Pervious Concrete Contractor Certification Program

Upcoming Pervious Courses

Maryland Ready Mix Concrete Association
Online | October 24, 2024

Registration | Email: Mindy Green

Maryland Ready Mix Concrete Association
Online | November 13, 2024

Registration | Email: Mindy Green

Maryland Ready Mix Concrete Association
Online | December 19, 2024

Registration | Email: Mindy Green

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Pervious Concrete Contractor Certification Program
Contact your Local Sponsoring Group to register

Important Links:

• Database of Certified Pervious Concrete Craftsmen, Installers & Technicians
• List of Approved Local Sponsoring Groups

Program Summary

The goal of this certification program is to ensure that knowledgeable contractors are selected to place the product and thereby minimize the chance for failure.

The program is designed to be administered locally by local sponsoring groups in conjunction with planned training sessions or demonstrations of pervious concrete placement. NRMCA provides certification exams and performance evaluations to approved local sponsoring groups for administering the certification. For the current list of local sponsoring groups, CLICK HERE.

Three levels of certification are available:

1. A Pervious Concrete Technician is a person who demonstrated knowledge by successful completion of a written exam about proper procedures to place, compact, finish, edge, joint, cure and protect pervious concrete pavements, but who lacks the requisite field experience to qualify as a pervious concrete Installer or Craftsman. The Technician level is intended for contractor and non contractor personnel in learning the proper techniques of installing pervious concrete.  It is assumed that contractor personnel who are certified as technicians will be supervised by an individual with a higher level of certification and they will upgrade to the higher levels when they achieve the work experience criteria for Installer and Craftsman levels to qualify to install pervious without supervision. This level is also intended for any non-contractor persons such as ready mixed concrete personnel, testing labs, inspectors, admixture personnel, specifiers and engineers that need to understand the pervious concrete system. This certification level is also recommended for individuals who are knowledgeable about pervious concrete who intend to participate in training programs for local sponsoring groups.
    
2. A Pervious Concrete Installer is a person who has demonstrated the ability to place, compact, finish, edge, joint, cure and protect pervious concrete pavements and has documented a limited project-based field experience in placing pervious concrete. The Installer level is intended for contractor personnel who have achieved this intermediate level of certification by completing installation of work as indicated by the certification criteria. Installers are expected to assume leadership roles when installing pervious concrete and make decisions on placement conditions and procedures. It is anticipated that contractor personnel will upgrade to Craftsman level when they achieve the work experience criteria for that level.
    
3. A Pervious Concrete Craftsman is a person who has demonstrated the ability to place, compact, finish, edge, joint, cure and protect pervious concrete pavements and has documented a higher level of field time-based experience in placing pervious concrete. The Craftsman level is intended for contractor personnel who have achieved this highest level of certification by completing the work experience as indicated by the certification criteria. Craftsman are expected to lead an installing crew, work with the concrete supplier to ensure the mixture is appropriate for the installation, designate duties and assignments to the crew, evaluate site and placement conditions and make decisions when the pour needs to be stopped or re-scheduled.

Applications for Local Sponsoring Groups

NRMCA encourages those groups who would like to locally sponsor NRMCA’s Pervious Concrete Contractor Certification to read about the program.

Local Sponsoring Group Recommended Procedures (PDF)

Pervious Concrete Contractor Certification Program: Policies and Procedures (PDF)

If interested in applying as a Local Sponsoring Group, fill out the appropriate application forms below:

Form PCC1 – Local Sponsoring Group Application (PDF)

Form PCC2 – LSG Certification Committee Member Qualification (PDF)

Form PCC3 – Examiner Application (PDF)

Return completed application forms to:
Shawnita Dickens, NRMCA
66 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 250
Alexandria, VA 22314

Tel: 703-706-4854 | Email: Shawnita Dickens

After NRMCA assesses your application, you will be sent a letter confirming your status.

Scope and Knowledge

The program requires knowledge in the following areas of concrete construction:

1. General information about applications and use of pervious concrete
    
2. Pervious concrete materials, mixture proportioning and production
    
3. Proper use of tools and equipment
    
4. General design principles of pervious concrete pavements
    
5. Pervious concrete construction
    
6. Maintenance and troubleshooting
    
7. Checklists for planning, design and construction

NRMCA Publication #2PPCRT Text Reference: Pervious Concrete Contractor Certification (revised September 2018) will serve as the reference material for the written test.

Download the following:

Certification Policy  (PDF) 

Form PCC8 – Installer Application  (PDF) 

Form PCC9 – Installer Recertification Application  (PDF) 

Form PCC10 – Craftsman Application  (PDF) 

Form PCC11 – Craftsman Recertification Application (PDF) 

Craftsman Documented Work Experience and Education Worksheet (xls) 

PCC12 – Performance Evaluation Form (PDF) 

PCC13 Pervious Certification Material Order Form (PDF) 

PCC14 Pervious Certification Material Payment Form (PDF)

Certification Requirements

The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) Pervious Concrete Contractor certification program includes certification of personnel at the following levels:

1. Pervious Concrete Technician
    
2. Pervious Concrete Installer
    
3. Pervious Concrete Craftsman

Pervious Concrete Installer:

Personnel achieving the following criteria will obtain certification as a Pervious Concrete Installer.

• Pass the NRMCA Pervious Concrete Contractor Certification Written Examination with a score of 75% or greater administered by a Local Sponsoring Group approved by NRMCA.
   
• Complete a Performance Evaluation administered by a Local Sponsoring Group approved by NRMCA – Form PCC12.
   
• Provide project experience documentation of successful construction of a minimum of 3 projects with a total area exceeding 10,000 square feet (1000 m²) – Form PCC8.

Pervious Concrete Craftsman:

Personnel achieving the following criteria will obtain certification as a Pervious Concrete Craftsman.

• Pass the NRMCA Pervious Concrete Contractor Certification Written Examination with a score of 75% or greater administered by a Local Sponsoring Group approved by NRMCA
• Possess a current ACI Flatwork Finisher Technician or Craftsman certification at the time of application

Work Experience:

• OPTION A: Complete a Performance Evaluation administered by a Local Sponsoring Group approved by NRMCA and document work experience constructing pervious concrete pavement exceeding 1500 hours – Forms PCC10, PCC12 and Craftsman Documented Work Experience and Education Worksheet, respectively.
  
  OR
   
• OPTION B: Provide documentation of work experience constructing pervious concrete pavements exceeding 3000 hours – PCC10 and Craftsman Documented Work Experience and Education Worksheet, respectively. Work experience shall be documented in hours and square footage on a standard spreadsheet.  Documentation shall include project and contact, preferable an owner, who can verify the conduct of the work.  The craftsman applicant shall document a minimum of 3 problems they have had on pervious concrete jobs and how they resolved these problems.  The craftsman application shall be reviewed and approved by a minimum of 3 member certification committee established by the Local Sponsoring Group.

NRMCA Pervious Concrete Contractor Certifications shall be valid for a period of five [5] years. The expiration date for the certification shall be based on the date of completion of the written examination.
 

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 Exam Information

The two-hour written examination is “closed book,” consisting of approximately 60 multiple-choice questions. The passing grade for the written examination is 75%.

During the performance evaluation, each examinee must demonstrate procedures for placing, compacting, finishing, edging, jointing and beginning curing a pervious concrete slab. The examiner will observe and evaluate the techniques used and record passing or failing grades on the various individual procedures. A passing grade is defined as “no significant variation from proper procedure and no more than two variations from proper technique in the use of the tools.”

The project experience or work experience must include placing, consolidation, finishing, edging, jointing and curing of pervious concrete, and must be documented on the Installer Application form or the Craftsman Application and Craftsman Documented Work Experience and Education Worksheet.
 

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 Re-Certification

Technicians

Pass the NRMCA Pervious Concrete Contractor Certification Written Examination with a score of 75% or greater; administered by a Local Sponsoring Group approved by NRMCA. Prior certification ID and expiration date shall be documented by the applicant.

Installers

Recertification shall be obtained by passing the NRMCA Pervious Concrete Contractor Certification Written Examination administered by a Local Sponsoring Group approved by NRMCA with a score of 75% or greater; and submitting project experience documentation of successful construction of a minimum of 3 projects with a total area exceeding 10,000 square feet (1000 m²) since the date of previous submission. Prior certification ID and expiration date shall be documented by the applicant.

Craftsman

Re-certification shall be obtained by passing the NRMCA Pervious Concrete Contractor Certification Written Examination administered by a Local Sponsoring Group approved by NRMCA with a score of 75% or greater; submitting documentation of work experience hours of at least an average of 40 hours per year since the previous submission of work experience (not the date of the test). Prior certification ID and expiration date shall be documented by the applicant. 

Persons applying for a higher level of certification at the time of re-certification shall complete the other criteria for that level.