P2P

P2P is an acronym for Prescription to Performance specifications. The P2P Initiative, led by the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA), advocates for the ready mixed concrete industry to promote a shift from traditional prescriptive specifications to performance specifications for concrete. Initiatives are addressed through the NRMCA Research Engineering and Standards (RES) Committee.

Resources for the P2P Initiative

Below are some of the resources available to the industry and to designers for information on revising specifications for concrete construction to more performance based:

• Guide to Improving Specifications for Ready Mixed Concrete (uses the MasterSpec format of Section 033000 for Cast in Place Concrete with advisory information to applicable clauses)

• Recorded Webinar – Performance-based Specifications – State of the Industry and Way Forward
  
  • Copy of Presentation with notes and supporting documents (will download)

Specifications in Practice – brief discussions on 5 most restrictive prescriptive requirements identified by the industry

SIP 1 – Limits on Quantity of Supplementary Cementitious Materials

SIP 2 – Limits on Water-Cementitious Materials Ratio (w/cm)

SIP 3 – Minimum Cementitious Materials Content

SIP 4 – Restrictions on Type and Characteristics of Fly Ash

SIP 5 – Restrictions on Aggregate Grading

ASCC and NRMCA Checklist for Concrete Producer-Concrete Contractor Fresh Concrete Performance Expectations

Published Articles and Papers

• Specifying Sustainable Concrete (NRMCA, 2019)

• Specifying Requirements for Concrete Mixtures (published in Structure magazine 2019)

• Should Minimum Cementitious Contents for Concrete Be Specified? (published in Transportation Research Record, 2017)

• Specifying for Performance (published in NRMCA Concrete InFocus magazine 2017)

• Prescriptive Specifications – A Reality Check (published in ACI Concrete International magazine 2015)

• Acceptance Criteria for Durability Tests (published in NRMCA Concrete inFocus magazine 2007)

• Performance Specifications for Durable Concrete – current practice and limitations (published in ACI Concrete International magazine 2006)

• The P2P Initiative – A Shift to Performance Specifications for Concrete Focuses on Innovation, Quality and Customer Satisfaction (NRMCA 2005)

Reports – Funded by the RMC Research & Education Foundation

• An Evaluation of Performance-Based Alternatives to the Durability Provisions of the ACI 318 Building Code – Report of research performed at the NRMCA Research Laboratory (Report from the RMC Research & Education Foundation, 2015)

• Preparation of a Performance-based Specification for Cast-in-Place Concrete (Report from the RMC Research & Education Foundation, 2008)

• Quality Management System for Ready Mixed Concrete Companies – Preparation Guidelines for Quality Manual; Sample Quality Manual; External Audit Checklist (Report from the RMC Research & Education Foundation, 2008)

• Guide to Specifying Concrete Performance – Phase II Report (Report from the RMC Research & Education Foundation, 2006)

• Experimental Case Study Demonstrating Advantages of Performance Specifications – Report of research performed at the NRMCA Research Laboratory (Report from the RMC Research & Education Foundation, 2006)