Concrete materials and construction; education connected to industry

This paper describes a unique concrete materials and construction course conducted by the Del E. Webb School of Construction, Arizona State University as part of its graduate level construction management program. The course integrates the materials and construction management related aspects of concrete construction through a combination of hands-on laboratory periods, traditional classroom instruction, and field trips to working construction sites. In the laboratory component, the students are broken into teams and actually batch, mix, and cast specimens for two concrete batches. The students test and note the changes in the mixture's fresh properties, cast specimens, and then later test the specimens for compressive strength, and note the changes made by admixtures added to the second mix. The course also covers topics such as estimating and scheduling concrete operations, formwork design and construction, concrete pumping and placement methods, finishing techniques, testing laboratory functions, and pre-cast, pre-stressed concrete. The course involves several field visits to active job sites, a ready mix plant, and a pre-cast facility to illustrate the connection between concrete materials and construction. Emphasizing this connection is extensive collaborative instructor support from the cement and fly ash industry, admixture companies, ready mix suppliers, pre-casters and contractors. The result is an outstanding course which connects the next generation of construction managers with that critical link between concrete as a structural material and the construction operations required to put it in place.