The amount of research being conducted has increased dramatically during the last 30 years, but whether or not the effectiveness of this research has increased just as dramatically is debatable. This is an important topic because resources are limited and citizens expect to receive good value for their investments. To initiate a discussion, some of the important issues are raised in this article.

The heat of hydration produced in recent California bridge projects built using high-performance concrete made it necessary to control internal concrete temperatures. This not only occurred in large bridge components, but in some surprisingly small components as well. For these projects, embedded pipes carrying cold water proved to be effective thermal control measures and are becoming a common method for dealing with the increased heat produced by high-performance concrete.

A new option is available for fixing loose joints in slabs-on-ground. This device relies on a split aluminum cylinder that fits into a vertical core-drilled hole, centered on the problem joint. The cylinder contains a screw-and-wedge mechanism that pushes the cylinder halves apart. An internal spring keeps the cylinder firmly locked in place as the joint opens and closes, within limits. Including drilling the hole, each device can be installed in as little as 10 to 15 minutes and the slab can be immediately placed back in service.