Concrete 2104.

This month marks the 100-year celebration of the founding of the American Concrete Institute. Although concrete has been around longer, ACI's origin can be considered the beginning of the concrete industry as we know it today. Over the years, ACI has been the backbone of the concrete business,

representing the final word on building codes, specifications, and guides for materials, design, and construction. The consensus process AC! uses to produce this material, slow and cumbersome though it may be, gives every person with an interest the chance to voice their opinions. The end result is the world's best concrete information.

But will ACI and the industry it has built be around to celebrate its 200th anniversary? With all the research and innovation in every part of the business, I think we have good reason to be optimistic, but it certainly will be different than it is today. The constant drive to become more sophisticated, more efficient, more productive, will take concrete in directions we can only guess at.

My vision of concrete in 2104 is of a very high-strength but lightweight material. During construction, the concrete will flow into place like water then set very quickly with no need for curing and no danger of shrinkage cracking. Reinforcement will be randomly distributed fibers of an ultra-high-strength material that never corrodes. Tiny wireless embedded sensors will relay information to the designer, contractor, and owner, telling them exactly what is happening with the material and the structure at all times throughout its life. The expected lifetime of a concrete structure will be well over 100 years, and when its time does come, all the concrete will be broken up and recycled into new concrete structures.

The parties involved in a concrete project will work together in efficient partnerships. Each team member will have instantaneous access to up-to-the-minute information about the project and the materials. The frontline people will communicate on a real-time basis with those in the design and construction offices. Decisions on needed changes will be made on the spot and everyone from the craftsmen to the architect to the owner will be immediately notified. With the high quality of communication and information, lawsuits will become a thing of the past, with disputes being resolved in the fairest ways possible.

Unfortunately, none of us will know if this dream becomes reality, because we're unlikely to be here a century from now. So we give our time to associations like ACI or ASCC and our money to research to help advance the industry and we pray that the best and the brightest minds of the future will continue the legacy that has been left by the giants who have guided us through the last 100 years.

William D. Palmer Jr. / Editor in Chief