Richard D. Gaynor, a prominent researcher in the concrete industry since the 1950s and a former executive vice president of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, died in Maryland on July 16. He was 83.
Gaynor
NRMCA said that Gaynor's wide-ranging achievements included work in developing standards for cement; strength and durability testing; reuse of returned concrete and wash water; characteristics of aggregates; mixing in truck mixers; and initiatives to improve ready-mix-concrete quality.
The association said Gaynor was a prime mover in the revision, in 1985, of the American Society for Testing and Materials' C94 concrete standard, which was widely adopted in building codes and boosted certification requirements for field technicians, said ENR at the time. He also played a key role in related industry and technical training.
Gaynor joined, in 1954, the then-joint Associations of National Ready Mixed Concrete and National Sand and Gravel and headed their joint research laboratory for many years.
He was named the director of engineering of the concrete group, known as NRMCA, in 1971, was promoted four years later to vice president of research and engineering, and named executive vice president in 1984.
Gaynor also was the National Industrial Sand Association's director of engineering from 1979 to 1993. He retired in 1996.
NRMCA established in 1997 the Richard D. Gaynor Award, presented for major contributions to the ready-mix-concrete industry for research, engineering and standards.
Gaynor was a fellow of ASTM International and the American Concrete Institute and earned top awards from both for his technical contributions. He was tapped frequently for expert opinion by industry groups, such as the Transportation Research Board, Strategic Highway Research Program and Civil Engineering Research Foundation.
"To say that Dick achieved legendary status within our industry would actually be an understatement," noted NRMCA President Robert Garbini in a statement.
Gaynor, a native of Mobile, Ala., received a bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama and a master's degree in engineering from the University of Maryland.
Donations in Gaynor's memory can be made to the Alzheimer's Association, P.O. Box 06011, Washington, D.C. 20090-6011 or at www.alz.org or by phone at 800-272-3900.
