To learn more about TOPODRONE LiDAR and bathymetric solutions to perform reservoir characterization and modeling join a free online webinar.

About TOPODRONE 

TOPODRONE (https://topodrone.com/) is a Swiss based designer and manufacturer of high-precision surveying equipment for installation on UAVs, vehicles and backpacks. TOPODRONE’s hardware (LiDARs, high resolution cameras and PPK) are used for mapping and 3D modeling. Application areas include but are not limited to forest and agricultural monitoring, construction and urban planning, and bathymetry. TOPODRONE’s advanced post-processing software provides users with easy-to-use innovative data processing workflows for automatic data generation, georeferencing and alignment using GNSS and IMU data post processing, and SLAM algorithms.

Over the years, the Steel Tube Institute has fielded hundreds of inquiries about the proper specification and design of HSS members and their connections. We have selected a few of our favorite do’s and don’ts and will share them throughout the course of the webinar. Our broad overview will include provisions related to end distance, weld length, wall thickness, material, and more.

Learning Objectives: 

• Do understand the subtleties between available material specifications.
• Don’t always rely on the full length of your weld.
• Do know how to avoid end distance reductions or know how to apply them.
• Do understand limits of applicability.
• Don’t miss out on many more tips related to efficient and appealing connection design

Speaker: Beth Suminski, PE, SE

Beth has worked for 25 years as a structural engineer in the fields of consulting engineering, software, and continuing education. During her first few years, her experiences in construction defect litigation cemented her understanding of how and how NOT to design a structure. She spent the following years as a practicing consulting engineer in San Diego, and later as a director of structural software sales and development with Bentley. In her current position with FORSE, she continues to pursue both the design and educational aspects of structural engineering. Beth is a licensed PE and SE in California and a licensed PE in Arkansas.

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As the end of the year approaches, firms look inward and consider what they should do differently to make the coming year more profitable and aspirational. In this webinar, Steven Burns, FAIA, and Enoch Sears, AIA, will take their combined 60 years of experience in AE firm operations and distill it into 45 minutes of essential information that firms of all sizes will want to consider as they prepare their resolutions for the coming year.

This session will share techniques and technologies that your firm must embrace to have the highest efficiency and profitability. Your firm can apply the same rigor and discipline you apply to your projects but focused inward. Learn best practices for Client Relationship Management (CRM), marketing, project management, billing, and accounting.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

In this webinar, you will learn how to:

• Implement proven AE marketing essentials to attract and retain clients
• Present your services in a successful, persuasive manner
• Demonstrate the best practices for nurturing relationships that can lead to winning better projects
• Explain how technology plays an integral role in firm success
• Summarize the critical reports that all firms need to understand

About the Speakers:

Steven Burns, FAIA – Chief Creative Officer, BQE Software

Steven Burns is a member of the College of Fellows of the AIA and Chief Creative Officer of BQE Software.

After receiving his Master of Architecture degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Steve spent 7 years at SOM – working in Chicago, London, and Berlin before founding his own firm, BBA Architects in 1993.

In 2007, with 17 architects on staff- Steve sold BBA to pursue his passion for business management software – starting with his creation of ArchiOffice.

In 2009 with over 600 firms using the ArchiOffice platform, Steve sold his second company to BQE Software and is now focused on the product development of BQE CORE ARCHITECT – a fully-integrated, cloud-based firm management platform that includes time billing, invoicing, accounting, and project management for firms of all sizes.

Steven is a global speaker and thought leader on topics related to firm management and emerging technologies.

Enoch Sears, AIA – Founder, The Business of Architecture

Enoch Bartlett Sears, AIA, is the founder of Business of Architecture and a well-regarded architectural practice management expert. He’s recognized for developing the SMART Practice Method for managing a smooth-running architectural practice.

He’s the author of two books, The Architect’s Marketing Field Guide, and Social Media for Architects. He’s also host of the #1-rated interview podcast for architects, the Business of Architecture show, where he interviews guests like M. Arthur Gensler, Jr., Thom Mayne and others. Enoch is a frequently invited speaker on the topic of the business of architecture.

About BQE:

BQE CORE is the award-winning firm management software, created by engineers for engineers, that project-based firms trust to run their operations for better project outcomes, and more profitable futures. Their fully integrated suite of intuitive tools with 24/7/365 support provides back-office automation to power front-office insights, making firm management more agile, informed, and data-driven. Learn more at www.bqe.com.

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The partnership is ready to provide a full end-to-end software toolchain for airborne LiDAR  applications. It includes flight planning and data collection (done with UgCS) and data processing  (using LiDAR360), which are necessary for delivering meaningful results such as elevation  models, terrain mapping and modeling, forestry scanning, and power line inspection.  

“Manual drone flight planning does not guarantee a stable flight. Moreover, during large-scale  projects, you cannot see the drone at all times. Automated mission planning using UgCS allows  users to plan LiDAR surveys with adjustable corner radius and calibration segments, overcoming these issues and guaranteeing the results to be more accurate,” describes Alvin QIU at  GreenValley International.  

“We decided to test LiDAR360 upon the recommendation of one of our partners. We have  evaluated multiple software packages for LiDAR data processing and found that LiDAR360 is the  most universal and provides a good balance between user friendliness and professional results”,  explains Alexey Dobrovolskiy, CTO at SPH Engineering.  

To learn more about the aligned technology, join the webinar.  

About SPH Engineering  

SPH Engineering (sph-engineering.com) is a global provider of UAV software solutions,  integration services, consulting and custom development to expand drone applications. Its  innovations support UAVs of different manufacturers and advance drone technologies for  surveying, data collection, and entertainment. Founded in 2013 in Latvia (EU), the company has  a global customer and partner network in 150+ countries. 

About Green Valley 

GreenValley International (greenvalleyintl.com) is a leader in complete 3D surveying and mapping  solutions. Partnering with renowned LiDAR sensor producers like RIEGL and Livox, GreenValley  focuses on LiDAR and image fusion technology, specializing in lidar, UAV, SLAM,  photogrammetry, and other technologies to achieve an accurate digital representation of three dimensional space. GVI high-precision lidar scanning systems, such as LiAir (UAV/Fixed-Wing),  LiMobile (vehicle-mounted), LiBackpack, and LiPod (terrestrial), help create smart cities and  provide intelligent solutions in energy, agriculture, forestry, roadwork, geographic information  (GIS), mining, and more. LiDAR360, LiPowerline, LiStreet, and other GVI software solutions  provide core processing and analysis for accurate point cloud editing and visualization.

Register Here

UgCS by SPH Engineering gives professional drone pilots the ability to plan detailed survey missions in a 3D environment on PC/Mac. One of the features of UgCS is the ability to plan vertical inspection missions with terrain following based on custom imported digital elevation models (DEM).

Niricson is one of the fastest growing start-ups in Canada, having top hydro dam owners and engineering consulting firms as customers around the world. Niricson’s AUTOSPEX cloud-based platform, enables asset managers and civil engineers to quickly gather insights and proactively plan the repair of their assets. The platform helps them manage their budgets and help ensure the safety of the high consequence structures during their service life and beyond.

Agenda:
– Connecting your drone to UgCS
– Custom camera configuration and actions
– Planning vertical missions
– Importing digital elevation models
– Performing hydro dam inspections using drones (Niricson) and processing data

The webinar is free of charge and requires registration.
The webinar will be recorded – please register to get the link to the video recording!

Discover UgCS https://www.ugcs.com/
About SPH Engineering https://sph-engineering.com/
Discover Niricson https://niricson.com/
With any questions please contact support@ugcs.com.

Join us on June 2, 6 PM (GMT+3) to learn more about how UgCS vertical inspection and DEM import features can be utilized to collect 1mm/pixel resolution data on concrete arch dams.

Register Here

In this one hour course, we will discuss the ability of FEVE fluoropolymer topcoats to resist UV degradation, corrosion and the ill effects of chemical exposure for both new bridges and maintenance re-coating of existing bridges. We will review the real-time and accelerated testing of FEVE fluoropolymer coatings in Japan, where they are used extensively on bridge infrastructure. We will also compare the life-cycle cost advantages of FEVE coating systems to the costs of other coatings, even though FEVE systems have higher initial costs.

Learning Objectives:

• Compare FEVE fluoropolymer topcoats with conventional coating formulations 
• Review the outstanding weathering and corrosion resistance that FEVE fluoropolymer topcoats offer based on accelerated and real time testing
• Discuss shop and field applications for new construction and maintenance of existing FEVE bridge topcoats
• Substantiate life cycle cost advantages and environmental benefits of FEVE coatings for bridges

About the Speaker:

Winn Darden

Title: Business Manager, LUMIFLON® Resins

Email address: Winn.Darden@agc.com

Winn Darden is Business Manager for LUMIFLON® Fluoropolymer Resins for North America. He has been involved in sales and marketing for coatings and coating raw materials for more than 30 years. Mr. Darden has given presentations at numerous conferences and for organizations including the Society for Protective Coatings, the National Association of Corrosion Engineers, National Steel Bridge Alliance, Polymers in Oil & Gas Symposium, the ABRAFATI Coatings Show in Brazil, the Transportation Research Board’s Annual Meeting, and the PCI Powder Coating Conference. He has published articles in the Journal of Protective Coatings, Journal of Architectural Coatings, and Bridges Magazine. He has helped to develop programs registered with the AIA for continuing professional education. Mr. Darden has a BS in Chemistry and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. He holds 12 U. S. Patents.

Register Here

As LiDAR sensors become more and more popular, the webinar by SPH Engineering will focus on training drone pilots new to UgCS flight planning software on how to effectively plan survey missions for LiDAR. This will include knowledge useful for new as well as intermediate users of UgCS.

The webinar will also cover topics such as flight planning with terrain following and flying with UgCS offline. In addition, the webinar will cover the workflow of how to gather DSM/DTM data and use both datasets to plan safe and efficient magnetic surveys.

Webinar agenda:

• Connecting your drone to UgCS
• Simple flight planning with terrain following
• LiDAR Area scan planning
• LiDAR Corridor scan planning
• Adding calibration segments
• Route management and export
• Using custom maps and elevation models
• Tips for using UgCS offline
• Q&A

Join us on April 7, 6 PM (GMT+3) for the live webinar to have a quick-start guide on flight planning for LiDAR in UgCS.

8 AM Los Angeles, CA, USA (PST = GMT-7)
10:00 Mexico City, Mexico (CST = GMT-6)
11:00 Toronto, Canada (EST = GMT-4)
11 AM New York, NY, USA (EST = GMT-4)
17:00 Berlin, Germany (CET = GMT+2)
18:00 Riga, Latvia (EET = GMT+3)
19:00 Dubai, UAE (GMT+4)
23:00 Beijing, China (CST = GMT+8)
00:00 Tokyo, Japan (JST = GMT+9)

Register Here

Is your firm pursuing government work or considering diversifying your strategy? With an anticipated large influx of new projects coming at the state and local level, now is the opportune time to tap into these opportunities and develop your firm’s plan for success.

Join state and local market analyst, Chris Dixon, to explore:

• Which types of infrastructure projects are on the horizon and when they are coming
• How your team can tap into these new opportunities to grow your business
• Why now is the time to explore adding government opportunities into your firm’s strategy”

About the Speaker

Chris Dixon Biography

Chris Dixon, senior manager, SLED Market Analysis, conducts targeted research aimed at shedding light on the state, local, and education (SLED) markets across multiple industries. In addition to investigating, evaluating, and tracking existing market trends, Dixon provides strategic research, analysis, market forecasting, and opportunity analysis. He also provides consultative guidance to vendors to help them capitalize on procurement opportunities.

Previously, Dixon held several positions at the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) where he was instrumental in establishing and supporting the organization’s in-house issues research and policy development processes. As senior issues coordinator, he oversaw NASCIO’s health IT, broadband, and cybersecurity agendas, as well as built relationships with city and county CIOs and their professional organizations. During his tenure at NASCIO, Dixon’s responsibilities also included supporting policy and issues committees covering information/enterprise architecture, digital government, telecommunications, and economic development. He conceived and implemented the association’s Compendium of Digital Government in the States publication as well as the comprehensive member survey from which it is compiled.

Prior to NASCIO, Dixon managed the community assessment and grant-making processes for a local, non-profit health and human services funding organization. He has also worked in campaign politics at the state and local levels in the South and Midwest regions.

Dixon holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Morningside College.

Register Here

Sponsored By:

Course Description:

How can architecture, engineering, and construction firms manage the complexity of professional licensing more efficiently and effectively? What are the diverse requirements for each state in order to pursue business opportunities? How can AEC firms manage—and stay ahead of—operating and regulatory deadlines?

This webinar will discuss the challenges of managing the corporate lifecycle for businesses operating in multiple states. AEC firms face complex licensing requirements at the individual, firm, and even specialty trade levels. We offer strategies and best practices to handle the complexity of multi-state business operations and licensing requirements specifically for AEC firms.

PDH/LU: 1 credit.

Learning Objectives

•  To explore AEC corporate lifecycle management, tax registration, and business licensing, and individual professional licensing requirements.
•  To discuss challenges AEC firms encounter when expanding into new states, managing qualifiers, and maintaining good standing using relevant, real-life examples.
•  To highlight the importance of a comprehensive management solution needed to compete for business in multiple states and avoid widespread regulatory issues
•  To identify strategies and best practices for AEC firms’ principals and compliance officers, including tax and legal professionals, to satisfy licensing and business requirements across the nation.

Presented By:

Laura Worker, MBA, PMP, is the AEC Market Manager at Harbor Compliance. She brings 20 years of marketing experience, much of it focused on architecture, engineering, and construction firm clients. Prior to joining Harbor Compliance, Ms. Worker worked in energy efficiency consulting and commercial HVAC systems industries. She received her bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College and her MBA from Temple University’s Fox school of business.

Register Here

Main idea:

Tell the guests through the prism of knowledge and opinions of invited members of the drone show community and professionals in their field about the potential of the industry and about the professions and opportunities that are hidden in it for everyone who likes to try new things.

You will learn:

– What does the drone show industry consist of, what kind of specialists are involved there?
– What has the entertainment industry gained with drone shows, what new opportunities have opened up for the largest agencies and creative companies?
– How from a 3D animator-beginner become a specialist in drone show choreography in demand in the international market?
– The most incredible collaborations of 2021, in which drone shows took a key place.
– 2nd International Drone Show Competition – an opportunity for everyone.

Moderator
Luke Carothers, Civil+Structural Engineer Media, Editor

Speakers
– Isabel Caballero Fernandez, 2020 Competition’s 2nd place winner
SkyLab-Entertainment, Drone show designer
– Helen Pukszta & Steve Akins,
Drone Arrival, Co-founders
– Eriks Pastars, DroneShowSoftware Sales Manager, SPH Engineering Ltd,
– Drone Show Software provider

Discover 2nd International Drone Show Competition https://droneshowsoftware.com/competition

For any questions reach out to competition@ugcs.com.

Register Here

Talk/demo/Q&A with Replica CEO Nick Bowden

It’s never been more important for cities to have accurate, reliable data that reflects the full complexity of the built environment. The right data can better equip you to help your clients plan for a post-COVID transit recovery, design transportation networks that connect people to opportunity, determine the equity impacts of large-scale projects, and discover who’s most likely to trade car trips for walking and biking. These are just some of the ways Replica data has been utilized by architecture, engineering, and consulting partners, nationwide. Join CEO Nick Bowden on September 23rd to learn how the Replica platform has helped engineering firms and their public sector clients solve the built environment’s most complex problems.

Speaker:

Nick Bowden is the CEO and co-founder of Replica, a data platform for the built environment.

Register Here

Sponsored by:

Watch Part 1

Join CHANCE® for a two-part webinar to learn how extreme events such as earthquakes, tsunamis, storm surges, hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters often cause substantial damage to the foundation of existing structures that requires rapid response for repair. In some areas, recurring events produce repeating damage to traditional foundations of lightly loaded residential and commercial structures. Learn why helical piles are an attractive engineered solution that can be used to provide rapid high capacity load bearing characteristics in most geologic settings for both new foundations and remedial repair.

Learn what to consider when engineering foundations that will likely encounter extreme weather events.
Explore real-world examples of successful implementations of helical piles to remediate a structure following a storm event.
Compare the pros and cons helical pile technology to alternative methods.
Discuss how to design helical pile foundations for seismic zones.
Discover the research and testing that has been done to prove the resilience of helical piles during seismic activity.

Speakers:
Gary L. Seider, PE
Director of Engineering for CHANCE® Foundation Solutions

Cary Hannon, PE
Vice President of Engineering for Foundation Technologies, Inc.

Jeffrey Martin, PE
Sole Proprietor and Owner at Steelhead Engineering

Each webinar is PDH eligible.

[qsm quiz=73]

Watch Part 2

Join CHANCE® for a two-part webinar to learn how extreme events such as earthquakes, tsunamis, storm surges, hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters often cause substantial damage to the foundation of existing structures that requires rapid response for repair. In some areas, recurring events produce repeating damage to traditional foundations of lightly loaded residential and commercial structures. Learn why helical piles are an attractive engineered solution that can be used to provide rapid high capacity load bearing characteristics in most geologic settings for both new foundations and remedial repair.

Learn what to consider when engineering foundations that will likely encounter extreme weather events.
Explore real-world examples of successful implementations of helical piles to remediate a structure following a storm event.
Compare the pros and cons helical pile technology to alternative methods.
Discuss how to design helical pile foundations for seismic zones.
Discover the research and testing that has been done to prove the resilience of helical piles during seismic activity.

Speakers:
Gary L. Seider, PE
Director of Engineering for CHANCE® Foundation Solutions

Cary Hannon, PE
Vice President of Engineering for Foundation Technologies, Inc.

Jeffrey Martin, PE
Sole Proprietor and Owner at Steelhead Engineering

Each webinar is PDH eligible.

[qsm quiz=72]

Program Description:
Nearly 100% of firms have changed policies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the majority are not planning on reverting. Zweig Group’s 2021 Policies, Procedures, and Benefits Report provides industry statistics on policies and procedures, so you can support your decisions with hard data. To help you better utilize this insightful set of data to its fullest potential, Zweig Group is offering a free webinar to complement the report.

You can expect to hear from Zweig Group’s research and recruitment experts, breaking down the latest trends in AEC firm compensation policies, benefits, budgets, HR department composition, and other major HR issues.

This webinar is an added benefit to all those who purchased the full report; but purchase is not required, registration to this webinar is free and open to all. It is ideal for HR professionals at AEC firms; as well as firm owners and principals interested in benchmarking and staying competitive in the current state of recruitment and retention.

PDH/LU: N/A
Price: FREE

Register Here

Program Description:
Zweig Group’s 2021 Financial Performance Report of AEC Firms is an extensive and comprehensive publication. This webinar will complement the report, allowing attendees to utilize and apply this insightful set of data to their firm.

Objectives:
Overview of the survey process, collection methods, and analysis
Insights and trends on key financial metrics based on firm demographics
How and where PPP loans impacted financial statements
Industry outlook and projections for next year and beyond
Q&A with the Zweig Group panel

This webinar is for financial leaders and principals in AEC firms looking to understand industry metrics in 2020 and annual trends for these metrics.

Register Here

May 20, 2021, 11 AM New York, NY, USA

Qualitative multispectral imagery enables precise early detection and AI-powered identification of pests, diseases, and vegetation irregularities.

SPH Engineering is collaborating with Agrowing Ltd. to make high-end multispectral solutions affordable to a larger number of farmers, agronomists, and researchers around the globe. We believe that equipping more growers with in-the-field actionable data contributes to a sustainable future.

Agrowing Ltd. has an established track record when it comes to enabling powerful tools for farmers and growers. The provider of AI-enabling multispectral sensors consistently creates products that set it apart from the competition to enable real opportunities for users. UgCS Mapper is an affordable, lightweight 2D map stitching software by SPH Engineering, capable of stitching high-resolution multi-band multispectral imagery purely offline in the field.

Explore with us an entire workflow of multispectral imagery processing, from data acquisition and map stitching to NDVI calculation.

Webinar agenda:
1. Key benefits of multispectral photography for an agronomist
2. An overview of Agrowing cameras
3. Multispectral imagery processing workflow explained
– Flight planning in UgCS
– Key notes on data acquisition with Agrowing camera
– Image preprocessing with Agrowing software
– Orthomosaics stitching with UgCS Mapper
– Vegetation index calculation in QGIS
4. Solution pricing

The webinar is free of charge but requires registration.

Aired: April 28th, 2021 2PM CST

Join Deltek, EleVia Software, and Thornton Tomasetti to learn how having a powerful tech stack can help you focus on your core business. A powerful technology ecosystem allows your team to be the AEC experts they are and bring resilience to your organization in times of crisis and uncertainty. In this webinar we will discuss:

• Cost vs. quality of service
• Business continuity
• What’s the value equation?
• Utilizing Deltek and EleVia tools to run your business
• Real-life examples

Speakers:

Paul Flaherty

Director, Solution Engineering, Deltek

Ron Noden

Executive Vice President, EleVia Software

Featuring:

Rebecca Huston

Billing and Collections Manager, Thornton Tomasetti

Benjamin Barnett

Financial Systems Manager, Thornton Tomasetti

Register Here

Sponsored by:

Satellite is an efficient method of obtaining images for large areas – hundreds of square kilometres. Despite the lack of resolution compared to drones, satellite images are very suitable for special types of object detection, counting and territory segmentation in agriculture, urban planning, disaster response. The webinar will demonstrate how to obtain satellite data for your projects and benefit from AI-powered analysis of ATLAS.

The webinar is organised in collaboration of ATLAS (by SPH Engineering) – the AI-powered geospatial analysis platform and Planet – the leading provider of global, daily satellite imagery and geospatial solutions.

What will you learn:
– Satellite imagery made accessible
– How to obtain satellite imagery
– Drone survey vs. satellite imagery – which to choose?
– Analysing satellite imagery with ATLAS
– Automating territory segmentation with ATLAS

Register Here

1 PDH

Project teams are dispersed now more than ever before — either working in different geographies, at a home office, or at a job site. Given the remote nature of today’s workforce and that data is stored in a variety of locations, project team members need to access and manage their project data from wherever they are, from any device.

Join Newforma to learn how you can streamline workflows and improve project delivery with a hybrid solution.

Learning Objectives

1. The evolution of Project Information Management
2. How Project Information Management challenges have evolved
3. Why a Hybrid solution makes sense for the AEC Industry
4. What to look for in a hybrid solution
5. Examples of common workflows improved with a hybrid solution

Speakers

Thomas Maleski, Solutions Engineer, Newforma

Tom is a Solutions Engineer with over twenty years of experience working for Architectural, Structural, and MEP/FP firms by providing training, mentoring and guidance, project audits and troubleshooting, and maintaining software installations and licensing.

Register Here

Sponsored by:

UgCS to organise work of a distributed drone teams – pilots in Field / experts in Office.

The webinar will provide insights how UgCS can improve efficacy of drone teams working in a distributed environment. For example:
– Company having remote assets (i.e. construction sites) may hire (inexperienced) drone pilots who are located near the construction site (e.g. during lockdown) to perform predefined survey flights and then deliver acquired data to headquarters.
– Mining, construction and oil&gas companies having large territories requiring security and incident response, which is ensured with video monitoring room (CCTV) and pilots in the field. No LTE, but local WiFi.

What you will learn:
– Plan in the office, fly in the field – transferring flight plans
– Organising work with pilots-subcontractors
– Organising work of a pilot and observer field crew
– Streaming video from drones in the field to the office
– Required infrastructure: physical hardware, Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure
– Addressing security issued during data transmission.
– Q&A.

Discover https://ugcs.com

Register Here

ATLAS for Civil Engineering
No more manual routine in construction progress monitoring. Secured data sharing with one click! ATLAS is an AI-driven digital platform, which helps track construction progress more efficiently by automating object detection, counting and territory segmentation with AI detectors. ATLAS contains its own AI-engine, which learns from users activity and automates regular tasks in construction and maintenance.
– Timely construction reporting
– Improve teamwork and coordination
– Sensitive data is secured.

What you will learn:
– Structuring your drone data for large projects
– Tracking progress on the construction site with orthomosaics and elevation
– Cut & fill volume calculations
– True DTM generation
– Converting orthomosaics into vector plan for Civil3D
– Automated object detection and territory segmentation.

Discover https://atlas.ugcs.com

Register Here

OVERVIEW: 

Spots for this program are limited to 18 attendees. Reserve your spot as soon as possible.

The recommended prerequisite for this course is Zweig Group’s Project Management for AEC Professionals as this advanced-level content builds on and hones the skills developed in this course. This course is ideal for people that have existing experience leading projects and teams A new advanced skills training course for project managers led by a panel of three experts backed by a ton of research on how to best train project managers to be more effective and efficient. This advanced project management course is designed to take a Project Manager to the next level, with a focus on anticipating problems, communicating with leadership and other important stakeholders, and transitioning from managing to leading people and projects. It will focus on the nuances of different situations that commonly arise and how to adapt and optimize your responses to situations in order to maximize the impact of core PM skills. This will address ways to change your approach to be more effective in leading projects in greater magnitude of budget and importance and discuss precision in communication. This course features elements not offered in any other project management course, including being led by an industry expert with almost 2 decades of project management experience, and two psychologists with expertise in people skills, behavior change, group dynamics, and implementation science.

Specifically, this course offers:

• Education and training regarding skills that can be immediately implemented
• Collaborative problem-solving and skill practice
• Individualized feedback
• Tailored and specific examples
• Ongoing implementation assistance throughout the course
• Education
• Small cohort class (18 attendee limit)

INSTRUCTORS:

This course is taught by Zweig Group’s strategic partner; Start 2 Rise.

Register Here

OVERVIEW:

With the uncertainty of traveling to In-Person events, Zweig Group has created a NEW virtual seminar program. This is a three-week program of four hours each week of live Zoom meetings with our seminar instructors. These meetings will be a mix of presentations as well as open-ended Q&A sessions. This will be the same great content that is taught during our in-person The Principals Academy seminar that has trained over 900 attendees in the last 5 years.

The Principals Academy is Zweig Group’s flagship training program encompassing all aspects of managing a professional AEC service firm. Elevate your ability to lead and grow your firm with this program designed to inspire and inform existing and emerging AEC firm leaders in key areas of firm management leadership, financial management, recruiting, marketing, business development, and project management. Learning and networking at this premiere event challenges traditional seminar formats and integrates participatory idea exchange led by Zweig Group’s CEO Chad Clinehens, PE, and Zweig Group’s Managing Principal, Jamie Claire Kiser, as well as the firm’s top line up of advisors.

Zweig Group’s leadership team draws from our 30+ year history working with AEC firms to teach the latest approaches to managing and operating successful firms – using our comprehensive data set of industry benchmarks and best practices. The Principals Academy is like a mini-MBA for design and technical professionals and is an impactful way you can spend learning to build your career and your firm.

SUMMARY DETAILS:

• Three-week program, with two, two-hour meetings each week of live content
• The same content that is taught during the in-person The Principals Academy seminar
• Taking place on live Zoom meetings, participants are able to network with the instructors as well as the other participants
• 12 credit hours
• Space is limited for this program to keep a cohort-style learning environment. Register now to secure your place.

Register Here

OVERVIEW: 

A new training for project managers led by a panel of three experts backed by a ton of research on how to best train project managers to be more effective and efficient. 

Each team member brings their own unique experiences and skillset to project teams. Effectively leveraging the talents of your team can optimize team effectiveness. Project Management for AEC Professionals provides people-focused, science-driven practical skills to help project leaders harness the power of their team. By addressing the most important aspects of any project – the people – this course will provide practical techniques that can be immediately implemented for a positive impact on any AEC team or business.

AEC Professionals are extensively trained on technical skills and less so on how to manage a team. However, with rapidly evolving technology, increasing fee pressure, multi-generational teams, and many other challenges, effective team leadership in project environments has proven to be the key to thriving in the high-pressure AEC environment. These challenges, coupled with the fact that project managers are often left to learn on the job, leaves new and seasoned leaders left to use a trial and error style team leadership that is prone to missteps. Each decision made can impact profit, risk, and client-relationships. This course will take the guesswork out of leading your team and develop project leaders who are equipped with practical, science-backed skills to empower their teams to achieve and surpass their goals.

WHY THIS COURSE?

• 94% of attendees would recommend this course to other Project Managers.
• 97% of attendees state that the skills learned in this course will help them to better lead their team.
• 96% of attendees state that the course helped them develop skills to be a more effective Project Manager.

“What would you tell others about this course?”

• “Probably the best project management course I’ve taken.”
• “This is a great course for project managers and others to learn new skills to implement to become more effective in the AEC environment.”
• “The course was very skills focused and provided actionable things to do, unlike some courses that stay ‘big picture.’”
• “Do it. It’s awesome.”
• “Worth the time. High value course for anyone doing Project Management.”
• “Well worth your time.”
• “The people hosting the course are real, honest, and interesting to listen to. Very helpful.”
• “Very engaging and lots of practical tools.”
• “The single best PM course I’ve taken (and I’ve taken many). It was focused, on-topic, and applicable.”
• “Take it!”

FORMAT AND CONTENT:

This is a four-week program consisting of four ninety-minute live, virtual modules, one module per week, led by the seminar instructor team. These meetings will be a mix of presentations, discussions, and open-ended Q&A sessions.  This is the same great content that is taught during our in-person Project Management for AEC Professionals seminar. This course is taught by Zweig Group’s strategic partner; Start 2 Rise.

This training course covers the four critical focus areas every AEC Industry project manager should be familiar with: Time and Task Management, Communication, Team Leadership, and Problem Solving/Conflict Resolution.  The course is presented in lectures, tutorials, individual exercises, role plays, and case study workshop sessions. Attendees will leave armed with a comprehensive understanding of the foundational characteristics, skills, and techniques successful project managers must have to succeed in their role.

INSTRUCTORS:

This course is taught by Zweig Group’s strategic partner; Start 2 Rise.

Register Here

The availability to pay electronically has become increasingly popular in B2B. Accepting ACH payments eliminates the traditional paper check and gets money in the bank sooner. But what if your organization took it one step further with payment receipt integration into your ERP?

Join us for this webinar as we discuss how payment receipt integration:

• Speeds payments
• Automates manual coding and reduces manual steps
• Improves cash flow and cash flow visibility

We’ll also show you invoicing and accounts receivable tools that minimize your efforts and improve security and compliance. If you use Deltek Vision® or Vantagepoint®, you won’t want to miss this!

Presenters:

Rick Janes, Senior Director – EVPay Solution, EleVia Software

Rick has over 25 years of experience connecting large diverse organizations to processes and technology that improve business performance. He has led numerous sales and technology teams across a broad spectrum of vertical markets including expense management, enterprise network design and configuration, cash flow management and payments processing. Rick loves to engage clients with fresh perspectives and help them leverage technology to get real, measurable results.

Ron Noden, Executive Vice President, EleVia Software

Ron is deeply committed to organization improvements and helping customers be more successful. Ron has served as CEO of one of Minnesota’s fastest growing technology companies and as a principal in sixteen startups. Ron assisted in the development of a revolutionary technology advancement in retail distribution for one of the world’s largest retailers. He loves to blend the power of technology with the power of talented people.

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Sponsored by:

In this one hour course, we will discover the strengths and advantages of FEVE fluoropolymer topcoats for both new bridges and maintenance re-coating of existing bridges.

We will review the decades-long history of real-time and accelerated testing of FEVE fluoropolymer coatings in Japan due to their extensive use on bridge infrastructure.

We will also assess the life-cycle cost advantages of FEVE coating systems despite their higher initial cost compared to other coatings.

Upon completion of this course, the design professional will be able to:

• Define FEVE and discuss FEVE coating composition, history and unique weatherability properties
• Discuss real-time and accelerated testing of FEVE coatings that demonstrate their proven performance in terms of corrosion resistance, color/gloss retention, and long life
• Discuss guidelines for proper specification, ease of application and low maintenance needs of FEVE bridge coatings
• Quantify life cycle costs cost and sustainability benefits of FEVE coatings for bridges

Presenter:

Kristen Blankenship, AGC, Inc. – Lumiflon

Kristen has a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Evansville. She has spent the last 19 years in the coatings industry working for various coating, chemical, and material manufacturing companies. She began her career as an analytical chemist at Red Spot Paint (Evansville, IN) focusing on defect analysis. This experience allowed her to develop a unique approach to formulation with a focus on structure-property relationships. She eventually became a UV curable coatings formulator at Red Spot and later moved up chain to Cytec Industries, Inc. (now Alnex) as a technical service chemist in the area of waterborne liquid coating resins. In January of 2013, she accepted the position of technical service chemist at AGC Chemicals Americas, based in Exton, PA. After nearly three years working with LUMIFLON resins in the lab, she moved into a business development role. She now supports strategic accounts in developing high performance coating technology based on LUMIFLON® FEVE resins.

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Sponsored by:

During these unprecedented times, AE finance and accounting leaders have adjusted their business processes to help their teams be successful in the “new normal”. With remote work here to stay, technology will continue to play a major role in driving this success.

Join EleVia Software and Chris Nguyen, Principal and Controller from Interior Architects as he shares how his organization uses technology to maximize performance regardless of where their team is located. By embracing technology, learn how Interior Architects is automating mundane tasks to help their team work on the highest order opportunities in their business.

In this webcast, we will discuss:

• Functioning financially while working remotely and benefits of automation
• How automated Payables Approval and Tracking helped make the remote move possible
• Special achievements – annual audit and ASC606 compliance
• Virtual implementation of financial platforms and tools
• Simple tips and tricks for success when managing a remote team
• Understanding and shaping a Financial Technology vision for 2021 and beyond

Chris Nguyen
Controller and Principal, IA Interior Architects, Inc.

Chris has over 30 years of financial leadership in the AE industry, starting with Engineering then leading to Architecture. With his broad experience, Chris is passionate about harnessing technology together with compliance expertise to add nimbleness to the stewardship of his organization.

Ron Noden
Executive Vice President, EleVia Software

Ron is deeply committed to organizational improvements and helping customers be more successful. Ron has served as CEO of one of Minnesota’s fastest-growing technology companies and as a principle in sixteen startups. He loves to blend the power of technology with the power of talented people.

Register Now

Sponsored by:

Join Newforma, Autodesk, and Schmidt Architects to learn how the construction technology space is progressing towards more unity and the benefits of working in a connected environment. Discover how Newforma’s integration with Autodesk BIM 360 further streamlines collaboration to provide increased flexibility to view, search, and manage project files to improve project delivery.

This webinar was aired on Thursday, September 17th at 2pm CST.

Sponsored by:

Learning Objectives of Webinar

• Potential benefits of using SJI’s CJ-Series composite joists.
• Computational aspects of composite steel joist behavior per SJI’s new 2nd Edition CJ-Series Specifications.
• Guidelines for installing welded shear studs onto the chords of CJ-Series joists and serviceability considerations.
• How to efficiently utilize SJI’s Composite Steel Joist Catalog.
• Preliminary estimating of CJ-Series costs utilizing SJI’s new Floor Bay Analysis Tool.
• Typical projects for CJ-Series composite joists.

Sponsored By:

See more webinars from Steel Joist Institute here.

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Overview:

Practical leadership skills are vital to the health and success of every company in any industry. Effective leaders motivate their teams to achieve exceptional results, inspire others to be better than they thought possible, and create an environment where their team is focused and working towards a common vision. Zweig Group’s team of management experts – who have extensive experience working with AEC firms providing solutions to the challenges facing AEC firms today – deliver practical solutions that technical professionals can put to work immediately to lead their firms to success.

This program provides AEC professionals with the skills to become more competent leaders and helps attendees develop and affirm the leadership skills, strategies, and techniques necessary to grow personally and professionally.

Summary Details:

• Four-week program, with one-hour meetings each week of live content
• Taking place on a Zoom meeting, participants are able to network with the instructors as well as the other participants
• Four credit hours

Registration Includes:

• Four live meetings with the Zweig Group instructors
• The same highly-rated seminar content will be taught in the convenience of your own home/office
• Polls, quizzes and interactive material that will keep participants engaged
• Participants will also get the recorded sessions to look back on for years to come
• A comprehensive seminar workbook

Schedule:

Module One: Thursday, October 29th, 2020 from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM CT

Module Two: Thursday, November 5th, 2020 from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM CT

Module Three: Thursday, November 12th, 2020 from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM CT

Module Four: Thursday, November 19th, 2020 from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM CT

Instructors:

Phil Keil, Director, Strategic Services, Zweig Group

Discussion Topics Include:

• Leadership Theory
• Leadership Styles & Listening
• Public Speaking & Communication
• Role of Routine
• Decision Making
• Recruiting and Workforce Personalities
• Mentoring
• Change Management

What attendees will learn from this program:

• Essential skills for leading high-performing organizations
• Enhanced listening and speaking skills
• How to lead in a time of crisis
• The importance of mentorship and mentoring programs
• Strategies for leading effecting change in an organization
• How to effectively recruit and retain top talent
• The importance of forming daily routines
• How to formulate effective decision-making strategies

Who Should Attend?

This course is designed for leaders at all levels with an emphasis on aspiring, emerging, and mid-level leaders. It’s intended to prepare professionals for their increasing roles and responsibilities as team leaders and client managers.

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Overview:

With the uncertainty of traveling to In-Person events, Zweig Group has created a NEW virtual seminar program. This is a 6-week program of 2 hours each week of a live zoom meeting with our seminar instructors. These meetings will be a mix of presentations as well as open-ended Q&A sessions. This will be the same great content that is taught during our in-person The Principals Academy seminar that has trained over 800 attendees in the last 5 years.

The Principals Academy is Zweig Group’s flagship training program encompassing all aspects of managing a professional AEC service firm. Elevate your ability to lead and grow your firm with this program designed to inspire and inform existing and emerging AEC firm leaders in key areas of firm management leadership, financial management, recruiting, marketing, business development, and project management. Learning and networking at this premiere event challenges traditional seminar formats and integrates participatory idea exchange led by Zweig Group’s CEO Chad Clinehens, PE, and Zweig Group’s Managing Principal, Jamie Claire Kiser, as well as the firm’s top line up of advisors.

Zweig Group’s leadership team draws from our 30+ year history working with AEC firms to teach the latest approaches to managing and operating successful firms – using our comprehensive data set of industry benchmarks and best practices. The Principals Academy is like a mini-MBA for design and technical professionals and is an impactful way you can spend learning to build your career and your firm.

Summary Details:

• 6-week program, with 2-hour meetings each week of live content
• The same content that is taught during the In-Person The Principals Academy seminar
• Taking place on a Zoom meeting, participants are able to network with the instructors as well as the other participants
• 12 credit hours

Registration Includes:

• 6 live meetings with the Zweig Group instructors
• The same highly-rated seminar content will be taught in the convenience of your own home/office
• Polls, quizzes and interactive material that will keep participants engaged
• Participants will also get the recorded sessions to look back on for years to come
• A comprehensive seminar workbook

Schedule:

Pre-Seminar Meet & Greet Happy Hour – Monday, October 12, 2020 from 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM CT

Week One: MODULE ONE – Tuesday, October 13, 2020 from 11:00 AM-1:00 PM CT

Week Two: MODULE TWO – Tuesday, October 20, 2020 from 11:00 AM-1:00 PM CT

Week Three: MODULE THREE – Tuesday, October 27, 2020 from 11:00 AM-1:00 PM CT

Week Four: MODULE FOUR –  Tuesday, November 3, 2020 from 11:00 AM-1:00 PM CT

Week Five: MODULE FIVE – Tuesday, November 10, 2020 from 11:00 AM-1:00 PM CT

Week Six: MODULE SIX – Tuesday, November 17, 2020 from 11:00 AM-1:00 PM CT

Instructors:

Chad Clinehens, President & CEO, Zweig Group

Jamie Claire Kiser, Managing Principal, Advisory Services, Zweig Group

Chad Coldiron, Director, Executive Search, Zweig Group

Phil Keil, Director, Strategic Services, Zweig Group

Will Swearingen, Director, Ownership Transition, Zweig Group

Dawson Fercho, Vice President, CTA

Discussion Topics Include:

• What it Means to be a Principal
• Business Planning
• Driving Financial Results
• Marketing Fundamentals
• Recruiting & Retention
• Leadership for Principals
• Firm Ownership & Transition
• Basics of Business Development
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• How to Lead a Successful Firm  

Who Should Attend?

• AEC C-suite & firm owners
• Experienced principals looking to enhance their knowledge
• Legal, accounting, insurance, consulting, and advisors specialized in the AEC industry
• Emerging firm leaders and recently-named principals
• Department, division, and branch managers
• Project Managers and senior design/technical staff

Why The Principals Academy?

• Learn what it takes to be a successful leader in the AEC industry
• Hear about industry best practices that the most successful firms use to stay on top
• Gain a broader perspective on AEC firm management
• Learn leadership and team-building strategies to share at your firm
• Discuss how business planning will help your firm succeed
• Explore the fundamentals of sound financial management

Unique Feature: Career and Firm Growth Roundtable

The Principals Academy program includes an extended Q&A session with industry leaders Chad Clinehens, PE, Jamie Claire Kiser, and the panel of instructors. The Principals Academy provides attendees with an opportunity to discuss in-depth the issues facing them at their firms with advice offered from industry-leading experts.

Register Now

Program Overview:

This is a six-week program of one hour each week of a live zoom meeting with our seminar instructors. These meetings will be a mix of presentations as well as open-ended Q&A sessions.

Elevating Doer-Sellers: Business Development for AEC Professionals is specifically developed to help design and technical professionals in architecture, engineering, planning, and environmental firms become more comfortable managing clients and promoting the firm and its services. Led by two retired and current CEOs with extensive experience from the design desk to the board room, this one-of-a-kind seminar presents business development techniques proven to drive real growth and value in your AEC firm. Beyond the buzzword heavy, ra-ra approach of other business development and sales training seminars, this seminar focuses on what really works in today’s AEC firm utilizing practical and proven techniques that resonate across the organizational chart. Utilizing a unique workshop approach, current CEO of Zweig Group, Chad Clinehens, and retired CEO of Garver, Dan Williams, will lead participants through an immersion of what it takes to grow an AEC firm.  Topics include what drives value in an AEC firm, building a strong brand, how to develop more business, and maximizing the client experience taught through a combination of lectures, discussions, workshops, and a complete project pursuit activity.

Summary Details:

• Taking place on a Zoom meeting, participants are able to network with the instructors as well as the other participants
• Six-week program, with one-hour meetings each week of live content
• Six credit hours

Registration Includes:

• Six live meetings with the Zweig Group instructors
• Live presentations so attendees can ask questions and get real-time answers
• The same highly-rated seminar content will be taught in the convenience of your own home/office
• Polls, quizzes and interactive material that will keep participants engaged
• Participants will also get the recorded sessions to look back on for years to come

Schedule:

Week One: Monday, October 12, 2020 from 11:00 AM-12:00 PM CT

Week Two: Monday, October 19, 2020 from 11:00 AM-12:00 PM CT

Week Three: Monday, October 26, 2020 from 11:00 AM-12:00 PM CT

Week Four: Monday, November 2, 2020 from 11:00 AM-12:00 PM CT

Week Five: Monday, November 9, 2020 from 11:00 AM-12:00 PM CT

Week Six: Monday, November 16, 2020 from 11:00 AM-12:00 PM CT

Discussion topics include:

• What drives real growth in today’s AEC firm
• What’s different about business development and marketing and how to leverage both for maximum success
• Dispelling the myths about business development unique to this industry
• Proven methods and tips for improving your win rate
• A practical system of targeting and closing sales
• How to maximize the client experience to gain a tremendous competitive advantage
• How to develop proposals and presentations that beat the competition 

Who should attend?

• Doer-Sellers
• Business Developers
• Market Leaders
• Marketers
• Project Managers

Instructors:

Chad Clinehens, PE 

Chad Clinehens is the president and CEO of Zweig Group, the leading research, publishing, and consulting firm for the architecture and engineering industry. Passionate about the business side of design and technical service firms, Chad has built a career on leading them through growth and change.

Chad has worked with AEC firms throughout the U.S. on a variety of needs – strategic business planning, turnarounds, partner separations, organizational restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, marketing and sales, growth campaigns, and more.

As a registered professional engineer, Chad brings an in-depth knowledge of what makes professional service firms and the people who work for them unique. Working in the industry for more than 25 years, he has been involved in many aspects of the business including design, project management, department management, regional office management, and directional leadership.

Chad holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration as well as a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and is a registered professional engineer.

Dan Williams, PE

Dan is an executive consultant with Zweig Group, putting his 40-year career in AEC to work for our clients. Starting as a design engineer, Dan has experienced essentially every aspect of the profession. For the last 15 years of his career, he served as COO and then CEO and guided his firm during rapid growth from 200 to over 700 employees while opening 19 new offices.  His firm finished both in the top three of the Zweig Best Firms to Work For and as a Zweig Hot Firm for five consecutive years.

Dan is now offering his expertise to Zweig, providing business consulting, strategic planning, cultural initiatives, and executive coaching. Dan has extensive experience in developing effective boards, ownership transition strategies, organizational restructuring, internal training programs, mergers and acquisitions, and much more.  He is currently completing his certification in executive coaching and is effective working one-on-one or with leadership groups. He holds a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Arkansas and is a registered professional engineer in several states.

Learning Objectives of Webinar

• Identify the unique considerations for designing and specifying steel joists and Joist Girders with pitched chords, including hip roof framing.
• Identify the unique considerations for designing and specifying steel joists and Joist Girders with radiused chords.
• Describe the factors that impact special profile steel joists and Joist Girders.
• Summarize the general concerns with using special profile steel joists and Joist Girders.

Sponsored By:

See more webinars from Steel Joist Institute here.

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About The Webinar

• Viewers will learn ways to improve the collection process.

• Viewers will learn what the average collection period is and why 90 days is not OK

• Viewers will learn strategic cash-flow tips to accelerate collections and control disbursements.

• Viewers will learn best-practice collection policies that they can implement within their firms.

  Sponsored by:

  

Attendees will learn:

1. Common billing challenges and how to overcome them.
2. How to stay on top of billing while working remote.
3. Ways to streamline billing workflows.
4. How to maximize cash flow and use reporting to help manage your business.

Speakers:
Dawn Dostie, Billing Manager for TRC
Dawn is always looking for ways to make billing for TRC more efficient without sacrificing quality. She loves to utilize new technology or better the use of existing tools.

Nelda Kane, Senior Consultant for EleVia Software
Nelda has 16 years of ERP implementation experience.  She loves to help clients utilize EleVia products to improve and streamline their unique business processes.

Ron Noden, Executive Vice President for EleVia Software
Ron is deeply committed to organizational improvements and helping customers be more successful. Ron has served as CEO of one of Minnesota’s fastest-growing technology companies and as a principle in sixteen startups. He loves to blend the power of technology with the power of talented people.

Sponsored by:

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Your projects have no room for error, yet many engineering projects have several challenges that can make this seem impossible. The fact that teams are working out of the office more than before – either from a home office, or at a job site, or visiting clients – means that they need immediate access to project documents or the most current project status, plus be able to collaborate with team members in real-time. Making use of mobile applications and other processes that can allow team members to quickly find, view, and manage project information on-the-go has never been more critical in today’s modern work environment.

How are engineering firms adopting mobile processes that meet the information-rich demands of their projects?

Join Newforma alongside special guests from Thornton Tomasetti and WSP to learn how they are leveraging processes that make project information accessible to all team members whenever and wherever they need it. Register for this webinar to learn:
– Common challenges faced by project teams and how to overcome them
– Case study examples of how mobile technology and processes were leveraged in large scale projects
– Gap analysis of various construction phases where technology eases inefficiency and collaboration challenges.
– Best practices for adoption and implementation

Meet the Speakers

Mike O’Toole                              Vanessa Da Rocha
Senior Associate, BIM Manager     Project Director
WSP                                           Thornton Thomasetti

Brian Guidotti
Solutions Consultant
Newforma

Sponsored by:

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1. The Research Tax Credit (aka) the R&D tax credit or R&D tax credit
2. 179D Energy Efficient Commercial Building Deduction
We will walk through cases involving architects, engineers, and even a specialty subcontractor as they took, and some kept these incentives.

 

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
– Discuss revenue factor and the different ways to calculate it
– Understand how to calculate the investment your firm is making in labor
– Understand how to forecast your firm’s workload
– Understand why a current ratio and a quick ratio are important
– Identify trends in each of these statistics within the AEC industry

Meet the Speakers:

Tyler Thompson
Research Manager, Zweig Group
Tyler has been the Research Manager at Zweig Group since 2018. Tyler collects and analyzes data from thousands of firms in the AEC industry to produce publications and benchmarking tools for those firms to use. Prior to working at Zweig Group, he worked as an engineering consultant at a multidiscipline engineering firm for three years. Tyler graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering and a minor in Mathematics.

Andy Chavez
Analyst, Advisory Services
Andy Chavez is an analyst within Zweig Group’s Advisory Services Group. Andy is responsible for cross-functional support to the Strategic Planning, Ownership Transition and Mergers and Acquisitions advisory groups. He also works on financial analysis and market research. Andy joined Zweig Group as an intern, Spring of 2018, and recently our DFW office as a full-time analyst. Prior to joining Zweig Group, he performed financial analysis for a multi-million-dollar company that is closely affiliated with the University. He also has experience in construction and development in the DFW metroplex. Andy earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Arkansas’ Sam Walton College of Business.

This webinar will provide .5 PDH.

Sponsored by:

To remain in compliance with AIA continuing education requirements, quizzes of nano learning courses must be passed with a grade of 100%.
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Learning Objectives:
1. Describe ways to use UAVs in the engineering and construction industry
2. Understand the benefits of integrating UAVs in business practices and services
3. Understand the implications of not adopting new technology
4. Explain the process of achieving certification and licenses to operate unmanned systems
5. Understand the regulations for UAV operators

Meet the Speakers:
Michael Mitchell, C.M.
Aviation Planner, KSA Engineers
Michael joined KSA in 2016 as an Aviation Planner. At the start of his career, Michael was involved with multiple projects at airports across the US including Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas Love Field, Chicago O-Hare International Airport, and William P. Hobby Airport. He has been involved with numerous projects including runway reconstructions, terminal planning, master planning, and capital improvement programs. In 2018, Michael was tasked with creating and implementing KSA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program. Following the program’s inception, KSA has employed the use of UAS at numerous airports across the Midwest in support of aviation planning exercises, gathering data to assist with inventory and environmental analysis, aerial imagery, pavement inspection/analysis, and 3D rendering. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Management, a Master of Science in Aviation & Space Science, and is a Certified Member (C.M.) of the American Association of Airport Executives.

Sponsored by:

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Objectives:

Understand what a skimmer is and why it is used

Learn the fundamentals of skimmer basin design

Understand importance of flow rate vs. skimmer size

Gain basic understanding of Advanced Skimmer Modeling methods

Become aware of benefits of post-construction uses for skimmers

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Objectives of Webinar:

• To recognize what applications are appropriate for the use of TRMs
• To gain an understanding of the need for strength and durability of TRMs
• To become familiar with the proper site preparation and installation procedures for TRMs
• To learn how to properly analyze the erosion potential within an open channel
• To understand the need for geotechnical evaluation of surficial slope stability on steepened slopes

View Part I

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Learning Objectives:

• 1. Common challenges to efficient design reviews
  2. What to look for in a civil engineering design solution
  3. How to save time by initiating reviews directly from design models
  4. How to make it easier for you and your team to navigate and markup specific elements of your design models
  5. How to leverage digital twins for 4D visualization and project coordination 

Speaker Information:

Taylor Gilmore; Director, Product Management, Civil Infrastructure, Bentley Systems, Inc.

Taylor Gilmore is a director of product management in the Civil Infrastructure group at Bentley Systems and oversees the direction of ProjectWise 365 services and related iTwin services. He has spent the past nine years working on infrastructure management software and has been directly involved in the successful planning, design, and delivery of over 20 infrastructure management systems during his time as a project and product manager at Bentley. During this tenure, Taylor has been closely tied to the infrastructure industry by attending and presenting at transportation, preservation, and asset management conferences, in addition to his role in numerous inspection and asset management software implementations. Taylor has a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Grove City College and is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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This 4 module virtual workshop serves as an overview of current rules and legislation governing the Federal Research and Development (R&D) tax credit, how it applies to the AEC industries. Learn about recent law changes and the types of activities that qualify for the R&D tax credit and expenses included in the tax credit calculation.

If you purchase this virtual workshop, all 4 modules are included!

If you are a Shareholder, Principal, Financial Advisor, CPA, CFO, Controller, Owner, Business/OPS Manager, as well as supplier to the AEC industry, this is the educational session for you. If you are curious to find other avenues of reducing overhead rates (specifically direct labor expenses), increasing cash flow, increasing profit-To- Earnings Ratios, permanent tax savings, reduction in effective tax rates, and an alternative source of cash to fund growth in technical-based jobs, this will be the most valuable session of our Summit experience this week.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this education session, participants will be able to:

• Understand more deeply the congressional intent (why it exists) of this federal incentive program
• Recognize the types of activities that qualify for the R&D tax credit
• State expenses that can be included in the tax credit calculation
• Discuss the mechanics of the tax credit calculation
• IRS audit landscape

Session Schedule

Module 1: November 19th, 2019 at 2 PM EST

Why Designers Qualify- R & D 101

Module 2: January 14th, 2019 at 2 PM EST

Why Designers Qualify- Mechanics: Qualification, Quantification, Computation of Research

Module 3: February 12th, 2020 at 2 PM EST

Why Designers Qualify- Financial Risks in R&D

Module 4: March 12th, 2020 at 2 PM EST 

Why Designers Qualify- Tax Issues & the Research/Design Tax Credit

Presenter Bio

Dawson Fercho: Vice President of Business Development, CTA

Dawson is a partner and founder of Corporate Tax Advisors, Inc. He is also an IRS Enrolled Agent admitted to practice before the Internal Revenue Service and licensed by the US Department of Treasury.

Dawson brings over 20 years of consulting experience, 15 years exclusively focused on the Federal Research Tax Credit, working with small to mid-size manufacturing, technology, engineering, architecture and construction clients.

Learning Objectives of Webinar

• The roof ponding requirements within ASCE 7, IBC, and FM Global.
• The limitations of the method of ponding analysis given in Appendix 2 of the AISC Specification.
• The stability of simple roof systems for ponding using the SJI Roof Bay Analysis Tool.
• The main factors influencing the ponding stability of open-web steel joist roofs.

Sponsored By:

See more webinars from Steel Joist Institute here.

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Employer commitment to employees and their success is one of the top 5 drivers of happiness at work, according to the 2019 MetLife US Employee Benefits Study. 

When employees are supported, they’re more engaged and productive. But when employees feel undervalued, they leave at the first opportunity available. 

HR management, owners and partners are inundated with managing the day to day human resource tasks, leaving little time to focus on growing current employees. 

Growing your firm, talent, and workforce takes time – there’s no shortcut to building value. In order to get a return on any asset, you MUST invest in that asset. So, if employees are your greatest asset, prove it. 

After this webinar, you will know:

• How to engage employees in performance reviews
• Why you should never ignore minor employee incidents in your firm 
• How to protect your firm from legal issues associated with labor laws
• Why a career path is essential for employee retention
• How we’ve developed a module to aid your HR management

Presenter:
Steven Burns, FAIA
Chief Creative Officer
BQE Software

Sponsored by: 

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Learning Objectives

• To understand the hydraulic parameters used in designing with Turf Reinforcement Mats (TRMs)
• To gain an understanding of the effects of non-hydraulic stresses on TRMs
• To become familiar with the proper site preparation and installation procedures for TRMs
• To recognize what applications are appropriate for the use of TRMs
• To learn the hydraulic benefits permanent earth anchors provide for TRMs

Dr. Christopher Thornton, PhD, PE, currently hold an Associate Professor position in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering serves as the Director of the Engineering Research Center and Hydraulics Laboratory at Colorado State University.

Dr. Thornton is currently the PI on the United States Army Corps of Engineers Full Scale Wave Overtopping Simulation project. This project is intended to simulate waves hitting levees, crashing across the top and accelerating down the backside to see what effect they have on different types of grass and armoring systems. In addition, during the past six years, work conducted at the Hydraulics Laboratory has been instrumental in defining and developing standards for performance testing of engineered erosion control solutions. Partnerships formed with other research institutions have resulted in interdisciplinary collaborations that have defined frameworks describing the complex problem of soil erosion and stability.

Dr. Thornton provides technical expertise to University and local communities in areas of hydraulics, open-channel flow, bio-engineering, river mechanics and erosion control. He supervises hydraulic modeling in areas of river mechanics, dam safety, flow measurement, erosion and sedimentation, riprap design, bank revetment and stabilization, stream monitoring, environmental aspects of rivers, hydraulic structures, and tailings management. Dr. Thornton earned his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University. He is a member of ASCE, ASTM, AWRA, ECTC, EWRI and IECA.

Sponsored by:

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Join us in this exciting webinar presented by Steven Burns, FAIA, Chief Creative Officer at BQE Software. With more than 20 years of experience managing a successful architectural practice and having consulted with hundreds of firms over the last 15 years, Steve has been witness to every good and bad method of firm management and financial stewardship. 

This webinar will cover 10 simple things your firm can start doing to becoming financially stable, which will not only take away the financial pressure so many firms face each month, but allow your firm to grow, hire the finest talent and attract coveted clients. 

In this webinar you will learn: 

• How to organize your firm so your talent is challenged and building the best practice
• Best practices for presenting winning fee proposals
• Simple project management techniques so your team can focus on the project and deliverables without going over budget or schedule
• Billing practices that ensure your clients skip the questions and pay invoices quickly
• Why client feedback is essential to achieve success for both the firm and the client

Sponsored by: 

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Learning Objectives of Webinar

• Proper use of reference standards
• Avoiding common pit-falls and unnecessary RFI’s
• Tips for economy with the specified steel joist system
• Awareness of design tools available from the Steel Joist Institute

See more webinars from Steel Joist Institute here.

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Learning Objectives:

• Understand the causes of slope surface erosion and how they lead to slope failure.
• Learn how the GEOWEB 3D system can protect slopes against erosive forces.
• Learn how to apply GEOWEB slope protection systems in a variety of project conditions.
• Understand fundamentals of different types of earth retention structures with the GEOWEB system.
• Discover distinguishing features of GEOWEB walls and what sets them apart from other types of walls.
• Learn product and performance attributes of vegetated GEOWEB slopes and walls that contribute to low impact development and green initiatives. 

   

   

  Download more resources here!

                    

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Design and construction professionals are invited to a TRB webinar on Thursday, October 10, 2019, from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM ET. The webinar will provide an overview of Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) walls and ground improvement methods. MSE structures allow for stabilization in soil environments that typically are not conducive to settlement and provide a path to easier infrastructure construction. The webinar will discuss challenges related to, and solutions for, construction of MSE walls in various challenging geologic settings. Presenters will also discuss their extensive experience in the design, construction, and performance of MSE walls on sites with soft foundational soils.This webinar was organized by the TRB Standing Committee on Transportation Earthworks.

Some registrants will need to pay $95 to attend this webinar.  Sign into MyTRB.org to view registration information.

Webinar Presenters

• Peter Anderson, The Reinforced Earth Company
• Jeff Hill, Hayward Baker, Inc.  
• Sonia Swift, Menard Group USA

Moderated by: James Collin, The Collin Group

Click here to register

Join us to learn how PROFIS Engineering Suite enables automatic and advanced calculating, easy specifying and integrated BIM modeling – increasing productivity and improving value.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how you can reduce connection design time, mitigate risk, increase efficiency and meet all your project requirements.

Join Hilti along with Thornton Tomasetti to learn how PROFIS Engineering Suite:
• Increases the speed and quality of connection design
• Simplifies the design workflow, so you can focus more on engineering
• Provides the most comprehensive anchor design available including load engine, masonry, base plate and concrete over metal deck capabilities

5 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completing this program, participants should be able to:

• Identify advancements in anchor design software
• Understand the difference between base plate analysis methods and appropriate applications of each
• Summarize the design checks required for code-compliant anchorage in a variety of base materials
• Perform fixture design calculations using design software in an accurate and productive manner
• Simplify design workflow by implementing software in common fixture applications

Sponsored by:

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Sponsored by:

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Brian Lemay, Research Assistant Intern, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association

Credit: 1 LU/HSW

Course Number: ZG082019CS

Sponsored by:

Course Overview:

Concrete is the material of choice for the tallest buildings in the world and infrastructure designed to last centuries. To meet demands for these cutting-edge projects, concrete must be stronger, more durable and more workable than ever before. This article explores how new products, manufacturing methods and research are developing innovative concretes to meet these new challenges. Bendable concrete, smog eating concrete and carbon capture are just a few examples of new technologies enhancing a product that is nearly 5,000 years in development.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand new technologies used in concrete manufacturing

2. Discover how innovative concrete products can improve project performance

3. Learn how to implement the latest concrete innovations in building and infrastructure projects

4. Demonstrate the importance of incorporating new technologies to enhance resilience and sustainability in the built environment

Introduction

What do the Jubilee Church and the Pantheon have in common? They are both places of worship in Rome. But besides that, they are both built with innovative concrete. The Romans mastered the use of concrete 2,000 years ago to build some of the most iconic structures ever built. Although different than today’s concrete, Roman concrete used the same principals, combining aggregate with a hydraulic binder. The aggregate included pieces of rock, ceramic tile and brick rubble often recycled from demolished buildings. Volcanic ash, called pozzolana, was the favored binder where it was available. Gypsum and quicklime were used as binders also. And even 3,000 years before, the Egyptians used a form of concrete made with mud and straw to build the pyramids. Today of course, most concrete is made with portland cement, invented in 1824, and combined with high quality quarried aggregate. Most modern concrete is augmented with innovative products and additives to enhance both plastic and hardened properties.

Innovative supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) such as fly ash, slag cement and silica fume are used to increase strength, durability and workability. Chemical admixtures affect set time, freeze thaw resistance and flowability. Tiny fibers are added to increase ductility and control cracking. Carbon dioxide is injected into concrete to improve strength and capture greenhouse gasses. Some enhancements actually scrub pollutants from the surface of concrete and from the surrounding atmosphere which is what makes the concrete on the Jubilee Church so innovative. The exterior curved surfaces are coated with titanium dioxide (TiO₂) cement which eats smog, helping to keep the surface clean.

Concrete is the most widely used building product in the world. It’s mostly made locally with local materials. It’s cost effective, available everywhere, strong and durable. Although conventional concrete can tackle most jobs, it is also the material of choice for the tallest buildings in the world and infrastructure designed to last centuries. Although concrete is not always synonymous with innovation, new products and manufacturing methods are enhancing concretes performance to tackle modern challenges. This article explores some of these latest innovations.

Self-cleaning Concrete

Imagine concrete that can clean itself and even the surrounding air of harmful pollutants. That’s what concrete made with titanium dioxide (TiO₂) can do. The function of TiO₂ cement is to break down harmful pollutants in the air via a reaction catalyzed by light, or photocatalysis due to titanium dioxide which is added to the cement during its production. This capability of TiO₂ cements was inspired by the ability of certain microbes to break down harmful chemicals by modifying their oxidation state, also through photocatalysis. However, in photocatylitic cements the reaction is carried out by the titanium whereas microbes rely on natural enzymes. The cement breaks down organic as well as inorganic pollutants, and it is intended to be used for projects in urban centers where air pollution and poor air quality are most pronounced.

An example of how TiO₂ cements break down pollutants can be seen in its conversion of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), a harmful compound mostly produced by burning fuels in cars and trucks. Nitrogen dioxide is one of the compounds responsible for acid rain, smog, respiratory problems and staining of buildings and pavements. The reaction with sunlight produces hydroxyl radicals which react with NO₂ to produce NO₃ which is dissolved by water after reacting with the cement surface.

Research data of TX Active®, a TiO₂ cement marketed by Lehigh Hanson (a division of HeidelbergCement Group) in the US, indicates that “up to 50% of these atmospheric pollutants could be reduced in some cities if only 15% of the buildings and roads were resurfaced with TX Active® cement.” TX Active® was first used for the curved panels on the Jubilee church (also known as Dives in Misericordia Church) in Rome, which used the photocatalytic cement panels for its stylistic shells. Since then, Italcementi (a division of HeidelbergCement Group) has dedicated decades of research to photocatalytic cement products. This cement is promising in its potential to greatly improve urban life and the environment.

Case Study: Jubilee Church, Rome, Italy

According to architects Richard Meier and partners, the Jubilee Church in Rome was “conceived as part of Pope John Paul II’s millennium initiative to rejuvenate parish life within Italy.” The project consists of the church itself as well as both secular housing and housing for the clergy. The church is most easily distinguished by the three large concrete shells which are meant to represent the Holy Trinity. Given the symbolic importance of the shells, their appearance is an absolute priority. Thus, due to the fact that the shells need to remain in pristine condition, it was only natural that “self-cleaning” TX Active® photocatalytic concrete was used to ensure that the shells would not accumulate stains due to smog. Completed in 2003, the photocatalytic shells have notably remained clean and white, performing constant self-maintenance.

Bendable Concrete

Bendable concrete presents an efficient alternative primarily in the construction and maintenance of infrastructure, where concrete is subject to harsh weather conditions and extreme loading. The design which gives bendable concrete, or engineered cementitious composite (ECC), its impressive ductility is based off nacre, the substance that coats the inside of abalone shells. Nacre is composed of small aragonite platelets that are held together by natural polymers, allowing it to be both hard and flexible as platelets are free to slide side to side under stress. This effect is mimicked in bendable concrete by dispersing tiny fibers throughout. Victor C. Li of the University of Michigan, where ECC was first researched and invented, states that bendable concrete “can deform up to 3 to 5 percent in tension before it fails, which gives it 300 to 500 times more tensile strain capacity than normal concrete”. It is of course this incredible ability to tolerate tensile strain that makes bendable concrete unique.

This enormous increase in ductility suggests various potential applications. Firstly, in roads as well as other paved surfaces which must bear repeated loading of heavy vehicles, bendable concrete would crack less often, preventing further weathering primarily from road salts which corrodes steel reinforcement. Further, due to ECC’s capacity to absorb greater quantities of energy without being damaged, it can be used to make reinforcing elements such as the dampers on the Seisho Bypass Viaduct in Japan, which is roughly 28 kilometers long. Dr. Li also states that ECC has been employed as earthquake resistance in tall buildings in Tokyo and Osaka and further suggests that ECC would be useful in underground construction as well as the construction of water infrastructure.

However, before it can be more widely commercialized for such large-scale projects, bendable concrete must become more readily available. To be economically viable, it must be supplied efficiently and not overused on projects. But, it is paramount that design professionals be made aware of the product and its potential as they might otherwise overlook a promising concrete option for structures that require the ability to deal with considerable tensile strain.

Bendable concrete also has self-healing capabilities. Because bendable concrete keeps cracks relatively small, natural reactions within the hardened concrete generate “healing” products through carbon mineralization and continuous hydration which repairs the cracks and restores the durability of the concrete. Bendable concrete is a promising technology that already has proven itself through commercialization by several companies.

In fact, fiber reinforced concrete is not new. Many companies supply fibers for use in concrete with the objective of improving strength and durability of concrete in some way. Fiber reinforced concrete accomplishes this by incorporating fibers made of steel, glass or organic polymers (plastics). Sometimes naturally occurring fibers such as sisal and jute have been used as well. These fibers are primarily used to combat plastic shrinkage and drying shrinkage which can otherwise crack and damage the concrete. This resistance to shrinkage and subsequent cracking is the key to extending the lifespan of concrete, decreasing the frequency of costly repairs. Fibers also keep existing cracks from widening and further damaging the concrete when they do appear. And more recently, steel fibers are being used in structural applications to reduce the amount of traditional steel reinforcing bars, saving time and labor.

Case Study: 42 Broad, Fleetwood, New York

42 Broad is a 16-story mixed-use development near New York City being built with Insulating Concrete Form (ICF). ICF construction is becoming more mainstream with thousands of projects built in the US, but still considered innovative by many. ICFs sandwich a reinforced concrete wall between forms made of rigid polystyrene insulation that stay in place after the concrete hardens. There are several taller ICF buildings in Canada, but at 16 stories, 42 Broad will be the tallest in the US.

The real innovation on this project is panelizing the Amvic ICF blocks and using HelixTM steel fiber reinforcement. The ICFs are assembled off-site in a nearby plant and arrive at the jobsite as custom panels up to 50 feet long which results in labor and time savings on the job site, meaning the owner can occupy the building earlier. Part of what makes this process possible is the use of steel fibers in the ready mixed concrete to replace the horizontal reinforcing steel which eliminates costly horizontal rebar slices.

LafargeHolcim is one of the first companies to commercialize bendable concrete with a product called Ductal®. Ductal® is an ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) that incorporates fibers into the concrete mixture in order to improve strength and ductility along with a host of other benefits. LafargeHolcim distributes the premix powder, fibers and admixtures necessary to produce Ductal® to their partners, who then mix it into concrete. LafargeHolcim states that they use “high carbon metallic fibers, stainless fibers, poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers or glass fibers” to increase the concrete’s ability to withstand tensile loads and deformation.

Ductal® is also less porous than conventional concrete, making it more resistant to chlorides, acids, and sulfates. It is also generally much more impermeable to water, making it ideal for roofing as well. In addition, Ductal® has self-healing properties. This bendable concrete has been thoroughly researched and is commercialized.

Case Study: Perez Art Museum, Miami, Florida

The Perez Art Museum in downtown Miami is notable largely for its application of Ductal® ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC). The museum houses roughly 200,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space for the presentation of modern and contemporary art. However, the property comes with one significant challenge. The museum is built on Biscayne Bay, where it is subject to sea air and salt. Additionally, it is at risk of tropical storms and hurricanes and thus must withstand the forces associated with these extreme weather events. Ductal® was used to produce roughly 100 16-foot-long mullions to support the world’s largest impact resistant window at the time of its construction in 2013. The concrete mullions were made to be thin, maximizing visibility, while also meeting the Florida building code for hurricane resistance.

Graphene concrete is concrete reinforced by graphene. Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms, tightly bound in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice. Layers of graphene stacked on top of each other form graphite, a naturally occurring, crystalline form of carbon most commonly used in pencils and lubricants. The separate layers of graphene in graphite can be separated into sheets only one atom thick. Graphene is the thinnest compound known to man, the lightest material known and the strongest compound discovered, over 100 times stronger than steel. Graphene concrete is made by suspending flakes of graphene in water, then mixing that water with traditional concrete ingredients such as cement and aggregate.

This technology’s strength largely lies with its accessibility given that it is inexpensive, and compatible with modern, large scale manufacturing requirements. According to a research paper published in the Advanced Functional Materials journal, entitled “Ultrahigh Performance Nanoengineered Graphene–Concrete Composites for Multifunctional Applications,” graphene concrete impressively shows a “146-percent increase in compressive strength as compared to regular concrete, a 79.5-percent increase in flexural strength, and a decrease in water permeability of almost 400 percent.” In addition to its increased strength, graphene concrete is also more environmentally friendly, since it requires less cement than is typically required to produce concrete at a specified strength. Alternatively, higher strength graphene concrete could be used to produce smaller structural elements, thus reducing the amount of material used.

Carbon Capture

Like most manmade materials, concrete is considered a carbon dioxide (CO₂) emitter, mainly due to the cement manufacturing process. But what if you could reverse that process and capture or sequester CO₂ in concrete through natural processes or carbon capture technologies.

Carbonation is a naturally occurring process by which carbon dioxide (CO₂) penetrates the surface of hardened concrete and chemically reacts with cement hydration products to form carbonates. For in-service concrete, carbonation is a slow process with many dependent variables. The rate decreases over time. This is because carbonation decreases permeability and carbonation occurs from the surface inward, creating a tighter matrix at the surface making it more difficult for CO₂ to diffuse further into the concrete. While slow, the carbonation process does result in an uptake of some of the CO₂ emitted from cement manufacturing, a chemical process called calcination. Theoretically, given enough time and ideal conditions, all of the CO₂ emitted from calcination could be sequestered via carbonation. However, real world conditions are usually far from ideal.

The rate of CO₂ uptake depends on exposure to air, surface orientation, surface-to-volume ratio, binder constituents, surface treatment, porosity, strength, humidity, temperature, and ambient CO₂ concentration. Predicting how much CO₂ is absorbed by in situ concrete is difficult. What is known is that rates of CO₂ uptake are greatest when the surface-to-volume ratio is high, such as when concrete has been crushed and exposed to air.

In one of the most comprehensive studies, Xi, et al, published a summary of their research in the article “Substantial Global Carbon Uptake by Cement Carbonation,” in the journal Nature Geoscience, November 2016. The research quantifies the natural reversal of the calcination process—carbonation. Using analytical modeling of carbonation chemistry, they were able to estimate the regional and global CO₂ uptake between 1930 and 2013. They estimate that the cumulative amount of CO₂ sequestered in concrete is 4.5 Gt in that period. This offsets 43% of the CO₂ emissions from production of cement caused by the calcination process. They conclude that carbonation of cement products represents a substantial carbon sink.

Two areas of research and commercialization offer considerable enhancements to this CO₂ uptake process. The most basic approach is enhanced carbonation at end-of-life and second-life conditions of concrete. This might not be considered innovative, since it would simply mean changing the way demolished concrete is collected and treated before re-use. If conditions are right, and particle size is small, crushed concrete can potentially absorb significant amounts of CO₂ over a small period, such as one year or two and thus leaving crushed concrete exposed to air before re-use would be beneficial.

The other commercially viable technologies accelerate carbonation. This is accomplished either by injecting CO₂ into concrete, curing concrete in CO₂ or creating artificial limestone aggregates using CO₂.

A company called CarbonCure uses CO₂ captured from industrial emissions, which is then purified, liquefied and delivered to partner concrete plants in pressurized tanks. This is then injected into concrete while the concrete is being mixed which converts the CO₂ into a solid-state mineral within the concrete. The minerals formed enhances compressive strength.

The process reduces CO₂ emissions in two ways—through direct sequestration of CO₂ injected into the concrete mixture and by reducing cement demand since CarbonCure concrete requires less cement to produce concrete at a specified strength.

The economic viability of this concrete also makes it a particularly attractive innovation. The cost of the equipment and licensing is offset by the reduction in cement. CarbonCure has installed their technology in over 100 plants across North America which have supplied over two million cubic yards of concrete. This product is sufficiently available to be used now and has already been used to great effect in numerous projects.

Case Study: 725 Ponce, Atlanta, Georgia

Completed in 2018, the office building at 725 Ponce De Leon Avenue was constructed using 48,000 cubic yards of CarbonCure concrete. Through their cooperation, structural engineer Uzun+Case and concrete supplier Thomas Concrete were able to greatly reduce the carbon footprint of this project. CarbonCure concrete sequestered 680 metric tons, or 1.5 million pounds, of CO₂ which is roughly the amount of CO₂ absorbed by 800 acres of US forest each year. The fact that emissions harmful to the environment could be reduced by such a significant factor on this large project, which provides 360,000 square feet of office space, is a perfect example of the viability of carbon capture and sequestration as a sustainable option for concrete construction.

Solidia Technologies offers another carbon capture technology. It combines a specially formulated cement with CO₂ curing to produce concrete, primarily in the precast concrete products industry. Solidia cement is about the same cost as portland cement but significantly reduces CO₂ emissions through reduced production energy. This is primarily because Solidia cement uses all of the same materials that are used to produce portland cement but in a different ratio.

Solidia cement uses less limestone than portland cement, which allows it to be fired at lower temperatures in the same rotary kilns in which ordinary portland cement is currently produced. These lower firing temperatures consume less energy and also produce 30% less greenhouse gases and other pollutants. Additionally, instead of curing in water like conventional concrete, Solidia concrete cures in contact with a CO₂-containing atmosphere. Not only does this allow more precision during the curing process, but during curing, Solidia concrete sequesters CO₂ equal to 5% of its weight. Between the combined factors of lower material costs, lower fuel costs, and the CO₂ sequestered during curing, Solidia claims concrete’s carbon footprint is reduced by 70%.

Solidia concrete also offers other practical benefits beyond being environmentally friendly. For example, Solidia states that their concrete experiences reduced efflorescence, meaning that salt staining will appear less severely and less frequently on the surface when it is exposed to water. Additionally, the concrete’s water absorption is reduced, being less than 2%. It has a compressive strength of about 10,000 psi. It takes less pigment to color. And finally, Solidia Concrete is compatible with non-conventional aggregates and recycled glass. This allows further reduction of material cost and environmental benefits.

Another company using carbon capture technology is Blue Planet Ltd. They offer a product which “combines unpurified CO₂ absorbed directly from power plant flue gas or other industrial CO₂ emission sources with metal oxides to make limestone used to coat a substrate, making CO₂-sequestered construction aggregate. The limestone coating is 44 percent by mass permanently sequestered CO₂ waste.” The substrate is usually small rock particles or even recycled concrete.

Blue Planet states that carbon-negative concrete is achievable by using their artificial limestone in concrete. They estimate that by replacing the conventional aggregate in one cubic yard of concrete, typically 3,000 pounds worth, 44% of its weight would be comprised of sequestered CO₂, roughly 1,320 pounds. This would offset more than the amount of CO₂ generally produced by the same amount of conventional concrete made with portland cement, which is roughly 600 pounds per cubic yard. Blue Planet’s limestone-coated light-weight aggregate was specified for the Interim Boarding Area B at San Francisco International Airport in 2016. Concrete testing showed that Blue Planet’s concrete met all necessary specifications.

Carbon capture and sequestration technology is a promising solution to reducing the carbon footprint of cement and concrete while improving performance. The possibility of vastly reducing CO₂ emissions associated with the production of concrete or even going beyond by sequestering more CO₂ than are produced during the cement manufacturing process is enticing. Many carbon capture and sequestration technologies are already commercially viable and are currently being used for construction since they can be conveniently produced by existing equipment or by retrofitting existing factories. Overall, carbon capture offers a simple but highly promising solution to reducing the environmental footprint of concrete.

Self-Consolidating Concrete

Self-consolidating concrete (SCC) is highly flowable, non-segregating concrete that can flow into place, fill formwork and encapsulate reinforcement without any mechanical vibration. SCC relies upon a combination of a high proportion of fine aggregate and admixtures called superplasticizers and viscosity-modifiers to achieve a stable and highly flowable concrete.

The increased ease of use and efficiency of SCC during construction is the basis for many of its principal benefits. First, it can be placed faster than regular concrete while requiring less finishing and no mechanical vibration. It also improves the uniformity of in-place concrete as well as the uniformity of surfaces, reducing or eliminating the need for surface work.

Additionally, using SCC allows for labor savings as well as increased jobsite safety as it does not require workers to travel the surface of slabs or the tops of walls to mechanically vibrate the concrete. SCC saves time during construction, resulting in cost savings, as well as improving the pumpability of the concrete and the turn-around times of concrete trucks.

SCC was first developed in 1986 by Prof. Okamura at Ouchi University, Japan, to address shortages in skilled labor. At first, SCC was used in highly specialized projects such as repair work or in areas difficult to reach due to its high cost of production and need for high quality control. The first high production use of SCC was in precast applications where concrete is produced and placed in controlled conditions. In ready mixed concrete applications, SCC was used primarily for heavily reinforced sections and where mechanical vibration was difficult. More recently, SCC is being used in architectural concrete since it results in a surface finish superior to that of conventional concrete. SCC still has a relatively high cost but is gaining popularity where labor is in short supply or where smooth exposed concrete is desired.

One of the highest profile uses of SCC is in high-rise building projects, proving its commercial viability and success in practical applications. Some considerations to take into account regarding this concrete stem from the fact that it is dependent upon flowability, which may be reduced by hot weather, long haul distances, or jobsite delays. Specifications required for a given job such as flowability and spread can vary, but mixtures can be tested via methods including the slump flow test to determine the extent of the concrete’s plastic properties to ensure that the concrete arriving at a jobsite matches the standards specific to the project itself. SCC is fully commercialized and is used all over the world.

Case Study: 432 Park Avenue, New York

432 Park Avenue in New York City is currently the tallest residential structure in the US. It is an aesthetically simple building that features exposed white concrete columns that structurally reinforce the building in addition to providing the building its most distinctive stylistic attributes. The building is very thin for its height, having a width and length of 93.5 feet and a height of 1,396 feet. Multiple innovative structural methods were used to achieve “minimal displacement, accelerations, and vibrations to meet the most stringent standard” according to an article in STRUCTURE magazine, July 2018. These include, “five outriggers, each spanning over two stories, were devised throughout the height of the tower to serve as positive linkages between the interior core and the perimeter framing, which enhanced the overall performance of the structure”.

Stiffer concrete with higher compressive strength was used on floors above the 38th to further increase resistance to movement in the upper stories. Further, all concrete cast for 432 Park Avenue was designed for enhanced durability by minimizing the ratio of water to cementitious materials to as low as 0.25 and the concrete was required to be pumpable, self-consolidating, and have a low heat of hydration to facilitate construction and appearance of the exposed structural elements.

From Waste to Worth

Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) such as fly ash, slag cement and silica fume are the keys to high performance concretes. What makes these materials so innovative is that most are derived from a waste—byproducts of a manufacturing process that would otherwise end up in landfills. But when these waste materials are combined with portland cement in concrete, they react with certain chemical compounds to produce more binder. As a result, these materials are extremely valuable as SCMs.

Case Study: Trump Tower Chicago

Chicago Trump Tower and Hotel stands at a stunning 92 stories, made entirely out of reinforced concrete. A total of 194,000 cubic yards of concrete was used on the project. Architect/engineer Skidmore, Owings & Merrill specified high-performance concrete and concrete supplier Prairie Materials designed the mixes. Columns and walls required 12,000 psi at 90 days up to level 51 with some lateral resisting elements up to 16,000 psi. SCC was specified for many of structural elements because of reinforcement congestion. To reduce heat of hydration, high volumes of SCMs were specified for the mat foundation which included a combination of slag cement, fly ash and silica fume. At time of construction, the 5,000-cubic-yard mat foundation was the largest single SCC placement in North America.

The high-performance reinforced concrete system helped minimize floor thickness creating higher ceilings. Residential floors also feature open spans up to 30 feet without requiring perimeter spandrel beams permitting panoramic vistas of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Combining several innovative concrete technologies allowed for quick, efficient construction as well as new opportunities that are not available with conventional concrete.

Silica fume is a waste byproduct of processing quartz into silicon or ferro-silicon metals in an electric arc furnace. Silica fume consists of superfine, spherical particles that when combined with cement significantly increases strength and durability of concrete. Of the three main SCMs, silica fume has the lowest supply and has the highest cost, usually at least three times that of portland cement. It’s used in applications where extremely high strength is needed, such as columns in high-rise buildings or where extremely low permeability is desired for durability such as bridge decks and parking decks. It’s typically combined with other SCMs to optimize performance and cost.

Blast furnace slag is the waste byproduct of iron manufacture. After quenching and grinding, the blast furnace slag takes on much higher value as an SCM for concrete. Blast furnace slag is used as a partial replacement for cement to impart added strength and durability to concrete. Some slag is used to make lightweight aggregate for concrete. About 16 million tons of slag were produced in the U.S. but less than half that was used in concrete as an SCM. Slag cement costs about the same or slightly more than cement depending on quality and location.

Coal ash is the waste byproduct of burning coal in electric power plants. Fly ash, a common SCM used in concrete, is one component of coal ash. According to the American Coal Ash Association (ACAA), in 2017, 111.4 million tons of coal ash were produced, of which 38.2 million tons was fly ash. Coal ash and fly ash have many uses, ranging from use in concrete as an SCM to synthetic gypsum for wallboard to mining applications. Of the 38.2 million tons of fly ash produced, only 14.1 million tons are used in concrete.

Fly ash is the most plentiful of all SCMs and is roughly half the cost of portland cement. However, because of increased emissions regulations on coal-fired power plants, not nearly as much high-quality fly ash is produced as in the past. In addition, with a move towards renewables and natural gas, coal-fired power plants are closing and thus many cost-effective supplies are diminishing.

Case Study: 102 Rivonia, Johannesburg, South Africa

102 Rivonia Road consists of two main buildings with connected walkways in-between to create a sense of connectedness and encourage collaboration between different areas of the office. It was designed with sustainability in mind, being 50% more sustainable than the average office building with a 4-star Green Star SA (South Africa) rating. Air cooled chillers and fire system that recycles used water also contributed to the project’s energy efficiency. Notably, the use of fly ash in the concrete reduced the overall material use of the project by 30%, which also heavily contributed to the project having a lower carbon footprint.

Because coal power generation started in the early 1900s in the US, but the use of fly ash in concrete was only started to any significant volume in the late 1,900s, it is estimated that about 1.5 billion tons of coal ash has been placed in landfills, of which some is fly ash. And that’s where the innovation comes in. Several companies, understanding the demand for fly ash in concrete is likely to increase have begun to recover fly ash from landfills and treat it using a process called beneficiation.

Beneficiation simply means taking coal ash from landfills and processing it so it meets the necessary standards for beneficial use. For fly ash, that typically means reducing the amount of unburned carbon in the ash. Carbon tends to have an absorptive quality which inhibits air entraining and water reducing admixtures. There are also other chemicals such as ammonia in some coal ash deposits which must be reduced before use in concrete.

Several companies have developed processes for harvesting ash from landfills and reducing the unburned carbon and ammonia, calcium, sulfur and other impurities. The simplest process is to burn off the excess carbon. Still other methods use chemical treatment to mitigate the effects of carbon and ammonia and one company uses low-frequency sound to reduce particle size to make them more uniform, a desired characteristic of fly ash. Companies include Boral Resources, Waste Management/Fly Ash Direct, SEFA Group, SonoAsh LLC, and Charah Solutions according an article “Digging Through the Past: Harvesting Legacy Ash Deposits to Meet Future Demand,” authored by Rafik Minkara and published in Issue 1 2019 of Ash at Work magazine.

Minkara concludes “While the variety of technologies now exist to beneficiate land-filled and ponded ash, the cost and complexity of doing so can be challenging.” He goes on to say “Beneficiation processes can be as simple as using off-the-shelf equipment or as involved as developing customized solutions with high capex requirements.” In the end, it will depend on demand for fly ash. As low-cost supplies diminish over time, the demand is likely to be filled by harvesting and beneficiating the vast supply of coal ash in landfills.

Cementless Concrete

Although we are likely years away from widespread commercialization, one of the more interesting areas of research and development is on geopolymer concrete which uses fly ash and/or slag and chemical activators as the binder in place of portland cement. Geopolymer concrete is made by using a source of silicon and aluminum, usually fly ash or slag, and combining it with an alkaline activating solution which polymerizes these materials into molecular chains to create a hardened binder. The more common activating solutions include sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide which liberates the silicon and aluminum.

Compressive strength of geopolymer concrete is comparable to portland cement concrete or higher and strength gain is generally faster with strengths of 3,500 psi or higher at 24 hours. Compressive strengths at 28 days have shown to be 8,000 to 10,000 psi. Research shows that geopolymer concrete has lower drying shrinkage, lower heat of hydration, improved chloride permeability, and is more resistant to acids. And its fire resistance is considerably better than portland cement concrete, which is already highly fire resistant, making geopolymer concretes ideal for special high temperature applications.

To date, most of these products have not developed beyond the research and development stage. One company, Ceratech launched geopolymer concrete in in 2002 but later closed. A product called Pyrament® was launched in the 1980s but was not successfully commercialized. Some of the drawbacks include the high cost and energy to produce the chemical activator, the difficulty and safety concerns in handling a highly alkaline solution and the need to control temperature during the curing process. In addition, building code approvals are always a hurdle. Currently the most promising applications are in severe environment applications such as precast concrete bridges or other specialty applications such as high acid or high temperature environments or for rapid repair.

Case Study: Global Change Institute, Brisbane, Australia

As Australia’s first carbon neutral building, the Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland was designed to meet the highest level of sustainability. It is one of the first buildings to be registered for The Living Building Challenge. Some of the green building features include operable sun-shading, bio-retention basin, onsite greywater system, solar energy and thermal chimney. And it is the first building to include structural geopolymer precast concrete, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of construction materials.

The key to geopolymer concrete commercialization will be to develop low cost, easy to use activators. One promising development is at Rice University where engineers have developed a geopolymer concrete that requires only a small fraction of the sodium-based activation chemicals used in other geopolymer concretes. According to the researchers, they used sophisticated statistical methods to optimize the mixing strategies for ingredients. This resulted in an optimal balance of calcium-rich fly ash, nanosilica and calcium oxide with less than 5% of the traditional sodium-based activator.

Conclusion

More than 20 billion tons of concrete are produced around the world each year. As a result, concrete construction contributes about 5% of global CO₂ emissions primarily due to the cement manufacturing process. The demand for concrete will likely continue to grow as population grows. In addition, the demands on strength, durability and workability will continue to increase. A combination of traditional and advanced technologies will help meet these new demands. Technologies such as TiO₂ cements, SCC, SCMs and fibers are being used now to varying degrees with outstanding results. Carbon capture and sequestration are in their infancy but show great promise. Fly ash beneficiation will help meet the demand for affordable, high performance concretes and geopolymer concretes may one day help make concrete carbon neutral without sacrificing performance.

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While enterprise adoption of AI has grown 270% over the past four years, engineers have been slow to adopt the new technology. Some fear job insecurity and others simply don’t understand the technology. But it’s through automation that we’re able to save time doing mundane, repetitive tasks. And that time can be reinvested in more important things, like design, development, and creativity.

Join us in this exciting webinar presented by Civil + Structural Engineer and Steven Burns, FAIA, BQE Software to learn what you must know to fully leverage the AI revolution!

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• The basics of artificial intelligence, business intelligence, and machine learning
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• Build margin into the E&SC plan design for linear pipelines
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Presented by Ted Sherrod, PE

Ted Sherrod is a Principal Environmental Engineer with AECOM with key responsibilities involving management of construction stormwater and post-construction stormwater programs, design of stormwater control measures and training materials, and development of stormwater management plans for private and public sector clients.

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Build with Strength, a coalition of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, educates the building and design communities and policymakers on the benefits of ready mixed concrete, and encourages its use as the building material of choice. No other material can replicate concrete’s advantages in terms of strength, durability, safety and ease of use.

Course Overview:

This article provides guidance for architects and engineers on how to design and build high performance reinforced concrete multifamily residential buildings using Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs). Combining the strength and durability of reinforced concrete with rigid insulation, ICFs provide ideal solutions for apartments, condos, hotels, dormitories and assisted living facilities. With increased attention to occupant safety and comfort, design professionals can take advantage of concrete’s inherent fire resistance and noise reduction qualities. This article addresses how the thermal properties of ICFs offer building owners significant energy savings over the long term. The article also provides guidance on how to minimize the cost of ICF concrete construction to take full advantage of these benefits.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the basic design criteria and construction elements of Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) for multifamily residential projects
2. Demonstrate the economic benefits of building multifamily projects with ICFs
3. Recognize the energy performance characteristics of ICF for multifamily construction
4. Understand the contribution concrete makes to a building’s resilience to fire, flood, wind and earthquakes

Introduction

Insulating Concrete Forms, or ICFs for short, combine two well-established building products, reinforced concrete for strength and durability, and expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation for energy efficiency. ICF walls are made up of two layers of rigid insulation held together with ties to form ICF form units with a cavity in the center. The ICF form units are stacked in the shape of the wall, reinforcing steel is added into the form cavity and then concrete is placed into the form. The result is a reinforced concrete wall with a layer of insulation on each side. What makes ICFs different than traditional concrete construction is that the forms remain in place after the concrete is cured to provide thermal insulation. The combination of reinforced concrete and insulation provides an ideal load bearing wall, thermal envelope, fire barrier and sound barrier.

In addition to ICF walls there are also ICF concrete floor and roof systems. The concept is similar in that the ICF form is made with rigid insulation to function as a one-sided form at the bottom surface. The forms are installed to span between concrete walls, reinforcing steel is placed and then concrete is placed over the forms. The result is a reinforced concrete floor or roof with rigid insulation on the bottom.

ICF wall systems have been used for building applications ranging from single story buildings to 20+ story high-rise buildings and everything in between. There are examples of ICF buildings all over the U.S. and Canada including single-family residential, multifamily residential, hotels, dormitories, assisted living facilities, offices, healthcare facilities, manufacturing and warehouse buildings. Schools built with ICF are popular due to low- or net-zero energy use. Theaters are also trending towards ICF construction for superior sound attenuation. For this article we’ll focus on multifamily occupancies including apartments, condos, hotels, dormitories and assisted living facilities.

What makes ICFs so attractive for multifamily construction is that they are cost competitive with wood frame, steel frame and masonry construction. A building owner gets a building that is more disaster resilient and energy efficient at or nearly the same cost. Fire safety is a key element of multifamily construction since occupants sleep in these buildings and are often challenged to evacuate during a fire. Concrete walls and floors provide the fire resistance needed to not only allow occupants to evacuate, but contain the fire within a single unit, imposing less risk to fire fighters and property.

ICF Wall Systems

Typically, ICF wall units are comprised of large molded EPS blocks, similar to Lego® blocks with a cavity for concrete in the center. Blocks are manufactured in an EPS manufacturing facility. The blocks range in size from 48 to 96 inches long and 12 to 24 inches high depending on the manufacturer. The most common configuration of an ICF unit is made up of two layers of 2-3/8- to 2-5/8-inch-thick EPS spaced 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12 inches apart depending on design requirements. The most common cavity is 6 inches or 8 inches for most low to mid-rise buildings, but for taller buildings, taller walls, or exceptionally large loadings, thicker walls are necessary. For simplicity, ICFs are generally called out by the width of cavity, hence an ICF with a 6-inch cavity is called a 6-inch ICF and an ICF with an 8-inch cavity is called an 8-inch ICF and so forth.

The blocks are designed to have interlocking teeth that hold the forms together much like Legos®. Most manufacturers not only supply straight blocks but have corner blocks, angled blocks, t-blocks and some even have curved blocks. Most even provide special blocks with brick ledges. Most companies supply blocks that are fully assembled and ready for installation, but some ship blocks that are folded into a flat configuration and then unfolded for installation. One manufacturer ships blocks and ties separately that are assembled on site. Many have special window and door bucks along with other accessories such as bracing, clamps and scaffolding to make the construction process more efficient.

Examples of ICF wall block configurations. Photo: Buildblock

There are some ICF forming systems that are made of other insulating materials and with slightly different configurations and shapes, but flat-wall ICF systems dominate the marketplace. This can be attributed to the fact that flat-wall ICF form units are designed to create standard reinforced concrete structural elements, using well-documented design criteria, such as ACI-318.

There are at least a dozen companies that manufacture flat-wall ICF systems that can deliver their product throughout the U.S. and Canada and many are members of the Insulating Concrete Form Manufacturers Association (ICFMA). For more information visit www.icf-ma.org.

EPS insulation used for ICFs is governed by ASTM C 578, Type II closed cell foam with an R-value of 4 per inch. Polystyrene beads are first expanded with steam forming high density beads, which are injected into a mold to form the desired shape. Once removed from the molds and cured, EPS is a stable and durable material ideal for construction. No chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) or formaldehydes are used in the manufacturing process and there is no off-gassing. EPS is moisture resistant, non-absorbent and resistant to mold and rot. EPS contains a flame retardant and the smoke from burning is non-toxic. In addition, EPS is recyclable at its end of life.

The plastic ties that hold the two wythes of the block together are generally made with polypropylene plastic, but it does depend on the manufacturer. They are designed to withstand the liquid concrete pressure during construction. Most manufacturers design their ties to secure horizontal and vertical reinforcing bars into notches in the ties to minimize the need to use tie wire. Although different manufacturers provide a wide range of spacing for ties, the most common spacing is 6 or 8 inches. The ties have no thermal bridging, they do not degrade or rot over time, and all ties have furring strips embedded in the EPS for screw-on attachment of exterior or interior finishes.

Reinforcing steel used in ICF walls is the same used for any other type of concrete structure. Typically, smaller diameter bars are used such as #4, #5 or # 6, but thicker bars can be used for higher loading, concentrated loads and pilasters. In most cases, reinforcing steel is placed in one layer in the center of the wall at wide a spacing as permitted by code, especially for above-grade walls built using 6- or 8-inch ICFs. For 10-inch and larger ICFs, one can consider using 2 layers of reinforcing on each face. The objective is to minimize congestion and facilitate concrete placement. In some cases, steel fibers have been used in place of reinforcing steel in ICF walls, but most common applications use both horizontal and vertical steel reinforcement.

Concrete is typically placed in ICF walls using a boom-type concrete pump, though line-pumps or even conveyor belt equipment can be used. Specified compressive strength used in ICF walls can be whatever is required to resist structural loading, but most common are a 3000 psi or 4000 psi concrete pump mix. The recommended maximum aggregate size should be ½-inch aggregate for 4- and 6-inch cavity forms and ¾-inch aggregate for 8-inch and larger cavity forms. The required concrete slump is 6 inches but could be up to 8 inches or more to accommodate pumping using high-range plasticizers and mid-range water reducing admixtures to achieve necessary flowability.

Concrete is typically placed one level at a time. In other words, ICF blocks are stacked in the shape of the wall for a single story. Reinforcing steel is installed as the forms are stacked. Bracing, scaffolding, window and door bucks are installed. Once the ICF wall is plumbed and straight, concrete can be placed in 4-foot lifts. For a wall that is 12 feet tall, concrete would be placed in 3 different lifts by placing 4 feet of concrete at one time for the entire length of wall. By the time pump reaches the starting point, the concrete is usually stiff enough to place the second lift and so on.

As construction continues, electrical and plumbing lines can be embedded into the interior layer of foam by cutting channels with a hot-knife or other tool. Interior or exterior finishes can be applied directly to the surface by screwing into the plastic furring strips. Gypsum wall board on the interior, and stucco, brick or siding on the exterior are common finishes ideally suited to ICF construction but nearly any finish can be applied.

Case Study: West Village Student Housing at Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas

A design-build project with Whiting-Turner, BGK Architects and Mackey Mitchell Architects, this 230,000-square-foot West Village student housing complex at Texas Tech University implemented fast track construction methods to deliver the project within an incredibly compressed schedule―16 months for design and construction. Opened in 2014, this $54.8 Million project contains 455 beds, community lounges, conference rooms, as well as designated study rooms. The complex was designed to meet LEED certification serving as a model for Texas Tech’s newly adopted sustainability initiatives. Expected to reduce energy consumption by at least 20% over a typical residence hall, West Village utilized ICF walls and precast hollow core floors, which delivered a highly energy efficient, structurally solid, exceptionally fire-resistant, and acoustically sound dormitory. Another key aspect of the project was indoor air quality. EPS is a stable and durable material ideal for construction. No chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) or formaldehydes are used in the manufacturing process and there is no off-gassing.

Structural Design

Structural design of flat ICF wall systems is straight forward. ACI 318 has a chapter on wall design and compression member design. But the easiest approach to design is to use a computer software program to accommodate multiple load combinations and complicated configurations including large openings, tall unsupported walls and lateral loads. One such program is called spWall developed by StructurePoint. The software analyzes and designs concrete walls built using cast-in-place, precast, ICF and tilt-up walls.

The graphical interface easily generates complex wall models. Wall geometry (including any number of openings and stiffeners), material properties, loads (point, line, and area), and the support conditions are assigned graphically by the user. Also, springs (translational and rotational) can be graphically assigned at any node. The software uses a finite element solver and considers second-order effects. The wall may include any number of openings and stiffeners. The amount of steel required is computed based on the selected design standard, and the user can specify one or two layers of reinforcement.

Typical ICF wall section and graphical output from SP-Wall computer design software (image courtesy of StructurePoint).

For most loading conditions, the area of steel required will be relatively small. Structural engineers should select reinforcing steel size and spacing to minimize congestion. In general, reinforcement should be placed in a single layer near the center of the cross section and the spacing should match the spacing of the ICF ties since the ties also function as bar supports. For example, if the spacing of the ties is 6 inches, then the spacing of reinforcing should be 18 inches (the maximum permitted by code) whenever possible or at least in multiple of 6-inches. If the spacing of the ties is 8 inches, then the spacing of reinforcement should be 16 inches or multiples of 8 inches. It’s most critical to maximize spacing of horizontal reinforcement since it must be installed as the forms are stacked. Vertical steel is easier to install since it can be installed after the forms are stacked.

Generally, a single #5 bars should be placed around openings, but lintels over openings must be designed to support gravity loading including flexural and shear reinforcement. Often, a single reinforcing bar at the top and bottom of the lintel will be adequate, and stirrups can be single #3 bars with hooks on top and bottom. If reinforcement becomes too congested, including designs that require 2 layers of reinforcement, it would be more prudent to increase the thickness of the wall. However, for extreme loads and tall walls, two layers of reinforcement may be required. For those cases, use 10- or 12-inch ICFs.

Floor and Roof Systems

There are many options for floor systems that integrate well with ICF wall systems. ICF walls are simply concrete bearing walls so any floor system that is used for other types of bearing wall construction can be used in combination with ICF wall systems. These include traditionally formed reinforced concrete slabs, ICF slabs, precast hollow-core plank, concrete on metal deck combined with steel joists or cold formed joists. Wood framing systems for floor construction can also be adapted for connection to ICF walls using embedded ledger bolts.

ICF Floor and Roof Systems

There are several manufacturers of ICF floor and roof systems that have similar configurations. Just like ICF wall systems, ICF decks combine EPS insulation with reinforced concrete to form a strong and energy efficient floor or roof system. Ideal for use in both commercial and residential construction, ICF floors combine the strength, security, and reliability of reinforced concrete with energy efficiency, fast construction and comfort. Many of the ICF wall system manufacturers carry a version of ICF floor and roof system that interfaces well with their wall system.

Each of the EPS panels (up to about 30 feet long), are supported and reinforced with integral cold formed steel beams or channels molded into the EPS along the length of each panel. The result is a joist and deck forming system that provides the maximum strength of a reinforced concrete deck with minimal materials and labor. The bottom side of each panel is typically flat but the top side has channels along the length of the panel that provide a void for reinforcement and concrete to be placed into. The resultant concrete system is similar to a typical concrete joist system with joists spaced at about 24 inches on center and a slab in between the joists from 2 to 6 inches thick.

The ICF floors and roofs can span up to about 30 feet, depending on the depth of each joist. The joist system is designed like any other concrete joist system with bending reinforcement placed in the bottom of the joists, shear reinforcement placed in the webs and top steel placed for shrinkage and crack control. Although ICF floors are usually designed as simply supported one-way slab systems spanning between ICF walls, they could be designed as multispan floors with intermediate supports by adding top bending steel.

The EPS material, reinforcing steel and concrete are the same as those used for ICF walls. The bottom surface of the ICF suspended floor or roof is finished with gypsum board by screwing into the embedded metal channels. The top surface is a smooth concrete surface ready for any finish material such as carpet, wood or tile. When used for a roof structure any appropriate roofing system can be used, including membranes, inverted roof insulation, or even vegetated roof assemblies.

Precast Hollow-Core Plank

Another popular floor system, especially for multifamily construction, is precast hollow-core plank. Typically, ICF walls are installed one story at a time (including concrete) and then precast planks are placed on top of the walls, bearing directly on the concrete. Sometimes a concrete topping is placed on the plank or a thin leveling layer is used to even out the floor to accommodate any finish. For some buildings, the ceiling is simply painted or parged with plaster and painted to conceal the joints between planks. There are dozens of hollow-core plank manufacturers around the U.S. and Canada that can supply product for ICF projects and several have developed special details specifically for ICF construction.

Concrete on Metal Deck, Steel Joists and Cold Formed Joists

Concrete on metal deck combined with steel joists or cold formed joists are another option for ICF wall systems. There are numerous steel joist and cold formed joist manufacturers that have designed systems specifically to integrate with ICF walls. Some provide a steel bar joist system with concrete on metal deck along with other concrete deck systems. Others make a cold formed joist and concrete deck system for ICF walls. These systems offer the advantage of having space for mechanical and electrical within the ceiling cavity. For multifamily residential the mechanical and electrical are often limited to the kitchen and bath areas so having space in the ceiling cavity is not as critical. For other occupancy types however, having open ceiling space may be a distinct advantage.

Performance Characteristics of ICF Concrete

ICF walls are best suited for bearing wall type construction. If the architectural style for the building is to have floor-to-ceiling glass with large cantilevered balconies, then traditional concrete flat-plate construction is the best option. However if the building is a typical apartment building, hotel, dormitory or assisted living facility with a significant solid exterior wall with punched window openings, then ICFs are the ideal solution. Generally, these types of buildings have a rectangular floor plate with the elevator in the center. Longitudinal corridors service living units on either side. Each unit has a solid wall on the exterior and at the corridor making them ideal to function as structural bearing walls.

Furthermore, since multifamily construction requires fire partitions between dwelling units, ICF walls create a superb demising wall. Besides providing superior protection from spreading fire (2 to 4 hours), ICFs also have excellent noise attenuation properties. Whether designing an apartment complex or hotel, fire safety and noise reduction are always a concern. Energy efficiency is also a major concern for apartment owners and hotel operators. ICF concrete buildings benefit from the lower energy bills resulting from the high-performance envelope.

Strength and durability

The heart of ICF construction is reinforced concrete. Reinforced concrete walls and floors have long been the building material of choice for resisting structural loading from wind, earthquakes, flooding and fire. There are many examples of concrete buildings surviving natural disasters while surrounding buildings built with less durable materials simply don’t have the strength and durability to resist the loading. Concrete walls and floors are designed using traditional requirements of the ACI 318 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete. The same analysis and design techniques used on traditionally formed concrete buildings are used on ICF buildings. What makes ICF structures even stronger and more durable is the fact that the walls and floors are tied together with overlapping reinforcing steel creating a solid monolithic structure.

The builders of this 220-unit multifamily apartment complex, EYC Companies, knew that strength and durability of the building directly affects the safety of its tenants. That’s why they opted for insulated concrete forms for the exterior walls for their showcase development. Not only are these buildings safe from high winds and coastal flooding, but they are extremely energy efficient allowing EYC to master meter the entire complex and pass the energy savings onto the tenants. In addition, EYC opted to self-perform the ICF walls, which further saved time and money during the construction process making the project a win-win for both the building owner and his tenants.

These types of structures are extremely resistant to high loading and provide significant redundancy which avoids catastrophic failure. The solid walls act as shear walls to resist wind and earthquake loading. They also provide protection from flying debris from hurricanes and tornadoes. Because concrete and EPS are water resistant, even when a building is subject to flooding, the structure survives. This property protection is vital for communities to withstand and recover from disruptive events. ICFs have been used for single family homes to mid-rise apartments, all the way to high-rise residential construction.

Case Study: 17 South, Charleston, South Carolina

The builders of this 220-unit multifamily apartment complex, EYC Companies, knew that strength and durability of the building directly affects the safety of its tenants. That’s why they opted for insulated concrete forms for the exterior walls for their showcase development. Not only are these buildings safe from high winds and coastal flooding, but they are extremely energy efficient allowing EYC to master meter the entire complex and pass the energy savings onto the tenants. In addition, EYC opted to self-perform the ICF walls, which further saved time and money during the construction process making the project a win-win for both the building owner and his tenants.

These types of structures are extremely resistant to high loading and provide significant redundancy which avoids catastrophic failure. The solid walls act as shear walls to resist wind and earthquake loading. They also provide protection from flying debris from hurricanes and tornadoes. Because concrete and EPS are water resistant, even when a building is subject to flooding, the structure survives. This property protection is vital for communities to withstand and recover from disruptive events. ICFs have been used for single family homes to mid-rise apartments, all the way to high-rise residential construction.

Case Study: ICF Construction Boom, Waterloo, Ontario

The city of Waterloo, Ontario, is the best example of a community that has taken advantage of the benefits of ICF technology. This small university town of 100,000 people has over 80 major ICF projects, 40 of them built within one square mile. Sparked by demand for student housing surrounding three universities, the schools wanted safe, affordable, energy efficient dormitories and student apartments. That’s why they turned to ICFs to deliver efficient, robust, comfortable buildings on schedule and without increasing the overall cost. In fact, the all the buildings in the photo above are ICF buildings. The tallest building is a 22-story dormitory, with load-bearing ICF exterior and shaft walls with 12” cores and precast hollow-core floors. The building currently holds the record as the tallest ICF building in North America.

Fire resistance

Fires kill more Americans than all other natural disasters combined. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there were 1,319,500 fires reported in the United States in 2017, resulting in 3,400 civilian fatalities, 14,670 civilian injuries and an estimated $23 billion in direct property loss. Most of the losses occur in wood frame buildings. Very few occur in concrete buildings. Of all the construction materials used today, concrete is the most fire resistant. This gives the noncombustible concrete structure important safety advantages over traditional combustible wood frame structures. Unlike wood, concrete cannot burn; and unlike steel, it won’t soften or bend. Concrete will only break down at temperatures of thousands of degrees Fahrenheit, which is far hotter than the temperature of a typical structure fire.

Fire safety is important for any building occupancy, but it’s especially critical for residential type construction where people sleep. Concrete has long been recognized as the most fire resistant of all building materials and there are decades of testing available to demonstrate this. However, as with all building assemblies, they must be tested using standard fire tests to demonstrate their fire-resistant capabilities.

Case Study: Walker’s Landing, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Bedford Development chose ICF walls and concrete floors for thermal efficiency, fire rating and speed of construction. Walker’s Landing has four floors of residential over two floors of parking. The project is located on an infill urban site requiring fire rated exterior walls. The ICF provides more than enough fire rating at a significant cost savings over wood frame. The ICFs are so energy efficient that some tenants have never turned their heat on all winter. The building also has garage heaters that have never been turned on.

Most ICF manufacturers have tested their products in accordance with standard fire testing protocol including ANSI/UL 263-13th Edition and ASTM E119-07. In general, 4-inch ICF walls achieve a 2-hour fire rating, 6-inch ICF walls achieve a 3- or 4-hour fire rating and 8-inch and thicker ICF walls exceed a 4-hour fire rating. Generally the assemblies tested include reinforced concrete with a minimum compressive strength of 2,900 psi and 1/2-inch gypsum wall board on each side.

In addition to fire resistance rating of wall assemblies, it is important to understand the behavior of the EPS under fire conditions. The EPS used for ICFs is manufactured with flame retardants that render the EPS insulation completely unable to support a flame without an outside flame source; it is approximately five times better than wood at stopping flame spread from materials burning in close proximity. That means an extra margin of safety for occupants and first responders. EPS used for ICFs is strictly required to have a flame spread index of less than 25 and smoke developed rating of less than 450 when tested in accordance with ASTM E84 & ANSI/UL 723. ICF companies that maintain national evaluation reports from ICC-ES or other accredited testing agencies have all conducted a long list of materials tests in order to comply with national safety standards.

Case Study: Hilton Garden Inn, Lewisville, Texas

With the objective of keeping their guests safe, secure and comfortable, Hilton Garden Inn in Lewisville, Texas chose ICF construction for their six-story hotel and 25,000 square foot convention center. Eight-inch ICF walls were used on the first two levels and 6-inch ICF walls were used for the top four levels. Hollow core precast concrete planks were used for the floors. The result is a fire-resistant concrete building with the added benefits of energy efficiency, durability, and peace and quiet.

Energy efficiency

According to a report from the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT), increasing the energy efficiency of America’s multifamily buildings — nearly 18.5 million households — could save building owners and managers, residents, governments, energy efficiency service providers, and financiers close to $3.4 billion annually. With these growing energy concerns, building with ICFs is simply the smart choice. The secret lies in the combination of reduced conduction and convection, and high thermal mass. The result is a building with a lower appetite for energy and vastly improved comfort inside the building due to more consistent temperatures and lack of drafts. A more energy efficient envelope means more money saved on a yearly basis while reducing the project’s carbon footprint.

ICF walls are considered by the IECC and ASHRAE 90.1 as mass walls with continuous insulation. Typical whole wall ICF assemblies have an R-value between R-24 and R-26 depending on the exterior and interior finish materials compared to R-11 and R-19 for 2×4 and 2×6 wood frame. However, thermal resistance (R-value) does not take into account the effects of thermal mass, and by itself does not fully describe the beneficial properties of ICFs. The damping and lag effect of thermal mass means fewer spikes in heating and cooling requirements since the mass buffers indoor temperature fluctuations, contributing to occupant comfort. Thermal mass shifts energy demand to off-peak time periods when utility rates are lower, reducing costs further. ICF walls can exceed the requirements for all climate zones for both residential and commercial thermal envelopes above and below grade because of the combination of extreme R-value and thermal mass.

Case Study: Beach Green Dunes, Rockaway, New York.

This 101-unit, 94,000-square-foot apartment building is built in an area devastated by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The Bluestone Organization selected ICFs for exterior, corridor and demising walls and precast hollow-core floors for disaster resilience and energy efficiency. The building is so energy efficient it is certified by the Passive House institute. ICFs create a solid concrete wall with continuous insulation, resulting in a comfortable and airtight structure that lowers energy bills. The reinforced concrete system results in a structure that’s strong, durable and can stand up to fire, floods and wind. This developer builds exclusively with concrete.

Achieving a high-performance building envelope also means minimizing air leakage and ICF walls are tighter than wood-frame or light gauge steel walls. In tests, they averaged about half as much air infiltration as wood frame. In many cases the air infiltration rates are as low as 0.5 air changes per hour. Thermal bridging is also eliminated with ICF walls when compared to wood and light gauge steel. Since energy consumption of ICF buildings are lower, the HVAC systems can be smaller and more efficient, adding to energy savings. The result is energy savings ranging from 20 percent to as much as 50 percent depending on other energy efficiency strategies employed for the building. 

Case Study: West Village Student Condominium, Hamilton, Ontario

West Village Student Condominiums located near McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, operates for less than half the cost of typical buildings of this type thanks to ICF construction. The two 9-story, 208,000 square foot buildings house 450 students in 107 suites. Combining ICF walls with a large evacuated-tube solar system significantly reduces energy demand and helped the project achieve LEED Platinum status. The Platinum certification was due in part to energy savings of 57 percent which means the owner spends about $1,000 annually per apartment, less than half of a typical apartment building. In addition to thousands of dollars saved in energy costs each year, significant cost savings were achieved during construction by downsize the heating and cooling systems. Additional savings were realized due to reduced construction time of ICFs―the buildings were completed in 10 months.

Noise and vibration

Concrete walls and floors have long been used as the material of choice for reducing sound transmission, which is key to a better guest experience in the multifamily sector. ICFs are often used for apartment and hotel projects for their ability to isolate and dissipate noise. Noise transmission in residential buildings is also important both to reduce noise between units and from the outside. Most multifamily buildings, whether they are apartment buildings or hotels, are generally located in urban centers where car and truck traffic can affect occupants’ quality of life. And no one wants to live in an apartment building where you can hear the neighbors. The fact that ICFs can eliminate sound transmission at virtually no additional cost makes them very attractive for any project in which peace and quiet is a selling point.

The concrete core of ICF offers excellent noise control in two ways. First, it effectively blocks airborne sound transmission over a wide range of frequencies. Second, concrete effectively absorbs noise, thereby diminishing noise intensity. Because of these attributes, ICF walls and floors have been used successfully in multifamily, hospitality and theater applications.

Case Study: Holiday Inn Express, Louisville, Kentucky

This eight-story Holiday Inn Express was built with ICFs in the heavily populated Museum Row district in downtown Louisville. Standing about 100 feet tall, it’s the tallest building in the area. In addition to noise control, ICFs were selected in part because the extremely tight site meant construction materials had to be lifted from the adjacent parking garage since there were no staging areas outside the building footprint. Although Dunn Hospitality has built other hotels, this was their first ICF project. After touring another Holiday Inn project being built with ICF across the river in Ohio, they were convinced. ICFs cut three months off the already accelerated schedule. With conventional construction techniques, a typical eight-story, 145-room hotel such as this would take 14-16 months to construct but this hotel took only 10 months allowing the hotel to open just in time for the Kentucky Derby thanks to ICF construction.

The International Building Code (IBC) has requirements to regulate sound transmission through interior partitions separating adjacent dwelling units and separating dwelling units from adjacent public areas. Six-inch ICF walls easily achieve STC 55 (Sound Transmission Classification) rating. Higher STC ratings up to STC 70 can be achieved with additional gypsum wallboard or special isolation channels. For ICF floors, most meet STC 50 or higher and IIC (Impact Insulation Class) of 50 or higher depending on the floor and ceiling finish as required by the IBC.

Case Study: The Ricchi, San Antonio, Texas 

The Ricchi condominiums in San Antonio are a contemporary, mid-rise building consisting of 87 luxury condominiums. This exclusive development was the first of its kind to be built in the area. The developers wanted to provide a first-class, secure and quiet building and chose ICF as part of the plan to achieve their goal. Noise reduction was a major consideration for this project. The Ricchi is located directly below the flight path for airliners approaching San Antonio’s international airport and is adjacent to a US Army training camp. The sound attenuation offered by ICFs provided a solution to those concerns while creating significant energy savings. The U-shaped, luxury condo utilized more than a quarter million square feet of ICFs. The higher insulation provided by the ICF walls reduced HVAC tonnage by 20 percent, resulting in significant energy savings.

Initial Cost and Long-Term Value

ICF construction can help contain construction costs because of the inherent efficiencies of the installed assembly that serves nine functions:

1. Concrete form (that stays in place)
2. Thermal barrier
3. Air barrier
4. Moisture barrier
5. Fire barrier
6. Sound barrier
7. Substrate for running utilities
8. Substrate for attaching finish materials
9. Reinforced concrete structure

In conventional construction, many of these features are provided by several different trades, usually at significant added cost. ICF construction embodies all of these characteristics in a simple assembly usually installed by one crew. This means the general contractors can realize a number of on-site efficiencies including fewer trades on-site, reduced crew-size and an accelerated construction schedule. Because construction schedules are usually much shorter with ICF construction, the general contractor is able to finish on-time and within budget. The building owner is able to put the building into service sooner, cutting short his financing costs and initiating a quicker revenue flow.

In general, ICF construction costs can equal wood or steel frame construction. Building with large ICF units instead of individual small framing elements such as dimensioned lumber or cold formed steel can save on initial cost. In addition, the lower floor-to-floor heights of ICF walls and concrete floors (precast plank or ICF) can help reduce the overall height of a building which means additional savings from reduced exterior and interior finishes and reduced mechanical, electrical and plumbing lines, which can be significant.

Case Study: Martin Hall and New Hall B, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky

Eastern Kentucky University chose ICFs for walls and hollow-core plank for floors for two recent dormitories–the 199,480-square-foot Martin Hall and 165,580-square-foot New Hall B. Each structure features a recreational room, private and group study areas, a community kitchen, a large multi-purpose room, and two classrooms. The concrete floor design allows for shallow floor-to-floor heights and ease of construction. Additionally, lower floor-to-floor heights saves on exterior finish and mechanical runs. The lateral load resisting system includes concrete shear walls designed to provide stability against wind and seismic forces.

In a research study conducted by National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA), the cost of building a four story, 100,000 square foot apartment building built using wood and ICF were compared for cities all over the U.S. In most cases the cost of ICF construction was on par with wood frame, but it did depend on location.

Insurance costs for both builder’s risk insurance (during construction) and commercial property insurance (during occupancy) are lower for concrete construction compared to wood frame construction according to a study conducted by NRMCA. For builder’s risk insurance, the greatest difference found in the quoted cost of insurance at any location was 72% less for the concrete building and the smallest was 22% less. For commercial property insurance, the greatest and smallest differences found were 65% and 14% less, respectively.

According to the study, some agents volunteered their views on the future of insurance rates and practices for different building materials. They suggested that the gap between rates for wood frame and concrete is likely to grow in the future and that a growing number of insurers are declining to serve as sole insurer for wood‐frame apartment buildings. Additionally, insurers of such buildings are increasingly requiring that the insured take extra measures to protect against loss and especially fire loss.

Case Study: Autumn Leaves of Estero, Estero, Florida

Located on the gulf coast of south Florida, this facility used ICFs for the exterior walls to provide safety against hurricane force winds. Autumn Leaves of Estero is carefully designed with their residents in mind. Abundant natural light, wide hallways, a secure courtyard, and many other features create an environment that’s safe and calming for their residents. Autumn Leaves assisted living communities are family owned and operated so they understand the value of long-term investment. Although concrete excels for taller buildings, ICFs are cost competitive for low-rise buildings also.

But the real savings and value of ICF construction comes over the long term from reduced energy bills and lower maintenance. These savings not only reduce operating cost, they reduce risk, which translates into lower property insurance rates and lower tenant turnover and disruption. For those developers who plan on holding onto properties for longer periods of time or looking for long term rental, it’s critical to have a building that has a lower operating cost and holds value. 

Case Study: Lane 1919 Apartments, Portland, Oregon

A focus on quality, reduced life-cycle costs, and the creation of value for the next 80 years drove the Lane family along with the rest of their investment and design team to create a mixed used project that paid tribute to the historic significance of the neighborhood while combining modern innovative design and construction methods. The project team’s goals were not only to create a viable income-producing property for the Lane family, but also to balance energy efficiency and extended life-cycle equipment and materials. The Lane 1919 mixed-use tower is built from highly-efficient, ICF walls that provide greater thermal mass, high R-value and reduced air infiltration offering the building owner significantly reduced energy bills. 

Conclusion

ICFs represent an advancing technology. Although there are thousands of examples of ICF buildings all over the U.S., Canada and other parts of the world, many designers are not fully familiar with the construction method. ICFs can add value to any construction project, but the added fire safety, energy efficiency and noise reduction qualities make them ideal for multifamily construction. The most common ICF brands have similar dimensions and thus architects can design a building with ICFs without having to design it to a specific manufacturer’s specifications. Most of the larger ICF companies have standard specifications, design details and design manuals to help architects and engineers with the design process.

The largest ICF manufacturers have all the necessary testing required to meet the latest building code requirements including for fire, energy, sound transmission and structural design. In addition, because ICFs saves so much energy over time, they can help meet LEED and other green building standards. Although ICFs are unique in the sense that the insulation is installed before the structure is installed, in the end the design details are the same as if you installed concrete bearing walls and then attached rigid insulation to the wall.

The key benefits of ICF construction are:

• Strength and durability
• Fire safety
• Energy efficiency
• Sustainability
• Noise reduction
• Long term value

The best place to find out about ICF construction and concrete construction in general is www.BuildwithStrength.com and www.icf-ma.org.

Take the quiz and earn your certificate.

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Lionel Lemay, PE, SE, LEED AP is Senior Vice President of Structures and Sustainability, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association.

Tien Peng, Assoc AIA, LEED AP+, PMP is Vice President, Sustainability, Codes and Standards, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association

Learning Objectives of Webinar

• Identifies the key characteristics of in place joists.
• Teaches you how to determine who the original manufacturer was and whether they can provide any additional documentation.
• Shows you how to verify the original design loads and evaluate the joist for the new loads.
• As part of the evaluation, procedures will be discussed to identify the joist components and connections that are inadequate.

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Today’s increasingly stringent environmental regulations continue to create the need for Low Impact Development (LID) and Green Infrastructure (GI) management on project sites. New and innovative ways must be used to limit hard surfaces such as parking lots, walkways, and emergency access lanes. Land access is at a premium, and areas of environmental protection are increasing, requiring builders and engineers to work with regulators to utilize both LID and GI practices.

Porous pavements are an easy and economical way to reduce the impervious surfaces onsite, and restore the natural water cycle close to its source. They have the added benefit of reducing the size of above ground detention ponds and conveyance and treatment infrastructure. Stormwater diversion channels, roadside swales, and drainage ditches can be constructed with low maintenance solutions, protecting against erosion and overflow concerns. Living green walls increase the amount of vegetation onsite, help promote water filtration from higher elevations, and allow access to more valuable land.

1. Learn what Low Impact Development and Green Infrastructure means for residential and commercial project sites.
2. Cover the regulations governing these practices and how they have been met with traditional construction methods.
3. Learn about porous pavement options and their benefits and limitations related to infiltration, runoff reduction, traffic and performance.
4. Understand how to manage urban stormwater through design of vegetated channels that replace hard surface systems and mitigate flooding potential.
5. Explore different applications for low-impact products, and understand how they fit with the goals of LID and GI.

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How many emails do you receive in a day? In a month? Over the course of an entire project? How do you organize that information and share it with the rest of the team? How do you connect and relate project correspondence to other project items, workflows, or tasks?

The main problem is that there isn’t a good way to organize and share that information with the rest of your team or archive that data at the end of the project. Everyone’s emails are siloed, meaning you don’t have access to the full picture of project communication, forcing the project team to CC or forward emails to everyone else on the project, multiplying the amount of this data associated with the project and creating at the very least duplicate records in the project archive.

There is a better way.

Join Brian Guidotti, Customer Success Manager from Newforma, and Tom Maleski, BIM Manager from PS&S as they discuss the importance of email management and the productivity and efficiency benefits realized.

Attend to learn best practices like:

• Keeping internal project teams up to date with the latest project information
• Creating a ‘leaner’ inbox and sent items folders leaner
• The importance of now vs. later

Additionally, this webinar will demonstrate specific workflows that make email filing easy!

Speakers:

Brian Guidotti

Solutions Consultant and Customer Success Manager, Newforma

Brian Guidotti is a Solutions Consultant and Customer Success Manager at Newforma. Over the last ten years, he has held multiple positions within Construction IT before transitioning into the software industry, assisting architects and engineers in the implementation of project information management software. 

Currently, Brian serves as a Project Information Management (PIM) expert by helping Newforma customers with their unique project information challenges, maximizing their investment of Newforma products.

Tom Maleski

BIM Manager, PS&S
Tom Maleski is a BIM Manager /Senior Associate at PS&S. A graduate of New Jersey Institute of Technology, he has worked in the AEC space focusing on Architecture, Structural, Fire Protection, Plumbing, Mechanical and Electrical. In his current role, he develops and implements BIM and CAD strategy, as well as provides training, support and mentoring to staff and manages Building Group software.

At the end of this webinar, you will learn:

1. Processes for keeping internal project teams up to date with the latest project information.
2. Steps to create a leaner inbox.
3. Best practices for firm and project-based email management processes.
4. The importance of timely emailing filing.
5. Productivity and efficiency benefits from email filing.

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In this webinar you will learn:

• To understand the PYRAWALL engineered wrap-face vegetated solution and its applications
• To gain a basic understanding of the site investigation and geotechnical design approach for this vegetated wall system
• To become familiar with site preparation and installation of this wall system
• To understand various methods for vegetating the wall system

Speaker

Stanley M. Miller, PhD,PE

Stan Miller is a Professor Emeritus, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Idaho, and an independent engineering consultant. His work has focused on applied rock engineering, slope stabilization, geosynthetic-reinforced earth structures, and erosion/sediment control. Over the past 25 years, he has taught seminars on slope stabilization and segmental retaining walls in the U.S., Canada, and SE Asia (Malaysia and Singapore). Since 2001, he has served as co-instructor for the ASCE Continuing Education Seminar on “Soil and Rock Slope Stability”, which is taught several times each year. He earned his BS and MS degrees in Geological Engineering from the University of Arizona and his PhD degree from the University of Wyoming. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in several western states.

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With all the technology available today it’s complicated to know what will help impact your bottom line, how much time it will take to implement, and how to make those decisions. However, choosing a unified project management is an essential part of a successful firm. Join BQE Software CEO Shafat Qazi, a former engineer firm owner who will give you the guidance to modernizing your firm by migrating the day-to-day project management, client billing and accounting tasks to your smart phone and cloud services as a combination of powerful tools. Learn what can go wrong and how to prepare for that, while understanding the benefits of cloud and mobile to maximize the potential of your firm.

Webinar attendees will learn:

• Key features to look for when selecting project management software
• How to manage the short transition from your old software to more a modern platform
• Why is mobile important and how to untether yourself from a desktop
• How training and implementation can set you up for success
• The ROI on your software investment

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Join this webinar to learn how to navigate:

• Greater volumes of complex project information
• Collaboration among globally-distributed project teams
• Demonstrating competency on proven BIM best practices
• Increased requirements for reporting and transparency
• Delivering results in an increasingly competitive landscape

Speakers:

Mark Coates, Industry Marketing Director, Project Delivery, Bentley Systems

Mark is a former quantity surveyor with extensive background in global project delivery. He has worked on numerous infrastructure projects, consulting asset owners and their advisors on technology adoption focused on attaining better project results while be conscious of time, cost, and quality. He current leads Bentley System’s go-to-market strategy for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, keeping a keen eye on the latest industry trends and their impact on the delivery of successful projects.

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Highways are shifting to more and more DDIs and a well-designed DDI has the potential to improve safety, reduce traffic delays, and save costs over traditional interchanges. Designers are faced with the challenge of balancing competing factors, such as the footprint and geometry, safety, design vehicle accommodation and cost.

NEXUS DDI reduces the need for manual generation and editing of DDI geometry. Be more productive using parametric drafting and dynamic design modeling. By using NEXUS DDI, even the less experienced designers will gain confidence and knowledge in designing more complex DDIs.

Learning Objectives:

• Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) background/introduction
• When should DDI be used?
• How to save time with planning & preliminary stages of the DDI geometric design.
• How to minimize iteration cycle during a DDI geometric design.
• How to use NEXUS DDI software for your DDI design project

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Steel-framed fabric buildings use familiar construction methods, and have nearly identical considerations when it comes to engineering and quality. By examining the familiar engineering principles and examining the materials and methods used in these buildings before, during and after construction, you will have a thorough understanding of fabric buildings and how they compare to other building types.

Using recently completed energy-efficiency testing, engineering concerns and case studies, attendees will see how fabric buildings are used for a variety of common and unusual applications.

You will learn:

1. Engineering considerations that must be calculated for a successful project
2. The similarities and differences between pre-engineered metal and fabric buildings
3. Fabric building construction safety considerations
4. New information about energy efficiency in fabric buildings

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This credit is open to a majority of tax entity structures including C Corporations and Pass-Through entities such as S. Corps, LLC’s, Sole Proprietors and Partnerships. If you are a U.S. Company and make products and/or services on U.S. soil, then there has to be, has to be, a credit available to you; the only question to answer now is “what is the size of your benefit?”

This webinar provides you with the latest insight on the R&D tax credit that is designed to reduce the high cost of innovation in the United States. Unfortunately, too many A/E/C firm leaders mistakenly believe that this valuable tax credit does not apply to them.

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This credit is open to a majority of tax entity structures including C Corporations and Pass-Through entities such as S. Corps, LLC’s, Sole Proprietors and Partnerships.  If you are a U.S. Company and make products and/or services on U.S. soil, then there has to be, has to be, a credit available to you; the only question to answer now is “what is the size of your benefit?”

This webinar provides you with the latest insight on the R&D tax credit that is designed to reduce the high cost of innovation in the United States.  Unfortunately, too many A/E/C firm leaders mistakenly believe that this valuable tax credit does not apply to them.

By joining us for this value-packed webinar, you get:

• An overview of current rules and legislation governing the R&D tax credit.
• A clear understanding of exactly how this tax credit applies to the A/E/C industry.
• Important details on recent law changes and the types of activities and expenses that qualify for the tax credit.
• Actual examples of how the mechanics of the calculation and statutory exclusions have benefited all types of Design firms.
• And more!

At the end of this session, you will understand:

• The Congressional intent of this legislation.
• What really constitutes a “Qualifying Research Expenditures”.
• How to estimate potential tax credit benefits.
• What to expect from an R&D Study.
• The documentation requirements for this tax credit.

This webinar is sure to challenge the conventional beliefs and assumptions on this tax credit, realign your thinking, and drive curiosity to explore it further.  If you are an A/E/C, Software, Technology, Manufacturing, General Contracting firm CEO, CFO, Controller, VP of Finance, Treasurer, Accounting Manager or Project Manager or if you are an accountant working with these types of firms, you cannot afford to miss this No-cost webinar.

About the Speaker: 

Dawson Fercho is the partner-founder of Corporate Tax Advisors, Inc. He brings over 20 year of consulting experience, 15 years exclusively focused on the Federal Research Tax Credit, working with the accounting industry and small to mid-size manufacturing, technology, engineering, architecture and construction clients.  In his current role for Corporate Tax Advisors, Dawson is responsible for all areas of client service and overseeing CTA’s marketing and business development.  Dawson is also an IRS Enrolled Agent, licensed by the U.S. Treasury, in support of All U.S. Business in areas of taxation; including the Federal Research & Development Tax Credit. Prior to CTA, Dawson held numerous senior level management roles with some of the largest technology and communication firms in the country.

More information about Corporate Tax Advisors is available on their website at www.corporatetaxadvisors.com

Dawson can be reached at Corporate Tax Advisors via phone 913-461-6179 or via email dawsonf@corporatetaxadvisors.com

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This webinar is for the engineer. The elements of a fabric structure – including the frame, cladding and foundation – will be examined in depth. Attendees will leave with concrete knowledge of fabric structures and the engineering principles behind these modern buildings.

You will learn:

• The materials used in fabric structure construction
• Architectural features available for fabric buildings
• Factors that determine the quality and longevity of a fabric building
• Comparisons between engineered fabric buildings and engineered metal buildings
• How fabric structures are used for a variety of large-scale applications

Speakers

Nathan Stobbe is General Manager of Legacy Building Solutions. He has over 15 years of experience in the fabric structure industry and has made significant contributions, including as a member of the original committee for developing CSA S367, the guideline for pre-engineered membrane structures, and as co-founder of the Membrane Structures Manufacturers Association. He also holds several patents for fabric structure construction. As General Manager, Nathan leads Legacy’s growth through innovation and vision.

Eric Donnay is Legacy’s Vice President of Sales. He has over a decade of experience in customer service and sales plus over 13 years of commercial construction experience. In his role at Legacy, Eric manages sales staff and processes and works to find creative solutions to customer requirements.

Dwayne Moench is the Senior Structural Engineer for Legacy Building Solutions. Licensed in 28 states and five provinces, Dwayne oversees the engineering department where he is vested with the responsibility of providing engineering analysis, technical expertise, detailing, customization and retrofitting of fabric membrane structures.

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In this webcast you will learn the following:

• Identify the steps necessary to determine hydrologic design flows for critical projects.
• Evaluate various hydraulic structures based on hydraulic performance, reliability, and ease of maintenance.
• Understand the basic design geometry for labyrinth weirs.
• Operating a successful firm post-recession.

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At the end of this session, you will know how to:

1. Monitor project performance, forecast workloads accurately, and get real-time visibility into project finances
2. Manage the successful execution of projects all the way through to financial accountability
3. Assess the tools that help you track financial performance and make effective decisions at the project-level
4. Streamline and automate the capture of all billable and non-billable time and expenses
5. Identify trouble areas that could impact margins

About Steven Burns

Steven is a licensed architect and a member of the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects. He sold his architectural firm in 2007 to work full-time on the startup he launched to create ArchiOffice, and now guides the development of BQE Core, the cutting-edge cloud project accounting platform. He earned his Master of Architecture degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Syracuse University. His passions include ultra-endurance cycling (he’s ridden as far as 522 miles without stopping) and working with Los Angeles Social Venture Partners to help innovative non-profits change the landscape for social justice.

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Attend this webinar to learn the advantages of engineered fabric structures and why engineers are specifying fabric structures for everything from sports centers and entertainment venues to bulk storage facilities to military uses and hangars.

You will learn:

• The materials and engineering used in modern fabric structures
• Factors that determine the quality and longevity of a fabric structure
• Benefits of fabric structures for a variety of applications
• Architectural features available for fabric structures using a rigid steel frame

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If you are a Shareholder, Principal, Financial Advisor, CPA, CFO, Controller, Owner, Business/OPS Manager, as well as supplier to the AEC industry, this is the educational session for you. If you are curious to find other avenues of reducing overhead rates (specifically direct labor expenses), increasing cash flow, increasing profit-To- Earnings Ratios, permanent tax savings, reduction in effective tax rates, and an alternative source of cash to fund growth in technical-based jobs, this will be the most valuable session of our Summit experience this week.

Upon completion of this education session, participants will be able to:

• Understand more deeply the congressional intent (why it exists) of this federal incentive program.
• Recognize the types of activities that qualify for the R&D tax credit.
• State expenses that can be included in the tax credit calculation.
• Discuss the mechanics of the tax credit calculation and the IRS audit landscape.

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OpenRoads Designer helps solve your critical business issues to ensure you can meet all the deliverables needed for your civil engineering projects.

In this webinar you will learn:

• How to incorporate reality meshes with LiDAR with integrated reality modeling tools.
• How to readily share data between bridge, drainage, roads and more to create on multi-discipline composite model.
• How to effectively deliver construction documents such as cross sections and plan profile sheets.
• How to adapt to design changes by integrating your design intent into a dynamic, enlivened, design model.

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One of the most time-consuming aspects of complex projects is that of creating, generating and maintaining the project’s finite element (FE) mesh.  Typically, a process that requires trial and error, this tedious process can zap an engineer’s productivity while limiting the amount of time available for more important design decisions.

In this free webinar, the speaker will show how SCIA Engineer makes creating an accurate finite element (FE) mesh more efficient by allowing the software to take on the process of mesh refinement.

In this webcast you will learn the following:

• Automatically generate the mesh in SCIA based on global settings
• Apply various local mesh refinement options including around nodes, at edges and on whole surfaces
• Use automatic mesh refinement (based on applied load) to create an accurate and error free mesh
• Utilize result tools such as averaging and integration strips to fine tune the results reported from the finite element (FE) mesh

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In this webcast you will learn the following:

• Learn about the five Critical Path Radii, and specifically what Fastest Path is.
• Understand what speed consistency is and why it is important.
• Learn about TORUS’ methodology for approximation of fastest path.
• Watch how TORUS can be used to check fastest path on manually generated roundabout designs, and also how speed-informed geometric design is performed.

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Learning Objectives:

• Identify the ways the information explosion exposes your firm to risk
• Discover improved ways to collaborate, whether between offices or with architects, consultants and clients
• See how to replace paper with complete, searchable, all-digital project information
• Learn best practices for leveraging process and technology together to mitigate risk

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The Village of Northbrook’s Wescott Park project creatively combines green infrastructure with large-scale flood mitigation. In order to alleviate recurring flooding in the Village’s Sunset Fields Subdivision, the Village constructed a 23.7-acre foot underground stormwater storage facility in Wescott Park. With funding assistance provided by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, a rainwater harvesting system was added to the project which utilizes stored stormwater to irrigate the park’s north ball field. Harvested water is filtered and treated to provide safe irrigation water meeting Illinois Department of Public Health water quality standards. System controls obtain available weather forecast data and automatically drain down stored water prior to significant storm events, ensuring that the maximum stormwater storage volume is available when it is needed the most.

Successful planning and execution of the project required a community partnership. The north half of Wescott Park is owned by the Park District, while the south half is located within the Wescott Elementary School’s property. Both the Park District and the School rely on use of the park’s ballfields and are impacted by any extended loss of use.  Public outreach was instrumental in gaining support for the project, and coordination among the Village, the Park District, the School, and residents was essential for successful design and construction.

Speakers

Paul Siegfried, P.E., CFM, CPESC, Assistant Water Resources Dept. Manager for Baxter & Woodman, and Kelly Hamill, Director of Public Works for the Village of Northbrook, presents a case study on a rainwater harvesting and stormwater storage facility in Northbrook, IL.

Learning objectives:

• Understand how collaboration, negotiation, and public outreach can be critical components of completing a project which will benefit the community.
• Review design considerations for underground stormwater detention facilities, and learn how to solve site constraints while maximizing potential land use.
• Recognize opportunities to incorporate green infrastructure into stormwater detention design.
• See how real time monitoring and weather forecast data can be utilized in a rainwater harvesting system to provide dual use storage volume.

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In this webinar you will learn:

• Learn how to create an intelligent 3D bridge model within the context of an overall transportation project
• Gain insight from a contractor’s perspective of 3D models in bridge construction
• Enhance your knowledge on 3D rebar detailing for bridges
• Stay up-to-date with the latest innovations in bridge modeling, design, and analysis software

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With buyers ranging from small business owners to sports teams to Fortune 100 corporations, fabric structures provide lower life cycle costs and an expedited construction schedule, while making a unique statement.

Legacy draws on over a century of experience designing, engineering, manufacturing and constructing fabric structures and is committed to sustainability and best management practices.

In this webcast you will learn:

• The benefits of rigid steel frames over traditional methods and materials
• Advancements in fabric attachment and tensioning
• Architectural features and high quality finishes
• Advantages of the rigid frame design for applications that require collateral loads and stringent deflection limits

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