Sessions & Events

Hot Topic Session: What's Next After Type IL Cement and How Can We Use Blended Cements Successfully?

Sunday, October 26, 2025  8:00 PM - 10:00 PM, H - Holiday 1

This session will explore how to successfully use blended cements in concrete construction, from the perspectives of researchers, producers, and contractors. While much of the US has recently seen the introduction of Type IL portland-limestone cements, Types IP, IS, and IT cements containing slag cement and/or pozzolans may become more widely available in the future. Speakers will share insights on successfully testing, producing, placing, and finishing concrete mixtures containing the next generation of blended cements to meet project performance requirements.

Learning Objectives:
(1) List examples of what other blended cements may be coming into the marketplace;
(2) Describe how the next generation of blended cements will be different for concrete producers;
(3) Describe how concrete mixes containing new blended cements may behave differently and give examples of strategies for successful placement and finishing of these mixtures;
(4) List examples of how ready-mix producers and contractors can evaluate concrete mixtures containing blended cements.

This session has been approved by AIA and ICC for 2 PDHs (0.2 CEUs). Please note: You must attend the live session for the entire duration to receive credit. On-demand sessions do not qualify for PDH/CEU credit.

Practical Tools to Manage Blended Cement Mixtures

Presented By: Tyler Ley
Affiliation: Oklahoma State University
Description: Blended cements are the future of the concrete industry. It is important that producers and contractors communicate about the workability of the concrete mixtures in new ways besides the slump. This presentation gives a series of tools that can be used to to investigate the finishing, bleed rate, and set time for flowable concrete. These tools are practical and can be done in the mixture design stage or during trial batching. This helps ensure that the correct mixture is provided for the project. These tools can also be used to troubleshoot different blended cements.

Education and Buy-In – The Key to a Successful Project with High Volumes of SCMs

Presented By: Jim Casilio
Affiliation: Pennsylvania Aggregates and Concrete Association
Description: Changes in time of set, bleeding, and workability of concrete mixtures with high volumes of SCM's can derail the success of a project. When questions of finishability and workability become issues of constructability and durability, an unpleasant dispute usually follows. This presentation will review a system put in place in Pennsylvania, from a lesson learned the hard way, to revise specifications and provide education to those craftsmen that we depend on to provide durable finished concrete.

Successful Implementation of New Blended Cement: A Producer's Perspective

Presented By: Eric Koehler
Affiliation: Titan America
Description: The introduction of new cementitious materials requires a methodical and collaborative process. This presentation will share experiences on implementing portland limestone cement and share recommendations for future blended cements.

Making the Ever-Changing New World of Cements Work as a Producer and Contractor

Presented By: Jim Martinoski
Affiliation: Miller and Long Co., Inc.
Description: This presentation will discuss the skills for managing the process of success with blended cements and high-replacement SCM mixes from a concrete producer and contractor’s perspective.