The right cure

Concrete Producer, The, July, 2005 by Rick Yelton

The grand opening of the International Center for Concrete Research (ICCR) literally started with a bang. When the 250 guests heard the compression break of a 14-year-old test cylinder, everyone jumped. Host Gary Mullings, an old pro at such demonstrations, explained this was an example of good testing and how some things age well.

The cylinder that broke this April day in Silver Spring, Md., was from a set made in 1991, just after the lab opened for a research project on high-strength concrete. Back then its sister cylinder broke at 16,000 lbs. After curing for more than 13 years, this one cracked at 19,000 lbs. "Under the right curing conditions, things get better with age," said Mullings, NRMCA's senior director of operations and compliance.

Members of the concrete industry's largest endowed research trust fund hope dedicating the ICCR will provide the right curing environment to upgrade all industry efforts.

The event unveiled the new cooperation between the NRMCA, the University of Maryland, and Middle Tennessee State University. With this new entity, NRMCA continues its 75-year commitment to concrete research. "The combination of these three research teams will benefit ready mixed concrete producers and concrete contractors for many years to come," said NRMCA chairman Hale Ritchie.

There was a great deal of support for the lab's rededication and new focus. The Maryland Ready Mixed Concrete Association plans to use the facility as a focal point in its education and promotional activities. "We have several significant demonstrations planned for the next two years," said Tom Evans, promotions manager for the Maryland concrete association.

The research combination has resulted in a united effort to solicit research grants, said Dr. Ali Haghani, chairman of the department of Civil Engineering at the University of Maryland. Students also can learn more about concrete at ICCR.

NRMCA's decision to transform the lab into a national research center already has had an impact. Hardy Johnson, chairman of the RMC Foundation, said the new research consortium has been effective in providing documentation in support of the NRMCA's P2P initiative and its recently released LEED document.

ICCR staff and industry supporters also provided live demonstrations on two exciting concrete topics. The crowd of specifiers and federal and state officials saw pervious concrete and self-consolidating concrete being placed.