Tuesday, October 13, 2026 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM, 213-214
Technical session to honor the significant and long career with ACI and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that centered around concrete materials and repair of concrete. The technical session will be conducted in collaboration with Jim's colleagues at the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. The session will highlight Jim's impact on ACI, ACI 546, TAC, TRRC. Jim was also instrumental in developing collaboration between ACI and ICRI regarding repair work.
Learning Objectives:
(1) Report on ACI’s approach and development of concrete repair guides, codes and specifications for the repair industry;
(2) Summarize the research to develop test methods to assess performance of concrete repair materials;
(3) Discuss Jim McDonalds’s influence on ICRI and its development, approach, and influence on the concrete repair field;
(4) Examine the benefits of a proper evaluation, determining causes of deterioration, and development of repair methodologies in concrete repair.
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.
ACI’s History of Concrete Repair and Rehabilitation, TAC, and Jim McDonald
Presented By: Lawrence Kahn
Affiliation: Georgia Institute of Technology
Description: ACI has long been a sponsor of Concrete Repair and Rehabilitation, and Jim McDonald has been an integral part and champion of that work: the development and sharing of knowledge. The Repair Committee was one the early ACI technical committees; TAC was not dissuaded from acknowledging that concrete construction needed repair and maintenance of existing structures as well as the creation of improved design standards. Jim was an early member of the repair committee, and he was a founding member of ACI 364, Rehabilitation. As chair of the Repair Committee, he worked with TAC’s Repair and Rehabilitation subcommittee to coordinate and help direct repair activities throughout the Institute. Such activities led to TAC’s creation of ACI 562 for the development of Assessment, Repair, and Rehabilitation of Existing Concrete Structures – Code Requirements and Commentary, which has since been adopted by the International Existing Building Code and the building codes of several states. Jim and ACI have created the foundation for concrete repair knowledge.
Durable Concrete Repairs
Presented By: David Whitmore
Affiliation: Vector Corrosion Technologies Ltd.
Description: This presentation discusses the benefits of proper evaluation, determination of the cause of deterioration and development of repair methodologies to address the underlying cause and achieve durable repairs.
Remembering Jim McDonald and his Impact Upon ICRI
Presented By: Matthew Carter
Affiliation: ICRI
Description: Jim’s involvement with ICRI goes all the way back to the beginning as Jim was a charter member, served on the Board, and served as ICRI President in 1999. Jim also served on the Technical Activities Committee (TAC) of ICRI as a Member, Secretary, and Review Chief. Among his many accomplishments and contributions to ICRI, Jim was involved and helped shape many of the technical offerings produced by ICRI over the first 30 years. His recognition throughout ICRI includes being made an ICRI Fellow, selected as an Honorary Member of ICRI in 2013, and culminated in being awarded the Distinguished Service Award by ICRI in 2017. To honor Jim’s legacy and contributions to ICRI, the name of the institute’s “Distinguished Service Award” has been changed to the “James E. McDonald Distinguished Service Award.”
Evaluation of Performance Requirements for Concrete Repair Materials
Presented By: Keith Kesner
Affiliation: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Inc.
Description: In the 1990’s, Jim McDonand, working for the US Army Corps of Engineers, sponsored several research programs to develop test methods to assess the performance of concrete repair materials. The testing program involved 7 different test methods, 10 repair materials, and testing at 3 field sites. Results from the testing program provided an improved understanding of the behavior of repair materials and influenced several ACI publications. The presentation will provide a retrospective look at the results from the testing program.