What we do
Four mandates, one working year
The chapter runs on four mandates it inherits from the American Concrete Institute. Everything on the calendar — seminars, showcases, webinars, site visits, competitions — exists to serve one of them.
The mandate
What the chapter is for
– / Focus areas
These four come straight from the ACI student chapter mandate. They are the test we hold every event against before it goes on the calendar.
Research visibility
Promote the visibility of concrete research on and off campus.
In practice: the poster series, the civil engineering showcase, and webinars that put student and faculty work in front of an audience beyond the lab that produced it.
Industry relationships
Represent the interests of the ACI and build relationships between industry and students through meetings with employers at monthly seminars and other chapter activities.
In practice: monthly seminars where the speaker stays afterwards, site visits hosted by the firms doing the work, and networking nights built for conversation rather than a queue at a booth.
ACI awareness
Develop awareness of ACI, its chapters, and the consensus procedures by which the ACI operates.
In practice: sessions on how ACI codes and guides are actually written — the committee process, the consensus votes — so members read a standard knowing where it came from.
Career preparation
Prepare students for their future careers through presentations given by industry experts.
In practice: talks from people a few years ahead of you, competition teams that force a real deliverable to a real deadline, and mentorship from faculty and alumni who answer the follow-up email.
How it runs
Three formats, repeated
The chapter deliberately runs a small number of formats often, rather than many one-offs. Members learn the rhythm and can drop into any of them without needing to have been there from the start.
Talks & learning
Seminars
Technical sessions with faculty and industry — from durability and mix design to the business of concrete, held through the year.
Projects on display
Showcases
Student work brought into the room — our civil engineering showcase where teams present designs, specimens, and results.
Online sessions
Webinars
Guest speakers and researchers joining us online, alongside the poster series highlighting current work in the field.
Ready to build something that lasts?
Membership is open to all uOttawa students. Join for the workshops, stay for the people.