Sessions & Events

MINI SESSION: Rebuilding after Fire: Approach to Assessing and Repairing Fire-Damaged Concrete

Monday, October 27, 2025  3:00 PM - 4:00 PM, M - Promenade

This session will discuss lessons learned from major wildfire events including the Marshall Fire in Colorado as well as the January 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires as these communities look to rebuild. Concrete, as a fire-resistant building material, can experience damage and require repair following wildfires. This session will discuss lessons learned as communities look to rebuild using existing foundations and concrete pavements remaining after the fires. The session will also cover approach to assessment of concrete to determine the extent of repair required.

Learning Objectives:
(1) Understand the potential impact of wildfires on construction in wildland-urban interface zones;
(2) Describe assessment methods for fire-damaged concrete;
(3) Understand laboratory evaluation methods for determining effects of fire on concrete;
(4) Discuss repair approaches for fire-affected concrete.

Update on Rebuilding Los Angeles

Presented By: Ann Harrer
Affiliation: Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
Description: The devastating January 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles affected the Palisades and Altadena communities significantly. Not only were homes destroyed, but the fires caused significant damage and, in some cases destroying, commercial districts within both communities. Concrete buildings, paving, and infrastructure were all directly affected. This brief talk will present a quick overview on current efforts in Los Angeles to rebuild within the Palisades and Altadena communities.

Assessment of Concrete Exposed to Fires

Presented By: Ashok Kakade
Affiliation: Concrete Science Inc
Description: In this talk the speaker will discuss the approach to assessing concrete exposed to fire. Any damage to the fire-resilient concrete components can be determined and quantified with an understanding of the fire event, the original component, and a thorough assessment. This talk will discuss considerations when developing an assessment of a concrete structure or element exposed to fire. Use of non-destructive evaluation techniques, visual documentation, and sampling for laboratory studies will be also discussed.

A Petrographers Perspective of Assessing Fire-Damaged Concrete

Presented By: Gerard Moulzolf
Affiliation: American Engineering Testing, Inc.
Description: Extent of fire damage sometimes can only be confirmed with laboratory studies. This talk will present the laboratory studies available and utilized to assess concrete samples removed from elements exposed to fire. Laboratory tests often used, including heat soaking, will be discussed.

Lessons Learned from the Marshall Fire

Presented By: John Lund
Affiliation:
Description: Speaker John Lund will present his own experience from assessing fire-damaged structures as well as developing repair approaches as part of the rebuilding efforts in Denver, Colorado. The speaker will present case studies as well as discuss the resiliency of concrete in the face of wildfires.