Iowa Better Concrete Conference
This annual event is traditionally held during the second week of November at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, with morning keynote speakers followed by concurrent afternoon sessions focused on issues relevant to Iowa projects. The annual Iowa Excellence in Concrete Awards from the Iowa Chapter of the American Concrete Institute are presented at the luncheon.
The National Concrete Pavement Technology Center (CP Tech Center) organizes the Iowa Better Concrete Conference through sponsorship by the Iowa chapter of the American Concrete Institute (ACI); the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT); the Iowa Concrete Paving Association (ICPA); the Iowa Ready Mixed Concrete Association (IRMCA); the Portland Cement Association (PCA); and Iowa State University’s Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (CCEE).
2023
Held November 9, 2023 in Ames. | Event Page
Concrete Construction Case Study: Georgia Warehouse Conversion
Pat Boeshart, Liteform; Todd Gailey, Boost Transport; and Marcus Goss, Goss Foundations
Past and Future of Artificial Intelligence and Concrete Design and Construction
Halil Ceylan, Iowa State University
An Overview of Curing Methods and Approaches
Peter Taylor, CP Tech Center, Iowa State University
Measuring and Monitoring Curing
John Kevern, University of Missouri-Kansas City
Troubleshooting Inadequately Cured Concrete: Why Did My Concrete Scale?
Gerard Moulzolf, American Engineering Testing
Microspheres as Air Replacement and Carbon Reduction
Tara Cavalline, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Materials and Mixtures for Low Carbon Concrete Construction
Larry Sutter, Sutter Engineering, LLC
Cold Weather Concrete Construction
Jim Baty, Concrete Foundations Association / Sauter, Baty & Bloomquist
A Pictorial Look at Causes and Effects of Concrete Imperfections
Steve Mallicoat, Iowa Ready Mixed Concrete Association
3D Model Viewers in Construction: Current Practice and Emerging Trends
Roy Sturgill, Iowa State University
3D Printing of Geopolymer Composites: Materials, Properties, and Potential Applications
Kejin Wang and Oguzhan Sahin, Iowa State University
We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us
Todd Sirotiak, Diversified Construction Services
Type IL Cements and Adjustments to the Construction Process
Matt Sheehan, Concrete & Construction Consultants
2022
Held November 9, 2022 in Ames. | Event Page
An Economic Forecast for Concrete Construction
David Zwicke, Portland Cement Association
State of the Iowa Concrete Industry Address
Greg Mulder, ICPA/IRMCA
QC/QA for Concrete: A Changing World
Gordon Smith, CP Tech Center
Engineers: Our Own Worst Enemy
Sybil Ferrier, Construction Materials Testing (CMT)
Internal Curing of UHPC Using Natural Zeolite
Maziar Kazemian
Identifying Concrete Plant Mixing Procedures for Electrically Conductive Concrete for the Iowa City Bus Stop Enhancement Project
Md Lutfor Rahman
Field Instrumentation for Load-Induced Fatigue Damage of Concrete Pavement Systems Under Superloads
Yongsung Koh
Concrete Mixture Design
Peter Taylor, CP Tech Center
Best Construction and Maintenance Practice for Long-Term Durability
Dan King, CP Tech Center
Connecting Durability and Sustainability
Peter Taylor, CP Tech Center
New Trends in Concrete Structures
Dr. Behrouz Shafei, ISU Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering
Alternatives for Steel Reinforcement
Casey Mattson, Owens Corning
Alternative Dowel Systems for Warehouse and Industrial Parking Lot Applications
Scott Tarr, North Starr Concrete
ISU Pedestrian Bridge
Jason Knipp, Henkel Construction, and Anthony Samuelson, Raker Rhodes Engineering
2021
Held November 10, 2021 in Ames. | Event Page
ACI Banquet: Developing a Carbon Neutral Future
James Baty, Concrete Foundations Association
Precast Concrete for Turbines
Doug Krause, RUTE Foundation Systems
Des Moines Courthouse
Ryan Companies Team, Brad Thomason, Ron Embrey, T. J. Meyerholz, Jordan Stokes, and Lauren Bockholt
I74 Bridge
Griffin Hahn, Hahn Ready Mix
Curtis Carter, Iowa DOT
28th Annual Excellence in Concrete Awards
Steve Mallicoat, IRMCA/ICPA
Portland Limestone Cement (PLC)
Nicolas Marks, Continental Cement
Alternatives to Fly Ash
John Ward, ACAA
CarbonCure
Sean Monkman, CarbonCure Technologies
Trade Schools
Russ Horner, Croell, Inc.
Pre-Pour Planning
Jordan Stokes and Chris Lutheran, Ryan Companies
ABC/UHPC
Philippe Kalmogo, ISU CCEE Department
Decorative Concrete Update
Rich Cofoid, Fenix Group
ACI 332 Residential Code
James Baty, Concrete Foundations Association
ACI 330 Parking Lots
Steve Mallicoat, IRMCA/ICPA
Non-Steel Reinforcements
Max Porter, Emeritus Faculty – ISU CCEE Department
SCC Testing / Formwork
Eric Peterson, Webcor Concrete
Sealers
John Kevern, University of Missouri – Kansas City
2020
Held virtually between November 4 and December 16, 2020. Presentations from the 2020 conference can be watched here. | Event Page
The New ACI 301-20
Michelle Wilson, FACI, Portland Cement Association
Wet-Weather Strategies for Handling Concrete Placements Exposed To Rain
Ron Kozikowski, P.E., North Starr Concrete Consulting
27th Annual Iowa Chapter ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards
Steve Mallicoat, P.E., Iowa Ready Mixed Concrete Association
Jerod Gross, P.E., LEED® AP, American Concrete Institute (Iowa Chapter)
The Future of Fly Ash: Dystopia or Hysteria?
Larry Sutter, Ph.D., P.E., FASTM, FACI, Michigan Technological University
A Scale of Two Cities
Dan Goldsworth, Ryan Companies
Mark Stinocher, Ryan Companies
Jordan Stokes, Ryan Companies
Nick Aldrich, Ryan Companies
2019
Held November 14, 2019 in Ames. | Event Page
A World of Concrete Pavements
Michael Ayers, Ph.D., Global Pavement Consultants, Inc.
Held November 17, 2021 in Ames. | Event Page
National Veterans Memorial and Museum Construction Challenges
Michael Schneider, Baker Concrete Construction
History of the Slipform Paver: Developed in Iowa
Todd Hanson, P.E., Iowa DOT
Innovative Concrete Technologies: University of Iowa Visual Arts Building (PDF not available)
Steve Heyne, Miron Construction
26th Annual American Concrete Institute (ACI) Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards
Michael Schneider, Baker Concrete Construction
Concrete Durability: Overview of the Ongoing Research at the CP Tech Center
Seyedhamed Sadati, Ph.D., CP Tech Center
Peter Taylor, Ph.D., P.E.
Digital Design and Inspection of Concrete Pavements
Gabe Nelson, P.E., Snyder & Associates
Opportunities for Concrete, Buildings, and Pavements to Contribute to Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets
Jeremy Gregory, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology Concrete Sustainability Hub
Manufactured Sand: Impacts on Concrete Pavement Design Inputs, Construction, and Predicted Performance
Tara Cavalline, Ph.D., P.E., The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Characterization of Cement Paste Structures Fabricated by Additive Manufacturing (PDF not available)
Scott Jones, Ph.D., National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Integration of Noncontact Ultrasonic and Computer Vision for Setting Time and Saw Cut Timing
Quang Tran, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Jeffery Roesler, Ph.D., P.E.
Mitigating Deicer Damage with Colloidal-Silica-Enhanced Concrete
David Harris, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, F.SEI, Intelligent Concrete, LLC
Guidance for Increasing the Use of Recycled Concrete Pavement Materials
Tara Cavalline, Ph.D., P.E., The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Mark B. Snyder, Ph.D., P.E., Pavement Engineering and Research Consultants (PERC)
Tom Cackler, P.E., Woodland Consulting
Peter Taylor, Ph.D., P.E., CP Tech Center
2018
Held November 8, 2018 in Ames. | Event Page
Concrete and Masonry, A Historical Perspective (PDF not available)
Mark Lukkarila, Beton Consulting Engineers
Protecting Bridge Decks with Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC)
Sri Sritharan, Ph.D., Iowa State University
Large Job Logistics: Fiber-Reinforced (FRC) Floor Slabs
Brian Doser, Absolute Concrete Construction, Inc.
Iowa: A Tilt-Up State
James Baty, FACI, Tilt-Up Concrete Association
Soil Cement Stabilization
Sybil Ferrier, P.E., Construction Materials Testing
Silica: OSHA Regulatory Update
Alma Marquez, Iowa Workforce Development
Joanna Wilson
Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs): Where We Are and Where We Are Going
Larry Sutter, Ph.D., P.E., FASTM, FACI, Michigan Technological University
Internal Curing in Pavements
Peter Taylor, Ph.D., P.E., CP Tech Center
Halil Ceylan, Ph.D., Iowa State University
Yang Zhang
Amin Daghighi
Improving the Long-Term Performance of Concrete Bridge Decks Using Deck and Crack Sealers
Karim Mostafa, University of Nevada, Reno
David Sanders, Ph.D., Iowa State University
Cold Weather Concrete (PDF not available)
Kevin MacDonald, Beton Consulting Engineers
Making the Jump from Flatwork to Vertical (PDF not available)
Cliff Plymesser, EFCO
You Didn’t Get a Perfect Wall Finish—Whose Fault Was It?
David Fowler, Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin (retired)
Dowel Optimization through Engineering: Plate Dowels
Nicole Dufalla, P.E., PNA Construction Technologies
Unmanned Aerial System – Benefits of Eyes in the Sky (PDF not available)
Katelyn Freeseman, Ph.D., Bridge Engineering Center (Iowa State University)
Clive Pavement Management Study
Larry Stevens, P.E., HR Green
I-74 Concrete Drilled Shaft Installation: Quality Control Lessons Learned
Travis Konda, Ph.D. P.E., S.E., HNTB
2017
Krause Gateway Center (Kum & Go Headquarters)
Nick Aldrich, Ryan Construction
Jordan Stokes
CSI: Concrete Scene Investigation (What a Petrographer Can Determine about Your Concrete)
Bobby Bullard, Ash Grove Cement
I-74 Corridor in the Quad Cities: Concrete Applications, Delivery, and Placement
Diane Campione, P.E., S.E., Alfred Benesch and Company
Electrically Conductive Concrete Heated Airport Pavement System at Des Moines International Airport: Design, Construction, and Performance
Halil Ceylan, Ph.D., Iowa State University
Self-Consolidating Concrete (SCC): Bridging Research and Practice
Matthew D’Ambrosia, Ph.D., P.E., MJ2 Consulting, PLLC
Modern-Day Admixtures
Russ Horner, Croell Redi-Mix
Structural Rehabilitation of Buildings
Satish Jain, Iowa State University
Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC)
Brian Keierleber, Buchanan County
Alex Davis
Slipform Tilt Slab (STS) Paving: A Solution Presented for the Border Wall
Drew Manatt, P.E.
A Presentation to Blow You Away: Wind Turbine Foundations
Kirk B. Morgan, P.E., P.Eng., Barr Engineering Co.
Aggregate Reactivity in Concrete
Gerard Moulzolf, P.G., American Engineering Testing, Inc.
Driveways: What to Expect, What to Require
Tim Janssen, Central Iowa Ready Mix, Inc.
Steve Mallicoat, P.E., IRMCA/ICPA
Tim Ruth, McCreedy Ruth Construction Company
Concrete Moisture and pH Testing: What Are We Measuring?
Scott M. Tarr, P.E., FACI, North S.Tarr Concrete Consulting, P.C.
Internally Curing Concrete
Peter Taylor, Ph.D., P.E., CP Tech Center
Payam Vosoughi
Why Rheology Is Important for Shotcrete and How It Can Be Improved
Ezgi Yurdakul, Ph.D., GCP Applied Technology
2016
Responsibility for Concrete Construction: ACI 132
Kevin A. MacDonald, Ph.D., P.E., FACI, Beton Consulting Engineers
ACI Chapter Meeting presentation
Design and Construction: Tallest Wind Turbine Tower in the U.S.
Matt Chase, Wind Tower Technologies
Steven McRory, Siemens Energy, Inc.
Hancher Auditorium Replacement Facilité at the University of Iowa (PDF not available)
Chris Hart, Thornton Tomasetti
Eastern European Concrete: Sorta Kinda the Same (PDF not available)
Larry Taber, Black & Veatch
The Pentagon and an Ancient Mystery: Rebuild Following 9/11
Scott Wolter, P.G., American Petrographic Services, Inc.
Project Alluvion Updates
Jeremy Huntsman, P.E., HR Green
Concrete Mixture and Specifications
Kevin A. MacDonald, Ph.D., P.E., FACI, Beton Consulting Engineers
Concrete under a Nanoscope: Mechano-Chemical Activation of Fly-Ash/Nanoparticle Blends in Self-Consolidating Concrete (SCC)
Konstantin Sobolev, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Concrete Pressure in Formwork
Martin Howes, EFCO
Bridge Deck Curing Systems
Tyler Ley, P.E., Ph.D., Oklahoma State University
Amir Hajibabaee
Mehdi Khanzadeh
Jacob Peery
Jake LeFlore
Travis Ebisch
A Contractor’s Point of View: Super Flat Floors
Kurt Norland, Jensen Builders