Daniel P. Jenny Fellowship Call for Applications

PCI now accepting applications for the Daniel P. Jenny Research Fellowship program for the 2021-22 academic year. These fellowship awards of up to $40,000 are intended to engage the interest of young engineering students in the precast concrete industry, while providing a research experience of value to the student, faculty, and PCI. Master’s degree candidates conducting research related to precast concrete are preferred, but Doctorate program candidates will also be considered. Applications must be submitted to PCI by January 15, 2021. Complete information is available here.

2020 ICC/NSSA 500 Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters

The International Code Council (ICC) has announced the publication of ICC 500-2020 ICC/NSSA Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters. PCI, with testing data provided by Coreslab Structures, Oklahoma, and Prestressed Casting Company, was successful in gaining approval of a proposal to increase the permitted width of precast concrete panel joints between wall and roof elements exempted from the impact-protective systems requirements of the Standard provided specific criteria are met.

The new ICC 500 standard is available for viewing at ICC 500-2020. The new provisions with associated criteria are in Section 306.5.

Section 306.5 Joints, gaps or voids in storm shelter envelope.

Exceptions:

2. Precast concrete panel joints in accordance with one of the following:

2.1. For wall panels 6-inches (152 mm) in thickness or greater where the joint is a maximum of 3/4-inches (19 mm) in width and sealed on each face with a Type S joint material in accordance ASTM C920. The panel thickness shall be measured perpendicular to the joint and at 1-inch (25mm) or less from the joint center.

2.2. For roof panels 4-inches (102 mm) in thickness or greater where the joint is a maximum of 3/4-inches (19 mm) and sealed with a Type S joint material in accordance ASTM C920. The panel thickness shall be measured perpendicular to the joint and at 1-inch (25 mm) or less from the joint center.

Research Award on Girder Transport Vehicle Parameters

The PCI Research and Development Council (Greg Force, chair) awarded Dr. Chuanbing (Shawn) Sun from the Louisiana Tech University a project to examine and develop refined precast concrete girder transport vehicle stability analysis parameters. The PCI Bridge Design Manual (MNL-133) and the PCI Recommended Practice for Lateral Stability of Precast, Prestressed Concrete Bridge Girders (CB-02-16-E) include information based on limited data. The PCI Committee on Bridges and PCI Research and Development Council identified stability during transportation as critical for public safety and industry credibility and solicited this research project.

Proposed Code Change Proposals & ICC Hearings

The International Code Council (ICC) begins the 2024 code development cycle in January. The opportunity for submission of code change proposals is currently open. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the ICC cdpAccess website. The link to register and submit proposals is posted below. The deadline for submitting code change proposals is January 11, 2021.

PCI plans to submit three code change proposals:

  • Increase in allowable area per tier for open parking garages, in Table 406.5.4, of Type IIA construction from 50,000 to 75,000 sq. ft.
  • A one story and a 20-foot increase in height for office and residential buildings of Type IIA construction in Tables 504.3 and 504.4, in line with increases for Type IV
  • Reconsideration and deletion of mandatory sprinkler protection for open parking structures added to the 2021 IBC in Section 903.2.10.

As with many other organizations, ICC has decided to conduct code hearings virtually from April 11 through May 5.

If you have suggestions for additional Group A code change proposals, which does not include structural provisions of the ICC, please email standards@pci.org by December 16.

Survey on Fly Ash Use in Precast Concrete

The Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), with support from Penn State University and Lehigh University, has started a new U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored project titled “Facilitating Implementation of High-Volume Fly Ash Use in Precast Concrete Construction to Increase Beneficial Utilization.” The project seeks to significantly increase the beneficial use of freshly produced and weathered (landfilled or ponded) fly ash as a supplementary cementitious material for precast concrete applications. To gain further background on current practices, the project team seeks input from producers on current fly ash use and barriers to implementation via an online survey.