Advancing Concrete Knowledge and Practice

8/1/2025

In the United States and many other places, summer is a time for enjoying some time off and travel. At universities, it’s also a time to use the change in routine to catch up on tasks we have put off and reassess plans and priorities. I appreciate that my job allows me the opportunity for this renewal annually. Although the Institute doesn’t work on a semester/summer model, this reassessment is happening presently as we aim to achieve the goals of ACI’s new Strategic Plan. The summer is providing many opportunities for new initiatives, directions, and—yes—travel.

ACI has long had an international presence, with international chapters and allied organizations in over 65 countries. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, ACI is revising its international strategy and stepping up its efforts to engage with regions worldwide. One of the key goals in ACI’s Strategic Plan is to “Engage Globally,”is strategically aiming to “expand certification programs.” ACI certifications identify personnel who possess the knowledge and skills necessary to properly execute specific concrete construction-related responsibilities for which no other credentialing methods exist, improving construction projects and reducing risks. In the United States, ACI sponsoring groups and chapters perform certifications, and more recently, ACI resource centers (located in Southern California, the Chicago area, and the mid-Atlantic region) are supporting these efforts. The resource centers provide opportunities for international sponsoring groups to learn from ACI staff how to perform certification testing in their own countries, centralizing training and modeling best practices. For example, in April 2025, five representatives from the ACI Philippines Chapter visited the ACI Southern California Resource Center (SoCal RC) in San Bernardino, CA, USA, to qualify examiners and receive instruction on how to conduct the ACI Cement Physical Tester program. The ACI Western Indonesia Chapter has also visited the SoCal RC twice in the past 18 months to prepare their personnel to conduct the Aggregate Testing Technician—Level 1 and Concrete Strength Testing Technician programs.

ACI Philippines Chapter representatives practicing ASTM C109/C109M mortar cube fabrication at the SoCal RC

As I recently learned during a visit to The Institute of Concrete Technology (ICT) Convention in Dublin, Ireland, ACI certifications aren’t limited to ACI and ASTM International codes and standards. ACI is partnering with ICT to deploy certification testing on European (EN) Standards as well—a partnership that takes advantage of the knowledge and experience of both groups to improve the quality of concrete construction practices in more regions. The ACI-ICT Concrete Field Testing Technician Certification to EN Standards (2019) brings ACI certification efforts to parts of the world where British and EN Standards are normally used. A second ACI-ICT Certification to EN Standards—the Concrete Compressive Strength Testing Technician—has been launched, and more joint certifications are on their way. For his role in this joint effort and for his longtime dedication to the work of ICT, Robert Lewis, FACI, received ICT’s highest honor—the Silver Medal—at this year’s ICT Annual General Meeting during the ICT Convention.

Robert Lewis, FACI (center), receiving the Silver Medal at the ICT Annual General Meeting in Dublin, Ireland. Also pictured from left are Gareth David, Honorary Treasurer of ICT; John Nehasil, ACI Senior Managing Director of Certification and Chapters; ACI President Maria Juenger; and Michael Morrison, ACI Director of Certification Program Development.

In my role as ACI President, I have the pleasure of traveling to meet with many of our international chapters and allied organizations. We all share a common interest in advancing concrete knowledge and practice no matter where we are, and ACI helps unite us in these efforts.

Maria Juenger

ACI President

Ask the President

Do you have a question for the ACI President? Email inquiries can be sent to askthepresident@concrete.org.