President's Memo

The stretch of unseasonably warm weather we experienced in February seemed to do more than just lift our spirits—it jump-started project work across the industry. That renewed energy was evident at our February dinner meeting, where weather and new work were common topics of conversation among members reconnecting and sharing what lies ahead.

The February dinner also featured an engaging presentation by Ryan Ciadella, who spoke on “Implementing Low Carbon Concrete.” The presentation sparked thoughtful discussion both during and after the session. Many members shared that it was refreshing to hear an honest perspective—highlighting not only the benefits and progress being made, but also the real challenges that still exist. These open, balanced conversations are exactly what make our chapter such a valuable forum for learning and collaboration.

We now turn our attention to our upcoming convention, taking place March 29 through April 1 in Rosemont. We are incredibly grateful to our sponsors for their continued support—this event would not be possible without them. Our convention committee and board members have put in an extraordinary amount of effort, and their enthusiasm shows in what we have planned and what is still to come. Be sure to check out events like the hockey game on Monday, March 30—there will be plenty of fun to go around. And don’t forget to stop by the ACI-IL table outside of registration for information, giveaways, and a chance to connect.

As we move forward through the year, we have many exciting events planned—and possibly some new and unique ones as well. Keep an eye out for opportunities to connect, learn, and engage through creative networking experiences designed with our members in mind!

Most importantly, thank you for being part of this community. Your participation, curiosity, and willingness to share ideas are what keep ACI-IL strong. I look forward to seeing many of you in the coming months and continuing to build a year full of growth, connection, and momentum together.

Warm regards,
Jaclyn Ferraro
President, ACI-IL

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Dinner Meeting Recap

At ACI IL’s February meeting in Oakbrook, the chapter was honored to have Ozinga’s Chief Mission Critical & Decarbonization Officer, Ryan Cialdella, present “Implementing Low Carbon Concrete.” Many of us have heard talks and seen presentations about Type 1L or other associated “green” topics, but this was a unique and informative insight into an aspect of decreasing the embodied carbon that many of us have not been able to experience. Rather than painting broad arcs about the pressure from owners and claims of the latest snake oil salesmen, Ryan went into detail with actual data and requirements from specific projects around the country, showing not just the bright spots, but the more illustrative close calls from which we learn volumes more.

Ryan began by saying that the majority of the pressure driving boundary-pushing truly low carbon solutions is coming from the data center world. Owners in this space are clamoring to offset the public’s knowledge of their long-term energy consumption by developing projects with the lowest possible impact. Several projects were highlighted using different approaches to minimize their impacts. Projects for Meta, AWS, and the MN roads project were highlighted with varying degrees of success using replacements from 70% to 100% of traditional cements. With each failure, lessons were learned and further iterations improved.

While progressive owners like Meta and Amazon are willing to push the boundaries, traditional owners like DOT’s, who are the purchasers of a majority of the concrete nationally, are not as willing. Successful projects have shown the potential for significant improvements to traditional approaches. Ryan stressed that some jurisdictions are more prepared than others, acknowledging that there is a learning curve to working with high replacements. He recommended that owners be encouraged to switch to more performance-based specifications that both allow and reward suppliers for using varied approaches to ensure a successful project with optimal efficiency. He also cautioned that producers just wading into the market will need education. Also, in order to evaluate and test novel mix designs, instead of the historic 2 week lead time to develop a mix, upwards of 8 months may be needed to develop, test, and iterate for the optimum mix design.

Despite these seeming challenges, low impact concrete mixes give the industry a way to move forward, especially with inconsistent material supply. Moving to performance requirements gives producers a way to creatively pursue success while optimizing their available inputs. Who wouldn’t want to do more with less? The IL Chapter is grateful for the insights provided by Mr. Cialdella and looks forward to hearing about the ongoing monitoring in MN and the results from the next round of progressive projects.

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Dinner Meeting Recap

For our final dinner meeting of the Spring, the ACI IL chapter was treated to bit of a different topic than usual: Dr. Thomas Leslie, FAIA, from The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign presented his research on “Chicago’s Role in the Modern Concrete Skyscraper.” An architect by training, Dr. Leslie has spent many years in search of insights into why Chicago became such a unique location in the development of reinforced concrete highrises. He is the author of 5 books, including “Chicago Skyscrapers, 1934-1986: How Technology, Politics, Finance, and Race Reshaped the City” and has been featured as an expert on building technology and history in the New York Times, on the BBC, the Discovery channel, and WBEZ-Chicago, among others.

During his presentation at Pazzo’s Chicago, Dr. Leslie led us through the lives of many of concrete’s seldom-recognized trailblaizers: Ransome and his first reinforced concrete building, C.A.P. Turner and his initial flat slab patents, Dr. Talbot and his research at the University of Illinois, and Duff Abrams with his seminal work on the influence of the water-to-cement ratio on concrete. All of this with the backdrop of post-Great Fire Chicago and its early embrace of codes and standards in 1911. He even showed how Mies van der Rohe, recognized for his steel designs, made extensive use of reinforced concrete for residential structures around the City.

More personally tangible to the audience was the work on high strength concrete in the City, pioneered by Material Service Corporation and their unique Quality Control department. Beginning with the construction of Marina City in 1964, the producer spearheaded a rapid acceleration in high strength concrete technology, peaking with the construction of the very building where the meeting was held, 311 S Wacker, at the time of its completion, the World’s tallest reinforced concrete highrise. Some of the audience members had participated in those projects and could recall the excitement and innovation of that time. He welcomed the group to contribute information towards his ongoing research, as so much of what happened remains undocumented.

Dr. Leslie also welcomed the audience to join him in getting Material Service’s old Yard 1 at Halsted and Chicago (currently Prairie 32) recognized as a Chicago landmark for its influence on global concrete development; perhaps that is something with which ACI IL can lend a hand!

Dr. Leslie’s interesting presentation was a great finale to this portion of ACI IL’s year, and gave all of us perspective on our collective past as we take on the challenges of a new building season in Chicago.

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March Dinner Meeting

Location:
Pazzo's Chicago
311 S. Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606

Parking: No valet. Nearby Garages

Guest Speakers: Jeff Wytaniec, Assistant Commissioner - Design & Construction with the Chicago Department of Aviation
Topic:  CDA Project Highlights
Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Time: Cocktails 5PM, Dinner meeting 6-9PM, Convention meeting 3:00PM, Board meeting 4:00PM
Cost: $85 per person ($75 for ACI-IL members, please login for discount), please register in advance

REGISTER NOW

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UIUC ACI Student Chapter / ACI-IL Joint Meeting

On February 5, 2026, a joint meeting hosted by ACI-Illinois, ICRI-Chicago, and the ACI Student Chapter at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign brought together 50 students and industry professionals for an engaging evening focused on concrete forensics. Held at the Newmark Civil Engineering Laboratory Smart Bridge, the event began with dinner followed by a technical presentation.

The evening opened with a great dinner provided by local favorite Maize, giving attendees an opportunity to connect and network. Following dinner, participants gained valuable insight into the investigation and assessment of existing concrete structures. The program covered common deterioration mechanisms, field investigation methods, and relevant ACI and ICRI guide documents. The highlight of the evening was a compelling case study on a recent isolated partial balcony collapse, walking through the investigative process used to determine the failure mode and develop an effective remediation strategy. The presentation was delivered by Colin Rueb, SE, PE, Senior Engineer with Raths, Raths & Johnson, Inc., whose practical experience and real-world examples encouraged conversation among the attendees.

The strong turnout and active participation made this collaborative event a tremendous success for students and professionals alike.

A special thank you to Colin Rueb for sharing his expertise and to everyone who attended and contributed to a successful and engaging evening.

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ACI-IL Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards

Are you involved in an outstanding concrete project? The ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards celebrate innovation and inspire excellence in the global concrete design and construction community. Now, more than ever, we need creative techniques and technologies to meet economic, environmental, and aesthetic demands. To waive the $995 self-nomination fee, contact and submit your entry to [email protected] and our committee will review your application and submit it on your behalf. 

DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION

Categories for Submission:

Key Dates:

Don’t miss this opportunity! DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION TODAY!

If you have questions, please contact [email protected] or the Awards Committee Chair, Joni Jones at [email protected]

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Calendar of Events

ACI Meetings

2026

March Dinner Meeting
March 18, 2026 - Pazzo's Chicago
Register TODAY!

ACI 2026 Spring Convention!! Rosemont, IL       
March 29 – April 1, 2026

ACI 2026 Fall Convention - Atlanta, GA
October 11 - 14, 2026

Industry Events

ICRI - For more information https://icrichicago.org/

IRMCA - For more information www.irmca.org or (309) 862-214
Building Better with 1L Cement
March 13, 2026
Register Today

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Call for Convention Planning

Join us at the ACI Concrete Convention in Rosemont
March 29 - April 1, 2026!

Support Our Convention!

Your help will be needed as a volunteer at the convention and at the convention this fall. Volunteers contact Jaclyn Ferraro at [email protected] for more information.

Please reach out at [email protected] or [email protected] and we will be in touch soon with more general planning information.

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Upcoming Certification Sessions

Locations:
ACI-IL Certification Facility - 650 W. Grand Ave. Suite 106, Elmhurst, IL 60126
MDG Millennia Professional Services - 2600 Warrenville Rd., #203, Downers Grove, IL 60515
LAKE Lake Land College - 5100 Lake Land Blvd, Mattoon, IL 61938 

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ACI-IL Summer Golf Outing

We hope you’ll join us for the Annual ACI Illinois Golf Outing benefitting our Scholarship fund. The golf outing will take place on Monday, June 1, 2026 at Ruffled Feathers Golf Club!

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IDOT QMTP Director of Certification and Recertification Job Posting

Below is the link to the job posting for the position at Lake Land College to replace Lori (Walk) Long when she retires next June.  They are hoping to get someone hired this fall so that they can shadow for the next training season.

 https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/lakelandcollege/fulltime/jobs/4952976/director-of-idot-qmtp-certification-and-recertification

Please pass along to anyone who may be interested!

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Find us on LinkedIn and Facebook

We hope you’ll join us on LinkedIn: ACI Illinois Chapter LinkedIn
and Facebook: ACI Illinois Chapter Facebook

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