International Concrete Abstracts Portal

Sulfur concrete has the potential to solve some serious industry corrosion problems. This article describes the rehabilitation of a large basement area situated beneath a copper electro-winning operation. About 29,000 ft2 (2694 m2) of deteriorated portland cement concrete floor was overlayed with 3 1/2 in. (89 mm) of unreinforced sulfur concrete. A general background of sulfur concrete, its characteristics, and a description of techniques, materials, and equipment used during construction are given. The conclusions point to the need for improvements in equipment and tech-niques to reduce costs and the need for development of standards and recommended guidelines.

Arcosanti is a small community being built in the Arizona desert by students from all over the world who pay tuition for 5-week workshops to learn basic con-struction skills by hands-on experience. Arcosanti has evolved as a learning process and an educational in-stitution teaching basic concrete construction fun-damentals and trade skills. This article describes the construction practices at Arcosanti and the workshop program.

Describes the construction of the Strontia Springs Dam, a 290 ft (88 m) high double-curved concrete,arch dam located 22 miles (35 km) southwest of Denver on the South Platte River.*

Contract research is a contractual arrangement be In many cases, contract research can be a cost-effective investment for engineers and contractors wishing to explore new design and construction concepts. The model for discussion of contract research is the Portland Cement Association’s Construction Technology Laboratories in Skokie, Illinois. Discussed are the history of PCA’s contract research program and the program facilities and staffing, and the important characteristics of contract research along with some specific examples.

A nine-story, 139-unit building for the elderly in Chicago’s Chinatown was built of totally precast concrete elements. Featuring shop-fabricated precast concrete ornamental panels coated in bright red and green aliphatic urethane colors, the building clearly reflects the Chinese culture of its tenants and the surrounding community.