• What ready-mix designs actually looked like in the 1990s (and why they were so prescriptive)
• Why SCMs like slag and fly ash were initially resisted—and how producers got buy-in
• How high-range water reducers quietly changed everything
• Why performance-based specs (P2P) shifted control back to producers
• What Type IL cement changed in real-world placement and finishing
• Why data centers are driving new mix demands
• What problems the next generation of concrete still hasn’t solved

• Why ASR remains one of the most misunderstood concrete durability issues
• The difference between ASR and AAR—and why the distinction matters
• How reaction-driven cracking differs from typical shrinkage or restraint cracking
• When ASR damage can accelerate faster than expected
• How ASR is identified and diagnosed in real structures
• Where current ASR testing methods work—and where they fall short
• Why prevention is still more reliable than remediation
• How concrete professionals should think about cracks before they spread

PRESENTED BY: CONCRETE LOGIC ACADEMY
Practical education and ongoing development for concrete professionals at every stage of their career.
Join here: https://www.concretelogicacademy.com/



EPISODE SUMMARY
If you’re building something new in this industry—mix designs, equipment, software, processes—there’s a good chance you’re creating intellectual property… without realizing it.


In this episode, Seth Tandett sits down with Chen Wang, CEO of Steelike, to talk patents, trade secrets, NDAs, and the real-world decisions that decide whether you protect your advantage—or hand it to someone else.


This isn’t legal theory. It’s how innovation actually gets copied in construction, why “we’ll just patent it” is usually oversimplified, and what a smart IP strategy looks like when you’re trying to build a business.



WHAT YOU’LL LEARN


· The difference between patents, trade secrets, and copyrights (and why it matters)
· When a patent makes sense—and when it can create new headaches
· How trade secrets can last forever (but only if you treat them like secrets)
· What you should protect: formulations, processes, tooling, or workflow
· Why NDAs are common—and why they don’t magically solve everything
· How enforcement really works when someone copies your idea
· The biggest misconceptions about IP in construction and engineering
· How to build an IP strategy that matches your business model

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Understanding intellectual property in construction
05:00 – The basics of intellectual property
08:34 – When to patent vs. keep a trade secret
10:32 – Deciding what to protect: formulations and processes
13:52 – Enforcing patents and trade secrets
15:58 – The risks and rewards of patents
18:47 – Identifying valuable trade secrets
20:05 – Protecting your ideas before sharing
23:33 – Navigating NDAs in the construction industry
25:24 – Developing an IP strategy
27:37 – Misconceptions about IP in construction

GUEST INFO
Chen Wang, CEO
Steelike
[email protected]
https://steelike.com/


CONCRETE LOGIC PARTNERS


INTELLIGENT CONCRETE


Concrete not behaving the way it should?

Dr. Jon Belkowitz and the Intelligent Concrete team combine lab-level testing with real-world field experience to get to the root cause of performance issues—not just treat the symptoms.


https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/intelligent-concrete



CONCRETE LOGIC ACADEMY
Earn PDHs in the same straight-talk format as the podcast:
https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/academy



SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Did you get value out of the show? Give some value back:
https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/donate


Buy your KUIU work & hunting gear and 10% goes to the show. No added cost to you:
https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/kuiu



Media, sponsorship, or content inquiries:
[email protected]


CREDITS
Producer: Karl Watson, Jodi Tandett & Concrete Logic Media


Music by Mike Dunton:
https://www.mdunton.com/



WHERE TO FIND SETH
https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-tandett/
https://www.youtube.com/@concretelogicpodcast
https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com 


 

We design concrete for 75 years. So why are we okay watching it fail in 12 to 24 months?

That’s the uncomfortable question Seth Tandett puts on the table with Dr. Jon Belkowitz in this episode.

Codes, specifications, and budgets are still written around a 50–75 year design life. But in the field, concrete surfaces are scaling, wearing, and failing in as little as a year or two. Instead of revisiting that original promise, the industry seems stuck reacting to failures instead of asking why they’re happening.

This conversation challenges some long‑held assumptions about specifications, durability, performance testing, and why compressive strength tells us almost nothing about whether concrete will actually last.

This isn’t about theory. It’s about what’s showing up on real projects—and why no one seems willing to talk about the gap between what we design for and what we’re getting.


WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
 · Why the 75‑year design life quietly disappeared from industry conversations
 · How concrete surfaces went from 20–30 year service expectations to failing in 12–24 months
 · Why compressive strength is one of the most forgiving—and misleading—tests we rely on
 · What durability indicators actually matter if service life is the goal
 · How prescriptive specs box everyone in and protect no one
 · Why performance‑based specifications are the only real path forward
 · What Peter Taylor’s work gets right about protecting the concrete surface
 · How warranty language misses durability altogether
 · Why practical field intelligence keeps getting ignored

CHAPTERS
 00:00 – Intro and how to support the Concrete Logic Podcast
 03:42 – Why we stopped talking about 75‑year design life
 06:30 – The disconnect between specs and field performance
 08:59 – Why compressive strength doesn’t equal durability
 12:07 – The industry’s reliance on paper over field reality
 14:34 – Why specifications need to change
 15:22 – Prescription vs performance‑based specs
 19:12 – What should actually be specified for durability
 21:28 – Using performance tests to enforce accountability
 25:22 – Warranty periods and real‑world consequences
 28:07 – The concrete surface as the first line of defense
 31:30 – What the industry really lost—and how to get it back

GUEST INFO
 Dr. Jon Belkowitz
 Intelligent Concrete
 https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/guests/jon-belkowitz/

CONCRETE LOGIC PARTNERS
 
INTELLIGENT CONCRETE
 Concrete not behaving the way it should?
 Dr. Jon Belkowitz and the Intelligent Concrete team combine lab‑level testing with real‑world field experience to get to the root cause of performance issues—not just treat the symptoms.
 https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/intelligent-concrete

CONCRETE LOGIC ACADEMY
 Earn PDHs in the same straight‑talk format as the podcast:
 https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/academy

SUPPORT THE PODCAST
 Did you get value out of the show? Give some value back:
 https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/donate

Buy your KUIU work & hunting gear and 10% goes to the show. No added cost to you:
https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/kuiu

Media, sponsorship, or content inquiries:
[email protected]

CREDITS
 Producer: Jodi Tandett & Concrete Logic Media
 Music by Mike Dunton:
 https://www.mdunton.com/

WHERE TO FIND SETH
 https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-tandett/
https://www.youtube.com/@concretelogicpodcast
https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com

Concrete Is Losing on Cost. Here’s How to Take It Back.


Concrete keeps getting priced out of jobs, not because it can’t compete, but because we keep doing the same things the same way.
 
In this episode, Seth Tandett sits down with Rich Szecsy to talk about where concrete costs actually come from and why material price increases are only part of the story. They walk through how specs, local codes, labor assumptions, and risk avoidance quietly stack the deck against concrete, even when it’s the better material.
 
This isn’t a theoretical discussion. It’s a practical look at what contractors, engineers, and producers can question, change, and push back on if they actually want concrete to stay competitive.
 


WHAT YOU’LL LEARN


·       Why concrete keeps losing bids to steel and other materials
·       How self-compacting concrete can cut labor without cutting performance
·       Where specifications quietly drive cost more than material prices
·       How local codes create massive cost disparities for the same building
·       Why fear of sharing ideas slows innovation across the industry
·       How small, incremental changes can unlock real savings
·       Why understanding the full contractual chain matters more than mix price
·       What questions teams should be asking earlier to avoid cost traps
 


CHAPTERS


00:00 – Intro and how to support the Concrete Logic Podcast
02:36 – Why concrete is struggling to compete on cost
05:32 – Self-compacting concrete and labor reduction
08:18 – How specifications quietly drive cost
10:55 – Engineering challenges baked into specs
13:44 – Local codes and why the same building costs more in different cities
16:31 – The industry’s fear of sharing ideas
18:58 – Incremental changes that actually move the needle
21:32 – Local regulations and hidden cost multipliers
23:56 – Asking better questions earlier
 


GUEST INFO
Rich Szecsy
Bio: https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/guests/rich-szecsy/





CONCRETE LOGIC PARTNERS


INTELLIGENT CONCRETE
Concrete not behaving the way it should?


At Intelligent Concrete, Dr. Jon Belkowitz and his team combine lab-level testing with real-world field experience to get to the root of performance issues, not just the symptoms.
https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/intelligent-concrete



CONCRETE LOGIC ACADEMY
Earn PDHs in the same straight-talk format as the podcast:
https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/academy



SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Did you get value out of the show? Give some value back:
https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/donate



Buy your KUIU work & hunting gear and 10% goes to the show. No added cost to you: https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/kuiu


Media, sponsorship, or content inquiries:
[email protected]



CREDITS


Producer: Jodi Tandett & Concrete Logic Media


Music by Mike Dunton: https://www.mdunton.com/


WHERE TO FIND SETH


https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-tandett/


https://www.youtube.com/@concretelogicpodcast


https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com

Most concrete looks the way it does for one simple reason.

We keep designing around the forms we know how to build.

In this episode, Seth sits down with Darren Baldwin, President of PIKUS, to break down the real difference between analog formwork and digital formwork—and why that distinction quietly limits what architects, engineers, and contractors think is even possible with concrete.

This is not a hype-filled “3D printing is the future” conversation. It’s a practical discussion about where digital formwork actually works, where it absolutely doesn’t, and why architectural concrete—not structure—is where this technology earns its keep. 


WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
 • What “analog vs. digital formwork” really means in construction terms
 • When digital formwork beats precast on cost, logistics, and constructability
 • How curves, grade changes, and non-repeatable geometry break traditional forms
 • Why lack of data (and testing) still blocks structural adoption
 • Why architects keep designing square stuff when they don’t have to 

CHAPTERS
00:00 – Intro and how to support the Concrete Logic Podcast
02:30 – Analog vs. digital formwork explained
04:10 – Is this just 3D concrete printing?
05:40 – When digital formwork makes economic sense
07:10 – Grade changes, curves, and non-repeatable geometry
09:20 – Testing, engineering, and the structural data gap
14:40 – Remodels, access constraints, and why lightweight matters
16:05 – Leave-in-place printed formwork (and why it’s not the focus)
19:30 – Digital concrete + millwork integration
21:20 – How to reach Darren / PIKUS 

GUEST INFO
 Darren Baldwin
 PIKUS
 https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/guests/darren-baldwin/ 

INTELLIGENT CONCRETE
 Concrete not behaving the way it should?
 
At Intelligent Concrete, Dr. Jon Belkowitz and his team combine lab-level testing with real-world field experience to get to the root of performance issues, not just the symptoms.
 
If you want data you can trust and answers you can use, learn more at https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/intelligent-concrete

CONCRETE LOGIC ACADEMY
 Earn PDHs in the same straight-talk format as the podcast:
 https://www.concretelogicacademy.com

SUPPORT THE PODCAST
 Support the show directly:
 https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/donate

KUIU helps support the podcast:
 https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/kuiu

Media, sponsorship, or content inquiries:
[email protected]

CREDITS
 Producer: Jodi Tandett & Concrete Logic Media
 Music by Mike Dunton: https://www.mdunton.com/

WHERE TO FIND SETH
https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-tandett/
https://www.youtube.com/@concretelogicpodcast
https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com

Most people think moisture problems in concrete come from below the slab. Concrete Bob Higgins explains why that assumption keeps blowing up floors.

In this episode, Bob Higgins breaks down how moisture actually moves through concrete, why liquid water and water vapor are not the same thing, and how alkalinity quietly does more damage than most people realize. We also get into why common moisture testing methods are misused, why surface damage matters more than deep readings, and how outdated standards keep throwing contractors under the bus.

If you’ve ever wondered why floors fail even when the numbers “look fine,” this one connects the dots.

What You’ll Learn
·       Why moisture in concrete is not just “moisture”
·       The difference between liquid water, water vapor, and chemically bound moisture
·       Why relative humidity testing is often misunderstood — and misapplied
·       How alkalinity concentrates at the surface and drives real damage
·       Why many moisture problems come from the top, not the soil
·       What self-desiccation is and why you can’t fix it once it happens
·       How material changes in cement quietly broke old assumptions
·       Why contractors keep getting blamed for problems they didn’t cause


Chapters
00:00 – Why Moisture in Concrete Is Misunderstood
01:15 – The Different Forms of Moisture That Matter
03:30 – Why the Center of Concrete Often Doesn’t Dry
06:40 – The Problem With RH Probes and Surface Damage
10:30 – Why Cement Chemistry Changed the Rules
12:30 – What Alkalinity Really Is (and Why pH Misses the Point)
15:45 – Why New Cements Can Self-Desiccate
18:45 – Irreversible Damage From Heat and Chemistry
21:45 – Vapor Barriers, Curling, and Old Assumptions
24:30 – Why Most Moisture Comes From the Surface
28:45 – The Stack Effect Explained
31:30 – Why RH Numbers Don’t Match Real Failures
35:45 – What Needs to Change Going Forward
39:20 – Final Thoughts


Guest Info
Name: Bob Higgins
Email: [email protected]
Webpage: https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/guests/robert-higgins/

Intelligent Concrete
Concrete not behaving the way it should?

At Intelligent Concrete, Dr. Jon Belkowitz and his team combine lab-level testing with real-world field experience to get to the root of performance issues, not just the symptoms.

If you want data you can trust and answers you can use, learn more at https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/intelligent-concrete

Concrete Logic Academy
Earn PDHs in the same straight-talk format as the podcast:
https://www.concretelogicacademy.com

Support the Podcast
Support the show directly:
https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/donate
KUIU helps support the podcast:
https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/kuiu
Media, sponsorship, or content inquiries:
[email protected]

Credits
Producer: Frank Stankunas, Jodi Tandett & Concrete Logic Media
Music by Mike Dunton: https://www.mdunton.com/

Where to Find Seth
Seth Tandett — concrete nerd and host of the Concrete Logic Podcast.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-tandett/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@concretelogicpodcast
Podcast Website: https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com

• Why is data really presented in this industry — truth, persuasion, or something in between? 
• How charts can hide peaks or exaggerate trends 
• What error bars actually mean and why they matter 
• When to question normalized or percentage-based data 
• Signs that a dataset should be tossed out completely 
• How to read peer-reviewed papers quickly without wasting time 
• Why checking funding sources matters 
• Why asking questions doesn’t make you “anti” anything 

• What allowed Baker to jump from residential flatwork to commercial and industrial work 
• The key moment that changed the company’s trajectory forever 
• Why the first stadium project lost seven figures — and what Dan did next 
• When to hire someone smarter than you (and why you may have to pay them more than yourself) 
• Why Dan says contractors must “either know or should have known” when things go wrong 
• How to build a reputation that actually carries you into bigger work 

Indiana just told the cement industry it won’t accept any blended cement with more than 10% limestone.

That’s a first - and it’s not sitting well with the people who pushed Type IL cement in the first place.


For the first time, a state DOT pushed back on Type IL cement—and the industry fired back. Indiana’s Department of Transportation says it’s protecting performance after bridge decks started scaling. The American Cement Association says the DOT’s new limits are unnecessary, confusing, and unscientific. So, who’s right—and what does it mean for the rest of the country’s concrete?

What You’ll Learn
 • Why INDOT limited Type IL limestone content to 10%
 • The ACA’s objections — and what’s left unsaid
 • How PCA’s 2021 carbon-neutrality roadmap and the federal Buy Clean program accelerated the switch to Type IL
• Why the “one-to-one replacement” claim may have been oversold
• How variable limestone content (≈7.6–12.4%) affects consistency and performance
• Why admixtures and curing aren’t substitutes for good practice
• What INDOT’s maintenance and inspection programs get right
• Why other DOTs may follow Indiana’s lead next

Chapters
 00:00 – Introduction & ACA Briefing Overview
 01:00 – INDOT’s 10% Limit and Industry Response
 04:00 – How Type IL Cement Took Over the Market
 07:30 – PCA Roadmap & Federal Buy Clean Pressure
 10:30 – Complacency and the One-to-One Myth
 14:00 – What Really Drove the 2021–2023 Flip
 18:00 – Cement Chemistry and QC in the Field
 22:00 – The Variability Problem: 7.6% vs 12.4% Limestone
 26:30 – Are Admixtures and Curing the Real Culprits?
 30:00 – INDOT’s Data-Driven Maintenance Approach
 32:00 – Why Other States Are Watching Closely

Guest Info
 Dr. Jon Belkowitz – Chief Technical Officer, Intelligent Concrete
 Email: [email protected]
 Website: https://www.intelligent-concrete.com

Concrete Logic Academy
 Earn your PDHs the logical way.
 Explore practical courses made for contractors, engineers, and producers.
 Free trial: https://www.concretelogicacademy.com

Support the Podcast
 Support the show and be listed as a Producer for life on the episode page:
 https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/support

Media & Sponsorship Inquiries: [email protected]

Podcast Partners

Intelligent Concrete
 At Intelligent Concrete, we combine lab precision with field expertise to help you understand what your concrete is telling you. Our services include mix troubleshooting, forensic and petrographic testing, performance-based specification and admixture development, and training for engineers, contractors, and producers. Whether you’re chasing consistency, durability, or answers after a failure, Intelligent Concrete delivers the data and insight to solve problems and improve performance.
 Learn more: https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/intelligent-concrete

KUIU (Affiliate Link) – https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/kuiu
15% off the first order.

Credits
Produced by Jodi Tandett & Concrete Logic Media
Music by Mike Dunton — https://www.mdunton.com

Connectivity
Host: Seth Tandett
Concrete Visionary | Business Development at Baker Construction | Host of the #1 Concrete Podcast
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethtandett/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@concretelogicpodcast
Website: https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com

If you learned something new, share this episode with your team and help more engineers and builders think logically about concrete.

Until next time, let’s keep it concrete!

Reference Links 

• ACA Briefing: “Portland-Limestone Cement Limits in Indiana Department of Transportation Specifications” (October 2025 Update) — https://tinyurl.com/TypeIL
• INDOT Recurring Special Provision 901-M-069 (Effective December 1, 2025): https://www.in.gov/dot/div/contracts/standards/rsp/sep25/900/901-M-069%20251201.pdf
• INDOT Testing Memos Referenced in ACA Briefing:
   • 21-05 • 22-02 • 23-01 • 24-03 • 25-02 (Available at https://www.in.gov/indot/doing-business-with-indot/contractorsconstruction/division-of-materials-and-tests/current-testing-memos/)