Mixing concrete in order to understand how materials and their proportions influence the properties of concrete is an example of the hands-on training that will be offered at WOW, held Jan. 23-26 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

In Hands-On Training: Mix Design & Testing Lab, participants will identify and examine individual materials commonly used in concrete including aggregates, cement, fly ash, slag, and silica fume. They will hear how the various materials influence both fresh and hardened concrete properties and watch tabletop demonstrations to learn about chemical admixtures work. They’ll also mix a small batch of concrete to understand how materials and their proportions influence the properties of concrete.

Learning about the proper methodologies for testing fresh concrete for things like density measure and air content will include demonstrations of the tools used to measure fresh concrete properties.

There’s also a Hands-On Training: Concrete Stenciling course, which shows participants how specialized stencils can create unique design elements – and how that skill can help increase revenue at a time when logos, branding and advertising on floors is a hot trend in the decorative concrete industry. Attendees will learn how to apply stenciling by prepping the slab, placing and applying the stencil to the slab, using stains & dyes to achieve the design color, and finishing with a top coat for a long-lasting design.

In Hands-On Training: Stamped Concrete, attendees will place and stamp an area consisting of straight and curved formwork, working with color hardeners and release agents plus learning how to properly use stamping tools to create various textures including borders and bands. They’ll also practice different jointing and edging techniques for stamped concrete as well as washing, cleaning and sealing.

WOC will also offer Hands-On Training: How to Place & Finish Floors. Its organizers promise that “this is not a sit and watch session“ – attendees will get dirty as they learn how to place, screed, bull float and power trowel a concrete floor slab.