New CAS Is a Vision of Green Concrete Beauty

The new home of the California Academy of Sciences (CAS) in San Francisco is a testament to the convergence of sustainable building systems and environmentally responsible technologies.

The CAS, being rebuilt after suffering extensive damage from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, is aiming for LEED platinum certification and would be the largest public space to achieve this distinction. At 410,000 square feet, the building will be larger than its predecessor yet will sit on a smaller footprint, returning an acre of green space to Golden Gate Park.

Beyond the traditional role of concrete framing as a structural skeleton, the building’s mechanical system capitalizes on its inherent thermal mass. Concrete also was essential to the special needs of the Academy’s exhibits. More on the CAS.

New PCA Notes Covers Changes in Building Code

PCA has published the tenth edition of its popular PCA Notes on ACI 318-08 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete with Design Applications.

Aimed at engineers and architects, PCA Notes provides detailed coverage of the provisions in ACI 318-08 and places emphasis on “how-to-use” the code. Most chapters start with a summary of code changes introduced in the 2008 Building Code edition. Numerous design examples illustrate application of the code requirements.

PCA Notes is a valuable aid to educators, undergraduate and graduate students, contractors, materials and product manufacturers, building code authorities, and inspectors.
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Forty-Six ACI 318-08 Code Seminars Scheduled

PCA Notes is the basis for joint PCA/ACI code seminars to be held in 46 cities across the United States, between October 1, 2008 and May 12, 2009. These one-day seminars are intended to assist engineers, architects, specifiers, building officials, and other code users in understanding the background of the latest code changes. Each seminar participant receives a copy of the PCA Notes, ACI 318-08 Building Code, and Seminar Lecture Notes. More on the code seminars.

Trump Tops Off in Chicago

On August 16, the crews poured the last of the nearly 180,000 cubic yards and 720 million pounds of concrete that support Chicago’s Trump Tower. Trump Tower will be the tallest building built in North America since the completion of Sears Tower in 1974. More on the Trump Tower.

Texas Condos Aim for Biggest and Best

The South 5th Condominiums in Austin, Texas, set out to be the finest in sustainable and energy-efficient condominium living, but also turned out to be the largest insulated concrete form project ever undertaken in the central Texas. More on South 5th Condominiums.

August PPI: Asphalt, Steel Prices Continue to Soar

Asphalt prices logged another large monthly gain, increasing 9.8% from July to August, while steel prices rose 2% over the same period for the tenth straight monthly hike, according to the August Producer Price Index (PPI). (Click on graph to enlarge.)

Lumber prices increased 0.6% in August. Concrete declined slightly (0.1%).

Over the last year, steel prices are up 40.8% and asphalt has increased 46.6%. Concrete prices are up 3.6%, and lumber prices are down 5%.

Source: Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

LEED 2.2 Credit with Concrete

Using concrete can facilitate the process of obtaining LEED™ Green Building certification. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a point rating system devised by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to evaluate the environmental performance of a building and encourage market transformation towards sustainable design. More on LEED.

Green in Practice

The series of “Green in Practice” technical briefs provide more in-depth information about specific environmental challenges and the ways concrete can help address these challenges. The documents in this series capture information presented in the application and benefits pages with additional detail. More on the tech briefs.

More resources on Sustainable Design

Seismic Detailing of Concrete Buildings

This publication contains a comprehensive summary of the seismic detailing requirements contained in Chapter 21 of Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete. A supplement CD is provided with the publication that contains reinforcement details for beams, columns, two-way slabs, walls and foundations that meet the ACI 318 seismic provisions. The reinforcement detailing on the CD are presented in three file formats; Drawing Exchange Format (DXF), Auto Cad (DWG), and Portable Document Format (PDF).

Simplified Design: Reinforced Concrete Buildings of Moderate Size and Height

Learn timesaving analysis, design, and detailing methods for reinforced concrete buildings. Methods presented are applicable to concrete buildings of any size and height, and are particularly economical for heights of one- to seven-stories. Significant guidance is provided for preliminary design and overall structural economy through formwork and reinforcement details.

PCA Names Lane to Manage Bridge Programs

PCA has appointed Susan N. Lane, PE, as program manager for bridges and other transportation structures. She will consult with engineers, contractors, and owners on the use of concrete for bridges, railroads, and other transportation structures throughout North America and be responsible for conducting seminars and publishing materials on the design of concrete bridges and transportation structures as well as managing related research and development projects. More on Susan Lane.

pcaWall Supports ICF Construction

The pcaWall program is widely used for analysis and design of reinforced concrete, precast, and tilt-up walls. Insulated concrete form (ICF) walls have various configurations depending on the type of form used. And ICF wall designers are increasingly utilizing pcaWall to simplify the analysis and design of wall stiffeners for shear and torsion as well as axial and bending forces in accordance with the provisions of the ACI 318-05 and CSA A23.3-04 design standards. Click here to download the fully functional evaluation version of new pcaWall. Click here to view examples that illustrate slender and non-slender wall design using both hand calculations and the pcaWall program.

More about StructurePoint’s suite of reinforced concrete analysis and design software.

• TCA Convention 2008
October 1-4, Phoenix, Az.

• Structural Engineers Building Conference & Expo
October 2–3, Atlanta, Ga.

• PCI’s 54th Annual Convention & Exhibition
October 4–7, Orlando, Fla.

• ACI Fall Convention
November 2–6, St. Louis, Mo.

• Design-Build Conference and Expo
November 3–5, Las Vegas, Nev.

• ASCE 138th Annual Civil Engineering Convention
November 6–8, Pittsburg, Pa.

• GreenBuild International Conference and Expo
November 19–21, Boston, Mass.

• World of Concrete
February 3-6, 2009, Las Vegas, Nev.
Click here for free registration and a discount on seminars.