High Strength History in Chicago
Presented By: Walter Flood
Affiliation: Flood Testing Labs, Inc.
Description: Much of the credit for the development of high strength concrete in Chicago can be attributed to one concrete producer: Material Service Corporation. From their 7500psi test column in 1962 to 14000psi specified strengths on structures in the market in the 1980s, the progression of concrete improvement followed a logical method of production trials leading to design incorporation. But as most of these trials were the result of late night ACI dinners or meetings at the Opera, they have remained mostly undocumented and unknown to all but the handful of lucky individuals who happened to be involved. This presentation will let you into the secret of how high strength concrete progressed from a ready mix producer's lab to being used to build the world's tallest structures over a period of less than 30 years.
The Legacy of the AASHO Road Test
Presented By: Kurt Smith
Affiliation: Applied Pavement Technology, Inc.
Description: The AASHO Road Test, conducted in Ottawa, Illinois (approximately 80 miles southwest of Chicago) between 1958 and 1960, was the third in a planned series of seven experiments intended to investigate how pavement performance is influenced by pavement type, axle loadings, and climatic conditions. However, after the first two tests and amid rising costs, the program was consolidated into a single, large-scale experiment in Ottawa. This comprehensive test included a wide range of concrete and asphalt pavement designs and loading conditions. The extensive data collected from the AASHO Road Test enabled engineers and statisticians to develop equations relating axle loads to pavement performance. These findings were first published in 1961 and 1962 as the AASHO Interim Guide for the Design of Rigid Pavement Structures and the AASHO Interim Guide for the Design of Flexible Pavement Structures. Since then, the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO)—renamed the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in the early 1970s—has updated the design guide four times and remains the most widely used pavement design procedure in the world. This presentation will discuss the history of the AASHO Road Test and its enduring impact on pavement design over the past 65 years.
History of the Design, Construction and Restoration of the Iconic High-Rise towers of Marina City
Presented By: Brian Greve
Affiliation: Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
Description: This presentation reviews the history of the design, construction and restoration of the twin high-rise towers of Marina City in Chicago. Designed by Bertrand Goldberg Associates, the iconic high-rise towers of Marina City were the tallest reinforced concrete buildings in the world when they were completed in 1962. The unique modern design served as a model for mixed-use developments that is still used today. The construction of the towers utilized innovative design concepts, materials and construction techniques including a circular center structural core, high strength and lightweight concrete, reusable fiberglass forms, hydraulic concrete delivery systems, and expedited construction scheduling. The design and construction of Marina City was an important milestone during the evolution of concrete high rise construction during the 20th century. The facade of the towers consists of exposed reinforced concrete beams, columns, and balcony slabs. Significant concrete deterioration was identified on the facade in the 1990’s and multiple facade repair projects have been subsequently performed. The deterioration and repairs required will be presented, with an emphasis on the significant challenges associated with performing concrete repairs on high-rise buildings. The concrete repairs and application of waterproof coatings has significantly reduced the rate of deterioration, and preserved and extended the useful life of these iconic buildings.
Flying the Red and Yellow Banner: How Material Service Corporation Contributed to Chicago’s Growth
Presented By: Rick Yelton
Affiliation: World of Concrete
Description: From its humble beginnings in 1926 as a reseller of sand and gravel with docks on the Chicago River, Material Service Corp. grew into one of the industry’s leading innovators in concrete production and construction. The company played a significant role in the development of the Chicago area during the post-war construction boom that extended well into the 1980s and 1990s. In time, the company expanded beyond aggregates and ready-mixed concrete. The company operated a Dycore production facility, a concrete pipe plant. The company participated in the construction of many iconic projects, including the Sears Tower and the Edens Expressway. The company was an innovator, being one of the first ready-mixed operations to incorporate central dispatching, introduce superplasticizers into ready-mixed concrete, and design structures using lightweight concrete assemblies.
Concrete and the Construction of the Illinois Waterway Lock and Dam System
Presented By: Anne Werner
Affiliation: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Description: The Illinois Waterway (IWW) is a system connecting Lake Michigan in Chicago to the Mississippi River at Grafton, Illinois. The system includes eight locks and dams along 333 miles of waterway consisting of the entire Illinois River and portions of Des Plaines, Chicago, and Calumet Rivers. It is part of the 9-foot Channel Navigation Project that connects and ensures navigation of waterways in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri to the lower Mississippi River and beyond. The IWW is now operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The current waterway system, constructed primarily during the 1930s, has roots going back to the Rivers & Harbors Acts of 1899 and 1917. A brief look into the unique development and construction history of each lock and dam and the essential role concrete played in the process is provided.
63rd Street Beach House: Rehabilitation of Historic Concrete
Presented By: Paul Gaudette
Affiliation: Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
Description: The 63rd Street Beach House, is located on the Lake Michigan shore just south of downtown Chicago, Illinois. The Beach House, built in 1919, was influenced by the nearby South Shore Country Club (Marshall and Fox, 1906) and some of Daniel Burnham’s park buildings. The Beach House fell into disrepair in the second half of the twentieth century with areas of fine detail eroded and portions of the concrete falling off. The Beach House was designated a City of Chicago Landmark in 2004. The rehabilitation of the 63rd Street Beach House on Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois, presented a variety of philosophical and technical issues. The Beach House consists of concrete construction and is approximately 300 feet long. The concrete walls were constructed using masonry construction techniques without any reinforcing steel. Reinforcing steel was used to reinforce concrete floor slabs, open spans between columns, and doorway and window openings. The concrete mix was intentionally installed with less paste than was normally used and not consolidated, often referred to as “popcorn concrete.” The concrete mix was used in several historic Chicago parks, buildings, and cemetery walls. A condition assessment was performed to establish both the physical condition of the Beach House and to prepare a series of options related to their rehabilitation. A rehabilitation program was then undertaken for the restoration of the entire Beach House. This included cleaning of the concrete along with matching of the original unique concrete. This presentation will focus on the concrete restoration portion of the project involving field trials, a cleaning program, and repair of the concrete.