SESSION 42 - CONCRETE DESIGN FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY

 

Concrete Design for Energy Efficiency​

​

Concrete construction can be highly energy efficient despite low material R-value.  Thermal mass, inherent in concrete construction, provides a practical means for achieving the thermal resistance required by the Code when uninsulated in specific climate regions. However, when insulated, minimally concrete construction complies and often exceeds the model energy code. 

This presentation will provide an overview of specific concrete constructions, review the relevant energy code requirements, examine the enhanced performance characteristics of concrete due to mass, as well as offer case studies that demonstrate how the performance of concrete increases energy costs savings, contributes to long-term life cycle performance and resiliency.

​

Presented by: Darryl Dixon, AIA, Senior Director of Energy Codes and Standards, NRMCA

 

Product Spotlight - From Recommendation to Verification: The Next Chapter in AI-Driven Concrete QDC

     

AI mix optimization has moved past the pilot stage. Producers across North America are using it now to trim overdesign and take cost out of every cubic yard. But verification hasn't kept up.

A model recommends a mix, the plant batches it, water gets added somewhere between the plant and the pour, and nobody confirms much of anything until 28-day breaks come back from cylinders that sat on a curing rack. When you can't confirm what you actually got, you build in a cushion of extra cement, and that cushion eats a good share of what the optimization saved you.

This session follows a mix through all three gaps. At design, what Roxi™, the AI engine behind SmartMix, can predict after training on more than 300,000 mix designs. In transit, what MixPilot catches when slump, temperature, and volume drift on the way to the job. In place, what SmartRock maturity data says about the concrete in the structure instead of on the rack.

The last piece is sending those in-place results back into the model so the next recommendation is built on measured performance. Cement is the most expensive material in the mix and the largest carbon contributor, so the better you can verify, the harder you can push on it. We'll also cover where to start if you're only taking on one piece of this.

​

Presented by: Stacy Hatt, Manager, Alliance Partnerships & RMC Sales, Giatec

​​.............................................

​

​