Join the Center for Infrastructure Renewal via WebEx on June 15th from 12:00-1:00 p.m. (CT) for a presentation by Anol Mukhopadhyay on durability based concrete mix design followed by a panel discussion with Karthik Obla, Ivan Diaz, Lisa Lukefahr and Anol Mukhopadhyay on the current fly ash shortage we are facing.
The panel will provide insight into the current problem and discuss a comprehensive performance-based approach to provide an effective solution.
Register here: https://na.eventscloud.com/cirtamu-futureofemergingscms
Presenter:
Dr. Anol Mukhopadhyay, Senior Research Scientist, Texas A&M Transportation Institute; Adjunct Professor, Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University
Dr. Anol Mukhopadhyay is the Chair of ACI 221 (aggregate) and a member of numerous technical committees in ACI (ACI 232 – Fly Ash in Concrete, ACI 236 – Material Science of Concrete and ACI 242 – Alternative Cements], ACI-SDC, TRB, and ASTM. Dr. Mukhopadhyay has over 24 years of research and project management experience related to materials, durability, testing and repair of concrete pavement with extensive experience on developing test methods for measuring key concrete fresh properties and durability (especially alkali silica reaction [ASR]) and has been actively involved in developing, improving, and implementing technologies for highway and airfield concrete pavements for more than 17 years. His other areas of research include recycled and waste materials, high performance concrete (HPC), ultra-HPC (UHPC), nano-materials in concrete, cement chemistry, cement paste rheology, coal combustion by-products and fly ash alternatives, concrete microstructures and petrography.
Panelists:
Ivan Diaz, Director, Research, Boral Resources LLC
Ivan Diaz Loya is Director of Research at Boral Resources, Taylorsville, GA. He holds a PhD in engineering from Louisiana Tech University and has more than 15 years of experience in fly ash research. He is the chair of ACI Committee 232, Fly Ash in Concrete and is a member of Committees 240, Natural Pozzolans, 236, Material Science of Concrete and 242, Alternative Cements. He is also a member of ASTM Committees C01 on Cement and C09 on Concrete and Aggregates and of the Natural Pozzolan Association. His research interests include fly ash and natural pozzolan reactivity in concrete, alternative supplementary cementitious materials and identifying and developing processes to beneficially use coal combustion products and other pozzolans.
Lisa Lukefahr, Executive Director, Texas Concrete Pavement Association
Lisa began her career with TxDOT in the Research Section, coordinating research activities in planning, construction, pavements and materials. Lisa transferred to the Pavements Section in 1993 and then to the Materials and Tests Division in 1995. Initially, she concentrated on hot-mix issues, but after four years, made the change to concrete and began work in the Concrete and Cement Laboratories in 1999. In September 2004, she became the Manager of the Rigid Pavements and Concrete Branch. Lisa feels that her biggest contributions were modernizing TxDOT’s analytical capabilities of cement and fly ash and incorporating 20-years of CRCP research (some cost-saving, some performance-enhancing, some longevity-improving) into the 2011 statewide CRCP standards. In April 2013 Lisa explored her planning and programming roots, spending 16 months in TxDOT’s Project Management Office. Lisa ended her 26-year TxDOT career in April 2016 as TxDOT’s Austin District Laboratory Engineer. Lisa has been the Executive Director of the Texas Concrete Pavement Association since May of 2016, and hopes to support and promote the use of quality concrete pavements in Texas for years to come.
Karthik Obla, Vice President, Technical Services, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA).
Karthik Obla, Ph.D., P.E., FACI is Vice President, Technical Services at the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA). With over 25 years of experience in concrete technology, he is responsible for NRMCA’s concrete producer quality initiatives, and research investigations. He supports the Prescriptive to Performance (P2P) initiative and oversees various educational programs and technical publications. A Fellow of ACI and a winner of ACI’s Young Professional Achievement Award and ASTM Award of appreciation from the Sustainability Committee, Dr. Obla has taken leadership roles in several ACI, ASTM, and TRB technical committees. He has published a book on concrete quality, a chapter in a book on concrete sustainability, and has published over 100 technical articles. He holds a Ph.D. in civil engineering and is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Maryland. He has served as President for the ACI San Antonio Chapter.
