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Étienne Noël

Étienne Noël is a Research Associate in Giatec’s Research and Development Department. With an academic background in civil engineering research and a keen interest in software engineering, Étienne brings a versatile skill set to his projects. His research interests include non-invasive testing of fresh concrete properties, non-destructive concrete testing, finite element modelling, structural dynamics, and structural health monitoring. Overall, his role at Giatec has deepened his knowledge in the concrete industry and strengthened his passion for advancing smart and innovative solutions in concrete technology.

From Standards to Solutions: A Step-by-Step Guide to Concrete Mix Design

Étienne Noël February 5, 2025

Concrete is one of the most versatile and widely used materials in construction around the world, offering strength, durability, and adaptability. However, the same four simple ingredients in a mix design can produce a 2,000 psi concrete just as well as a 6,000 psi concrete; it all depends on the proportions used in the mix. Explore 12 Futuristic Technology Trends Solving Concrete’s Biggest Challenges. Download our 2025 Innovations Calendar! Download Now Designing the right concrete mix is essential to meet performance and durability requirements while keeping the costs at a minimum. To assist with this task, the American Concrete Institute (ACI) provides a design methodology in the Standard Practice for Selecting Proportions for Normal, Heavyweight, and Mass Concrete (ACI 211.1-91) document. The procedure can be executed in a total of eight (8) steps to establish a concrete mix design tailored…

Concrete Testing Equipment for Your Thermal Control Plan

Étienne Noël May 30, 2022

Consistent temperature tracking is one of the most crucial steps after a concrete pour. By monitoring the temperature, you will be able to create an optimal curing environment. This will improve the overall strength of your concrete. According to ACI 301-16 standards, maintaining temperatures is also critical for the success of the hydration process. Therefore, before you get ready for your first pour, you need to decide what concrete testing equipment you will use to measure the in-situ temperatures of your concrete elements. This decision will be even more important if you are working on a mass concrete element or in extreme weather conditions. By having a plan and keeping temperatures consistent, you can improve the overall durability of your structure and reduce frustrating thermal cracks.   Explore 12 Futuristic Technology Trends Solving Concrete’s Biggest Challenges. Download our 2025 Innovations Calendar! Download Now Learn why concrete temperature monitoring is right…

What is the Concrete Maturity Curve and Why Does it Matter?

Étienne Noël July 14, 2020

Concrete has numerous properties that can be studied and recorded, but its compressive strength has generally been the center of attention. Indeed, in most projects, structures will use mix designs with the main focus being to reach a certain compressive strength as well as flowability and air content requirements. The most direct way to obtain such information on concrete compressive strength is sampling companion cylinders to be tested for compression. However, this method is inconvenient and may be inaccurate. Fortunately, there is a way around this: the maturity curve. Explore 12 Futuristic Technology Trends Solving Concrete’s Biggest Challenges. Download our 2025 Innovations Calendar! Download Now What is the Concrete Maturity Curve and Why Does it Matter For Testing Concrete Strength?To begin, concrete maturity is an index, a numerical parameter, that indicates a relative age of the concrete according to its…

Take Thermal Control of Your Concrete with SmartRock

Étienne Noël July 7, 2020

Mass concrete pours are becoming more and more present in the construction industry. As our ambition grows, the size of our concrete structures grow with it. Massive pours have their specific set of challenges that must be anticipated and prepared for, including the thermal cracking of structures. In a fresh concrete element, the center will retain the heat generated by the hydration of the cement, whereas the surface will be cooled down by the ambient temperature. This creates unequal expansion and contraction, which can lead to cracking in massive pours if the thermal strain is higher than the tensile strength of the concrete. Explore 12 Futuristic Technology Trends Solving Concrete’s Biggest Challenges. Download our 2025 Innovations Calendar! Download Now Want more information on the temperature gradient and thermal cracking? Click here!Even though mass concrete pour conditions aren’t ideal, they are…

Using Maturity to Increase Allowable Concrete Temperature Gradients

Étienne Noël May 4, 2020

With the evolution of the construction industry, we are building structures bigger than ever before. These massive structures are mostly made of concrete and often represent a challenge for many reasons. One of the main problems encountered is the concrete temperature difference between the core and the surface of massive pours and the cracking or structural deficiencies that could result from this differential. Explore 12 Futuristic Technology Trends Solving Concrete’s Biggest Challenges. Download our 2025 Innovations Calendar! Download Now The concrete temperature gradient (or temperature differential) is the variation of the temperature found between the core and the exterior of a concrete element. A concrete pour will typically generate an appreciable amount of heat, due to the exothermic nature of concrete hydration, which will raise the temperature of the element. The problem lies in the fact that the exterior of…

Avoiding the Uncertainties of Concrete Cylinder Testing with the Maturity Method

Étienne Noël April 21, 2020

Concrete is a material that has been used for over a millennia. Concrete is the most used construction material in the whole world! More than that, behind water, it’s the most used material, all categories combined! Worldwide, approximately 10 billion tons of concrete are produced per year. Obviously, the strength of the concrete produced varies, but in most project, it is crucial to have an idea of this measurement. During the last few decades of significant progress for concrete, today’s most widely used compressive strength standard emerged: the cylinder concrete break tests. It is a method that has allowed construction to prosper for so long, building the modern world that we live in. For that reason, we must all tip our hats towards this compressive strength test method. However, it is also a method that allows for errors, which on…

About Giatec

Giatec is a global company revolutionizing the construction industry by bringing smart testing technologies and real-time data collection to the forefront of every jobsite. Giatec’s suite of hardware and software products has leveraged advanced technologies such as AI and the Internet of Things (IoT), including wireless concrete sensors, mobile apps, and advanced non-destructive technologies (NDT) to drive innovation throughout concrete’s lifecycle and reduce concrete’s carbon footprint.

Our suite of hardware and software products has leveraged advanced technologies such as; Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT), including; wireless concrete sensors, mobile apps, and advanced non-destructive technologies (NDT) to drive innovation throughout concrete’s lifecycle.

Combining wireless concrete sensors and mobile apps, Giatec has developed smart IoT-based technologies, like SmartRock® concrete maturity sensors, for real-time monitoring of concrete properties. This provides critical information to contractors so they can make efficient and informed decisions on the jobsite, ultimately saving time and money. Ready-mix producers also leverage the SmartRock® Plus cloud, which gives them access to concrete performance data to optimize their mix designs.

Wireless Sensors and NDT Technologies

Our suite of hardware and software products has leveraged advanced technologies such as; Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT), including; wireless concrete sensors, mobile apps, and advanced non-destructive technologies (NDT) to drive innovation throughout concrete’s lifecycle.

Combining wireless concrete sensors and mobile apps, Giatec has developed smart IoT-based technologies, like SmartRock® concrete maturity sensors, for real-time monitoring of concrete properties. This provides critical information to contractors so they can make efficient and informed decisions on the jobsite, ultimately saving time and money. Ready-mix producers also leverage the SmartRock® Plus cloud, which gives them access to concrete performance data to optimize their mix designs.

 

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