March 27, 2015
Students earn certification from American Concrete Institute
Nine students from the department of architectural engineering and construction science have received Tilt-Up Concrete Technician Certification following completion of coursework and successfully passing an exam administered by the American Concrete Institute.
Jose Cavazos, Michael Hauschel, Ross Henry, Robert Hitt II, William Lewis, Scott Martin, Charles Schneiter and Matthew Weisenberger, all construction science and management majors; and Hasan Kamal, architectural engineering, have completed the certification process. Katie Loughmiller, instructor in the department, also sat for and passed the exam for certification.
Students earned the certification by demonstrating an understanding of safety, plan reading, scheduling, site preparation and foundations, slabs on grade, layout, forming, concrete properties and placement, erection and structural systems for producing tilt-up projects.
The tilt-up course, developed and taught by Kimberly Kramer, professor and G.E. Johnson construction science chair in the department of architectural engineering and construction science, was supported in part with resources from the Tilt-up Concrete Association. Kramer, who has served as keynote speaker at the association's annual meeting, also is director of graduate studies for her department.
In 10 years, more than 175 students have taken Kramer's course and approximately 100 of them have become certified as tilt-up technicians with a 99 percent pass rate.
"Construction companies that do this type of construction are required to have a certified technician on the job," Kramer said. "K-State has helped to triple the number of technicians in Kansas throughout the last several years, as well as helped to certify the first two female tilt-up concrete technicians in the nation."
"Our department has placed an increasing emphasis on attracting quality individuals to the construction industry during their college careers," said Ray Yunk, professor and department head of architectural engineering and construction science. "Professor Kramer's input and direction have been a strong impetus in that accomplishment."
Definition: Tilt-up is a construction technique for casting concrete elements in a horizontal position at the job site and then tilting them to their final position in a structure.
Tilt-up concrete wall panels most often serve as load-bearing wall elements spanning vertically from the foundation or slab-on-ground to intermediate floors, the roof or both. Tilt-up panels are generally handled only once. They are lifted or tilted from the casting slab and erected in their final position in one, continuous operation. Tilt-up panels are generally of such large size and weight — 120,000 pounds — that they can only be constructed on site and in close proximity to their final location in the structure.