The CFA Certifi ed Foundation Contractor program has exceeded all expectations since it was introduced at the 2008 Summer Convention. Not only have more companies than anticipated signed up for the program; several companies have joined the CFA simply to participate. Many more are attending the preparatory seminar and sitting for the basic knowledge exam. You do not need to be a CFA member to be certified but there is a substantial discount for CFA members.

Education and concrete knowledge have been an important part of the program since its outset as evidenced by the basic knowledge exam and the continuing education requirements. The program requires that the certifi ed company have at least one person on their staff at all times who has passed the basic knowledge exam which covers all aspects of foundation construction. In response to this interest, the CFA Board of Directors approved an expansion of the CFA-developed company certification program at its most recent board meeting held in conjunction with the 2009 World of Concrete. The new component to the program is that those who pass the basic knowledge exam will carry the designation of Certified Foundation Technician. The program now requires at least one person with the classification “Certified Foundation Technician” be employed by the certified company. The designation is valid for a period of 5 years and recertification will require passing the then-current exam. The continuing education requirements of the company certification designation are still applicable.

The basic knowledge seminar and exam have also attracted attention outside the CFA. Both were offered (with little fanfare and promotion) at the 2009 World of Concrete in Las Vegas. Twenty-two signed up for the seminar and twenty-eight sat for the exam, and most were not CFA members. When asked why they were taking the exam the most common responses were: “To demonstrate my knowledge of the subject” or “To show customers our commitment to quality.”

The seminar is designed to teach fundamentals of concrete and how the foundation actually functions as a system. It includes everything from soils to backfilling. Time is spent showing attendees how to use the provisions and tables from the IRC, the ACI 332 Standard, and other documents to improve their foundations and their competitiveness.

The exam is an 80 question open-book multiple-choice exam but don’t let the “open-book” description fool you. While a good basic knowledge of concrete and foundations will make the exam easier, the primary focus is to understand the resources available to the contractor and how to use and locate information in these documents. The documents are in a complete Reference Package and should be part of every contractor’s publication library. Don’t expect to pick up your Reference Package at the door and pass the exam. Most examinees feel that the exam is much harder than a typical closed-book exam and many have had difficulty completing the exam in the allotted 2-hour examination period. 70% is a passing score and no once has scored higher than 88% to-date. The average rate of passing is just over 60% of those who take the exam. Those who felt the exam was less challenging spent several hours reviewing the documents and many had tabs or notes on where information could be found – in other words, they studied!!

At this time, the only other seminar and exam scheduled is on Friday, July 31 at the CFA Summer Convention in Amelia Island, Florida. If you are looking for a good excuse to get away to the coast this summer, this could be your ticket. Staff is looking at a couple of other venues for the seminar and exam but none have been finalized as of yet. Visit the CFA web site for more information about the program.

Ed Sauter, Executive Director, CFA

esauter@cfawalls.org