Hot Weather

Event Summary

Our next technical seminar is a hot topic and not just because of the weather!
Hot weather concreting presents unique challenges that can affect everything from setting time and workability to long-term durability.
Understanding how high temperatures, low humidity, and wind can impact concrete is essential for anyone involved in design, production, or construction.
Join us for this Face-to-Face seminar and hear from a fantastic line-up of experts, including admixture specialists, concrete manufacturers, and construction professionals.
They’ll share their knowledge on the causes of hot weather issues, practical prevention strategies, and real-world solutions that keep projects on track, even in the toughest conditions.
This seminar is packed with technical insights, case studies, and tips you can apply on your next project.
Plus, it’s a great opportunity to network with peers, discuss challenges, and exchange ideas with leaders in the field.
Don’t miss this chance to deepen your understanding of hot weather concreting and ensure your next project stands the test of heat!

Presentations 

David McDonald BE, Ph.D. (Civil), FACI, FIEAust, CPEng, NER, RPEQ Principal Civil Engineer - Vinsi Partners

Practical methods and durability advice for hot weather concrete

Hot weather concreting can significantly increase the risk of early-age distress and long-term durability problems, especially when concrete temperatures approach or exceed specified maximum limits. This presentation reviews the main mechanisms of concern, including rapid moisture loss, poor surface hydration, plastic shrinkage cracking, excessive internal heat, delayed ettringite formation (DEF), and associated cracking risks. It then sets out practical measures for reducing these risks through appropriate design, specification, mix selection, and site construction practices.

Dr. Usman Javed, Structural Engineer - ACCIONA Engineering and Design (AED) 

Early-Age Thermal Cracking of Water-Retaining Structures

The complex interaction between exothermic hydration kinetics and prevailing ambient conditions is a critical vulnerability that leads to early-age thermal cracking. In restrained concrete elements, the higher thermal gradients, resulting in tensile stresses. These stresses can manifest into surface cracking if they are greater than the early-age strain capacity of the concrete. These cracks can, if not managed, lead to increased permeability, chloride ingress and compromise the long-term performance of assets with a 100-year service life.

Leveraging the experience on case studies in Western Australia such as Alkimos Desalination Plant, this presentation examines the mechanics of early-age thermal cracking. The relationships between concrete placement, curing temperatures, evaporative moisture loss, structural restraint, and crack spacing will be explored.

Conclusively, this session highlights the primary mechanisms that lead to cracking, explains practical approaches to reduce construction risk, and presents novel techniques for controlling design crack widths in long-life water-retaining infrastructure.

Brendon Lin, Regional Technical Manager - Heidelberg Materials Australia

Hot weather concreting presents challenges across the entire concrete supply chain, from material preparation and mix design through to production, placement, curing and quality control. This presentation explores the effects of elevated temperatures, wind and low humidity on concrete performance, including rapid setting, loss of workability, plastic shrinkage, thermal effects and potential strength reduction.

It provides practical strategies to minimise these risks, including aggregate conditioning, mix design optimisation, admixture selection, pour planning, on-site handling, evaporation control, curing and protection of test specimens. The presentation highlights the importance of proactive planning, communication and coordination between suppliers, laboratories, contractors and project teams to maintain concrete quality and durability during hot weather conditions.

Program

5.00pm     Entry & Name Tag Collection
5.30pm     Welcome & Introduction
7.00pm     Networking
8.00pm     Close

Speakers

David McDonald BE, Ph.D. (Civil), FACI, FIEAust, CPEng, NER, RPEQ Principal Civil Engineer - Vinsi Partners

Since 1990, Dr David McDonald has developed specialised expertise in concrete, corrosion, cracking, durability, and performance.  He has researched and published on topics including shrinkage and creep of concrete, corrosion of steel, cracking of bridge decks and other structures and deterioration mechanisms for construction materials.  His experience includes 27 years in the USA where has worked in Engineering consulting, construction product development and as the CEO of the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, and for the past 8 years has worked on the largest projects in Australia providing expertise to Engineering organizations and construction companies on concrete materials, cracking, durability, sustainability and performance.  David is a Fellow of the ACI, and Engineers Australia and holds a PhD from the University of Sydney.

Dr. Usman Javed, Structural Engineer - ACCIONA Engineering and Design (AED) 

His work covers the structural design of reinforced concrete and steel structures, with a particular focus on concrete durability and its early-age behaviour. His research and engineering practice examine autogenous and drying shrinkage and their relationship with the reaction kinetics of cementitious and alkali-activated materials.

A key part of his work is the assessment of early-age thermal and restrained-shrinkage cracking in thick concrete sections, including the control of placement temperature and core-to-surface temperature differentials. He also assesses concrete durability concerns, and his research interests include the development of novel mitigation techniques, such as self-healing, internal curing, and fibre-retention approaches.

He holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from Curtin University, completed as a funded doctoral researcher on an ARC Discovery Project investigating lithium-slag-based alkali-activated materials. He is a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng, NER), MIEAust, IntPE(Aus), and APEC Engineer. He has published 18 peer-reviewed works covering broader materials and structural engineering domain, including but not limited to, low-carbon cementitious binders, alkali-activated materials, carbon nano tubes cementitious composites, 3D concrete printing, and lunar habitat binder systems, with particular interests in concrete durability. He also serves as a reviewer for nine international top tier journals.

Brendon Lin, Regional Technical Manager - Heidelberg Materials Australia

A Regional Technical Manager with Heidelberg Materials Australia, with more than a decade of experience across the concrete and aggregates industry. He graduated from the University of Auckland in 2012 with a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Chemical and Materials Engineering. Brendon has held roles spanning technical services, concrete operations, aggregate supply, logistics, quality and technical compliance, providing an end-to-end understanding of the construction materials supply chain. His experience combines technical expertise with practical operational and commercial knowledge, giving him an all-round perspective across the concrete and aggregates business.