Auburn Faculty Shares Expertise with Hawaiian Concrete Specialists

Auburn -- Anton Schindler, of Auburn University's civil engineering faculty was lauded by industry leaders for his leadership role in a one-day workshop on self-consolidating concrete (SCC) held for officials from Hawaii's Department of Transportation (HDOT) and Federal Highway Administration offices, as well as leaders of members of the Cement & Concrete Products Industry (CCPI).

Schindler, working with civil engineering professors Dan Brown and Mary Stroup-Gardiner, have developed innovative concrete mixes that can spread into place, fill the formwork, and encapsulate the reinforcement without any mechanical consolidation.

This new technology is designed to reduce the number of air voids (also known as honeycombing) in poured concrete such as prestressed girders and large drilled shafts that support bridges and large buildings. The presence of air pockets that form as the concrete is poured may cause durability problems in these critical support components that is extremely costly to remediate.

"Dr. Schindler was very instrumental in sharing his experience with SCC in drilled shafts and assisting HDOT in developing a workable, preliminary mix design and specifications for a local pilot project," says Abraham Wong, program administrator with the U.S. DOT Hawaii Division.

On the web:

• Anton Schindler
• Dan Brown
• Mary Stroup-Gardiner