Concrete Solutions 2009, 3rd International Conference on Concrete Repair, Venice/Padova, Italy, 29 June-2 July 2009.

Concrete Solutions

               

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Newsflash Please Note Date Change to Avoid Clash with FIB Symposium

 

Our Training Services

GR Technologie Ltd and our Sister Company MG Associates are two of the UK's leading companies specialising in training in concrete and concrete repair.

The Directors of both companies lecture regularly on topics associated with the inspection and repair of concrete. Training courses are presented at one of several regional centres around the country. A range of courses is offered, typical examples being presented below. Bespoke courses on any aspect of construction practice, materials or construction management can be arranged however. Please enquire for details. The course shown below is a two-day event, with the first day devoted to understanding concrete as a material. This course will be suitable for contractors, technicians who want to understand a little more about concrete, and also as a refresher for Engineers. The "Concrete for Engineers and Contractors" course can be combined with the course below to make a 2 day event, or either day can be taken on its own.

We can also offer bespoke courses in concrete practice, or in any aspect of materials or construction management (see also the "Toolbox Talk" at the end of this section.

If you are looking for other courses, see:-

Underoak - The UK Training Index

URL: http://www.underoak.co.uk

Description:      A directory of training courses and training consultants for all areas of management development and IT / computer skills training.   The directory holds details of over 25,000 scheduled public training courses and more than 120,000 dates for public courses.

Comments from Previous Courses


"A very informative and useful course, well presented and brought across"
"Very interesting and educational, well presented in a pleasant atmosphere"
"I found this to be a very informative lecture with good reference to practical situations"
"Very informative and interesting presentations. Well delivered, good, clear course notes for future reference and to help focus on talk. Useful demonstrations".

Costs are based on either £200 per day per head for public courses or bespoke courses typically start at around £1000 per day (with a limit of about 15 on numbers) Plus VAT.

The "Toolbox Talk" offered at the end of this section is a new, very short (about 1 hour) on-site chat, aimed at gangers, concreting staff and foremen. It is intended that the cost of this should be as low as possible, but given the short duration, the cost will obviously depend on the site location. Please enquire for costs for your particular venue. 

UNDERSTANDING CONCRETE DEFECTS, DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR

INTENDED FOR

Technicians and Engineers who need a basic understanding or revision of concrete deterioration mechanisms, methods of diagnosis, and techniques for concrete repair. The course is intended as a stand alone course or can be combined with our course on Understanding Concrete, held the previous day, at the same venue.

MAX PARTICIPANTS - 20

THE SPEAKER

Eur Chem Michael Grantham BA CChem FRSC IEng MIQA AMICT

Mike has worked for several of the major testing houses in a career spanning some 30 years. He has been involved in a considerable amount of testing work on bridges and other heavy structures such as; car parks, office buildings, multi-storey flats, down to small scale problems with prc housing. He lectures regularly for Thomas Telford Training on their courses.

TARGET BENEFITS

After the course, participants will have an understanding of deterioration mechanisms for concrete, methods for diagnosis of these problems, including some of the newer techniques such as linear polarisation, radar, infra red thermography etc. They will understand how these techniques are applied in diagnosis, how concrete repairs can effectively deal with the problems, and, for bridge engineers, methods of testing both conventional and post tensioned and prestressed bridges, including the latest remote monitoring techniques.

9.00  Registration and Coffee
9:30 What is concrete: constituents, cement, aggregates, steel, admixtures. Special problems arising from the use of materials. Carbonation of concrete, calcium chloride, high alumina cement.
  Recognising concrete defects: Structural cracks, reinforcement corrosion, alkali silica reaction, frost damage, shrinkable aggregates, chemical attack, fire damage, poor quality construction, plastic cracking - plastic settlement and plastic shrinkage cracks.
10:30 Coffee
11:00    Investigation of defects - the Two Stage Approach
  Desk study, visual surveys, covermeter survey, ultrasonic pulse velocity surveys, sampling by coring and dust drilling, chemical analysis, determining compressive strength, petrographic examination, rebound hammer, other near to surface tests - the Windsor Probe, the LOK test, break off tests, sub surface radar, infra red thermography.
12:30   Questions and discussion
1:00 Lunch
2:00   Testing for reinforcement corrosion: Half cell potential, resistivity, linear polarisation measurements to determine corrosion rate of steel (section loss per year).
3:00 Tea
3:30 Concrete repairs: the patch repair approach - when to use and when not to use it, understanding the cost implications and remeasurement. Electrochemical repair: cathodic protection, realkalisation and desalination. What they do, how they work, practical experience. Corrosion inhibitors, what they are and do they work?
4:45   Questions and discussion
5:00 Course closes

All delegates will be given a certificate of attendance. Full and detailed course notes, with photographs and illustrations are provided as hard copy and on CD-ROM (80 pages).

 

CONCRETE FOR ENGINEERS AND CONTRACTORS

INTENDED FOR

Technicians and Engineers who need a basic understanding or revision of concrete and its properties. The course is intended as a stand alone course or can be combined with our course on Diagnosis Inspection Testing and Repair of Concrete Structures held on the following day.

MAX PARTICIPANTS - 15

THE SPEAKER

Tony Binns- Spent the early part of his career producing, supervising and dealing with Quality Control, before joining the staff of the C&CA’s training centre. With them, he lectured for 14 years on concrete materials topics including mix design and ready mixed concrete. Tony then spent two years with a major civil engineering contractor and now runs his own training company running courses in the UK and overseas.

TARGET BENEFITS

After the course, participants will have an understanding of the fundamental properties of concrete and those of the mix ingredients, including admixtures and reinforcement. Some concrete defects are introduced (with this theme developed on the second day for those taking the 2 day course). Participants will also understand how concrete is specified using British Standards. They will also understand the steps that are taken when non-conformity of the concrete occurs.

08:45 Registration & Coffee
Session 1 Performance of concrete on site:

Consistence (Workability)

Uniformity

Cohesiveness

Segregation

Bleeding

Early-age cracking

  Questions and Coffee
Session 2 Specifying and Ordering Ready Mixed Concrete

Using the new British Standards BS EN206-1 and BS8500

Using BRE Digest Special Digest - Concrete in Aggressive Ground

New Aggregate Standards BS EN 12620

Concrete mixes

Essential and optional Information

Alternative Cements

Admixtures

Selecting the correct consistence (workability)

Calling off from site

Session 3 Control and inspection

Visual checks - what to watch for on site

Time limits for delivery, placing and finishing

May water be added to the concrete on site?

What to do if the slump is wrong - action based on British Standard Procedures

12:15 Questions
12:30 Lunch
Session 4 Management of Concrete Construction

Pre-concreting checks

Access arrangements

Transporting concrete across the site

Techniques for handling and placing concrete

Compaction, under and over-vibration

Curing

Early striking of formwork

Finishing, making good and repairs to concrete

  Questions and Tea
Session 5

Interpretation of strength test results

How to sample and slump concrete correctly

How to make and store test cubes correctly

The meaning of strength classes

Monitoring target strengths

What is a cube failure?

Session 6 What to do if cubes fail

How to make an investigation

Validation

Assessment of insitu concrete

Core testing

Non-destructive testing

Making decisions from data

16:45 Discussion
17:00 Course closes

 

TOOLBOX TALK - Concrete on Site

INTENDED FOR

Concretors, gangers and site foremen who need a basic short course on "getting it right on site!"

MAX PARTICIPANTS - 15

THE SPEAKER

Tony Binns- Spent the early part of his career producing, supervising and dealing with Quality Control, before joining the staff of the C&CA’s training centre. With them, he lectured for 14 years on concrete materials topics including mix design and ready mixed concrete. Tony then spent two years with a major civil engineering contractor and now runs his own training company running courses in the UK and overseas.

TARGET BENEFITS

After the course, participants will have an understanding of the critical factors affecting concrete placement.  The talk is intended as a useful reminder for site staff of how to make successful concrete.  It is intended to take about an hour and would be suitable for running over a lunch hour.

 
Toolbox Talk

 

Visual checks - what to watch for on site
Time limits for delivery, placing and finishing
May water be added to the concrete on site?
What to do if the slump is wrong - action based on British Standard Procedures
Techniques for Handling and Placing Concrete
Compaction, under vibration and over-vibration
Curing
How to sample and slump concrete correctly
How to make and store test cubes correctly

 

Note: One complete set of "Concrete on Site" booklets, published by the British Cement Association is included per group.

Discussion
Course closes
 

 

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Last modified: August 12, 2008