[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 47 (Wednesday, April 10, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E406]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF JAMES K. WIGHT'S LEADERSHIP TO THE AMERICAN CONCRETE 
                               INSTITUTE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY C. PETERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 10, 2013

  Mr. PETERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize James 
K. Wight, a resident of Michigan, for his volunteer leadership to the 
American Concrete Institute (ACI) headquartered in Farmington Hills, 
Michigan, an organization whose work is fundamental to our nation's 
critical infrastructure, key to our economic competitiveness. As a 
Member of Congress, I am privileged and honored to recognize Dr. Wight 
for his leadership and lifelong commitment to this organization and to 
advancing concrete knowledge in the United States and abroad.
   ACI has been the pioneer in all concrete-related fields: research 
and development, structural design, architectural design, construction, 
and product manufacture. With 99 chapters, 65 student chapters, and 
nearly 20,000 members spanning over 120 countries, the American 
Concrete Institute provides knowledge and information for the best use 
of concrete. Through a host of activities including continuing 
education, certification, seminars, publications, and conventions, ACI 
plays an active and vital role in the concrete industry. Core to ACI is 
the development of codes and standards, adopted by reference in 
building codes impacting potentially every concrete project in the 
United States. Additionally, there are some 21 countries worldwide that 
base part or all of their national building codes on the ACI 318 
Structural Concrete Building Code provisions.
   On April 18, 2013, Professor Wight will complete his service as 
president of ACI, the culmination of 40 years of volunteer service. 
Wight was named a Fellow of the Institute in 1984 and previously served 
on the ACI Board of Direction. He is a past Chair of the ACI Technical 
Activities Committee; ACI Committee 318, Structural Concrete Building 
Code; and Joint ACI-ASCE Committee 352, Joints and Connections in 
Monolithic Concrete Structures. He is a Past President of the ACI 
Greater Michigan Chapter.
   ACI has honored him with the Delmar L. Bloem Distinguished Service 
Award, the Joe W. Kelly Award, the Arthur J. Boase Award, the Alfred E. 
Lindau Award, the Chester Paul Siess Award for Excellence in Structural 
Research, and the Wason Medal for the Most Meritorious Paper in 2011. 
He has also received the Arthur Y. Moy Award from the ACI Greater 
Michigan Chapter for outstanding service in the field of concrete 
technology.
   Also of note, James K. Wight, who received his undergraduate 
education at Michigan State University, is the F.E. Richart Jr. 
Collegiate Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of 
Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich. He has been a professor in the structural 
engineering area of the civil and environmental engineering department 
since September 1973, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate 
classes on structural analysis and design of concrete structures. Wight 
is known for his work in earthquake-resistant design of concrete 
structures. His more recent research has concentrated on the strength 
and inelastic behavior of connections in composite structures 
(reinforced concrete and steel) and the use of high-performance fiber-
reinforced concrete composites for earthquake-resistant design of 
critical members in concrete structures. He has been involved with 
post-earthquake damage studies following earthquakes in Mexico, Chile, 
Armenia, Egypt, California, Japan, and India.
   Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today to honor Dr. James 
Wight's leadership and service to the American Concrete Institute.

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