SOURCE: ACI | March 17, 2026
The American Concrete Institute (ACI) announced the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Mobile Concrete Technology Center (MCTC) will be on-site and available for tours during the Mobile Spring 2026 ACI Concrete Convention in Rosemont, IL. The mission of the MCTC is to introduce Federal, State, and local transportation personnel and industry professionals to the state-of-the-art concrete technology in materials selection, mixture design, field and laboratory testing, and pavement evaluation. The MCTC accomplishes this technology transfer in several ways:
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- Conducting on-site field testing at construction projects to supplement State Highway Agency testing and demonstrating new innovative equipment and construction practices.
- Training Agency personnel through “hands-on” experience with new technologies.
- Showcasing equipment and technology at industry conferences, symposia, and agency facilities to familiarize transportation personnel with state-of-the-art technology.
- Providing an equipment loan program where agency personnel can borrow equipment for various lengths of time after being trained by MCTC staff.
Operated by a team with more than 150 years of collective concrete experience, the MCTC testing facility is equipped to demonstrate a wide range of testing capabilities on construction projects. The MCTC’s field tests include conventional destructive tests as well as new and innovative nondestructive tests that provide vital insight to help users maintain material consistency and quality — and to uncover where it can be enhanced.
When attendees visit the MCTC, they will see demonstrations and interactive opportunities for several new and innovative concrete test methods, including:
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- Super Air Meter (SAM): New technology to measure the air void system of concrete;
- Surface Resistivity: Rapid measurement to indicate permeability of concrete;
- Box Test: New technology to assess the workability of slipform concrete;
- Float Test: New technology to assess the finishability of non-slipform concrete;
- Calorimetry: Real-time assessment of the chemical consistency of concrete;
- MIT-DOWEL-Scan: Real-time assessment of dowel bar alignment;
- UltraSonic Pulse Echo (MIRA): Forensic tool to detect defects and rebar on existing concrete.
The MCTC will be open for all Convention attendees’ tours at the dates and times below:
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- Saturday, March 28, 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm
- Sunday, March 29, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
- Sunday, March 29, 9:30 am to 10:00 am (Introduction session)
- Monday, March 30, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
- Tuesday, March 31, 8:30 am to 12:00 pm
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