Services
How P.rescribed S.tructural I.ntegrity can work with you.
Working closely with a variety of contactors, architects and engineers over the years has proven to be valuable. With 20+ years of experience in the ready-mix concrete industry, PSI brings to the table an extensive array of mix design creation, knowledge, and experiences. A wide diversity of ready-mix concrete application experiences has given PSI a front row seat to the challenges, unique conditions, and stringent demands that so often are required in mix design development and performance.
Concrete Education
The development of a “Concrete 101” training specifically geared for contractors who often work with ready-mix concrete has been warmly received and beneficial for those who have participated. Topics include a basic understanding of concrete and why it performs the way it does and how the specifications of a mix design can affect the performance and its finishing characteristics. Additionally, curing practices and procedures are reviewed and a variety of common problem topics that contractors run into are covered.
The “Concrete 201” training has been developed specifically for the architectural and engineering communities. It is geared to help them understand that what they specify has impacts to the placement, finishing, and curing characteristics of the concrete. Additionally, the session is designed to educate the professional community on the opportunities various admixtures and additives may or may not play into their designs, calculations, and end product usage goals.
Mix Design Reviews
One of PSI’s goals is to assist the professional community in its mix design requirements for a project. Often the mix designs that professional communities desire do not correlate effectively to the real-world practices that contractors face or the ready-mix concrete producers can produce. Everyone understands that certain specifications, requirements, or features must be accomplished but not everyone understands what it takes to get there. It is not uncommon to see or hear that the performance and finishing characteristics of the concrete mix on paper are not practical or may be unpredictable in the field. PSI’s extensive background and wide application experiences can assist both the professional community and the contractor in achieving the desired results wanted by all. The review of a concrete mix’s constituent makeup of cementitious materials, aggregate gradations, admixtures, and additives for specific applications by PSI ensures better planning, better knowledge, and better results for all.
Sustainable Solutions
As our world and particularly the construction community look ahead to the challenges of reducing its impact on the environment, the CO2 impacts that the cement and concrete industries contribute and the emphasis and focus on its reduction is predominate. A number of current material supply options are available industry wide that may contribute towards significant opportunities in reducing the CO2 footprint ready-mix concrete brings to a construction project. PSI brings firsthand experience in the use of these materials. Independent third-party evaluations of these alternative materials will provide an unbiased accountability of those CO2 contributions. Opportunities abound today to immediately reduce the CO2 impact. Both the cement and ready-mix concrete industries goals are to achieve a 50% CO2 reduction by 2030 and complete elimination or neutralization of all CO2 by 2050. PSI stands ready to assist project owners and their respective professional associates in their desire to achieve reduced impact levels.
Troubleshooting, Investigation, and Problem Solving
It’s the elephant in the pre-construction meeting. The unspoken thing in the back of everyone’s mind that everyone hopes never occurs. The one thing a stakeholder rarely does is to raise their hand when a problem arises, or an undesirable result occurs and say “I’m (partially or wholly) at fault”. More often than not the finger pointing quickly occurs; contractor blames weather, producer blames specification, engineer blames producer, architect blames contractor. And on it goes and rarely is anyone happy. More than likely PSI has seen it or has dealt with it before. PSI has experience in working through these difficult situations. PSI is able to assist all the stakeholders in a project to help them either avoid an undesirable outcome or help them understand why an unfavorable final finish occurred.
Concrete Production Services
No matter the size of the ready-mix concrete producer, the demands of daily producing consistent material is time consuming. Occasionally issues arise and the need for an independent external evaluation is required. Additionally, the amount of data and information needed to provide for a submittal can be daunting. The wave of requests or requirements to certify a mix design’s CO2 footprint and the time needed to gather the data for it can be overwhelming. Mix design control, material choices, admixture assessment are all important and integral parts of the production process that ensures a consistent and reliable product comes out at the end of the chute. PSI has experience and can assist in these areas and more to ensure the material produced is meeting the needs and requirements of the contractor, engineer, architect, and project owner.