Editor’s Note

This issue includes the first of two forums on chemical admixture compatibilities in concrete. This first contribution, by Claude Bedard and Noel P. Mailvaganam, introduces potential problems involving admixture-cement incompatibilities. The second, a discussion of potential admixture-admixture incompatibilities, will appear in the February 2006 issue.

The authors represent a great deal of experience with the topic of concrete admixtures, both in research and in industry. Before becoming principal scientist at the National Research Council of Canada, Noel Mailvaganam was employed in the admixture industry. Claude Bedard is currently working in the industry. He is former chairman of the Canadian Standards Committee on Concrete (A 23.1).

Marvelous achievements are made possible in modern concrete structures through the proper application of chemical admixtures. Understanding the characteristics of these new materials, however, has become a challenge for design and construction professionals. Clearly, the complicated interactions among the various constituent elements at each stage of the hydration process affect the properties of the finished product. The forum contributions presented here are intended to be a brief overview of potential admixture compatibility topics. We welcome manuscripts that explore any of these issues in further detail. Forensic case histories involving specific admixture-cement or admixture-admixture incompatibilities will be particularly interesting to our readers.

The ASCE Technical Council on Forensic Engineering (TCFE) has selected the Outstanding Paper published in this journal in 2004. The Outstanding Paper Award certificate and wall plaque will be given to W. Douglas Neely (Fig. 1), Thomas E. Cousins (Fig. 2), and John J. Lesko (Fig. 3) for their paper, “Evaluation of In-Service Performance of Tom’s Creek Bridge Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Superstructure,” which appeared in the August 2004 issue (Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 147–158). The paper describes measured performance of a small-scale demonstration project involving fiber-reinforced polymer composite girders as the main load-carrying members of a bridge in Blacksburg, Va. The TCFE Awards Committee agreed with the reader who nominated this paper for the award: “First, (the paper) addresses the observed behavior of a structure in service, which is the very title of the journal. Second, it describes a testing program to evaluate the suitability of an innovative material for use in civil engineering practice. Third, the program addresses the key issues hindering the acceptance of FRP material with a scientifically sound approach. Finally, the paper is well written so that it is easy to follow the main points.”

W. Douglas Neely, P.E., is currently a project engineer with Hardesty & Hanover in Annapolis, Md. He has worked with Hardesty & Hanover since completing his master’s degree at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va., in May 2000. His work experience includes structural design and analysis, safety inspection, construction inspection, and shop drawing review. Notable projects include the rehabilitation of the Benedict Bridge swing span in Maryland, replacement of the Hamilton Avenue skewed bascule span in New York, replacement of the Woodrow Wilson bascule span in Maryland, replacement of the Niantic River bascule span in Connecticut, and restoration of the historic Goose Creek Bridge in Virginia.

Thomas Cousins, P.E., is currently an Associate Professor in the Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Director of the Virginia Cooperative Center of Bridge Engineering. He has been on the faculty at Virginia Tech since 1996. His research program is focused in the area of application of high-performance materials to bridges. Professor Cousins has worked on projects involving the application of fiber-reinforced polymer composites, aluminum, high-performance concrete, and structural steel to bridge structures. He teaches reinforced concrete design and bridge design courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

John J. (Jack) Lesko is Associate Professor of Engineering Mechanics and Fellow to the College of Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. His interdisciplinary research focuses on damage mechanics and its influence on composite strength and durability. His investigations include the coupled kinetic effects of time, temperature (fire), and environment on the durability of high-performance aerospace and low-cost (pultruded) polymer ground transportation and infrastructure composites. Professor Lesko also maintains an active research program on polymer composite materials, processing, mechanics, structures, and design as applied to the civil infrastructure. Presently, he serves on the international editorial boards for the ASCE Journal of Composites for Construction and the International Journal of Fatigue. He is deputy director of macromolecular science and infrastructure engineering for the National Science Foundation Integrated Graduate Education and Research Training program.

Other nominees for the Outstanding Paper Award were—

Congratulations are extended to each of these authors. Nominations submitted by journal readers were appreciated.

The time has come to select the winner of our Outstanding Paper Award for 2005. The Publications Committee is studying the papers published in our four 2005 issues, and will soon make a recommendation to the TCFE Awards Committee. Readers are invited to submit nominations. If you wish to nominate a paper that you found especially useful or informative, please write to me, indicating your reasons for the nomination. I can be contacted by mail: Kenneth L. Carper, School of Architecture and Construction Management, College of Engineering and Architecture, P. O. Box 642220, Washington State University, Pullman, Wash. 99164-2220; by phone: (509) 335-1229; by FAX: (509) 335-6132; or by email: [email protected]

This issue marks the end of the $19\text{th}\text{year}$ of publication of the Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities. The Journal owes much of its success to the many manuscript reviewers who have donated their time to provide constructive comments to authors. Indeed, the reviewers play a role that is equivalent to that of the authors in maintaining the quality of this publication. Our reviewers serve without compensation. They are, without exception, highly respected individuals who are very busy in practice and/or academia. Yet, they find the time to contribute altruistically to the dissemination of useful information in this Journal.

At the end of each year’s final issue, we list those who have provided reviews during the year. I want to extend my personal appreciation for their efforts. If you recognize one of your colleagues in the list, please express your appreciation.