Decorative Concrete Certification

CERTIFICATION DATES (SEE BELOW)

COURSE OVERVIEW

Introduced by ACI in 1997, the Concrete Strength Testing (CST) certification was developed to certify laboratory technicians in the capping and breaking of cylinders and breaking of beams.

Certification assures owners, specifiers, and other interested parties that the testing of strength specimens is conducted by qualified laboratory personnel.

The course covers the following ASTM test methods:
C617- Capping Cylindrical Test Specimens  |  C1231 - Use of Unbonded Caps in the Determination of Compressive Strength  |  C39 - Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens  |  C78- Flexural Strength of Concrete

On day one, the four ASTM standards are reviewed through a combination of classroom and laboratory instruction. On day two, students complete written and performance exams by demonstrating their knowledge of the test methods. The CST certification meets the requirements for ASTM C94 “Standard Specification for Ready Mix Concrete”, ASTM C1077 “Standard Practice for Laboratories Testing Concrete and Concrete Aggregates for use in Construction” and MDOT’s QA/QC Laboratory Technician Quality Program.
 

EXAM

The “closed book” written exam consists of 40 multiple-choice questions divided into four sections. Each section covers an individual ASTM Standard. Passing requires a minimum overall score of 70% AND a minimum score of 60% on each individual standard. Students have 60 minutes to complete the written exam. 

For the performance exam, students are evaluated on their ability to correctly perform the required procedures for each of the ASTM standards.

NOTE: Students successfully passing both the ACI CST and ACI ATT certifications will also receive ACI’s Laboratory Testing Technician – Grade I Certification.