Library Incorporates Sustainable Building Techniques

The new Santa Monica public library is a classic design-build project with a modern twist—the project is striving for LEED^® Silver rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. The internationally acclaimed Moore, Ruble & Yudell Architects have successfully incorporated numerous sustainable building techniques into the design, including a construction waste mitigation program.

The new library is a 109,000 square feet, two-level, above-grade structure built of cast-in-place and precast concrete elements over a 250,000 square feet three level subterranean parking structure with space for 530 cars. The exterior skin is made with a combination of precast concrete curtain walls, metal panels and plaster providing clean modern lines and introducing lots of natural day lighting from numerous operable windows. More.

Designers favor concrete floors to easily accommodate significant live loads and efficiently meet the vibration and acoustical requirements in libraries without added premium. In addition aesthetically pleasing spaces for interiors are created with exposed concrete slabs and columns to support the unique and complex layouts needed for libraries. With concrete’s inherent fire resistance, additional fireproofing isn’t required. More library case studies.

Concrete Applications for a Sustainable World

Durable, energy efficient and recyclable—a quick evaluation of concrete applications and it’s easy to determine that this versatile building material is sustainable. With proper application, concrete can provide sustainable solutions for a host of green issues, including: reducing undesirable sound transmission, increased energy performance, urban heat-island reduction, locally available materials sourcing, improving indoor air quality,lighting efficiency, stormwater management and thermal mass. More.

Visit ConcreteThinker.com for a further explanation of these solutions.

Sustainable Design Resources

The design world today is faced with myriad choices when it comes to sustainable design and construction. “Green” materials and techniques are no longer a novelty—they are practically ubiquitous, present in every stage of design, construction, operation and maintenance. Big business is embracing green building, governmental bodies are rewarding sustainable efforts, and individuals across the globe are making everyday decisions about materials and methods that will impact generations to come. More information on concrete's environmental attributes.

Reinforced Concrete Design—Teaching Aids

This CD contains PowerPoint presentations prepared by PCA for use by civil engineering faculty, students and engineering professionals. The CD contents can update an existing, or introduce a new, structural concrete design course, and serve as a refresher for practicing engineers. The CD contains more than 1,200 slides pertaining to analysis and design of concrete structures. The slides cover basic, advanced and special topics, such as seismic detailing, blast, progressive collapse and structural integrity of concrete buildings. More information and/or purchase.

Work quickly. Work simply. Work accurately.

pcaMats is a powerful productivity tool designed to help users accurately analyze reinforced concrete mat foundations, combined footings, or slabs on grade. pcaMats is easy to learn and simple to use, saving time and money almost immediately. Results can be outputted in both graphical and text formats, eliminating the need to reproduce or make drawings. More

Purchase pcaMats by September 20, 2007 and save $300.

More about software products available from pcaStructurePoint.

Proposed Changes to ACI 318-05 Open for Public Discussion

The American Concrete Institute announced that ACI Committee 318 plans to publish 318-08, "Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete," in January 2008. As an important step for finalizing revisions to ACI 318-05, ACI invites the public to review and comment on the proposed revisions during a public discussion period.

The revisions can be viewed online chapter-by-chapter and are available for download. The committee will consider all comments received by August 15, 2007. The proposed changes are available for review on the ACI web site.

Holcim Awards Competition Now Open

The second Holcim Awards competition to promote sustainable construction worldwide is now open. The Holcim Awards are an international competition for projects that embody approaches to meet the present-day needs for housing and infrastructure without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs in times to come. More.

Badgers Become Five-Time Concrete Canoe Champions

The American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) National Concrete Canoe Competition (NCCC) provides students with a practical application of the engineering principles they learn in the classroom, along with important team and project management skills they will need in their careers. The event challenges the students' knowledge, creativity and stamina, while showcasing the versatility and durability of concrete as a building material.

Continuing their tradition of concrete dominance for the fifth year in a row, the University of Wisconsin-Madison captured the ‘America’s Cup of Civil Engineering’ at the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) 20th Annual National Concrete Canoe Competition in Seattle. Countless calculations and measurements, hundreds of hours spent constructing their canoe and aching muscles from constant paddling practice were just a few of the challenges the Badgers had to overcome before they traveled to the University of Washington for the annual engineering challenge. More.

This one-day ACI/PCA Seminar introduces a simplified design approach that can be applied to common analysis and design situations. The simplified approach saves overall design time for buildings of moderate size and height (7 stories) and can be used in preliminary design and review for bigger projects. The topics discussed in the seminar include frame analysis, beams and slabs, columns, structural walls, footing, detailing for economy, formwork economy, fire resistance and earthquake forces. The latest information in ACI 318-05, IBC 2003, and ASCE 7-02 are covered. Click here for upcoming dates and locations.

Annual Building Professors' Seminar
July 30-August 1, 2007

Up-to-date information on the economic aspects of the design and construction of concrete buildings is provided at this yearly event to allow participating professors to significantly enhance their concrete design courses. Topics include teaching the fundamentals of structural concrete design, unified design provisions for flexure and axial loads in structural concrete members, seismic details for concrete buildings, strut-and-tie, and an overview of codes and standards. Changes introduced in ACI 318-05 will be discussed. The course is held at PCA headquarters in Skokie, Ill. More.

Call for Papers The 2008 Concrete Bridge Conference will be held in conjunction with the Post-Tensioning Institute Annual Conference on May 4-6, 2008 in St. Louis, Mo. Abstract submission is now open for the CBC. More information on the conference and submitting abstracts.

• The 2007 SEA Northwest Conference
  September 13-15, Seattle, Wash.
  Mahmoud Kamara of PCA will present on multi-hazard concrete design.
  
• ICFA Annual Meeting & Expo
  September 24-26, Saint Louis, Mo.
  
• ICC Annual Meetings
  September 30–October 3, Reno, Nev.
  
• TCA Convention
  October 3-6, College Park, Md.
  
• Structural Engineers Building Conference & Expo
  October 10-11, San Francisco, Calif.
  
• ACI Fall 2007 Convention
  October 14-18, Fajardo, Puerto Rico
  
• Greenbuild International Conference and Expo
  November 7-9, Chicago, Ill.