Moderators: Dr Nathan A. Tregger, Dr Khalid M Mosalam
As infrastructure ages and demands on our built environment increase, efficient and accurate assessment of concrete structures is more critical than ever. This session will explore how artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are transforming the way engineers and inspectors perform reconnaissance and inspection of concrete infrastructure. Attendees will learn how advanced data analytics, computer vision, and predictive modeling are being applied to automate and enhance traditional inspection methods. From drone-based imaging and crack detection to condition assessment and deterioration forecasting, AI and ML are opening up new possibilities for faster, safer, and more consistent evaluations.
Learning Objectives:
(1) Understand the fundamentals of AI and machine learning and how they apply specifically to the inspection and assessment of concrete structures;
(2) Identify current technologies and tools - including drones, sensors, and computer vision systems - used in AI-driven reconnaissance of concrete infrastructure;
(3) Evaluate real-world case studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of AI and ML in detecting defects, predicting deterioration, and improving inspection efficiency;
(4) Explore the benefits and limitations of integrating AI and ML into traditional inspection workflows, including considerations for data quality, validation, and implementation in field settings.
Moderators: Mr Nicholas R Triandafilou, Dr Kyle D Stanish
For concrete repair and strengthening projects, licensed design professionals are often challenged with developing an appropriate assessment and testing scope to characterize the as-built and current conditions of a structure. Performance-based standards for assessment, repair, and rehabilitation of existing concrete structures, such as ACI CODE-562, require representative measurements to be performed. There is always the trade-off between decreasing uncertainty by performing more samples versus limiting the number of samples to control costs and potentially reduce schedule. This session will present real world examples of how different practitioners have made decisions on sample size for different properties based on statistical considerations, and how this was accounted for in determining the characteristic properties. The impact on the project performance will also be discussed.
Learning Objectives:
(1) Define populations for representative sample sets;
(2) Procedure for determining an appropriate test sample size to meet project objectives;
(3) Factors that affect the sample size;
(4) Determine appropriate confidence limits for various measured parameters.
Moderators: Dr Somayeh Nassiri, Dr Franco Zunino
Field demonstrations are essential for evaluating the performance of pozzolans in concrete under real-world conditions, providing valuable insights into both constructability and long-term durability. As we explore the use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) beyond traditional coal fly ash and slag—such as natural pozzolans, calcined clays, and biomass ashes—it becomes especially important to recognize that these materials have different properties and behaviors that must be understood in the field. While laboratory tests offer controlled data, field trials reveal how these alternative SCMs interact with local aggregates, water, climate, and construction practices, making them a critical step in validating lab findings. These demonstrations allow stakeholders to monitor workability, setting time, finishing characteristics, and curing behavior, while also tracking durability indicators such as cracking, permeability, and strength development over time. Ultimately, field demonstrations build confidence in the use of alternative SCMs by demonstrating their practical viability and ensuring that sustainability goals are met without compromising performance.
Learning Objectives:
(1) Evaluate constructability workability finishing and curing requriements;
(2) Assess Field Durability Indicators Monitor and interpret field-based durability indicators such as cracking, permeability, and strength development over time to evaluate the long-term performance of concrete with alternative SCMs;
(3) Compare SCM Performance in Field vs. Lab Analyze how alternative SCMs behave differently in field conditions compared to lab settings, considering interactions with local materials and environmental factors;
(4) Showcase and highlight the importance of demonstration projects.
Moderator: Dr Nancy Beltran
Soil-cement continues to prove its versatility as a durable, cost-effective, and sustainable material for pavements, embankments, and erosion control structures. With advances in binder chemistry, construction equipment, and quality-control methods, new opportunities have emerged to improve its strength, resilience, and long-term performance. This session highlights recent developments in soil-cement research and practical applications—from laboratory testing with Type IL cement to field experiences and rehabilitation of large-scale structures after years of service.
Learning Objectives:
(1) Describe the mechanical and durability performance of soils stabilized with different cement types and blends;
(2) Explain practical considerations for soil-cement construction from a contractor’s perspective, including mix control and field challenges;
(3) Assess long-term performance and repair strategies for aging soil-cement structures;
(4) Recognize the sustainability advantages of using Type IL and blended cements in soil stabilization.
Register to attend a technical tour of the Janney Technical Center (JTC), the 70,000 ft2 state-of-the-art testing and applied research facility of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE). The technical tour will provide learning opportunities for attendees, including innovations in the concrete industry and forensic techniques used to solve the most technically challenging problems related to structures, construction materials, and manufactured components. The tour of the facility will include technical demonstrations in JTC’s structural testing, chemistry, petrography, metallurgy/applied mechanics, concrete, and corrosion laboratories. Please wear closed-toe shoes for the tour; safety glasses will be provided.
PREREGISTATION IS REQUIRED TO ATTEND. Tickets may be purchased at the ACI Registration Desk up to EOD on Friday, March 27, based on availability.
Depart from Grand Ballroom Entrance
Moderator: Mrs Nubia Renhe
ACI 341 will be regularly hosting mini-sessions at each convention aimed at providing an opportunity for graduate students and early career individuals to present their research. We are coordinating this effort with the other ACI seismic committees.
Learning Objectives:
(1) Learn about state-of-the-art research conducted in the realm of seismic design;
(2) Foster an exchange of ideas within the seismic engineering community
;
(3) Provide an avenue for early career researchers to convey their work
;
(4) Encourage young professionals to engage in ACI committee activities.
Moderator: Mr Tim D Christle
This session will cover the use of a dual banded PT tendons layout in two-way slabs in concrete buildings. It will provide historical information on the evolution of this tendon layout through analytical study and academic laboratory research study. The connection between these studies and the eventual code provisions that are now in ACI-PTI 320-25 will be discussed. Details regarding the code provisions will be explained, and example applications will be illustrated. Historical and contemporary case studies of projects using a dual banded tendon layout will also be highlighted and featured.
Learning Objectives:
(1) The reasons and advantages associated with implementing a dual banded tendon layout instead of a banded-distributed tendon layout;
(2) Understand the results of the analytical studies and research testing that informed the new code provisions;
(3) Understand how to apply the ACI-PTI 320-25 code provisions to a new two-way slab design;
(4) See how the historical and contemporary case studies using dual banded PT highlight real world performance.
Moderators: Dr Somayeh Nassiri, Anuj Parashar
Field demonstrations are essential for evaluating the performance of pozzolans in concrete under real-world conditions, providing valuable insights into both constructability and long-term durability. As we explore the use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) beyond traditional coal fly ash and slag—such as natural pozzolans, calcined clays, and biomass ashes—it becomes especially important to recognize that these materials have different properties and behaviors that must be understood in the field. While laboratory tests offer controlled data, field trials reveal how these alternative SCMs interact with local aggregates, water, climate, and construction practices, making them a critical step in validating lab findings. These demonstrations allow stakeholders to monitor workability, setting time, finishing characteristics, and curing behavior, while also tracking durability indicators such as cracking, permeability, and strength development over time. Ultimately, field demonstrations build confidence in the use of alternative SCMs by demonstrating their practical viability and ensuring that sustainability goals are met without compromising performance.
Learning Objectives:
Moderator: Dr Nancy Beltran
Since its commercial introduction in the 1970s, roller-compacted concrete (RCC) has been used to pave surfaces that support high traffic and heavy loads. With immense innovations in design approaches, aggregate mixtures, binder materials, compaction equipment, additives, and construction techniques, RCC today is being used for DOT projects, regular parking lots, municipal roads, intersections, shoulders, and even smaller applications like driveways and golf course cart paths. This presentation will discuss how RCC as a pavement material has embraced the latest technological advancements and has become a top solution for agencies interested in durability and sustainability.
Learning Objectives:
(1) List the benefits and applications of roller-compacted concrete (RCC) for pavements;
(2) Identify the differences in design and construction between early RCC placements and today’s pavements;
(3) Explain how the use of blended cements and supplementary cementitious materials enhances RCC performance and sustainability;
(4) Evaluate real-world RCC pavement case studies and lessons learned from long-term field performance.
Moderator: Leandro F. M. Sanchez
To highlight the impact of aggregates on the long-term performance of concrete and to propose better ways to use aggregates towards low global warning potential.
Learning Objectives:
(1) Understanding of the main durability related issues in concrete associated to aggregates;
(2) Knowledge of the current state of the art in methods to prevent those issues;
(3) Knowledge of new protocols proposed to diminish durability issues in concrete related to aggregates;
(4) Discussion on suitable pathways moving forward on the topic to decrease durability related issues associated to aggregates and increase sustainability of concrete construction.
Moderators: Ms Ann Harrer , Kelsey Sheridan
This session will discuss current regional jurisdictional mandatory assessments. Engineers with experience completing these mandatory assessment regulations and ordinances in Florida, New York, Chicago, California, and other regions will discuss requirements for the assessment and reporting. Challenges, limitations, and case studies will be presented for current mandatory assessments. ACI 364, Guide to Assessment Prior to Rehabilitation, currently undergoing revision, will also be presented as a resource for these assessments, in addition to other ACI documents. In addition, discussion regarding changes to or development of other regional mandatory assessment regulations and ordinances will be discussed.
Learning Objectives:
(1) Understand some of the existing regional mandatory assessment regulations and ordinances for buildings;
(2) Discuss challenges and limitations with completing a mandatory assessment as required;
(3) Discuss various resources available by ACI regarding assessments;
(4) Discuss changes to or development of additional mandatory assessment regulations and ordinances.
Moderators: Dr Nathan A. Tregger, Dana Rotkovich
This session will cover what has been updated in the ACI PRC-304 document (Guide for Measuring, Mixing, Transporting, and Placing Concrete), which was last updated in 2000. In addition, we will discuss specific cases that highlight the importance of each of these vital production processes, and challenges that can occur. In addition, the cooperation between designer, engineer, specifier, producer, contractor and inspectors will also be discussed.
Learning Objectives:
(1) Learn about the current state of concrete production in the US;
(2) Learn what has been updated in the 304 document, last updated in 2000;
(3) Learn how the 304 document can be used and applied through case studies;
(4) Review case studies that highlight importance of the 304 document, including where challenges occur and the collaborative approach between concrete entities.
Join us for a dedicated luncheon featuring a guest speaker connected to the day’s topic (details to come). This session builds on the morning’s special topic presentations and offers attendees an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the
theme before the afternoon programming continues. Additional information on the speaker and final schedule will be shared as details are confirmed. Visit www.aciconvention.org for more information.
Moderators: Mr David A Orense, Kanette Worlds
The goal of this poster session is to showcase practical experience of young engineers (Age 35 and younger) in the concrete industry. This session will provide a venue for Young Professionals to highlight meaningful contributions to projects, design solutions, case studies, or outstanding work performed through their employer. The session is sponsored by SYPAC (Student and Young Professional Activities Committee) and the S806 Young Member Activities Committee.
Topics will be related to practical cases in the concrete industry. Topics will be non-research related. 20 Poster presenters will be Young Professionals 35 years or younger.
To share insights and findings from 25 years of experience with lightweight concrete, emphasizing its material properties, production challenges, and design applications. The presentation aims to dispel misconceptions about lightweight concrete’s performance and durability, demonstrate its advantages in impermeability and corrosion resistance, and highlight experimental results comparing lightweight and conventional concretes. By showcasing data-driven evidence and sustainable design benefits, the objective is to promote informed understanding and broader adoption of lightweight concrete in modern, durable, and eco-efficient infrastructure.
Learning Objectives:
(1) Review experiences and lessons learned working with lightweight concrete over 25 years focusing on material properties, production issues, and design considerations;
(2) Discuss common misconceptions surrounding LWC, focusing on its actual water-to-cementitious materials (w/cm) ratio behavior, structural implications of the lambda factor, and resistance to chloride diffusion. The research highlights how the use of lightweight aggregates can improve concrete impermeability and reduce chloride ion penetration—key factors in mitigating steel reinforcement corrosion. These enhancements contribute to extended service life and reduced environmental and economic footprints over the structure’s lifecycle. By presenting experimental data and performance metrics, this talk aims to clarify the technical capabilities of LWC and support its broader adoption in sustainable infrastructure design;
(3) Investigate the performance of prestressed concrete beams cast with two types of lightweight coarse aggregate, different strand diameters, and strand locations. Results of experimental testing are compared with conventional self-consolidating concrete beams and available prediction equations;
(4) Review impact of Internal Curing on Shrinkage and Creep Behavior of Advanced Concrete Materials.
Moderator: Leonardo Garcia
Developments in the standardization of Building Information Modeling exchanges, including examples and applications for buildings, bridges, and post-tensioned elements.
Learning Objectives:
(1) Share the progress in the work of the committee related to how the current and ongoing IFC exchanges provide efficient paths for concrete information delivery, improving the overall workflows and reducing the room for errors;
(2) Illustrate applications of the most current BIM and VDC technologies in the construction process of concrete structures by a general concrete contractor;
(3) Explain how BIM can be used in practice in the design and coordination of Concrete Bridges, including previous experiences and lessons learned;
(4) Share the progress and examples in the development and coordination of BIM standards and applications for post-tensioned concrete.
Moderator: Pravin Saraswatula
Moderator: Mr Alec Zimmer
As the need for concrete with reduced environmental impacts becomes increasingly important, owners, designers, suppliers, and contractors face an array of innovative products that are coming to market that can contribute to more sustainable concrete. With new materials come concerns about how to incorporate them into specifications and designs, initial effects on concrete during mixing, placing, and finishing, long-term durability, and the environmental impacts of the new products themselves. This session will explore a range of new products including ground glass pozzolans, recycled plastic aggregates, recycled concrete aggregates, municipal solid waste aggregates, and low-carbon hydraulic cements.
Learning Objectives:
(1) Understand the benefits and challenges of using recycled materials in concrete;
(2) Understand how recycled materials affect both plastic and long-term properties of concrete;
(3) Understand how innovative binders including ground glass pozzolans and low-carbon hydraulic cements are produced;
(4) Understand the role of recycled materials and innovative binders in the concrete marketplace.
Moderators: Rashid Ahmed, Mr Tim D Christle
Carl Walker has significant contribution in the parking industry field and has established many standards in this field. The session will honor Carl works with various presentation in parking structures design.
Moderators: Dr Elizabeth Poblete, Mr Gabe Robert Johnson
Existing testing and qualification methods for alternative cementitious materials (ACMs) are based on approaches originally developed for portland cement-based binder systems. However, due to distinct hydration and maturation rates, microstructures, and chemical compositions of many ACMs, historic testing methods may not accurately reflect their performance. This session will explore ongoing work to understand and tailor quality control, strength, and durability test methods to reflect the real world performance of alternative cements. By developing these methods, researchers and industry professionals aim to ensure that ACMs meet structural and durability requirements, allowing designers to confidently specify the use of these unique materials.
Learning Objectives:
(1) Describe how varying hydration chemistries and reaction rates impact the timing of test methods;
(2) Evaluate the impact of ACM chemistry and microstructure on use of traditional test methods;
(3) Identify best practices for assessing durability of ACM concrete materials;
(4) Discuss recommended adjustments to testing methods to more accurately reflect the real-world performance of ACMs.
Moderator: Pravin Saraswatula
Moderator: Mr Luca Montanari
Reducing clinker in concrete by paste volume reduction and increase in SCM replacement can lead to significant changes in plastic properties of concrete such as bleed rate, viscosity and set time. If not properly addressed, these changes can increase the risk of early age cracking, especially in slab applications. This session discusses these potential changes and how to mitigate the risk of cracking.
Learning Objectives:
(1) Understand how reducing clinker in mixtures can potentially affect plastic properties of concrete mixtures;
(2) Understand how changes in plastic properties can lead to early age distresses, if not accounted for;
(3) Review best practices on how to modify concrete mixtures to mitigate the risk of early-age distresses;
(4) Review best construction practices to further mitigate the risk of early onset of distresses, especially in SOG applications.
Faculty members and graduate students are invited to attend this informal reception for an opportunity to exchange ideas and network. Light hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar will be available.
Join ACI attendees and guests for an evening of networking, entertainment, and great food during the Concrete Mixer. This reception will be held off-site at Bub's City & Joe’s Live. Transportation will be provided for this event. An assortment of food and beverages will be available.