In a far-reaching presentation at the recent Canadian Concrete Expo in Mississauga, concrete floor authority Geoff Kinney outlined the responsibilities and duties of the sector under a new CSA Standard.
“It’s like a statute,” said Geoff Kinney in referring to the 2024 Edition of CSA A23.1.
The president of the Concrete Floor Construction Association, Kinney was the technical subcommittee chairperson for the standard’s “Clause 7” and served on other committees as well. This is the seventh edition he has worked on.
Published in 2024 after a lengthy review, the standard sets the rules for concrete materials and methods of concrete construction/test methods and standard practices for concrete.
In the opening remarks of his virtual presentation, titled What Contractors Need to Know About 2024 Edition of CSA A23.1, Kinney touched on the environmental changes the world faces such as the 2023-2024 record breaking emissions from wildfires, which were over nine times the historic average.
Kinney also drew a strong connecting line between climate change events and building a quality floor.
“Exposed concrete floors are the sustainable floor finish.”
His presentation was, in equal parts, a high-level overview of the standard and an intensive nuts and bolt examination of its components. It is comprised of a series of clauses, with explanatory notes for each.
The basic thrust of the presentation was that the standard places a set of obligations on the concrete floor sector. It defines minimal mandatory quality standards that have to be adhered to.
“It is applicable even if you haven’t read it or don’t know the requirements. We all have responsibilities. Good quality doesn’t just happen.”
By the term “we,” he was referring to owners (including architects and engineers), contractors and concrete suppliers.
Owners have to ensure the requirements of the standard are met; contractors also have to prepare and implement a quality control plan to ensure the owner’s performance criteria are followed; and concrete suppliers have to ensure mix design and concrete conform to the standard.
Kinney described unqualified contractors as those who don’t read the specifications, have no knowledge of mandatory standards and don’t follow the material manufacturers’ instructions.
The audience was urged to use CFCA certified contractors. A qualified concrete floor contractor who has “full scope single source responsibility” for a project will produce high quality results.
Owners, designers and contractors should also consider value engineering as there are a variety of concrete strength, reinforcing and strengthening solutions for any set of loading conditions.
By valuing the different combinations of concrete and fibres, the lowest marginal price can be determined.
“Purchasing materials based on the lower value may cost you more,” he added.
Another strong recommendation was the need for preconstruction planning, which should get underway three to four weeks prior to commencing field work.
“Preplanning is the last chance to consider any concerns,” said Kinney, noting it should include reviews of specified methods, concrete mix designs and mock-up designs.
The value of mock-ups throughout the design and construction process was a point he returned to more than once during the presentation.
Just one example of their importance is to overcome concerns about the potential use of silica fume as a cementitious material binder.
The use of such binders is “evolving rapidly.”
As part of his deep dive into some of standard’s clauses, Kinney outlined the requirements for concrete floor tolerances, concrete mix water slump adjustments, sawcut contraction joints spacing and other set-up tasks.
A voting member of the IHSA Concrete Floor Labour-Management Safety Committee, Kinney concluded his talk by highlighting the work and initiatives of the committee to enhance worker health and safety.
As displayed in his PowerPoint slide, recent construction trade fatalities have included two young workers killed in a steel structure collapse, one worker electrocuted from overhead wire electrical arching, and a fourth who died from carbon monoxide while working alone and without a CO monitor.
“We must learn from these tragedies.”
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