ACI establishes new centre of excellence for concrete industry productivity
Initial areas of focus for PRO include industry collaboration efforts, identification of productivity obstacles and solutions, constructable design resources, automation and more
The American Concrete Institute (ACI) has announced PRO, which is billed as a ACI Centre of Excellence for advancing the concrete industry’s productivity.
Commenting on the facility, the firm said that PRO will collaborate with designers, materials suppliers, and contractors to identify and resolve issues that negatively impact productivity in concrete construction, and will act as a catalyst for solving the barriers of constructability to advance concrete construction productivity.
“The concrete contractor’s input on design details, specifications, and material criteria that embraces the construction process is long overdue. Improving construction productivity through concrete design is the key to unlocking project value. I’m very excited to participate as the industry collaborates with a single focus to improve concrete construction productivity,” said Phil Diekemper, Executive Director at PRO.
Located at the ACI Headquarters in Farmington Hills, MI, in the United States, the centre aims to optimise labor and time against materials by improving structural design and construction processes through a collaborative approach with designers, material suppliers, builders, and industry stakeholders, the ACI remarked.
In mid July 2022, NEx and ExxonMobil to advance the development of nonmetallic building materials and, in early December 2022, VTT said its electric kiln advanced environmentally friendly cement and paper production.
It added that initial areas of focus for PRO include industry collaboration efforts, identification of productivity obstacles and solutions, constructable design resources, automation, technology validation, interaction with ACI committees, and more. Managed by ACI, the centre will draw from the institute’s technical and administrative support services, with funding provided by sponsors.
Initial staffing for the centre comprises an Executive Director supported by ACI technical experts, the firm clarified.
PRO and its future sponsors aim to advance new technologies and processes that improve productivity beyond historic levels, the firm concluded.
To learn more about PRO and to get involved, visit concreteproductivity.org.
In early January 2023, Middle East Construction News spoke to Partanna Founder Rick Fox about his firm’s new cement alternative, which is said to minimise carbon emissions and remove carbon from the atmosphere.
