News Detail

Advancing Concrete Knowledge

12/1/2012

We see this slogan on the ACI website and publications as part of the ACI logo. As members of ACI, we have many opportunities to advance concrete knowledge. When we participate in committees that are working on new documents and updating existing documents, we are advancing the body of concrete knowledge used by concrete professionals. At ACI conventions, there are numerous sessions where the latest concrete research and knowledge is presented by ACI members from all over the world who are experts in their field. In Concrete International, ACI Materials Journal, and ACI Structural Journal, articles and papers present in-depth information on some of the latest advances in concrete. And the ever-evolving ACI website serves as ACI's portal for sharing concrete knowledge around the world.

All of these efforts by ACI members and staff are advancing the body of concrete knowledge for the world, but we can also turn to ACI to advance our own personal concrete knowledge. The Educational Activities Committee (EAC) is helping concrete professionals do just that through its committees that cover all areas of the concrete industry.

The traditional ACI traveling seminar, such as the ACI 318 Code seminars, continues to be an important way for concrete professionals to advance their concrete knowledge. EAC has also been developing other ways to deliver educational content, mainly through online delivery formats that bring continuing education to busy concrete professionals in a way that better fits their schedules.

The ACI Online CEU Program covers over 50 topics related to concrete—including design, construction, and repair. You can take courses simply by clicking on a link. At the end of the resource material covering each topic (typically about 1 hour of content), you have the option of taking a short quiz. Upon passing, you will receive a certificate for 1 hour of continuing education credit (1 PDH or 0.1 CEU) that is approved by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and accepted by most state engineering licensing boards. Almost 17,000 certificates have been issued since 2006. Each ACI member receives eight free "tokens" per year that they can use to take an exam. Non-ACI members can also use this program for a fee of $25 per exam. The value of the eight free tokens alone almost covers the cost of ACI membership!

Are you busy attending committee meetings at the convention and can't sit in on the great sessions being offered? Many of the session presentations are recorded and offered online free of charge through the ACI Web Sessions program. Currently, there are 150 sessions from past conventions available and they have been viewed over 23,000 times. If you are a presenter at a session, please consider giving permission for your presentation to be recorded. A few sessions are also offered as live webinars from the convention.

Longer, more in-depth coverage of subjects is offered through the ACI eLearning program. Topics including "Concrete Field Testing Technician Grade 1 Certification Training," "Controlled Low-Strength Materials Fundmentals," and "Concrete Fundamentals" are presented using formats such as online text, video, and interactive questions. These on-demand offerings are fee-based, starting at $24, and entitle the user to access the information for 30 to 90 days.

All of these opportunities to advance your concrete knowledge are available from the ACI Educational and Professional Development webpage, which can be accessed at www.ConcreteEducation.org. Please take a few minutes to visit the site and find out more about these great opportunities.

At ACI, we have a vast amount of concrete information. Just look at the Manual of Concrete Practice (MCP). Inclusion in the MCP doesn't have to be the end of a document process. Portions of that information can be used to help educate concrete professionals. If you are a member of a technical committee and would like some help getting some of that valuable information used in one of ACI's educational programs, please contact any ACI Educational Committee member or the ACI staff.

I encourage you to visit an Educational Committee meeting, consider joining the committee, and get involved in the process of "Advancing Concrete Knowledge." You will be welcomed, and I believe you will find it a very rewarding experience.

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