New sights and industry opportunities greeted the Cortec® MCI® team at the 2023 ICRI Spring Convention, April 17th-19th in Vancouver, B.C. The conference theme of “Concrete Protection from the Sea to Sky: Waterproofing and Corrosion Protection” fit hand in glove with MCI® Technology on display at Cortec’s tabletop booth, where Ash Hasania (MCI® Technical Sales & Market Manager) and Jessi Meyer (VP Product & Technical Sales) greeted fellow industry professionals. The conference was well attended by all players in concrete repair—from engineers to contractors and manufacturers. It was a special pleasure to connect with Canadian professionals from B.C. and greater Canada whom we do not often get the chance to see at ICRI events in the U.S.!
Industry Best Practices and New Technologies
As usual, the conference offered an interesting array of technical sessions. Ash enjoyed being able to attend many of these and took special interest in presentations on (1) industry best practices for extending service life of concrete patch repairs and (2) new technology designed to pull chlorides out of concrete. ICRI Committees Cortec® also made its share of contributions to ICRI committees. A longtime member of the marketing committee, Jessi and fellow committee members were recognized for their efforts during the ICRI awards lunch. Ash took time to participate in proceedings for ICRI Committee 510 (Corrosion), ICRI Committee 310 (Surface Preparation), and ICRI Committee 160 (Life Cycle and Sustainability).
The corrosion committee spent much of its time discussing and finally voting on and approving its half-cell potential guide. They also talked about renewing one of the committee’s previously published guides.
The surface preparation committee stressed the importance of PPE when preparing concrete surfaces, discussed updating current technical guidelines, and talked about using technology to improve currently offered tools like the rebar evaluation app and concrete surface profile chips. The sustainability committee discussed how to deal with the challenge of getting projects submitted for sustainability and longevity awards and decided to be more proactive going forward by looking for candidates among applicants for other awards.
Even more significant was the committee’s discussion on creating a guide for sustainability and durability of concrete repairs. This is an area that remains very vague in regard to evaluating the sustainability of concrete repairs and how carbon emissions figure into the picture. Ash volunteered to be part of the new group that hopes to eventually create a meaningful guide to help industry players navigate these concerns.
Sightseeing in Vancouver
In addition to work, there were some great opportunities to enjoy the culture and natural beauty of Vancouver. Outings included a trip to Vancouver Art Gallery and a stroll through the treetops for some thrills and beautiful views at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park.
See You in the Fall!
All in all, Spring ICRI was a great time to connect, grow, and recreate with likeminded professionals. We wish our concrete industry friends and family a good construction season ahead and look forward to reuniting with you in Florida next October for the ICRI Fall Convention! Mark your calendars now!
2023 ICRI Fall Convention
October 16th-18th
TradeWinds Island Resorts
5500 Gulf Blvd.
St. Pete Beach, Florida 33706
United States
Keywords: 2023 Spring ICRI, sustainability, concrete repair, concrete corrosion, rusted rebar in concrete, Cortec MCI, From Grey to Green, concrete sustainability, ICRI committee activities, extend service life
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