Upcoming Virtual Seminar - November 4, 2026

NEx Virtual Seminar: Durability, Fire & Seismic Performance of Nonmetallic Building Materials

DATE: November 4, 2026

TIME: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm EST

Continuing Education Credit: 0.30 CEU (3.0 PDH)

Register: NEx Seminar I (November 4): Durability, Fire & Seismic Performance of Nonmetallic Building Materials

This seminar is jointly sponsored by NEx: An ACI Center of Excellence for Nonmetallic Building Materials and the American Concrete Institute (ACI).

This session will examine the durability, seismic performance, and fire behavior of nonmetallic materials used in concrete structures. Presentations will address code requirements for GFRP-reinforced concrete, long-term performance of GFRP reinforcement in aggressive environments, seismic behavior of GFRP and hybrid GFRP-steel reinforced systems, and the response of polymer-modified and other nonmetallic building materials to fire. Research findings and emerging design considerations will be discussed to support the safe and durable use of nonmetallic materials in structural applications.

Learning objectives:

1. 1. Identify key code requirements and design considerations for the use of GFRP reinforcement in reinforced concrete structures.

2. 2. Describe how long-term exposure to marine and alkaline environments affects the compressive performance and durability of GFRP reinforcement.

3. 3. Explain the system-level seismic behavior and fragility of GFRP-reinforced concrete moment frames and identify considerations for future seismic design provisions.

4. 4. Describe the seismic performance of hybrid GFRP-steel reinforced bridge columns and identify emerging considerations for their design under cyclic loading.

5. 5. Assess how polymer modification influences heat transfer, deflection, cracking, and failure behavior of reinforced concrete beams subjected to fire.

6. 6. Describe the behavior of nonmetallic building materials under fire exposure and identify key factors affecting their fire resistance and structural performance.

Program:

Steve Szoke, American Concrete Institute - Code requirements for GFRP RC

Alrieza Sadat Hosseini, Dalhousie University - Long-term compressive performance of GFRP reinforcement in marine and alkaline environments

Srishti Banerji, Utah State University - Experimental Investigation on Structural Fire Performance of Polymer-Modified Concrete Beams

Ernesto Hernandez, University of California San Diego - Hybrid GFRP–Steel Reinforcement for Seismic Bridge Columns: Current Knowledge and Emerging Design Considerations

Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, McGill University - System-level seismic performance of GFRP-reinforced concrete moment frames

Venkatesh Kodur, Michigan State University - Optimum Strategies for Enhancing Fire Performance of Concrete Structures incorporating Fiber Reinforced Polymers