E-Concrete? Believe It!
E-Concrete? Believe It!
(128 K)
Bentz, D. P.; Garboczi, E. J.; Frohnsdorff, G. J. C.
Constructor, The Construction Management Magazine, Vol.
84, No. 2, 20-20, February 2002.
Available from:
To visit the websites of any of the tools described
please go to:
Website: http://ciks.cbt.nist.gov
Keywords:
concretes; cement; virtual; performance prediction;
economics
Abstract:
In recent years, the complexity of concrete mixture
proportioning has increased dramatically. New chemical
admixtures, such as high-performance superplasticizers
and shrinkage-reducing admixtures, have been introduced
into the marketplace. Due to both environmental and
economic considerations, the use of supplementary
cementitious materials such as fly ashes, slags, and
calcined clays has become commonplace. At the same time,
the composition and fineness of portland cements have
been adjusted to produce the high early-age strengths
demanded by "fast track" construction practices.
Assuring the quality of these concretes, and optimizing
their performance in both the short term and long term,
is a daunting task facing the construction industry.
Researchers in the Building and Fire Research Laboratory
(BFRL) at the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST), in collaboration with industrial
partners, are developing a comprehensive set of
web-based "e-concrete" tools to assist the industry with
this undertaking. Those that are already available are
described below. Comments and questions about these
exciting developments are invited.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899