This course has been developed for any CALTRANS employee seeking a basic understanding of PCC.

To complete the prerequisite students must review provided resource material, view course videos, and pass an assessment quiz. Students must successfully pass the prerequisite course before registering in the Training & Lab course.

This certificate program consists of completing an online prerequisite, in-class training, and a lab.

The medium of instruction and language of the course will be English.

The timely delivery of transportation improvement projects requires highly skilled, knowledgeable materials sampling and testing technicians. To help reduce conflict and delay on construction projects within the state, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), in partnership with CSULB, has developed a joint training and certification program in PCC testing for construction materials lab technicians.

The goal of this program is to ensure that all materials testers — both in the public and private sector — possess equal knowledge and skill in performing lab tests. This will, in turn, help ensure consistent testing, promote quality improvement, and foster positive working relationships between public and private sector employees.

Participants in this program will receive training and certification in various ASTM methods pertaining to PCC testing in the field.

Note: In accordance with the IA Manual Amendment, “Testers must attend all training days for the HMA I, HMA II, and/or S&A modules including the recertification modules prior to receiving a JTCP Certificate of Training Completion for the module(s) and taking the associated exams.”

• ASTM C 31/C 31M — 5: Standard Practice for Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens in the Field
• ASTM C 138/C 138M — 14: Standard Test Method for Density (Unit Weight), Yield, and Air Content (Gravimetric) of Concrete
• ASTM C 143/C 143M — 15: Standard Test Method for Slump of Hydraulic Cement Concrete
• ASTM C 172/C 172M — 14a: Standard Practice for Sampling Freshly Mixed Concrete
• ASTM C 173/C 173M — 14: Standard Test Method for Air Content of Freshly Mixed Concrete by the Volumetric Method
• ASTM C 231/C 231M — 14: Standard Test Method for Air Content of Freshly Mixed Concrete by the Pressure Method
• ASTM C 1064/C 1064 — 12: Standard Test Method for Temperature of Freshly Mixed Hydraulic-Cement Concrete
• The PCC testing certification program consists of both classroom and hands-on laboratory instruction.

• Use the methods employed for sampling PCC, and making molded PCC cylinder and beam test specimens for testing
• Properly handle and cure the specimens
• Determine the unit weight and air content (using gravimetric method) of freshly mixed PCC and calculate the yield volume of the concrete
• Properly sample the freshly mixed concrete specimen, conduct slump test and judge whether or not the test was acceptable
• Determine the slump of freshly mixed concrete
• Properly sample freshly mixed concrete specimens from concrete mixers of the stationary, paving, and agitating and mixing truck types
• Properly sample freshly mixed concrete specimens from continuous-mixing equipment
• Determine the air content of freshly mixed concrete by the volumetric method
• Determine the air content of freshly mixed concrete by the pressure method
• Determine the temperature of freshly mixed hydraulic-cement concrete