Q: Section 6.c.iii indicates that the specimen that gets the quickest flow (less time to drain) will obtain the highest score in the permeability test. What we don't find very clear is the following: what will be the scoring criteria for different expected flow values?

For instance: if a team's specimen takes 1 minute to drain, what will be the score for a different team's specimen that takes 2 minutes to drain? (Supposing that the specimen that took 1 minute to drain was the fastest among the others.)

We also have a similar question on what's stated in Section 6.d.ii regarding the scoring in the Splitting Tensile Strength. What scoring criteria is going to be taken?
A: For the permeability test, Section 6.c.iii states, "the entry requiring the least amount of time to complete the test shall receive the top ranking for the permeability test section of the Specimen Testing prize category." In other words, all entries will be ranked based on the amount of time to complete the test and the entry taking the least time to drain will receive the number one ranking. As an example, if 40 teams compete and the quickest time is 20 seconds whereas the slowest time is 1 minute, the team with the 20 second time will have a ranking of 1 whereas the team with the 1 minute time will have a ranking of 40 (that is, P = 1 vs P = 40 in the Final Score equation). For the splitting tensile test, as indicated in Section 6.d.ii, the entry getting the highest tensile strength as measured by ASTM C496 will get the best (lowest) ranking (that is, S = 1 in the Final Score equation).
Q: How many days' strength is required for the splitting tensile strength test?
A: The competition does not have a limit (maximum or minimum) on the cure time. This is intentionally left up to the team's discretion as part of the mixture design process.
Q: Section 2.c states that all aggregates shall be nonmetallic. We are interested in using a natural aggregate for the pervious competition. Our aggregate is a mining by-product that will otherwise be waste. Can you please elaborate on what classifies an aggregate as metallic?
A: If the aggregate is primarily made of metal, it would be considered metallic. Essentially, aggregates made entirely or almost entirely of metal would not be allowed. In the case of a mining by-product, they do typically have ferrous minerals (metals) in them; however, they are usually not the primary mineral in the aggregate and would be considered acceptable for this competition.
Q: How long are the samples to be cured?
A: Minimum and maximum cure times are not specified in the contest rules and are left up to the teams.
Q: Does the electronic paper have to be identical to the hard copy paper? Are we allowed to make updates to the paper and present the updated paper at the competition? If a concrete specimen is selected and stated in the electronic paper, are we allowed to change our mind after turning in the electronic paper?
A: The electronic report(s) should be submitted with the best information a team has at the time of submittal and the judges will score the report(s) based on the electronic version. Changes to the mixture design or other elements should be reflected in the hard copy which is submitted and displayed at the competition site. When submitting the report, please inform the ACI staff if you have made changes to the report. The on-site judges will consult this report for clarity if questions arise.
Q: Where might I find the industry recognized rationale method for C02?
A: There are several methods out there and none are currently recognized as the standard of the industry yet, which is why we did not specifically state a single one. A Google search yields several possible methods (also consider searching under life-cycle assessment or life-cycle inventory).

An example of some methods would be to perform a life-cycle inventory via PCA's Concrete Thinker site (http://www.concretethinker.com) or use a free software package such as BEES 4.0 by NIST (http://www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/software/bees/).