Bruce Suprenant: Advancing the Concrete Industry Through Education in Every Way, Shape and Form

When Bruce Suprenant starts talking about his background in concrete, it's immediately apparent that not only does he love what he does, but he also loves to try new things—including concrete finishing, consulting, teaching and writing. In short, he's the jack of all concrete trades.

Suprenant's latest hat is one he's worn before—running his own company, Concrete Engineering Specialists in Colorado. Almost 10 years ago, he was a consulting engineer; this time around his company specializes in concrete, specifically troubleshooting problems and issues from pre- to post-construction.

The company opened its doors onDecember 1, 2004, and the impetus was simple. "It seemed the time to step out and do things I want to do and enjoy doing, things that also benefit the industry," Suprenant explains. "Plus, no one tells me what to do!"

All joking aside, Suprenant adds that Concrete Engineering Specialists allows him to go after specialized projects, as well as affords him more time to focus on writing and education. He also chairs the American Society of Concrete Contractors' Technical Review Committee, which prepares position statements dealing with technical and contractual issues that affect contractors. He has also authored articles covering many concrete contractor issues, and conducted seminars for the American Concrete Institute and at the World of Concrete.

All of this from a man who got his start helping out his dad (a general contractor in Illinois) as a concrete laborer and finisher until he graduated from high school. Suprenant then spent several years immersed in academia, first getting his bachelor's degree in construction from BradleyUniversityin Illinois, then getting his master's degree in engineering at the University of Illinois, and rounding off his academic career with a Ph.D. in civil engineering from Montana State University.

There were also several industry-related jobs mixed in, such as when Suprenant worked as a structural engineer designing concrete buildings and pre-cast buildings, when he was a structural engineer for the Portland Cement Association, and when he taught at the University of Wyoming, University of South Florida and the University of Colorado (though not all at the same time!).

Suprenant also once owned a testing laboratory in Denver, as well as spent eight years with a major publishing company, where he started out as the engineering editor and worked his way up to vice president of publishing. Most recently, Suprenant was with Structural Services Inc., based in Dallas, where he was the executive vice president.

When the discussion turns to Suprenant's prolific writings, he's quick to credit the many contractors that have called the ASCC hotline to ask questions about topics, topics he later covered in articles written for industry publications. "Sometimes contractors don't understand ACI specifications or the information that's given in other ACI documents," he explains. "But sometimes the documents aren't as good as they could be, and I write about changes that I think are needed."

January's issue of Concrete International will unveil the 25^th ASCC Position Statement, and the topic is one of Suprenant's hot buttons—floor finish specifications. He explains that the specified flatness requirements for floors with lots of penetrations for plumbing and electrical fixtures are often too tight to be met by the contractor. Designers expect the same flatness as for floors with no obstructions, even though the penetrations don't permit finishers to use straightedges, pan floats, or other equipment that helps to produce a flat floor. And when the designers' flatness expectations aren't met, the contractor is blamed for poor workmanship. "Design professionals need to realize that floors won't be as flat when the finishers have to work around obstructions, but that the floors can still be functional," says Suprenant.

Suprenant adds that he hopes contractors will use the Position Statements as talking points, whether during the bid process, in pre-construction meetings or as problems crop up. "But sooner is better than later," he says. "The statements are primarily intended to be used up front, before there's a problem."

Another major floor issue Suprenant has covered extensively is floor-covering failures. He wrote six articles for Concrete International about designing and specifying floors that are covered with tile, plastic sheet goods, wood or other flooring materials. He has also written articles on problems related to concrete construction tolerances.

What are future issues of concern for the concrete industry? Suprenant cites two areas that need to be addressed. First, he says there's a need to better educate construction managers. "There are many specialists—structural engineers, architects, contractors—on the construction team, but communications are often handled by a construction manager," he explains. "And their knowledge of concrete isn't as good as it should be."

The goal is then to educate construction managers on concrete issues, and one of the best ways to do so is by having ACI and ASCC disseminate information to them. "But we have to write differently: Instead of writing so concrete people can understand a subject, we have to write so people who aren't familiar with concrete can't misunderstand the subject," Suprenant says. "This creates a new educational opportunity."

Another educational opportunity has already risen due to the fact that many specifications now require flatwork finishers to be ACI certified. "Because of this, the more progressive contractors will get ahead of the curve and start getting their finishers certified even before they bid jobs that require this step," says Suprenant. "By doing it in advance, these contractors will avoid some common finishing problems, deliver a better product to the owner, and improve their business' competitive position."

In all of his works, Suprenant says his approach is the same. "I like solving unusual or difficult problems that aren't covered in textbooks," he explains. "It's like doing a puzzle. First you organize the puzzle pieces, then put them together so others can see what's going on. "

"All [of it] is extended education," Suprenant adds. "The ASCC and ACI hotline [questions] are good for me, they help make me think and give me a chance to learn and move forward...When it's no longer fun, [I'll] do something else."

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