NRMCA Senior Director, Building Innovations, Patrick Matsche and Vice President, Research & Technical Services, Glenn Schaefer recently attended the annual American Concrete Institute's (ACI) Concrete Innovation Forum in Denver. Schaefer (seen here at left along with Ed McCary of Hawaiian Cement and Matsche at right) is also a board member and nominee for vice chairman of the ACI Foundation’s Concrete Innovation Council (CIC) which organized the event, bringing together material suppliers, A/E firms, contractors, academics and executives to share insights on current trends, emerging technologies and new innovations related to concrete.
Program Highlights - The two-day forum featured perspectives from leading design firms, universities, startups and EPD/LCA practitioners. Ann Masek, executive director of the ACI Foundation, opened the program, setting the stage for a collaborative look at innovation across the concrete value chain. Former ACI President Charles K. Nmai of NRMCA Associate member Master Builders closed with an outlook on advancing reduced-carbon technologies.
Delivery through Collaboration - Patrick Frawley, P.E., of NRMCA Producer member Vulcan Materials led a panel discussion underscoring the importance of early collaboration among owners, design teams, contractors and ready mix producers, stating “we’re playing football, not tennis. We need all the players working together toward a common goal.”
Spotlight on Novel Alternative SCMs - A central theme of the forum was the exploration of new SCMs to address both supply limitations of traditional options and the drive to reduce carbon intensity. ACI President Maria Juenger and others highlighted calcined clays and LC3 systems as two of the most promising near-term technologies. Several researchers also noted the ongoing development of SCMs from locally available resources, natural pozzolans and engineered blends designed to provide reliable supply and consistency.
Build With Strength - Thanks to the generous support of the ready mixed concrete industry, Build With Strength is recognized as a leading advocate, spearheading the effort to reduce and eliminate embodied carbon in buildings, roads and infrastructure. The ACI Foundation event represents a key example of NRMCA’s ongoing efforts to build safe, sustainable and resilient communities across America. The Build With Strength platform is a leader in supporting structural engineers, architects, end users, specifiers and producers in achieving low-carbon, high-performance concrete.
For more information, contact Patrick Matsche at pmatsche@nrmca.org or 415-672-5275.
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association