Several technical sessions at the ACI Spring 2010 Convention, March 21-25, in Chicago, will highlight concrete repair in nontraditional and extreme conditions. Technical tours will supplement sessions by providing a hands-on look at unique concrete projects in the Chicago area.  

The Hot Topic Session: Reconstruction Efforts in Haiti will take place Tuesday, March 23. The session will detail the rebuilding process and reconstruction efforts in Haiti after the devastating January 12 earthquake. Presentation topics include; the damage and aftermath of the Haiti earthquake from an eyewitness perspective, seismicity of the Caribbean, first-hand evaluation of the construction used in Haiti one month after the earthquake, and lessons learned from RC construction in the Americas from the Haiti Earthquake.

Local and nationally recognized experts in concrete repair will deliver Concrete Repair- Xtreme Conditions Part 1 and 2, a full day technical session also on Tuesday. The session will include presentations on such landmark projects as the Bahai House of Worship, Ronald Reagan Airport, Fenway Park, the I-35 Bridge reconstruction, and Old Chicago Post Office repair. Topics involving post-tensioning repair in a coastal environment, repair as sustainability, and specifications for repair work will also be examined.

The Spring 2010 Convention also features technical tours that provide real-world insight on local concrete projects. New to the tour schedule is a free tour on Monday, March 21 of the recently completed 82-story mixed-use skyscraper Aqua. The building uses irregularly shaped floor slabs to maximize its tenants’ view of Chicago landmarks resulting in a wavelike exterior.

Then on Tuesday, March 23, attendees will visit the construction site at The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago team. The tour will highlight the $228 million upgrade in its sewage treatment facility featuring $90 million in cast-in-place concrete structures.

For more information on sessions and tours at the ACI Spring 2010 Convention, please visit www.aciconvention.org.