Municipalities urged to invest in concrete training in 2022

There is an urgent need for municipal engineers and experienced construction staff to improve their knowledge of concrete technology. However, alarming apathy about correctly specifying and applying concrete still prevails, says John Roxburgh, senior lecturer at Cement & Concrete SA’s School of Concrete Technology (SCT).

The SCT 2022 Training Programme is now available and Roxburgh hopes that key institutions – including South African municipalities and state bodies entrusted with infrastructure and building developments – will make 2022 a year to invest in training.

“Civil and structural engineers inevitably have to specify, design or deal with concrete building as part of their work and, as sustainability is now the watchword globally, they need to have detailed knowledge of concrete technology. By the same token, site practitioners also cannot do without concrete knowledge to adequately control construction operations,” Roxburgh states.

He says two courses to be offered by SCT in 2022 should therefore particularly be considered by South African municipalities: SCT20 ‘Concrete Practice’ and SCT30 ‘Concrete Technology’. Both regularly attract strong enrolment, calling for several presentations every year.

The four-day SCT20 ‘Concrete Practice’ course is excellent for those applying concrete technology on-site such as foremen and supervisors, and for staff responsible for quality assurance. Successful completion of this course earns four Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points.

The more advanced SCT30 ‘Concrete Technology’ five-day course – which earns five CPD points – is aimed at civil and structural engineers, experienced technicians and technologists, and is ideal for gaining detailed knowledge of how cement and concrete works. “SCT hopes to return to classroom-based lecture courses in 2022, providing Covid-19 lockdown restrictions permit and prevailing infection rates are low enough. The live classes will be kept small, with high demand for specific courses dealt with by increased frequency,” Roxburgh explains. “But we will definitely continue to run our successful online e-learning courses in 2022.”

The online platform and self-study courses are here to stay as they align themselves with modern trends in terms of remote learning and increased access to both data and smart delivery devices. E-learning and its associated benefits will form an integral part of SCT training in future.

“For municipalities in country districts, online training has now made it possible for staff in the most remote areas to complete our courses,” Roxburgh states.

Dates to note

Should pandemic conditions allow for indoor gatherings, the SCT20 ‘Concrete Practice’ course will be presented in Midrand from 7 to 10 February, 4 to 7 April, 20 to 23 June, 29 August to 1 September, and 17 to 20 October. Hopefully, live presentations will also take place in Durban from 25 to 28 August, and in Cape Town from 5 to 8 September. The Midrand scheduled dates for SCT30 ‘Concrete Technology’ are 7 to 11 March, 23 to 27 May, 11 to 15 July, 12 to 16 September, and 7 to 11 November; while the current dates for Durban and Cape Town are 10 to 14 October, and 21 to 25 November, respectively.

Roxburgh says experienced tuition is vital when sending staff for training. “The School has been the major concrete technology education provider in South Africa for well over 60 years and its Consulting Division is constantly involved in the writing of standards/publications and the assessment of latest technologies. The training provider should also issue certificates that are well recognised within the concrete and related industries. Here, SCT also leads the pack because certificates issued by the School are widely recognised due to the SCT’s decadeslong service to industry,” he concludes.

For further information and access to the full SCT 2022 Training Programme, email rennisha.sewnarain@cemcon-sa.org.za or visit www.cemcon-sa.org.za.

John Roxburgh, senior lecturer: School of Concrete Technology, Cement & Concrete SA