2 ) structure, with space for
1200 cars, will accompany a new
hotel tower under construction .
Prestressed concrete doubletees and beams , as well as pre-
COLORADO STRUCTURAL
CONSULTANTS '"'
Comple te Engineering &
Dra fting Services.
163 VALUJO STREET
OfNV£1, CO 80223
TEtE: 303-871·0442
FAX: 303•871 •0443
"Structura l
• Bridges
"Architectura l
•GFRC
"Design/ Bui ld
e The Best Way
. . to Estimate
Your Next Job.
ut •
Comprehensive estimating software
far the precast concrete industry.
• Performs detailed takeoffs and
estirrates productiond grouting, erection
and engineering & rahing casts.
. . • Helps estimate more jobs with
existing manpower and with
greo·er accuracy.
• Easy to use- runs inside lotus®1·2-3®,
no need to learn a complicated
new program.
•
Callorwrite
~
fordetails:
~
Ill
ut
n
8()0-451 ·5327
lEAP SOFTWARE
P.O. Box 290414 • Tamp:J , fl33687
121
l
1!1
~
~
~
~
~~
~
~
m1
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
lVI
Celebrates 40 Years
Anderson (Arthur) . . .
Birkeland (Halvard) .. .
Anderson (Thomas) .. .
Mast (Robert). Each
founding partner of
ABAM Engineers added
a critical element necessary to form a superior
full -service engineering
business. The combined
efforts of these men
helped to shape the
course of engineering
for years to come.
ABAM Engineers, a
member of The Berger
Group, had more than
350 visitors in midSeptember at its open
house reception in celebration of 40 years of
engineering excellence.
Guests included local
dignitaries, former and
current employees, and
the clients who have
given ABAM the suecesses achieved during
its 40 years. Many current board members as
well as several of the
founders attended the
celebration .
Using the theme
"Looking back, we 've always had an eye for the
future ... " ABAM used
the opportunity of its
40th anniversary to
thank those individuals
for their efforts in making the firm one of the
Robert F. Mast, one of the
founding partners and
current chairman of ABAM
Engineers, was on hand to
help celebrate the 40th
anniversary.
most technically advanced engineering
firms of its type. Tours
of the ABAM offices
gave guests a chance to
see ABAM 's projects
that brought them to the
present.
ABAM 's pioneers
began using the relatively new prestressed
concrete technology in
the United States in the
summer of 1951 . Finding new solutions to
client demands became
ABAM 's goal for "innovative engineering,
boldly conceived and
imaginatively applied ."
This approach initiated
the fusion of design and
construction by technical innovation. ABAM 's
40 years of success in
engineering are highlighted by the many
landmark projects that
reflect its history of providing innovative solutions in a variety of engineering fields.
Among the most influential of ABAM 's projects were the first bulbT girder on a bridge in
Skagit County, Wash.;
the first prestressed
concrete contract
awarded by Washington
State using T-girders for
Tacoma's 11th Street
Bridge ; the Boeing Developmental Center in
Seattle, Wash.; 50 acres
of prestressed concrete
buildings for the Ala
Moana Shopping Center
in Hawaii ; and the first
major use of prestressed concrete in a
skyscraper- the Norton Building in Seattle.
In the 1960s, ABAM
expanded uses of materials and methods, and
the company pioneered
the marriage of computer-generated design
data with heavy construction formwork. To
support increased demands of larger ships,
ABAM developed lowmaintenance pier struc-
Leon A. Marantz,
chairman of the Finance
Committee for Louis
Berger International and
member of the ABAM
Engineers Board of
Directors , with his wife,
Arline Marantz.
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
President of ABAM Engineers, Alexander Popoff
(center), wilth local dignitaries and guests.
Donald L. Mosman, port facilities planner of ABAM
Engineers, takes one more tidbit from the buffet table.
tures fabricated from
prestressed concrete
materials. Because of
their strength and economy, these structures
set the industry standard for concrete piers
for waterfront development. The Seattle
Monorail, a showcase
project of the 1962
World's Fair, carried a
unique design ; for the
first time , curved prestressed concrete
beams provided a
smooth ride for passen-
Charles H. Knight Jr.,
former president of
Concrete Technology
Corporation, Tacoma,
Wash ., attended the ABAM
party along with more than
350 other visitors and
friends of the company.
ger comfort. With assistance from ABAM , the
project was completed
on time and, today,
stands as a reminder of
ABAM 's entry into the
transit field. ABAM also
developed new designs
for logging bridges that
made rapid construction
in remote areas a reality. Another ABAM project, the First Interstate
Bank Building in
Tacoma, Wash. , was
the first major Northwest
concrete building to follow modern earthquake
requirements.
In the 1970s, ABAM
branched out from its
Northwest roots and
began working on projects throughout the
country. In addition to
continuing its work on
transit projects, projects
at Bangor's Trident
Base refit wharf and explosives handling wharf
launched ABAM 's work
for the U.S. Navy. Offshore participation
began with a 65,000-ton
floating concrete LPG
terminal for ARCO the largest prestressed
concrete floating structure in the world. Other
offshore work included
design of oil platforms
for arctic areas, as well
as exploring structures'
reactions to icy environments.
ABAM became associated with Louis Berger
International, one of the
largest and most respected consulting organizations in the world,
in 1988. As a member
of the Berger organization , ABAM expanded
its resources , offering
clients an array of new
services and worldwide
capabilities. ABAM
moved into the environmental sector by the
end of the decade.
Unique projects included the Trident Submarine Base in Kings
Bay, Ga., the Las Colinas Area Personal
As engineering demands become increasingly complex, ABAM intends to increase its capabilities to serve
emerging client needs,
integrating innovation
and proven design for
construction to master
new frontiers in engineering . Recent projects
include work with the
U.S. Navy in developing
prestressed concrete
Children of ABAM employees "clowning around" at the
festivities.
Transit System in Irving ,
Texas, and the U.S.
Navy Battle Carrier
Group Homeport in Everett, Wash.
In the 1990s, ABAM
continues to work
closely with port authorities , municipalities, state
and federal agencies,
local industries and government organizations.
structures with special
nonmagnetic stainless
steel. Projects such as
the ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC)
technologies, representing pollution-free , no
greenhouse effect
sources of energy, will
drive ABAM 's further
role as an industry
leader.
Pictured left to right are Ann Kennedy, Kimberly D. Hinckley and Pat Reeves - a few
of the many employees that have helped ABAM Engineers to become a quality firm.
CORBEL DESIGN PROGRAM
According to
The PCI Design Handbook
Third Edition, Section 6.11
ORDER
TODAY
.......
I
I
I
t
SIMPLE TO USE
"SPREADSHEET" TYPE
INPUT
Use Normal/Lightweight Concrete
Monolithic or Secondary Pour
r
I
i
$27.95
Plus $2.50 Shipping and Handling
JAC Software
4520 West Village Dr., Suite F
Tampa, Florida 33624
Specify 5.25 or 3.5 diskette
Florida Residents add 6% State Sales Tax
"When I need it
yesterday...
I call Preco."
Dale Stites, President
Stites Concrete, Inc.
When America's leading precasters
need high quality retarders, sealers,
and concrete accessories,
they turn to Fosroc-Preco.
Fosroc-Preco can help you on
your next precast project.
Call us at 1-800-645-1237.
~lFesre•®
FOSROCINC.
Preco Precast Division
55 Skyline Drive
Plainview, NY 11803
In NY 516-935-9100
124
368 pages
soft cover
This book is a compilation of the series of articles on the history of the precast prestressed
concrete industry in North America which appeared in nine parts covering 13 successive issues of the PCI JOURNAL (May-June 1978
thru May-June 1980).
In these articles various industry pioneers narrate their experiences and recollections of the
early history of prestressed concrete in
America. This very valuable volume should be
on the bookshelf of anyone involved in any way
with precast prestressed concrete.
---------------------~Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute
175 W. Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Send me the " Reflections on the Beginnings of
Prestressed Concrete in America" (JRH-81).
Please send me _ _ copies of JRH-81,
at $15.00 each. (nonmembers pay $30.00)
NAME _________________________________
FIRM - - - - - - - -- -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ADDRESS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - CITY/STATE/ZIP ___________________________
COUNTRY - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - All payments must be U.S. denominated •nd dr-n on • U.S. blink
PCI JOURNAL
cast concrete columns, stairwells,
stairs and planters are being supplied by Coreslab's manufacturing
plant in Phoenix, Ariz. The loadbearing precast planter sections
support the double-tee floor system, according to Ron Vanes, project manager. The use of precast,
prestressed concrete offered the
most economical framing system
for the project, he said.
The project is expected to be
completed on schedule in November 1992. HuntCor Inc., Phoenix,
Ariz., is the general contractor.
Skidmore , Owings , and Merrill ,
San Francisco, Calif., is the project
architect.
Symposium Focuses on
Noteworthy Applications
in Concrete Prefabrication
The Prestressed and Precast
Concrete Society of Singapore is
calling its third international symposium on July 13-15, 1992, to discuss the following themes:
• Prefabrication methods for building and bridge construction
• Planning, analysis and design of
structural components
• Manufacturing equipment, process, control and quality assurance
• Transportation, site storage and
erection techniques
• Jointing and waterproofing
• Stability considerations
TAKE NOTE!
American Airlines, in cooperation with PCI, is offering meeting saver fare
discounts to most Pelsponsored meetings.
For reservations and
complete information,
call (800) 433-1790 .
Mention the meeting you
plan to attend and refer
to Star File #S15Z 2K1.
November-December 1991
• Composite construction
• Architectural prefabrication
• Mechanical and electrical installations in prefabricated structures
• Defects and repair methods of
existing prefabricated buildings
• Special methods - segmental
construction, demountable jointing, etc.
Authors are invited to submit abstracts (one page only, please) for
papers on these specific themes or
any subjects that are within the
general scope of the symposium.
Authors or co-authors must be present at the symposium to present
their papers. Only papers registered and presented at the confer-
DRAFTSPERSON
Opening for experienced architectural pre·
cast concrete detailer. Person must have 5
to 10 years experience and be capable of
assuming management of the drafting department and supervising 5 to 10 draftspersons. Send resume to:
PrecasVPrestressed Concrete Institute
Box #109
175 W. Jackson Blvd., Su~e 1859
Chicago, Illinois 60604
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
The leading multi-plant corporation
engaged in the manufacture of full line of
precast prestress concrete products needs
Structural Engineer. Qualified applicant
should have a minimum of 2 years experience in the precast industry. Excellent
opportunity for growth and develpoment.
Nice midwest location that offers stable
economy.
Send resume to:
PrecasVPrestressed Concrete Institute
Box #1122
175 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 1859
Chicago, Illinois 60604
PCI JOURNAL advertising rates are
available upon request. Write to PCI
at 175 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago,
Illinois 60604, or call (312) 786-0300.
ence will be included in the symposium documentation.
The deadline for submissions is
January 15, 1992. Send abstracts
and requests for more information
to: John S. Y. Tan, conference director, 150 Orchard Road #07-14,
Orchard Plaza, Singapore 0923.
Tel.: 7332922; Fax: 2353530;
Telex: RS 33205 FAIRCO.
OPPORTUNITY
OPPORTUNITY
OPPORTUNITY
The leading consulting
engineering firm in the
prestressed concrete industry is looking for the
BEST DRAFTERS AND
BEST ENGINEERS.
LEAP has doubled its size
in the last two years and is
continuing to grow rapidly. We have become the
leading consulting firm in
the industry by securing
and training the very best
people.
We have a LIFETIME of
OPPORTUNITY to offer
you! Talk to the most progressive company in this
industry.
OUR GROWTH
=
YOUR OPPORTUNITY
COME LOOK AT
OUR TEAM!!!
Apply in complete
confidence to:
Joe Cornell
Vice President,
Human Resources
P.O. Box 21298
Denver, CO 80221
(303) 426-0222
P.O. Box 16007
Tampa, FL 33687
(813) 988-6870
Z.'lll&:.&.~.
ASSOCIATES
lnternMlonol, Inc.
125