Did you know that Division 9 Floor Covering specifications have concrete floor flatness requirements that don't line up with Division 3 Concrete tolerances? Does the concrete contractor on your project even know there is a Division 9 specification??? In this podcast episode of Concrete Logic, Keith Robinson of DIALOG joins the show to make us wiser on another concrete industry conundrum - floor flatness. He suggests a proactive approach to ensure concrete slabs meet or exceed floor installation ...
Feb 09, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Flooring can be a sticky situation for concrete contractors on construction projects. When the flooring won't adhere to the concrete or if the installed floor starts to bubble up, guess what gets the blame? That's right - the concrete! In this episode of the Concrete Logic podcast, Dean Craft of ISE Logik Industries shares his insights on the flooring industry. Dean opens our eyes to who is really controlling the concrete moisture testing standards and why flooring warranties are a mirage. Concr...
Jan 26, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Did you know that you can get a Concrete Industry Management (CIM) degree? Currently, there are only five schools in the U.S. that offer a CIM degree! We were lucky enough to have Ryan Penlerick, CIM Program Director at Texas State, on the Concrete Logic Podcast to give us insight into his program. Ryan shares with us what classes are offered as part of the Texas State CIM program. He also shares that the demand is so high for CIM graduates, that they are experiencing 100% job placement. There a...
Jan 12, 2023•48 min•Season 1Ep. 35
What if we told you there is a concrete mix out there that is fast curing, high-strength, impenetrable, and less labor-intensive than the standard concrete but it is rarely used? If such a product exists, why isn't it used more? That's what Bill Kulish of Steelike, Inc. is going to share with us on the newest episode of the Concrete Logic Podcast. In this episode, we'll find out what is ultra-high performance concrete and how it is currently used. You may be driving over it everyday and not even...
Jan 05, 2023•48 min•Season 1Ep. 34
What is Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how is it being used in the concrete industry? That's what we are going to find out on this episode of the Concrete Logic Podcast. Alex Hall , CEO of Concrete.ai , joins the show to give us an introduction to AI and share how his company is changing the way concrete is being produced. Alex opens up our eyes to how AI can assist suppliers in providing the most efficient and sustainable concrete mixes with locally sourced materials. You don't want to miss t...
Dec 15, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 33
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) was signed into law in August. It's been a catalyst in the latest push for project stakeholders to demand concrete reduce its CO2 use. Do these stakeholders know what they are asking for? In this episode of Concrete Logic, Eric Koehler of Titan America joins the podcast to help us understand who is requesting carbon-reduced concrete in addition to the general government. Also, Eric proposes that we look beyond the concrete to truly appreciate the overall...
Dec 08, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Have you ever heard of the "cobra effect"? The cobra effect explains an incentive structure that originated to solve a problem, but in the long run, makes matters worse! Are we as an industry creating a cobra effect in our efforts to reduce concrete's carbon footprint? Chris Bennett of Bennett Build joins the Concrete Logic Podcast to help answer this question. Chris shares a few examples of carbon-reducing solutions that are being used today that could very well lead us to cause more harm than ...
Dec 01, 2022•51 min•Season 1Ep. 31
One of the most widely used augmented reality (AR) technologies out there is the Pokemon Go app. I've never played but my kids are always asking to play it on my wife's phone. Apparently, the object of the game is to catch virtual critters that appear on your phone as you walk around in the real world. Did you know this same technology, AR, is being used in the construction industry? In this episode of the Concrete Logic Podcast, Steven Ostrowski from Trimble joins the show to discuss AR technol...
Nov 17, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Did you know that there are two types of sand that can be used for concrete? In this episode of the Concrete Logic Podcast, Paul Fendley of Active Minerals and Add Ten Gallons Concrete Podcast fame helps us understand the differences between natural and manufactured sand. Depending on where a concrete supplier is in the world, it could realize positive economic and environmental outcomes if it chooses to use manufactured sand. But wonder if using manufactured sand makes the concrete less user-fr...
Nov 10, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 29
It seems everywhere you turn these days, someone is trying to peddle the next best admixture for concrete. Most of these people have never placed a drop of concrete in their life but somehow know that their product works best because they have proved it works in a lab. Should we listen to them? In this episode of the Concrete Logic Podcast, Joe Shetterley with Specification Products joins the show to share his story about discovering an admixture that actually made his life easier as a concrete ...
Nov 03, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 28
What commodity do you think has seen the most volatility in price since March 2020? Could it be wood? In this episode of the Concrete Logic Podcast, Ryan Benson from Universal Forest Products (UFP) joins the podcast to discuss the wood market and concrete forming systems. Ryan helps us relive the ups and downs of the wood market since the lockdowns occurred in 2020. We also discuss what has happened to the wood imports during the tumultuous geopolitical scene we are living through and how some o...
Oct 27, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 27
If we told you that you had one meeting before the job started that prevented you from losing thousands of dollars in profit and hundreds of hours of frustration, would you make sure that meeting happened? In this episode of the Concrete Logic Podcast, Matt McCombs with Intelligent Concrete shares his thoughts on the importance of having such a meeting before the first drop of concrete is placed on the job. We discuss the various issues that come up on every project and how to prevent the severi...
Oct 20, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Is the industry delusional when it comes to carbon-neutral concrete? In this episode of the Concrete Logic Podcast, Jon Belkowitz of Intelligent Concrete shares his concerns about what is happening to the concrete industry as we all chase carbon neutrality. Grab a coffee, sit down and listen to Jon as he challenges us with several questions: Will the industry's effort fall by the wayside like past trends including the Prescription To Performance (P2P) initiative and self-consolidating concrete? ...
Oct 13, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 25
According to 2021 research by The Center for Construction Research and Training, Hispanic construction workers make up 30% of the workforce but are 20% more likely to be fatally injured than non-Hispanic workers. How many of those fatalities could have been prevented if we communicated better with these folks that English is their second language on our job sites? In this episode of the Concrete Logic Podcast, I discuss the language barrier issue and a possible solution with Oscar Garcia from Ne...
Oct 06, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 24
What the heck does carbon-neutral concrete even mean? How do we get there? Is it even attainable? In this episode of the Concrete Logic podcast, we ask Tyler Ley, the self-proclaimed concrete freak, to help us out with these hard questions. Tyler walks us through the steps we can take to reduce the carbon dioxide-producing aspects of concrete. But, does this truly get us to a point that we can call concrete "carbon-neutral?" Also, Tyler gives us a sneak peek of the 3D concrete printing project t...
Sep 29, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Over the last couple of years, what decades-old technology did the concrete industry routinely turn to when wire mesh became unavailable and too expensive? Synthetic Fibers. In this episode of the Concrete Logic Podcast, we sat down with Kristin Crawford, Bill Coursen, and Gerry Welch from Forta Concrete Fiber. Forta is a manufacturer of concrete synthetic fibers. Listen to this episode and find out: What is a micro fiber? What is a macro fiber? When should these fibers be specified in concrete?...
Sep 22, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 22
It is believed that the Pantheon, built around 114 A.D., is one of the earliest examples of a structure that was built using concrete formwork. What is concrete formwork and how is it used today? In this episode of the Concrete Logic podcast, Mark Grace of Concrete Support Systems walks us through some of the different types of formwork commonly used. Also, Mark shares his best practices when it comes to utilizing formwork on your next project and the astonishing percentage of concrete contracto...
Sep 15, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 21
What (or who) is preventing concrete from being more sustainable (i.e. environmentally friendly)? On this week's episode of the Concrete Logic Podcast, I sat down with Rich Szecsy from Alamo Concrete Products Company and he shared what he believes are the roadblocks standing in concrete's way from being more green. Listen to Rich and learn how we as an industry can promote more sustainable concrete construction practices to show the world that there is not a building material out there that is m...
Sep 08, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Did you catch last week's episode? If not, listen to that one first! This is Part 2 of the two-part episode. What is the best method to build a concrete house? That was the quest Ron Macken took after a devastating wildfire destroyed his property in 2017. In this week's episode of the Concrete Logic Podcast, I discuss with Ron the different types of concrete house construction he researched over the last four years. You will learn about the five different types of concrete construction Ron consi...
Sep 01, 2022•42 min•Season 1Ep. 19
What is the best method to build a concrete house? That was the quest Ron Macken took after a devastating wildfire destroyed his property in 2017. In this week's episode of the Concrete Logic Podcast, I discuss with Ron the different types of concrete house construction he researched over the last four years. You will learn about the five different types of concrete construction Ron considered, the pros and cons of each, and which one he not just ultimately chose, but the one he is planning to b...
Aug 25, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 18
In episode #017 of the Concrete Logic Podcast, I sit down with Pat Morrissey of ConcSpec Associates, Inc and Al Ericson, a technical consultant for AIT. We discuss glass fiber rebar and fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites macrofiber. These glass fiber products are an alternative to traditional steel rebar and reinforcement. If water infiltrates concrete through cracks and reaches the rebar, this can cause the rebar to rust which is like giving concrete cancer. Glass fiber rebar does not ru...
Aug 11, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Can a recession be a good thing? What other dumb questions can I ask one of the country's leading economists? Find out in this episode of the Concrete Logic Podcast! In this episode of the Concrete Logic Podcast, I ponder the current economic conditions with the one and only Dr. Anirban Basu, CEO of Sage Policy Group, Inc. You may recognize the name as Dr. Basu as he is the Chief Economist for the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). He is often quoted in construction-related publications ...
Aug 04, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 16
In this episode of the Concrete Logic Podcast, I discuss pervious concrete with Bob Banka from Concrete Management Solutions. Bob has an extensive background in the ready-mix concrete industry and he focuses most of his time now on pervious concrete. Unlike traditional concrete, pervious is designed to let water pass through it. Pervious concrete is one of those things that I have run across that makes me scratch my head and say, "Why isn't this used more?" Listen to this episode and see if you ...
Jul 28, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 15
In this episode of the Concrete Logic Podcast, our guest is Jamie Grimmelsman of Metromont Precast. We discuss what is precast concrete, what projects are ideal for precast, and what trends he sees in the Florida construction market. Episode References Guest: Jamie Grimmelsman, Metromont, jgrimmelsman@metromont.com Guest website: https://www.metromont.com/ Host: Seth Tandett, seth@concretelogicpodcast.com Host website: concretelogicpodcast.com...
Jul 21, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 14
In this episode of the Concrete Logic Podcast, I am a guest on the Add Ten Gallons Concrete Podcast. We talk about what it is like to have a concrete-focused podcast, what it's like to work for the largest concrete contractor in the nation and other concrete-related topics. After listening to this podcast, give the fellas over at Add Ten Gallons Concrete Podcast a follow. They are a great group of guys and have an excellent podcast! Episode References Guest(s): Paul Fendley , Joey Bell , and Jos...
Jul 14, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 13
In this episode of the Concrete Logic Podcast, Paul Ramsburg of Sika continues his lesson on the history of concrete. We pick up our discussion in the 1800s when the first concrete flooring contractor got started. We learn where the first reinforced concrete structure was built, why concrete arrows were an aviation necessity back in the day, and what concrete ships were used for during World War II. Plus, you will learn other concrete historical tidbits that I am sure you didn't know. This is Pa...
Jul 07, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 12
In this episode of the Concrete Logic Podcast, Paul Ramsburg of Sika gives a history lesson on concrete. What's the origin of concrete? How long has it been around? Why is this Vitruvius dude from the 1st century B.C. still important today? Find out on this episode! This is only Part 1 of a two-part episode. Make sure you catch the 2nd half of this history lesson in EP #012! Episode References Guest: Paul Ramsburg, Sika, ramsburg.paul@us.sika.com Guest Website: https://usa.sika.com/ Host: Seth T...
Jun 30, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 11
In this episode of the Concrete Logic podcast, Shawn O'Connor from Somero joins us. Somero is a manufacturer of concrete laser screed machines. Shawn and I discussed two of Somero's machines: the Sky Screed and the SkyStrip . These machines are helping relieve the labor-intensive tasks of placing concrete and stripping formwork from the concrete once it can support it's own weight. Listen to this episode to get an idea of the labor savings these machines are producing. Also, you'll learn the dif...
Jun 16, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In this episode of the Concrete Logic podcast, we brought on Brent Rollins and Scott DiLoreto from Spray-Lock to discuss colloidal silica. If you are like most folks, you probably never heard of colloidal silica (CS). It is a product that can be sprayed on concrete during concrete placement or long after the concrete is cured. It can even be used as an additive to ready-mix concrete. Once CS is applied to the concrete, it penetrates and fills up the microscopic (nano) voids it finds in the concr...
Jun 09, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 9
In this episode of Concrete Logic, we welcome Bryant Wheeler of Polycrete USA. Bryant is an expert in insulated concrete forms (ICF). ICF resembles traditional concrete wall formwork, but it is made out of expanded polystyrene styrofoam. One of the advantages of ICF is that the styrofoam not only acts as the concrete formwork but stays in place for insulation! It's a really cool concrete technology that has been around for decades. Episode Resources Guest: Bryant Wheeler, bryant@polycreteusa.com...
Jun 02, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 8
