About the University of Manitoba ACI Student Chapter
Founded in 1904, the American Concrete Institute – a non-profit technical and educational society – is currently the world’s leading authority in the concrete industry. Today, ACI has 99 Chapters with over 20,000 members in 108 countries in addition to countless Student Chapters at post-secondary institutions around the world. These chapters are formed to:
Further the objective of ACI by bringing together the various individuals and groups in a local area for the purpose of discussing and disseminating technical information.
As per the University of Manitoba ACI Student Chapter By-Laws, the purpose of this Student Chapter is to:
Encourage student interest in the study of concrete and to develop an awareness of ACI International, ACI Chapters and consensus procedures by which ACI and other similar organizations operate.
This Student Chapter was possible due to the efforts of David Amorim and Matthew Lynch, graduate students in the Department of Civil Engineering. Their passion for concrete fueled their desire to create an active Student Chapter at the University of Manitoba. These individuals reviewed Chapter By-Laws, prepared advertising documents, advertised for the Student Chapter and Board of Director positions and successfully held official board elections on October 2nd, 2013 with the assistance of Chapter Advisor, Dr. Bassuoni.
The purpose of the University of Manitoba (UofM) American Concrete Institute (ACI) Student Chapter (referred to hereafter as the ACI Student Chapter) is to encourage student interest in the study of concrete and to develop an awareness of ACI International and its various activities on disseminating knowledge about concrete from architectural, materials and structural perspectives. This amalgamation brings together a wide population of students (undergraduate and graduate) from different disciplines, which are mostly architecture, biosystems engineering and civil engineering. Until now, the number of members is approximately 70 students, and it is expected to significantly grow with the vigorous activities of the current members.The Board believes that there should not be a membership fee (to not deter potential members who may be genuinely interested in joining but may not have the financial means to do so) and has therefore made membership free to all University of Manitoba students.
The ACI student chapter has completed its 1st year of annual activities, which included: holding a monthly presentation series in which various members from the concrete industry or UofM students presented multi-theme topics on concrete industry and research; forming student teams to represent the UofM in challenging national and international competitions on concrete; holding a technical tour of a local precasting concrete plant. These activities not only provide networking opportunities bringing together students from multiple disciplines with industry professionals, but they significantly contribute to advancing their leadership, communication and technical skills. They also vitally contribute to developing their professional skills, which are needed towards registration with organizations such as the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba (APEGM). In addition, through these activities, the ACI Student Chapter has and will continue to have a measurable positive impact on the UofM community, and will surely contribute to the national and international recognition of the UofM.