Certification, what does it mean?
Due to the recent increase in interest in Pervious Concrete including EPA listing it as a BMP (Best Management Practice) for managing storm water and recycling it into the aquifer, the shortage of qualified pervious installers has become obvious. Many Industry Associations, Tool and Admixture providers are trying to remedy the problem by establishing training programs to teach concrete installers how to install pervious concrete. Usually they are programs that last a day or two at the most, after which they issue a “Technician Certificate” for “Pervious Concrete Installation” to anyone who passes a written examination. More than 1600 technicians have been issued certificates. Most have no experience installing Pervious Concrete. Many of those teaching these technicians have not demonstrated that they have an acceptable skill level installing pervious concrete, or have had no experience working in the field with the material. If a ready-mix truck brings defective material they may not even know it.
We do appreciate the efforts of the various groups and individuals trying to get more qualified installers into working with pervious concrete. Unfortunately the idea that with a few days training, big bucks can be made is a bad concept! So is the idea that a few new tools, a new admixture or some other gimmick will turn any concrete crew into a team of pervious craftsmen is going to do much more harm than good for green building and sustainability concepts.
As shown by the photos below, some of these technicians have used that certification to sell themselves as Pervious Concrete Contractors. The work below, after one month shows raveling due to lack of compaction, lacks minimum porosity in some areas, and may involve product containing too many fines or too much water. The result is that this pervious concrete does not function, gives the product a bad reputation, eventually gets torn out or covered with asphalt or can result in costly litigation. And a project earning LEED points for pervious concrete, may not be entitled to them, with work like this. Those now certified need to get a few years experience working for an experienced pervious craftsman, before trying to run a pervious crew.
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Photos of work completed about a month earlier under the direction of a “Certified Pervious Technician” employed by a paving contractor. Photo on left shows lack of porosity, raveling, poor compaction, evidence of too much water in the mix and improper curing. Shot on the right shows raveling, cement paste smeared on surface by the use of improper tools, a control joint that is already raveling and aggregate which was not properly dispersed and compacted into the slab.
Below is properly placed Pervious concrete installed by us about a year before this picture was taken. Note the uniformity, integrity and porosity of slab. This is being used for parking on a daily basis.
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We have been certified as Pervious Installers for many years by R. M. C. Ewell, Inc. and more recently by Cemex. More importantly we have more than 25 years experience installing pervious concrete. We were the first to publish a Pervious Concrete Specification and make it available on the internet. Please review our Pervious Specification.
That’s why we offer a 10 year warranty on Pervious Concrete we install. A sheet of paper given to anyone taking a test after one or two days of training in comparison to Charger Enterprises’ wealth of knowledge is like comparing the qualifications of a handyman to an experienced building contractor. Many concrete contractors who are now certified technicians are installing pervious concrete materials that are destined to crack or ravel. Don’t let this happen to you. Insist on references and evidence of a minimum of three years of experience installing Pervious Concrete to the satisfaction of engineers and general contractors.
True, more Pervious Concrete Installers are needed, but they need to work under someone experienced for a few years before hanging out their Pervious Contractor shingle as shown by the comparison of work displayed here.
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Pervious concrete recently installed by “Certified Craftsman” using roller joint tool (pictured on left) raveling, as compared to pervious concrete installed by Charger Enterprises three years ago using saw cut joint (pictured on right). |
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WE ARE ALWAYS MAKING PROGRESS!
Pictured below is our new heavy-duty pervious concrete pavement. The proprietary mix was developed with our Pervious Partner CEMEX. Making use of slightly larger aggregate with fewer fines, our new mix design is made for heavier loads, less chance of raveling and greater porosity. Depending upon base soils, this pavement should let rainwater pass through at over 15 gallons per square foot per minute.
