Admixtures
2025-02-10 15:35 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | Pheoris West A – 3rd Floor
Location: Pheoris West A – 3rd Floor
Speaker: Tom Greene – GCP Applied Technologies
Presentation Description:
Admixtures for concrete continue to be an ever-increasing part of our concrete production. This presentation will give you a thorough introduction to admixtures for both wet and dry cast concrete. During this course you will gain a knowledge of admixtures, along with the ASTM specifications that you need to be familiar with to make quality concrete pipe.
Speaker Bio:
Tom is a Regional Technical Services Manager for GCP Applied Technologies based in Houston TX. Among his responsibilities are technical support to customers throughout the Mid-West and Southwest US, testing and data analysis for new admixture development, troubleshooting concrete problems, and technical training. Tom has worked on the technical aspects of the concrete industry for more than 40 years. Including tenures as Laboratory Manager for Rinker Materials and Technical Service Manager for portland and slag cement at Lone Star Industries. Tom is a frequent speaker at numerous industry events and a co-developer for the Concrete Fundamentals Lab at World of Concrete.
Tom is a Fellow at the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and active on numerous technical and educational committees. He is a former recipient of ACI Educational Committee Member of the Year award and former Chair of the Educational Activities Committee. Tom is an active member of other professional organizations including ASTM International, where he is Secretary for Committee C 9 – Concrete & Concrete Aggregates, and a former Chair of Sub-Committee C 9.60 – Testing Fresh Concrete, and C 9.27 – Ground Slag, and a supporter of several state concrete associations.

Unrivaled Durability of Concrete Pipe
2025-02-10 15:15 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Kojo Kamau A, B, C – 4th Floor
Location: Kojo Kamau A, B, C – 4th Floor
Speaker: Karen Thompson – Concrete Pipe Association of Australasia

Presentation Description:
Unrivaled Durability of Concrete Pipe Proven
The Australian Concrete Pipe Association has in recent years conducted field investigation and laboratory analysis of aged installed concrete pipe to provide evidence of the products unrivalled durability in stormwater pipelines.
Findings confirm:
– Standard assumptions around corrosion process and modelling are not appropriate for concrete pipe
– 100+ years service life without any reduction in structural capacity or corrosion induced cracking
The results and evidence of the study are being utilized to assess useful life and aide in technical discussions of lesser useful life of competitive products.
Concepts to be covered in the presentation:
– Durability of concrete pipe, the assumptions and evidence.
– Process of steel corrosion in concrete pipe in aggressive environments and why corrosion does not occur
– Durability risks for plastic pipes.
– How durability evidence is used by government agencies to value assets and plan future maintenance costs.
Learning objectives:
– Why concrete pipe is so durable
– Mechanism of steel reinforcement corrosion in concrete pipe
– Why greater than 100 years useful life can be utlised for concrete pipe
– Concept of design life versus useful life
– Characteristics and properties of plastic pipe that risk durability
The presentation outline:
– Explain the history of durability studies by the CPAA
– Illustrate the recent field investigations and laboratory testing to prove durability of concrete pipe
– Discuss the assumptions of corrosion prediction models and why these are not appropriate for concrete pipes.
– Corrosion process limited by oxygen availability with field investigation findings to prove
– Explain durability concerns of plastic pipe and what resultant characteristics of concern are
– Examples of 100+ year useful asset life being adopted for concrete pipe and why
Speaker Bio:
Executive Director of the Concrete Pipe Association of Australasia, representing the reinforced concrete pipeline, box culvert and associated civil precast product industry in Australia and New Zealand.
Graduating from the University of Queensland, Karen is a Civil Engineer with extensive experience in the pipe and precast industry in both Australia and overseas, including the design, supply, manufacturing, installation, marketing and business management of civil precast concrete and a range of pipe materials including concrete, plastic, vitrified clay and steel.
Karen chairs Australian Standards Australia Technical Committee WS006 Concrete Pipes, is a member of CE-026 Precast Box Culverts, WS028 Design and Installation of Buried Flexible Pipes and CE029 Access Covers and Grates.
Passionate about all things pipe and precast, bat crazy about durable and sustainable infrastructure, With an enjoy every day attitude, Karen is hell bent on sharing her knowledge and experience”

Drycast Reinforcement
2025-02-10 15:10 - 17:30 (America/New_York) | Pheoris West C – 3rd Floor
Location: Pheoris West C – 3rd Floor
Speaker: Bill Washabaugh – Northern Concrete
Jake Jyrkama – Rinker Materials
Speaker Bio:
Bill works at Northern Concrete Pipe, Inc. in Michigan, a family owned business for over 64 years. He is the 101st & 113th Chairman of the ACPA Board of Directors. Bill is a member of ACPA Government Relations, Manufacturing & Quality, Technical, Education and Marketing Committees, and an active ASTM participating member.
Jake is the Director of Quality Assurance for Rinker Materials and is responsible for maintaining and developing QA/QC standards, measurements, auditing, monitoring, benchmarking and optimization for all products sold and manufactured. He is also responsible for training and development of quality control personnel as well as identifying operational improvement opportunities across the business. He is the current chair of the ACPA Quality Committee. Jake holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Degree, he is a Professional Engineer registered in Texas, and has over 27 years of experience in the concrete pipe industry.

INSPIRE: Inspired Leadership and Listening
2025-02-10 15:10 - 17:30 (America/New_York) | Pheoris West B – 3rd Floor
Location: Pheoris West B – 3rd Floor
Speaker: Eric Steele – Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute
Presentation Description:
What do inspirational leaders do? When we asked leaders around the world, regardless of generation, background, or culture, they invariably respond with the same list of actions. Inspirational leaders listen, build trust, grow people, and form lasting connections with the people in their span of care. The result of great leadership? Inspired team members who lean in, are authentically dedicated to helping others, and deeply accountable to their commitments.
Course Outcomes:

Increase self-awareness and the work of leadership (time spent working on self, team, and business versus time spent in the business.
Understand the influence as leaders on the people in their span of care.
Develop empathetic listening behaviors that enhance relationships and value individuals.
Define individual values to increase self-awareness and authenticity.
Learn and apply recognition and celebration practices to encourage desired behaviors and inspire others.

Speaker Bio:
Eric is an experienced coach with over a decade of experience in leadership, development, resiliency, and consulting. He has a bachelor’s degree from Franklin College and Master of Divinity from Indiana Wesleyan University. Eric comes from a military background with the US Air Force and Army. Starting with the Air Force, Eric served as a Crew Chief on the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. He then transitioned to the Army to serve as an Army Chaplain and is currently still serving at the rank of Major. Eric also brings a wealth of experience from the aviation sector, having served as UH-60 Blackhawk pilot in the Army, a Medevac Company Platoon Leader, and holding multiple ratings in fixed and rotor wing aircraft. Although the Blackhawk was the most complex, his favorite aircraft to pilot and learn in was the OH-58 Kiowa.
Of his military career Eric shares that “the experience of being a military aviator and chaplain allows me to combine technical analysis and share the human experience with any group I serve. I want everyone that I interact with to know that they are heard.” Eric believes that there is always an opportunity to learn from someone else. He brings a passion and experience to empathetic listening and leadership development. As a result, he believes that leadership development is something that can be learned and honed. Eric enjoys spending time with his daughters and playing or listening to anything related to blues music.
Contact Info: eric.steele@ccoleadership.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericsteele22/

Quality School Introductions
2025-02-10 15:10 - 15:35 (America/New_York) | Pheoris West A – 3rd Floor
Location: Pheoris West A – 3rd Floor
Speaker: Rich Brewster – Northern Concrete Pipe
Speaker Bio:
Rich Brewster is Director of Quality Control for Northern Concrete Pipe, based in Bay City, Michigan. He’s been with Northern since 2004 and has been involved in the quality program since 2007. Rich is responsible for developing and overseeing Northern’s award winning quality control program, maintaining various plant and company certifications, ensuring product compliance to local, state and national specifications, personnel training, and overseeing product research and testing projects. Rich is an active member of ACPA’s Manufacturing/Quality, Education, and Research Committees; as well as Vice Chair on ASTM’s C-13 Committee. Rich is a proud recipient of the ACPA’s Mel Marshall Award, and the ASTM C13 Chair Award.

Opening Ceremonies & Keynote Speaker
2025-02-10 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Kojo Kamau A, B, C – 4th Floor
Location:Kojo Kamau A, B, C – 4th Floor
Speaker: Shelley Row, P.E., CSP – Blue Fjord Leaders
Presentation Description:
Decision-making can be challenging to get just right. Decisions can be made too fast or too slow. Neuroscience provides insight into the powerful internal forces that sway decisions whether you know it or not. If you want to enhance decision making, reduce workplace drama and improve productivity, learn the skills you need now.
Learning objectives:

Learn how your brain communicates through gut feel to influence decision-making.
Stop over-thinking by resolving the forces that freeze decision-making.
Discover proven techniques to slow a quick reaction before you respond and regret it.
Enable “aha!” moments when they are needed the most.

Speaker Bio:
An Inc. Magazine top 100 leadership speaker and one of eight engineers worldwide who is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), Shelley Row, PE, CSP, is a professional engineer and former government and association executive. As founder and CEO of Blue Fjord Leaders, Shelley’s work focuses on engineering leaders to see beyond the data. The Blue Fjord Leadership System grows your organization by growing the management skills of technical staff. At Blue Fjord Leaders we provide foundational management skills to enable decision-making, delegation, critical conversations, and more. Shelley Row’s one-on-one organizational assessment leads to customized professional development to achieve your goals.
Shelley is a high-energy, engaging speaker and consultant working with top managers and leaders in technical industries. She interviewed more than three dozen executives from the public, private, academic and political sectors on leadership skills needed by technical professionals. Interview results combined with neuroscience provide a practical, real-world approach to all programs.
Shelley learned the hard way that technical skills are not enough to be successful as a manager or leader. After plateauing in her career growth, she realized that you can’t think your way to the top. Success comes when you learn to think, feel and act. It is the integration of all three that makes a leader stand out. This realization transformed her from a woman engineer to a woman executive, from over-thinker to decision-maker, and from having a dream to living her dream. In 2010, Shelley and her husband left their careers and moved to a Provençal village for ten months and traveled around the world to return home to Annapolis, Maryland. Shelley published three books written about life and travel abroad.
Shelley founded Blue Fjord Leaders following a distinguished 30-year transportation career. Her career as a transportation engineer started in 1984 when women engineers were few. She worked as a transportation engineer in Texas, California, Arizona, North Carolina and Georgia during the 1996 Olympic Games. She finished her career in the Senior Executive Service with the U.S. Department of Transportation where she ran a research program on connected and automated cars. She is an award-winning leader with top honors in her agency. Shelley is widely-known within the transportation community for her leadership, vision and organizational skills.
Shelley is a sought-after speaker with hundreds of presentations to her credit including for national and international groups from 20 to 2000. She has articles published in Forbes, Fast Company, HuffPost Business, SmartBlog on Leadership, Realizing Leadership Magazine, CEO Magazine, ITE Journal, Thinking Highways and more. Her book is, Think Less. Live More. Lessons from a Recovering Over-Thinker. She is a certified virtual presenter, trained coach, a certified trainer for Business DNA Behavior self-assessment tools, and she completed training with the NeuroLeadership Institute. She is the past president of the National Speakers Association Washington, DC chapter. You can follow her work through X (@shelleyrow) and LinkedIn or by signing up for her newsletter on her website (www.bluefjordleaders.com).
Shelley holds Bachelor degrees in Civil Engineering and Architecture from Texas Tech University and an MBA from Virginia Tech. She is a registered professional engineer. Blue Fjord Leaders is a 100% woman-owned business with MBE certifications

New Attendee Orientation
2025-02-10 12:00 - 12:45 (America/New_York) | Pheoris West A & B – 3rd Floor
Location: Pheoris A & B – 3rd Floor
Description:
Registered ACPA Members Only

Resilient Design
2024-03-07 12:30 - 13:30 (America/Chicago) | Encore 2024
Location: Virtual
Speaker: Jeremy Bowers, P.E., S.E. – SG&H

Presentation Description:
Learn about how resilience, sustainability, and recovery can be incorporated into design. The increased occurrence of wildfires and floods in the United States has highlighted the need to develop an approach to design resilient culvert and storm sewer pipe. The serviceability of these systems is critical to maintaining the functionality and safety of roadways. Join Jeremy Bowers as he reviews how this guide provides a framework, including best practices, mitigation measures, design checks, and the importance of planning for recovery, to enhance the resilience of culvert and storm drains exposed to these extreme weather events.
Speaker Bio:
Jeremy Bowers is a Senior Consulting Engineer with SGH, where his work has focused on the analysis, design, investigation, and rehabilitation of buried reinforced concrete, metal, and plastic structures for the infrastructure and nuclear industries. He is a member of TRB AKB70 Standing Committee on Culverts, Buried Bridges and Soil Structure Interaction and chair of AKB70(3) Buried Structure Rehabilitation Subcommittee. He lives in Maryland with his wife, Karin, and three children.

Shifting Paradigms in a Shifting World
2024-03-07 11:15 - 12:15 (America/Chicago) | Encore 2024
Location: Virtual
Speaker: Jason Allen, P.E. – Oldcastle Infrastructure
Presentation Description:
The world is changing, and nowhere is this more evident than in the construction and manufacturing industry. The way our profession is perceived and the way we perceive the world has changed dramatically in the last 30 years. In this presentation, Jason Allen will explain the most popular cognitive biases and how they can shape the way we are viewed and the way we view the world around us. Jason will also discuss how cognitive biases and shifting paradigms can be used to our advantage in moving our industry forward.
Speaker Bio:
Jason Allen is an engineer. He likes to be the center of attention. Sometimes he is funny, and sometimes he is serious. You never really know what you are going to get. Is it worth rolling the dice to see which Jason will show up? I don’t know, but I think it’s worth a shot.

New ASTM Standard of Design for Low Head Pressure Pipe
2024-03-05 12:30 - 13:30 (America/Chicago) | Encore 2024
Location: Virtual
Speaker: Margarita Takou, Ph.D., P.E., ENV SP – American Concrete Pipe Association

Presentation Description:

On this session the design method for the low head pressure pipe based on the newly published ASTM C1924, Practice for Design of Buried Precast Concrete Low-Head Pressure Pipe will be analyzed. Applied loads and pressure distributions, design conditions and reinforcement arrangements will be explained. At the end of this presentation, the attendees will have a guide on how to use the ASTM C1924 standard to perform the design of a low head concrete pipe.

Speaker Bio:
Margarita Takou, Ph.D., P.E., ENV SP is currently based in Irving, Texas. She has worked for the ACPA since September of 2016. Margarita earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in civil engineering from the National Technical University of Athens. In 2016 she received her Doctor of Philosophy degree in structural engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Margarita is the Vice President of the ACPA Research and Education Foundation, and the ACPA’s Technical Resources Manager. She works with members and engineers on any technical items related to concrete pipe and boxes. She manages the QCast Program and is also a committee staff liaison between the Research, Quality, and Safety Committees.

Chairman's Luncheon & Awards
2024-02-01 12:15 - 13:30 (America/Chicago) | Frisco Grand Ballroom
Location: Frisco Grand Ballroom
Description:
The Award Luncheon will recognize the Journeyman, Mel Marshal Award, QCast, Chairman’s Safety and Quality Award Winners.

Pipe Installation
2024-02-01 11:00 - 11:55 (America/Chicago) | Frisco 3, 4, 5
Location: Frisco 3, 4, 5
Speaker: David Matocha – Rinker Materials
Presentation Description:
Like anything in life, there is a right way and a wrong way to do something. Installing concrete pipe is no different. This presentation will touch on basic concrete pipe concepts and the benefits of proper installation. Trench fundamentals along the purpose of foundation, bedding and structural backfill will be discussed. Finally, the different steps in installing concrete pipe will be reviewed.
Speaker Bio:
David started in the concrete pipe industry in June 1996 with Gifford-Hill doing technical marketing. He has witnessed the transition of Gifford-Hill to Hanson, Hanson to Forterra, and recently, Forterra to Rinker. He spent time as the Austin Sales Manager before moving back into technical marketing. He has been active in the American Society of Civil Engineers and was recently awarded a Lifetime Service Award by the Texas Section in 2023. He was President of the Austin Branch in 2000-2001 and again in 2004-2005. He spent almost 20 years on the Austin Contractors and Engineers Association Board and was their board president in 2015-2016. David earned the Master Precaster certification from the National Precast Association in 2022. He is active in promoting the concrete pipe industry within the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-Of-Way Association and oversaw a major update to the concrete pipe AREMA guidelines. David graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BS in Civil Engineering.

ACPA Resources and Education
2024-02-01 11:00 - 11:55 (America/Chicago) | Frisco 1
Location: Frisco 1
Speakers: Alicia Hodges – American Concrete Pipe Association
Chelsea Fitzgerald – American Concrete Pipe Association

Presentation Description:
Explore the new ACPA website, members’ portal, and learning center to familiarize yourself with the wealth of resources and tools available to you. Discover where to locate the most commonly accessed resources, engage with the ACPA community, stay informed about committee activities, and stay connected with upcoming events.
Speaker Bios:
Based out of Des Moines, IA, Alicia has worked for the ACPA since 2021. As the Director of Education, Alicia oversees the programming and educational opportunities offered by the ACPA. Alicia works closely with the Education Committee and ACPA Staff to determine the educational needs of members and key stakeholders, develop principal trainings, and provide a variety of educational platforms for learners.
Based out of the Des Moines area, Chelsea has been a member of the ACPA team since 2022. In her role as a Marketing Associate, Chelsea’s duties encompass a wide array of responsibilities, including but not limited to: assisting in the development and upkeep of web content, boosting the visibility of the ACPA and the concrete pipe industry on various social media platforms, contributing to the creation and enhancement of newly branded materials, ensuring data integrity, and tackling other tasks within the realm of marketing.

Value of ACPA Training for District Operations
2024-02-01 10:00 - 10:55 (America/Chicago) | Frisco 3, 4, 5
Location: Frisco 3, 4, 5
Speaker: Bryan Czech, P.E. – GA DOT

Presentation Description:
More information coming soon!
Speaker Bio:
Bryan is a 1996 Civil Engineering Technology Graduate of Georgia Southern University. He has over 27 years of experience working for the Georgia Department of Transportation, from Project Inspector/Manager to Construction Liaison to the State Construction Office. He has a Wife of 27 years (Stacey), two children (Kaylee and Kenneth), and a grandson (Keegan).

Soils on the Jobsite
2024-02-01 10:00 - 10:55 (America/Chicago) | Frisco 2
Location: Frisco 2
Speaker: Karl Beckemeier, P.E. – Rinker Materials
Presentation Description:
Soils are a critical component of all construction projects and are important to all types of pipe installations. It is important to understand how the information found in various references and guides on soils relates to what might be seen on a project site, along with the importance of this information in pipe installations. This presentation will cover: 1. Soil basics, terminology, and the importance of proper evaluation and construction; 2. Table 2 – USCS, AASHTO, and USDA comparison – considerations in soil selection, and how these soil requirements relate to some local specifications; 3. Compaction equipment, lift thicknesses, practices, and testing; 4. Quick checks in the field & lessons learned; 5. AASHTO #57 Aggregate; 6. Jobsite and excavation safety
Speaker Bio:
Karl Beckemeier started with Rinker Materials in 2023 and is the Technical Resource Engineer for Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska. His previous experience includes 2 years designing public infrastructure projects at Anderson Engineering, 4 years with Terracon performing field inspections and testing on soils and construction materials, 3 years as a Materials Inspector with the Missouri Department of Transportation, and 2 years as the Quality Control Engineer at Charah, Inc. for fly ash, bottom ash, and FGD gypsum in Louisville, KY. Karl graduated from the Missouri University of Science and Technology with a M.S. and B.S. in Civil Engineering, along with a B.S. in Architectural Engineering. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Missouri.

Shifting Paradigms in a Shifting World
2024-02-01 10:00 - 10:55 (America/Chicago) | Frisco 1
Location: Frisco 1
Speaker: Jason Allen, P.E. – Oldcastle Infrastructure
Presentation Description:
The world is changing, and nowhere is this more evident than in the construction and manufacturing industry. The way our profession is perceived and the way we perceive the world has changed dramatically in the last 30 years. In this presentation, Jason Allen will explain the most popular cognitive biases and how they can shape the way we are viewed and the way we view the world around us. Jason will also discuss how cognitive biases and shifting paradigms can be used to our advantage in moving our industry forward.
Speaker Bio:
Jason Allen is an engineer. He likes to be the center of attention. Sometimes he is funny, and sometimes he is serious. You never really know what you are going to get. Is it worth rolling the dice to see which Jason will show up? I don’t know, but I think it’s worth a shot.

Quality School Final Exam
2024-02-01 09:30 - 11:00 (America/Chicago) | Frisco 7
Location: Frisco 7

Resilient Design
2024-02-01 09:00 - 09:55 (America/Chicago) | Frisco 3, 4, 5
Location: Frisco 3, 4, 5
Speaker: Jeremy Bowers, P.E., S.E. – SG&H

Presentation Description:
Learn about how resilience, sustainability, and recovery can be incorporated into design. The increased occurrence of wildfires and floods in the United States has highlighted the need to develop an approach to design resilient culvert and storm sewer pipe. The serviceability of these systems is critical to maintaining the functionality and safety of roadways. Join Jeremy Bowers as he reviews how this guide provides a framework, including best practices, mitigation measures, design checks, and the importance of planning for recovery, to enhance the resilience of culvert and storm drains exposed to these extreme weather events.
Speaker Bio:
Jeremy Bowers is a Senior Consulting Engineer with SGH, where his work has focused on the analysis, design, investigation, and rehabilitation of buried reinforced concrete, metal, and plastic structures for the infrastructure and nuclear industries. He is a member of TRB AKB70 Standing Committee on Culverts, Buried Bridges and Soil Structure Interaction and chair of AKB70(3) Buried Structure Rehabilitation Subcommittee. He lives in Maryland with his wife, Karin, and three children.

Concrete Pipe Design Basics
2024-02-01 09:00 - 09:55 (America/Chicago) | Frisco 2
Location: Frisco 2
Speaker: Melitza E. Avila – Rinker Materials

Presentation Description:
Explore the Fundamentals of Direct and Indirect Design Methods in Reinforced Concrete Pipe Systems. Delve into the comprehensive array of tools and resources for Indirect Design, including the American Concrete Pipe Association’s Fill Height Table and the web-based Pipe Pac program. Gain insights into the essential steps, considerations, and assumptions integral to the Indirect Design method, making it an optimal choice for practical culvert design applications.
Speaker Bio:
Melitza Avila is a Technical Resource Specialist based out of the East Coast of Central Florida. Melitza has been in the Concrete Pipe industry since 2007 working in several roles including Project Manager and Sales. In her current role she is an active member of ASTM Committees C13 for Concrete Pipe, C27 for Precast Concrete Structures, E60 for Sustainability and E64 for Stormwater Control Measures. She takes pride in promoting concrete pipe through national standards and sharing specifications with agencies across the State of Florida. Melitza is also certified with NASSCO PACP, for pipeline assessment.

Building the Dream Team
2024-02-01 09:00 - 09:55 (America/Chicago) | Frisco 1
Location: Frisco 1
Speaker: Trevor McDonald, P.E. CFM, ENV SP – Mountain States Concrete Pipe Association
Presentation Description:
The greatest sports team ever assembled was arguably the 1992 US Men’s Olympic basketball team. They were able to pull together the greatest collection of basketball talent on the planet. Because of their outstanding success on the world stage, international participation and talent in basketball soared for years to come. Let’s discuss some important components to what could make up the local concrete pipe ‘Dream Team’ and enjoy a little game of Jeopardy!
Speaker Bio:
Currently based near Salt Lake City, Utah, he has been working for the ACPA since February 2022. Prior to that, he served as a municipal engineer in a fast-growing city in southern Utah. Trevor gained valuable experience in community development, transportation, municipal sewers, storm water, and floodplain management. As the Mountain States Director, he enjoys educating specifiers, installers, and inspectors of gravity pipe systems. His day-to-day consists of conference presentations, webinars, event planning, and meetings to build proficiency in thesesystems.

QCast - Part 2
2024-02-01 08:30 - 09:25 (America/Chicago) | Frisco 7
Location: Frisco 7
Speaker: Paul Krauss – WJE
Speaker Bio:
Paul has worked for the nationally-acclaimed consulting engineering firm of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE) since 1988. He first became involved with industry-specific quality programs in 1991, helping develop quality programs for several industry associations. He was involved with the original development of the ACPA QCast Program in 1998 and manages the team of trained WJE auditors that perform the plant audits for conformance to the QCast requirements. The passion and knowledge that Paul and the WJE auditors bring to the QCast program helps the industry improve quality and to “raise the bar”. Prior to joining WJE, Paul worked for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) providing a state agency perspective.

Peanut Roundabout: Safer Way to the Beach
2024-02-01 08:00 - 08:55 (America/Chicago) | Frisco 3, 4, 5
Location: Frisco 3, 4, 5
Speaker: Aaron L. Grant, P.E. – AL DOT

Presentation Description:
More information coming soon!
Speaker Bio:
Graduated from the University of Alabama in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. Spent three and half years working in the Bridge Rating and Load Testing section of ALDOT Maintenance Bureau. Transferred to the Construction section of ALDOT Southeast Region -Troy Area in 2022. Currently the Assistant Construction Engineer providing administrative support to state and consultant project personnel on all state highway construction projects within ALDOT Troy Area.

Engineering Ethics
2024-02-01 08:00 - 08:55 (America/Chicago) | Frisco 2
Location: Frisco 2
Speaker: Ron Reichert – AmeriTex Pipe & Products
Presentation Description:

Our behavior, both personally and professionally, is a culmination of values and morals we have been taught and learned since we were born. Some of these influences were subtle, some were overt, but all helped create who we are and helped construct our moral character. Our underlying responsibility as engineers is to the individuals, some of whom are family and friends, who will be using or benefitting from the infrastructure we are designing and constructing. These responsibilities are to be held paramount in design, material selection, construction, and final inspection of an engineered project.
Engineers are faced with daily issues and challenges for which we call on our extensive education, training, and experience to provide the design solution, while holding paramount the health, safety and well-being of the public. Ethical considerations can also arise in our personal conduct, how we relate to colleagues or competitors, and our participation in professional organizations. Engineers are and should be held to the highest standards of technical competence and personal conduct.
We will explore some of the influences that make us who we are and create our moral character. We will also look at how our morals can help us professionally and ethically navigate potentially dangerous or possibly illegal situations.

Speaker Bio:
Ron Reichert attended Drexel University where he earned a BS in Civil Engineering. Ron was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Infrastructure Advancement Institute, IAI, and has been heavily involved with ASCE committees and events at the local, state and national level. He also supports and participates in APWA, SAME, and numerous other professional societies. Ron was chairman of the Texas Concrete Pipe Association in 2016 and is a member of ASTM C13, E60, F17 and F36. Ron has over 24 years of experience in specification and selection of infrastructure materials.

Outside the Box: Alternative Uses of Box
2024-02-01 08:00 - 08:55 (America/Chicago) | Frisco 1
Location: Frisco 1
Speaker: Steve Smart – County Materials
Presentation Description:
More information coming soon!
Speaker Bio:
Steve is a Technical Resource Engineer for County Materials Corporation based out of Indianapolis, IN responsible for providing technical services for the states of Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. County Materials is a full service producer of concrete pipe, precast box culverts and other associated concrete products.
He’s actively involved in the concrete industry for over 40 years in marketing and production precast pipe, box culverts and 3-sided bridge systems.
Steve has held leadership positions in the Illinois Concrete Pipe Association, Board member of National Precast Concrete Association, founding member of the Derby City Chapter-ASHE and currently Indiana State Director of IKO Concrete Pipe Association.
Married to Martha, a real estate broker, they have 2 grown sons, Patrick and Andrew, who have blessed them with a granddaughter, Journey, and grandson, Oliver.

Box Production
2024-02-01 07:30 - 12:00 UTC | Frisco 8
Location: Frisco 8
Speakers: Tom Umek – IEC
Larry Neumann – Northern Concrete Pipe
Description:
This course will guide you through the entire manufacturing process of making reinforced concrete boxes. We have cages, we have concrete and now we must put it in a form and efficiently produce high quality boxes. Master the correct way to set up and maintain a form including vibrator mounts if needed. Checking vibrators for correct placement, type, size, weight settings and proper working order. What are the secrets to pouring flowable concrete boxes which includes both wet cast and SCC? Learn how to make those dry cast boxes look good by using correct vibration techniques and good fill times. When stripping DC products what are the quality expectations and how are they insured? How long before wet cast and SCC can be stripped? What is adequate curing that meets specs and what are the indicators that tell us it is not ready to be stripped? We will also discuss how to avoid slumping and haunch cracks and effective procedures for minimizing bugholes. We will conclude with proper tipout, yarding and storage procedures.
Speaker Bios:
Tom worked in production for 30 years. He has continued in the industry until today as a teacher, consultant, and salesman. Currently working with CAM Products and Hawkeye Pedershaab, both are divisions of Afinitas. Tom has been involved with the ACPA Short Course Schools since 1995 as a committee member and Task Group chairman of the Production school. His family consists of Kathy, his wife of 38 years and his daughter Ashlyn and son Anton. Ashlyn is married to Travis and they have an 10 year old son Brody. Passions are Coaching Baseball, fishing, and teaching others about vibration and how it effects concrete production.

Operations Management
2024-02-01 07:30 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Frisco 9
Location: Frisco 9
Speakers: Archie Heikkila – Rinker Materials
Israel Cedillo – Rinker Materials
Chris Sampson – Rinker Materials
Martin Wieland – Wiggert/ACT
William Felske – Rinker Materials
Description:
This course will lay the foundation for ensuring effective plant operations. We will discuss plant limitations and strengths in personnel, machinery, inventory and shipping. The objective of the course is to assist Operations and Plant Managers in locating issues and establishing attainable goals. We will cover how to sustain success and monitor results using continuous improvement fundamentals.
Speaker Bios:
Archie Heikkila is a 34-year veteran in the manufactured concrete products industry. His experience in the batching and mixing technology comes from holding various positions in Europe, Southeast Asia and North America. Archie is the corporate Director of Operational Services at Rinker Materials.
William Felske has 23+ years in the industrial maintenance field. He started with Rinker Materials in 2012 and has held roles as Maintenance Leadman and Maintenance Coordinator, his current role is Operation Support Manager for Rinker Concrete Pipe. He is also a Marine Corp Combat Vet. Semper Fi!!
German-born Martin Wieland has been doing business in the concrete industry for 25 years. In his career he has gathered thorough experience when it comes to concrete batching & mixing plants for a variety of applications, in particular in the concrete products industry. He is the owner of Wiggert & Co. GmbH, headquartered one hour drive South of Frankfurt in Germany and the President of ACT, its wholly-owned subsidiary in New Hampshire.

QCast - Part 1
2024-02-01 07:30 - 08:25 (America/Chicago) | Frisco 7

Pipe Show & Casino Night
2024-01-31 16:00 - 18:30 (America/Chicago) | Frisco Grand Ballroom
Location: Frisco Grand Ballroom
VIEW THE EXHIBITOR LIST
The Pipe Show is a trade show created exclusively for the concrete pipe industry and is open for all Pipe School attendees. With over 25 exhibitors showcasing their products, services, and people, there is something for everyone to see at the Pipe Show!

The Casino Night, presented by Afinitas, is a new addition to Pipe School and will allow attendees to engage with ACPA associate members, connect with industry partners, and network with peers. The event caps off the Pipe Show and provides an energetic and exciting way to interact with industry personnel.

ASTM Committee C13 on Concrete Pipe and the Value of your Participation
2024-01-31 15:10 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Frisco 3, 4, 5
Location: Frisco 3, 4, 5
Speaker: Jimmy Farrell – ASTM International
Presentation Description:
This presentation is aimed at demonstrating the value of participating in ASTM International standards development, particularly for regulators. ASTM committees are made up of volunteer members who participate in all aspects of an industry, and the more voices that participate, the more relevant the standards will be to the marketplace, and the more relevant they’ll be for regulators looking to have ways to meet regulation. They’ll be a brief refresher on ASTM the organization, and then there will be an overview of Committee C13 on Concrete Pipe. Which will include how the committee is addressing all areas of standardization in the concrete pipe realm including: concrete box sections and concrete manhole sections used for constructing sewers, culverts, irrigation and drainage systems, low pressure pipeline systems, and for factory-made compression and self-energizing joints.
The presentation will now shift to a case study of how regulatory need and involvement in the standards development process aided in the creation of C1433 – Standard Specification for Precast Reinforced Concrete Monolithic Box Sections for Culverts, Storm Drains, and Sewers.
Speaker Bio:
Jimmy Farrell is a Technical Committees Manager at ASTM International. He manages 4 technical committees, C04 on Vitrified Clay Pipe, C13 on Concrete Pipe, C28 on Advanced Ceramics and D37 on Cannabis. Along with managing committees, Jimmy also leads the maintenance and enhancement of a number of the online tools and systems used by ASTM’s membership.

Changes to the AASHTO Design Service Life
2024-01-31 15:10 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Frisco 2
Location: Frisco 2
Speaker: Josh Beakley, P.E. – American Concrete Pipe Association

Presentation Description:
This past summer, the AASHTO Committee on Bridges and Structures approved the incorporation of 100 year material design properties for some thermoplastic pipes. AASHTO does not require a 100 year service life, so this is somewhat unique. What service life should be given to the different pipe materials? Is it really as simple as just picking a pipe type and saying it has a 100 year service life, or is there more to it? What is a “typical drainage application”? Let’s discuss.
Speaker Bio:
Josh Beakley is Vice President of Engineering for the American Concrete Pipe Association. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Virginia. Josh received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ and received his Masters in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Josh has been with the American Concrete Pipe Association since 1994. Prior to joining ACPA, he worked as a Civil Engineer for the Bechtel Power Corporation.
In his job functions for the American Concrete Pipe Association Josh represents the industry on national standards making committees. He also coordinates research and design programs for the precast concrete culvert industry. Occasionally, he assists engineers with the design and specification of precast concrete pipe and box culverts as well as performing educational seminars.
Josh is a member of ASCE, ACI, ASTM, and participates in AASHTO functions. He is a Spangler Award Winner, and an Award of Merit Honoree of ASTM, as well as a Heger Award Honoree of ACPA. He was also an ASCE Outstanding Reviewer in 2020 for the ASCE Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice.
