An Expression of Gratitude for 2020
We are rounding the corner to a new year and hopefully a new dawn in the repair industry. It has been a very challenging year for everyone and the ICRI Pittsburgh was no different. We started off the year in a great direction with the annual Freeze Thaw Ball seeing record attendance and new member participation. We followed that up in March with one of our best attended events ever: Facade Inspection which featured code officials from the city of Pittsburgh, our own Phil Elgin of WJE and Kelly Morris of Prosoco’s Anchoring Group. All that came to a screeching halt. The ICRI Pittsburgh Board of Directors struggled to find meaningful content to product. We were mindful of Zoom Meeting Fatigue so we were very sparse in our selection of topics. The one video meeting we did produce was well attended. We were able to partner with the local Construction Specification Institute and have Casey Weisdock of the International Masonry Institute give an informative talk about Concrete and Masonry Coatings.
ICRI Pittsburgh President Jeff Konkle attended the ICRI Virtual Chapter Roundtable on 12/09 and many of the other chapters across the nation echoed the same challenges. So we’re not alone.
We know that it’s been a tough year. Unfortunately, it may still be a while be a while before we are able to have in-person events. The ICRI Board of Directors would like to thank you for your continued support. As you’ll see below, we have some great training opportunities, exciting initiatives, and lofty goals set for 2021.
Do You Like Free Money?
Who doesn’t? As an expression of thanks to the members who have stuck with us through the year, the ICRI Pittsburgh will be putting money back into the pockets of our members for completing the ICRI’s Concrete Surface Repair Technician (CSRT) training. With this online program, you will gain essential information and training from your home or office. Participants will learn about inspection and tests types of concrete deterioration, repair materials and methods, and the requirements for a quality concrete repair. Members who complete the program successfully will get a $100 reimbursement check sent to them directly from the ICRI.
We expect that the winter months could be slower than usual. So why not take advantage of the downtime and sharpen up your skills (or get some of those new employees trained) all at a huge discount?
ICRI Pittsburgh Provides Support for PA Adoption of ACI 562
You may remember several months ago, ICRI had a joint meeting with the local ACI chapter regarding the ACI 562 - Code Requirements for Assessment, Repair, and Rehabilitation of Existing Concrete Structures. ICRI National has asked the local chapter to support code adoption in PA with a letter signed by the board of directors. If you are unfamiliar, ACI 562 complements the PA UCC by providing specific direction on how to design concrete repairs and how to handle the unique construction problems associated with repair. This standard helps the designer assess the existing structure in accordance with the IEBC. The proposed language is permissive, allowing other methods to be used to comply with the intent of the building code.
The ICRI Pittsburgh Board of Directors recently penned a letter to the PA Department of Labor & Industry, supporting the proposed changes.
If you’re not up to snuff on the ACI 562 code, then you can learn more about with this short video.
Chapter Goals for 2021
The board voted on our chapter goals for 2021. As you’ll see, we’d like to expand our reach into other areas of concrete repair including masonry, DOT work, and the architecture/engineering community.
Launch CSRT Training Initiative. Goal would be to have 10 members complete training.
Increase membership by 10% by EOY 2021.
Hold a joint meeting with another organization. (CSI, ACI, IMI, SEI, etc).
Hold one event focused on attracting the masonry community.
Hold one event focused on the DOT community.
Hold one event focused on attracting the design community.
Call for Nominees for Board of Directors Positions
We will have two board of director positions becoming available in January of 2021. Please email Jeff Konkle with any nominees who would be a good fit. Before you get all scared off, the board meets once a month for about 1 hour so it is not a huge time commitment. It’s a great way to network and build your resume. We are looking for people who can bring some new ideas and initiatives to the Chapter.
