Jul 08, 2014

In 1914, a small group of professionals gathered to work on methods for making and testing field specimens of concrete. The ASTM International committee that resulted from that first meeting — C09 on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates — celebrated its 100th anniversary during a reception and dinner on June 23 at the Sheraton Centre Toronto, Canada.

The centennial celebration occurred during C09’s latest round of standards development meetings. Speakers included past and current chairmen of C09.

Since its earliest days, C09 has been leading the way in developing concrete standards that have had an enduring impact in the global construction, industrial, transportation, defense, utility and residential realms. In the century that has passed since C09’s founding, concrete has emerged as the most widely used man-made product in the world, integral to the construction of houses, office buildings, bridges, sidewalks, superhighways and dams, among other structures. The work of C09 has been instrumental to the success of concrete, ensuring quality, durability and sustainability and always advancing the application of new technologies in the concrete industry.

“During my 20 years as a member of Committee C09, there has been an ongoing evolution in concrete technology,” says Steve Parker, North American sales and marketing manager, CHRYSO Inc. “I believe that maintaining the pace with these advancements and delivering standards that are directly relevant to industry needs has been and continues to be our top priority as a committee.”

C09 currently has more than 1,400 members from 62 countries. The committee maintains a portfolio of 176+ standards. More than 50 subcommittees within C09 focus on all aspects of concrete, leading to technological developments in areas such as:

• Ready-mixed concrete;
• Self-consolidating concrete;
• Chemical admixtures;
• Supplementary cementitious materials;  and
• Pervious concrete.

Committee C09’s first standard remains one of its most important: C94/C94M, Specification for Ready-Mixed Concrete. First approved in 1933, C94 covered many topics involving the mixing and hauling of ready-mixed concrete that are still relevant today. As technology has changed, so has C94, therefore it remains a pre-eminent standard in the concrete industry.

“Looking at C09’s book of standards doesn’t tell the complete story of the committee’s success and accomplishments over the past century,” notes longtime C09 member Richard Szeczy, president, Texas Aggregates and Concrete Association. “To produce the defining concrete industry documents that stakeholders around the world rely on every day has taken countless hours of dedicated effort and cooperation from thousands of international experts. Over the years, C09 has embodied everything that is great about the ASTM process. That itself is truly worth celebrating.”

ASTM International welcomes participation in the development of its standards. For more information on becoming an ASTM member, visit www.astm.org/JOIN.

ASTM Committee C09 Next Meeting: Dec. 7-10, 2014, December Committee Week, New Orleans, La.
ASTM Staff Contact: Scott Orthey, Phone: 610-832-9730; sorthey@astm.org
ASTM PR Contact: Barbara Schindler, Phone: 610-832-9603; bschindler@astm.org

Release #9605