International Concrete Repair Institute Welcomes CTS Cement Manufacturing

CTS Cement Manufacturing’s 11 Rapid Set® Cement-based products are formulated to provide a solution to virtually any repair and restoration challenge International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) member contractors face

The developer of Rapid Set® Cement enhances industry’s sustainability profile.

(Garden Grove, CA; June 16, 2022) – Calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement supplier CTS Cement Manufacturing Corp. adds the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) to the comprehensive list of technical and professional organizations its employees participate in. CTS is now a supporting member of ICRI, which is devoted to prolonging concrete’s useful life.

“Supporting members are a relatively small group of companies that have taken their commitment to ICRI and the industry to the next level,” says ICRI Executive Director Eric Hauth. “Their contribution broadly supports our mission to make the built world safer and last longer.”

Because of their proprietary chemistry, CTS products empower repair and restoration contractors to increase profits while working toward this industrywide goal. CTS is North America’s largest supplier of CSA cements and North America’s only manufacturer of belitic calcium sulfoaluminate (BCSA) cement, which is marketed under the brand name Rapid Set®. This rapid-hardening alternative to portland cement is inherently more resistant to deterioration caused by chlorides, alkali-silica reaction (ASR), sulfates, shrinkage cracking, and freeze-thaw cycles. As a result, contractors can more quickly deliver longer-lasting repair and restoration projects.

Rapid Set is the core ingredient in 11 ASTM C387- and/or C928-compliant concretes and mortars for horizontal, vertical, and overhead structural repair of roads and bridges, water and parking structures, commercial buildings and warehouses, and tunnels as well as historic restoration. Mixed, placed, and finished similarly to portland cement-based repair products, they’re available at 4,000 White Cap and other concrete-supply locations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Concrete made with Rapid Set Cement reaches up to 4500 psi in 1.5 hours compared to 28 days for portland cement concrete. Rapid Set-based repair and restoration products reach structural strength within hours. Contractors use them when they want to:

International Concrete Repair Institute Welcomes CTS Cement Manufacturing, p. 2

• Qualify for an early-completion bonus
• Get more work done in less time with the same number of crew members
• Complete projects with fewer trips to the jobsite
• Avoid potential future failure due to reactive high-sulfate soils
• Increase resistance to snow and ice control chemicals and airborne chlorides
• Help general contractors earn credits for carbon reduction and/or green building.

“For more than six decades, we’ve proudly helped contractors make fast, durable repairs on projects ranging from infrastructure and manufacturing to institutional and commercial building to mining and marine,” says CTS President of Global Sales & Marketing Frank Senatore. “We’re excited to share our expertise in lowering carbon footprint by improving long-term asset performance.”

In addition to ICRI, CTS employees are active in the American Concrete Institute (ACI), American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA), American Institute of Architects (AIA), America Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), International Grooving and Grinding Association (IGGA), Stucco Manufacturers Association (SMA), Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA), and Utility and Transportation Contractors Association (UTCA).

For example, CTS President and CEO Ken Vallens is secretary of the ACI 223 (Shrinkage-Compensating Concrete) committee and a voting member of ACI 242 (Alternative Cements). National Flooring Group Manager Joe Zingale is on the board of the Concrete Polishing Council (CPC) of the American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC).

Launched in 1988, ICRI develops and distributes more than 18 consensus-based technical guidelines, provides ACI 562 Repair Code and Guide training, confers Concrete Surface Repair Technician (CRST) and Concrete Slab Moisture Testing (CSMT) Technician certifications, publishes the bimonthly Concrete Repair Bulletin, and connects industry professionals through 39 chapters worldwide and two annual conventions.

“We couldn’t accomplish all this without supporting members like CTS Cement Manufacturing,” Hauth says.