In the 1970s, a string of fatal construction disasters motivated engineers and researchers to establish a reliable method for allowing construction teams to estimate the in-place strength of concrete.

 

Maturity concepts have been around for over 50 years.

In the 1970s, a string of fatal construction disasters motivated engineers and researchers to refine the technique for routine construction.

In the spring of 1973, a multi-story apartment building collapsed during construction in Fairfax County, Virginia due to weak concrete. The project’s construction team had waited a full four days for the concrete to cure, then removed forms—but the concrete hadn’t yet gained sufficient strength and the building collapsed. The incident claimed 14 lives and injured 34 others.

Five years later, 51 workers were killed when a cooling tower crashed to the ground while under construction in Willow Island, WV. Again, the structure failed because the concrete had not gained sufficient strength to support the loads.

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