Director’s Corner ...  The efforts of PCI Gulf South are showing promising results. The strategic goal of encouraging greater involvement from universities and students is yielding favorable returns. Clearly, activity related to the schools is showing us we are headed in the right direction. On a separate front, the introduction of our newly formed Transportation Committee is aimed at capturing the attention of designers and state DOT’s so we can identify ourselves as a resource for them on future projects. Growing our exposure remains the number one task for PCI Gulf South and we are on the right path

Dan

 

Transportation Committee:

PCI Gulf South is pleased to announce the formation of a Transportation Committee created to identify and address topics related to transportation products in the gulf region. Initial conference calls were recently conducted to determine the foundation of the committee, as well as the immediate goals and areas of consideration the new committee will embark on. The committee is comprised of a representative sample of precast/prestressed concrete producers from LA, MS and AL, as well as state DOT design engineers. The committee is also seeking additional representation from design consultants, local officials, owner agencies, university professionals, contractors and those with a direct hand in transportation projects. Per Dave Tomley, Chair of the committee,    “ We are extremely excited about the possibilities this committee can bring to the transportation community, as well as the designers that influence our products.” Vice Chair Mike Spruill, echoed that sentiment and adds, “This will be a positive step in being a resource to the state DOT’s and the transportation industry.” The Transportation Committee will hold its first meeting during the PCI Gulf South Summer Convention. If you would like to participate in the discussions or become a member of the committee, please contact Dan Eckenrode at [email protected].  
  Craft of Construction: April 11th 2017 marked the first annual Craft of Construction Day held on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS. The event was a huge success with participation from nearly 200 students. Featured at the event were industry professionals representing precast concrete , masonry, surveying and general construction. With a recognition from the construction industry of the importance of cultivating interest in young students to pursue careers in the building trades, the event provided an opportunity to introduce & spark interest in the many avenues construction has to offer.

The event was held in the School of Construction Chain Technology Building and provided brief & informative discussions with participants. Erich Connell, professor and Director at the School of Construction states, “ We are excited about what is occurring within the School of Construction program and the Craft of Construction Day ties in very well with the school’s philosophy.”

Many of the students present at the event will enter the USM program with the goal of a future as a construction manager, project manager, estimator, owners rep and project executives. PCI Gulf South wishes the best for these future professionals and recognizes our duty to cultivate the leaders of tomorrow.

Congratulations to Marianne Methven from Hamilton Form on being named a PCI Fellow at the annual convention in Cleveland. Marianne is heavily involved with the PCI Foundation  and has devoted a great deal of time helping the industry grow via higher education studios. Congratulations Marianne on your accomplishment!  


PCI Gulf South Spring Meeting: 
PCI Gulf South held the annual Spring meeting this year at the Hyatt Place in Jackson, MS. Included in the agenda were facility tours. Nucor in nearby Flowood, MS hosted one tour. Nucor is a  producer of steel and related products and is North America’s largest recycler and the nations largest steel producer. Using electric arc technology has revolutionized the way Nucor produces steel. From the observer’s perspective, it is quite an extraordinary process. We would like to thank Nucor for taking us on a tour of their facility.
We were also honored this year to have students from the University of Mississippi in attendance at our reception and morning meeting. The upper classmen had an opportunity to talk with the producers and ask questions about our industry. It was also an opportunity for the students to gain exposure to some of the issues facing our industry and how we operate as an association.  
Along with their participation in our meeting, the students also toured two of our PCI Gulf South facilities. Jackson Precast demonstrated how architectural precast is designed and manufactured while Gulf Coast Prestress demonstrated how the transportation segment of precast differs from its architectural counterpart. We would encourage more hands on tours in the future and thank both Jackson Precast and Gulf Coast Prestress for hosting the tours.
 

Product Highlight: Double Tees
  Named for the shape, double-tees are used primarily as floor and roof deck components for any type of structure, including parking structures and all types of buildings. Double Tees are either made:

  •  Pre-topped using a flange thickness of 4 in. which creates the wearing surface in parking structures

                              or

  •  Field- topped with a 2-in. flange on which a cast-in-place concrete composite topping of 2 to 4 in. is added in the field. For roof construction, there is typically no need to add topping on the 2 in. flange.

Typical widths: 8, 10, 12, and 15 ft. 
Typical depths: 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 in. 
Typical span-to-depth ratios: Floors: 25 to 35 / Roofs: 35 to 40 
Finishes: Form side will generally be “as cast”, resulting in a smooth, hard finish. This generally remains as is and is not painted, although it can be if desired. The top-of-flange side will be smoothed for roof construction, left rough if it will receive a field topping or broomed (either transversely or longitudinally), or circular swirl-finished if it will be used as the wearing surface in a parking structure. Double tees typically are cast in 300- to 500-foot-long prestressing facilities that are sub-divided into specific lengths for a particular project.
 
Upcoming Events:

Mix Design Training
May 10, 2017
Hyatt Place, Jackson, MS
MS-AL Engineering Society Summer Meeting
May 26-29 2017
Perdido Beach Resort, Orange Beach, AL
PCI Gulf South Summer Convention 
June 15-17, 2017
Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort, Miramar Beach, FL,   
Alabama Section ASCE/APWA Alabama Chapter Meeting
Perdido Beach Resort, Orange Beach, AL
2017 PCI Committee Days
October 4-7, 2017
Rosemont, IL
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If you would like to be part of our newsletter emailing list or to schedule a Learn@Lunch please contact
Dan Eckenrode,
Executive Director 
228-239-3409
  If you would like a printable copy of our newsletter please click on the link.