Concrete-Certification Class Held at College
Published 01.30.2006
Nearly 50 people - a mix of industry professionals and Pennsylvania College of Technology construction students - recently underwent American Concrete Institute certification testing on the college's main campus in Williamsport.
The two-day program, developed to certify technicians who can properly demonstrate the knowledge and aptitude to field-test freshly mixed concrete when it is delivered to the job site, was held in January in the Carl Building Technologies Center.
Consisting of a 55-question examination and hands-on proficiency tests, the testing was co-sponsored by the Construction Management Association student organization and the Pennsylvania Concrete Promotion Council. In exchange for the use of classroom space and the school's masonry lab, the approximate $350 testing fee was waived for the 18 students who took part.
"This was a great opportunity to have, particularly as a freshman," said Katie E. Chearney, a construction management major from Baltimore, who said her Penn College classes even in her first year helped her survive the written test on seven standards of concrete testing. "I felt really prepared for it."
Certification is a plus for students when they enter the workforce, explained David Patterson, president of Susquehanna Supply Co. and a member of the concrete promotion council. ACI guidelines have been adopted as the industry standard by a number of premier construction firms and other entities, including the Federal Highway Administration, he noted.
Patterson was among the half-dozen industry experts who supervised participants as they moved through the various stations of the practical tests - stations that cover procedural factors such as density, air content and temperature. The exam is offered on a pass/fail basis, and students have two chances to succeed before being referred to the next session.
Wayne R. Sheppard, assistant professor of building construction management and an adviser to CMA, said the organization is planning to co-sponsor the course again March 7-8. To register, send an e-mail to Sheppard.
For more information about majors in the School of Construction and Design Technologies, call (570) 327-4518, send e-mail or visit the school's Web site.