Photo By Cameron McLeod | Ken McInally, geotechnical engineer, participates in the practical exam as other...... read more read more
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON - For many engineering and construction professionals, getting dirty at work is just part of the job. Rock, gravel, sand, concrete and other materials are all important elements of day-to-day work, and their expertise relies heavily on hands-on experience with these substances. Hence, this group hones their skills in a training environment to ensure their knowledge remains relevant.
Recently, members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Alaska District’s Construction Division, Civil and Sanitary Section and Geotechnical and Materials Section participated in a field concrete and materials workshop at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The event included classroom instruction, applied training and a written exam for attendees to obtain the American Concrete Institute’s foundational Level One Field Concrete Certification, which acts as the industry standard for engineers and construction workers around the world.
As part of their certification, participants completed both the written and practical assessments under the observation and guidance of Mike Wielputz, civil engineer at the Savannah District and certified instructor for the exam. The multifaceted test serves as a helpful introduction into ACI’s breadth of knowledge and regulation and provides a valuable entrance into the field’s certification standards.
In the hands-on segment of the workshop, participants assessed the quality of a simulated concrete pour, clearing the mixture of voids by hand and observing characteristics such as viscosity and slump after removing the form. These characteristics directly correspond to factors in the concrete’s makeup and environment and are important considerations in achieving a uniform product.
With an expansive work portfolio of construction projects across Alaska’s unique and varying landscapes, this training is indispensable for the district’s personnel.
“These credentials will have a valuable impact for our people and projects in the upcoming field season,” said Amy Steiner, chief of the Geotechnical and Materials Section. “The training provides our quality assurance representatives and engineers with further validation and enhanced knowledge to make informed decisions in the field and ensure quality in all areas of our work.”
The importance of the ACI training to the district’s quality assurance team is especially clear at the runway extension project at JBER. This vital construction operation will extend the installation’s existing north-south runway by 2,500 feet, bringing the total length to 10,000 feet. As one of the largest military construction projects in the history of the district , creating effective and long-lasting infrastructure at this site is imperative to serve the operational missions of the Air Force for many years to come.
Fine details are always important in USACE construction projects, but the tight specifications of constructing a runway that can accommodate the Air Force’s latest aircraft models creates an extra emphasis on high-quality concrete and pavement work. Unlike rigid construction materials such as steel, soils can vary greatly within the bounds of a single project.
“Airfield pavements can be a challenging area to get right,” said Justin Miller, geotechnical engineer and materials subject matter expert at the district. “Arming our construction representatives with that extra level of certification is just another step that we can take to optimize our product.”
Many of these difficulties are intensified by Alaska’s unique and varying climate, and local knowledge is critical in the pursuit of quality. Frost heaving is a challenging phenomenon that can create an upward swell in soils or pavement due to the freezing of water in or below the materials. This event can also create voids in the mixture that can create significant problems in construction and can cause structures to settle unnaturally or fail after a period of thawing.
“Individual soil behaviors are very locality-driven,” Steiner said. “Even within a small construction area, you can frequently experience significant changes in the soil at a project site.”
The interaction between structures and varying soils is necessary in all types of construction projects.
“It is always very important to have your concrete as uniform as possible on a construction site,” Steiner said. “If we can achieve that goal, it makes our construction and structural counterparts’ lives easier.”
| Date Taken: | 05.07.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.07.2024 14:25 |
| Story ID: | 470556 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 38 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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