SCP Meeting at ASTM Seattle - June 13 at 6 pm

Hello SCP Members! Please join us (back in person!) for the bi-annual meeting of the Society of Concrete Petrographers occurring in conjunction with the ASTM committee meeting in Seattle. We will meet on Monday evening, June 13 at 6pm immediately after the ASTM C09.65 C856 Task group meeting. The SCP meeting will take place in the same room as the task group meeting - Room 408– Washougal. Please note the meeting has been arranged for Monday evening rather than our previous more typical Tuesday evening time, and we plan to continue with Monday meetings in the future. We are planning to briefly go over some administrative tasks at the beginning of the meeting, after which we can open the meeting up to anyone with recent interesting presentations or findings related to their concrete petrography related investigations. We have one presenter lined up already, but if you would like to present, please let me or another officer know, or bring to the meeting any images or ideas that you would like to discuss with others in a casual environment! Look forward to seeing everyone there, Daniela Mauro

DRP Inc. is Hiring!

DRP, a Twining Company, an innovative and rapidly growing firm performing petrographic examinations of concrete, cementitious based materials, and aggregates, is seeking a Petrographer. The position is open to a range of experience levels from little to many years of experience. Multiple positions may be available based on experience and qualifications (Petrographer, Senior Petrographer, Principal Petrographer). Such position(s) will involve both analytical work and project management. Follow the link below to apply!

https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/2751187511/?refId=NyAeMLYY180By4p6B8AjrA%3D%3D&trackingId=t9C%2Fj6WIm92uijM%2FSWTPSQ%3D%3D

Passing of Jon Asselanis

On April 29th, 2021, Jon Asselanis passed away after valiantly battling his second bout of cancer. Jon originally defeated his first round of cancer five years ago before it returned early last year.

Jon began his path to concrete petrography by obtaining his bachelor’s degree in Geology from Humboldt State University (Arcata, CA). While working as a Research Associate for the University of California, Jon obtained a master’s degree in engineering science from the University of California – Berkeley. Shortly after, Jon joined the ranks of consultants beginning with Schwein Christensen Laboratories, then Applied Materials and Engineering, and finally with Atlas Technical Consultants, formerly CEL-Consulting.

Jon leaves behind a legacy of professionalism, technical service, and numerous close relationships within the California market, as well as in the industry as a whole. Jon is survived by his wife (Tula), son (Peter), and his sister (Kara). Services are scheduled at Ascension Cathedral (Oakland, CA) and will be streamed on YouTube. The stream can be found by searching for Jon’s name and the Church’s name.

Atlas/CEL Petrography Job Posting

Atlas/CEL Consulting has a job opening for an experienced Petrographer at our Structural Investigation and Materials Testing Laboratory in Oakland, California. Experience in microscopical characterization of construction materials, interpretation of results, and consulting with clients is essential. Expertise in analyzing concrete, stucco, mortar, aggregates, rip-rap and other constructions materials is required. Candidates would be responsible for proposals and budgeting, as well as preparation and analysis of petrographic thin-sections and lapped (polished) specimens. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to work well with teams are required. Some field work, including coordination of sampling, should also be anticipated.
Responsibilities include:

• Investigation of materials related failures involving various civil engineering construction materials, including cementitious materials, wood, plastics and polymer coatings.
• Preparation of reports and communication with clients, including litigation support

Qualifications:
• Bachelor of Science or higher education in Geology, Materials Science/Engineering, or a related field with coursework in mineralogy, petrology, and geochemistry
• A minimum of 5 years of experience working under the direction of a qualification Petrographer
• Substantial experience with traditional petrographic microscopy: thin section analysis; grain mount analysis; stereomicroscopic examination and analysis; point-counting, including air-void parameter analysis; and preparation of thin sections, polished sections, and lapped hand samples
• Essential knowledge of the operation of the polarized-light microscope
• Knowledge and interpretation of X-ray Diffraction Analysis (XRD)
• Knowledge and interpretation of Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy analysis (SEM/EDS).
• Experience at forensic engineering and investigation related to construction and construction materials
• Valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle

If interested, please send resume to Jon Asselanis at: jasselanis@ce-labs.com
(510) 643-1913

SCP Meeting at ASTM Houston, TX, 9th December 2019

Please join us for the bi-annual meeting of the Society of Concrete Petrographers in Houston, TX occurring in conjunction with the ASTM committee meeting on the Monday December 9th at 6pm immediately after the ASTM C09.65 Task group on C856 meeting. Room location still to be confirmed. Please note the meeting has been arranged for Monday evening rather than our previous more typical Tuesday evening time.

We are planning a short initial meeting to cover some administrative issues after which we can open the meeting up to anyone with recent interesting presentation or findings related to their concrete petrography related investigations. If you already have something you would like to present please let either Ted Sibbick or Daniela Mauro know and we shall do our utmost to timetable you into the evenings events.

Look forward to seeing you there,
Ted Sibbick and Daniela Mauro