| University Outreach Program
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PCA recognizes the important role that the civil engineering, architectural
and building construction academic community plays in the future
of the construction industry. Programs that include an emphasis
on concrete design and concrete materials provide students the opportunity
to enter a field that has an urgent need for professionals with
the skills to meet the growing demands of a progressive, changing
concrete industry.
Concrete is frequently perceived as a ‘low-tech’ commodity
item with minimal time devoted to the subject in the classroom;
however, in reality nothing could be further from the truth. It
rests on us as an industry to let them know that the field of concrete
technology and construction is an exciting career choice.
To encourage study in concrete at both the undergraduate and graduate
levels, PCA through the assistance of our regional promotion groups
and allied organizations has developed the university outreach program.
It has four components:
- Supply technical and educational resources—in the form
of publications, CDs, and software—to engineering students
and their instructors.
- Arrange guided tours of cement and concrete production facilities.
- Conduct faculty and student enrichment lectures and technical
seminars.
- Sponsor educators to attend professors seminars
and special workshops.
For more information on university outreach, contact the regional
group in your area. Click here
for a map and contact information for the regional groups.
Professors Seminars
The professor workshop series is designed to bring representatives
from industry, research, and academia together to provide innovative
methods of teaching concrete design and concrete materials in laboratories
and classrooms as well as to provide materials for teaching support.
The workshops encourage methods of teaching which improve the quality
of classroom instruction, provide students with richer subject material,
and deepen student interest or involvement in the course. Faculty
members are encouraged to imagine new ways to use media to enrich
implementation of concrete-related subject matter into curricula.
ACBM/PCA Undergraduate
Faculty Enhancement Program
The goal of the workshop is to provide a forum to introduce the
most
current research in concrete materials properties. Participants
will learn
how to effectively facilitate teaching of concrete, see demonstrations
and
hear explanations on student laboratory experiments, and exchange
information on successful implementation of concrete-related subject
matter into curricula. The next workshop will be held July
14-16, 2008, at the PCA headquarters in Skokie, Illinois.
More.
Engineering
and Economics of Reinforced Concrete Buildings
In an effort to keep the concrete industry in touch with university
professors of civil, structural, and architectural engineering,
the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI), the National Ready
Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA), the Portland Cement Association
(PCA), the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI), and the
Post-Tensioning Institude (PTI) co-sponsor an annual Building Professors'
Seminar. Since 1991, the seminar has been held every summer at PCA's
Skokie, Illinois, headquarters. The next Building Professors' Seminar
will be held August 4-6, 2008. More.
Design of Concrete Bridges
by the AASHTO LRFD Specifications
Since 1999, PCA has conducted an annual LRFD Concrete Bridge Design
Seminar to provide information on the latest concrete industry developments
to university professors to assist them in introducing new or updating
existing courses in concrete bridge design. The next Bridge Professors'
Seminar will be held August 7-8, 2008 in Skokie,
Illinois. More.
University
Professors' Masonry Workshop
The goal of the Workshop is to assist educators find the tools and
resources to conduct successful classes in masonry, thereby producing
more knowledgeable young professionals in relation to masonry design
and construction. The 2008 UPMW has been scheduled for March 27-29
at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pa. View
a schedule of presentation and events. For more information,
click here.
Concrete Pavement Workshop
The three-day Professor's Seminar will include current concrete
pavement design, construction, and rehabilitation procedures. The
seminar also will focus on the performance and economic factors
related to concrete pavements. Also included is a full day of coverage
on the 2002 Mechanistic Design Guide, slated to be released early
next year. The next Professor's Seminar is scheduled for June 16-19,
2008 and will be held in Chicago’s downtown. More.
For more information on university outreach and professors workshops,
contact the regional group in your area. Click
here for a map and contact information for the regional groups.
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