The Reinforcement Detailing Handbook for Reinforced and Prestressed Concrete has recently been released.  Already 2000 copies of the first print run have been distributed and the first reprint is now underway.
   Information was recently distributed to members advising of the availablility of a special introductory price of $48.00 and orders have been flowing thick and fast.  Members are still able to place orders and can obtain further information and download an order form here.
   In a special arrangement negotiated with the Steel Reinforcement Institute of Australia, 1500  student editions have been prepared and these will be distributed on a complimentary basis by SRIA at student lectures during 2007.  Bulk orders have also been placed by National Precast Concrete Association Australia and the Association of Structural Consulting Engineers of Victoria and the Australian Certification Agency for Reinforcing Steel so that those organisations may distribute copies direct to their members.  The handbook is also available through Standards Australia/SAI Global and Engineers Australia's distribution outlet Engineers Publications.

   The April-May 2007 edition of Concrete in Australia magazine contains a comprehensive report on the handbook.

   This draft publication has been written as a guide to the use of shotcrete in Australia. It is based on established practice within the Australian context and is targeted toward designers, specifiers, owners, suppliers, contractors and other end users of shotcrete.
   From limited beginnings in the 1960s, shotcrete has emerged as the first choice for ground support in the general construction and mining industries and is increasingly being used in other applications. Shotcrete is an evolving technology and users of this guide (once published in final form) will need to appreciate that the contents represent the state of knowledge and practice at the date of publication and may be subject to change.
   The guide has been prepared by the Australian Shotcrete Society, a special interest group within the Australian Tunnelling Society (ATS), in conjunction with the Concrete Institute of Australia.  It has been arranged into chapters and sections covering specific areas of information relevant to shotcrete technology. The behaviour of structures made with shotcrete more closely resembles that of cast concrete structures than any other type of structure. In the absence of an Australian Standard on shotcrete the section within this guide on Design Considerations for Shotcrete has been organised in a broadly similar manner to AS3600 Concrete Structures to facilitate a complementary approach to structural design.

   Institute members who are in a position to review the draft publication and make a contribution to the finalisation of the document are invited to contact the Institute's national office for further information. 

    The Institute's Queensland Branch is project managing the drafting of a revision of the existing Recommended Practice publication Prestressed Concrete Anchorage Zones  and is establishing a project team to continue the work commenced by the New South Wales Branch on a new "cracking" publication.
    Initial indications are that the Institute's existing Prestressed Concrete Anchorage Zones Recommended Practice publication will be revised and expanded to also include content which specifically addresses post installed anchorage systems.  Already, the Post-Tensioning Institute of Australia has offered its technical expertise in support of the revision and a number of specialist suppliers have been identified to participate.
   Meanwhile, the mammoth task of authoring an advisory publication on cracking has moved North and work is shortly to commence which builds on that already undertaken by the New South Wales Branch.  A review of existing resources from Australia and overseas has commenced.

   Institute members who wish to be involved in the drafting of either of these publications are invited to submit details to the Institute's national office and these will be passed on to the relevant teams for consideration.

   The Institute's involvement with the devleopment of Standards continues to maintain its priority status within the scope of the Institute's operations.  Recent activity has included the offering by Standards Australia to the Institute of further representative positions on additional committees.  This activity is in addition to the Institute's existing involvement with a broad spectrum of concrete related materials and design committees.
   AS3600 continues to be a major focus of Standards development activity.  Insiders report that it is highly unlikely that the new standard will be issued in the first half of this calendar year.  The draft standard was released for final ballot some time ago, and at the time the balloting period closed, indications were there were a number of negative votes lodged.  The resolution process for negative votes can involve higher level committees within the Standards Australia structure.  Some interested parties are also suggesting that the ABCB may require a regulatory impact assessment prior to the standard being considered for "calling up" into the Building Code of Australia.

   A special Standards issue of the Institute's electronic newsletter will be issued in the near future.  Members will be updated on the range of the Institute's standards development activities.

  The Volume 32 Issue 4 edition of Concrete in Australia magazine was recently released and has been delivered to members.
   The range of technical content provided in associated with allied organisations continues to increase and the next edition will include the first technical material to be provided by the Post-Tensioning Institute of Australia.  PTIA's involvement will complement the material already being provided by a number of other associations allied to the Institute's members' interests.
   Distribution of the magazine also continues to grow in line with further increases in membership, particularly those ariseing from the new Academic membership category.

All members are invited to support the publication by submitting letters, articles or other suitable material for publication.

   A limited number of sponsorship and exhibition opportunities for Concrete 07are available.  The conference to be held in Adelaide from 18 to 20 October promises to be a fantastic opportunity for companies and other organisations to showcase their products and services.

   Further information is available through the conference web site which can be reached through www.concreteinstitute.com.au

For information on seminars and meetings conducted by Concrete Institute of Australia visit our web site at www.concreteinstitute.com.au

Concrete Institute of Australia may be contacted through its national office:

PO Box 3157, RHODES NSW 2138
Phone: +61 2 9736 2955 Fax: +61 2 9736 2639
Email: admin@concreteinstitute.com.au

All Concrete Institute of Australia publications including this electronic newsletter are made possible by continuing support received from our Platinum Company members. For information on these companies, link to their web sites through the Institute's site at www.concreteinstitute.com.au