By Cicely Enright

Jul 26, 2016

Take Advantage of ASTM Training

Preparing for certification exams in concrete strength and concrete field testing? Try ASTM International's eTEC training program.

Seeking to understand more about how to use an ASTM standard? Find an ASTM training course on the topic.

Working to fulfill your continuing education or professional development requirements for your P.E. license this year? Participate in a technical committee meeting.

Looking to learn more about balloting or negative votes, or other member work? Register for a webinar on the topic.

ASTM International training takes several forms, all to help sharpen your skill set in your industry or in your ASTM participation. Training is (or should be) an ongoing part of our professional lives, and it's one often mandated by companies and government agencies.

Since part of its mission is to provide services related to voluntary consensus standards, ASTM International offers training to both members and nonmembers. Today, ASTM is taking advantage of new tools and techniques to expand its training through methods designed to be flexible for you.

Recently added to ASTM training options are the eTEC concrete programs in strength testing and field testing. With modules created under the supervision of a licensed civil engineer, eTEC prepares professionals for certification exams in concrete field testing, which covers seven ASTM standards, and concrete strength testing, which uses four ASTM standards. A sample module, on C231, Test Method for Air Content of Freshly Mixed Concrete by the Pressure Method, can be accessed online free of charge. The module contains the standard's text, a self-guided slide presentation, hands-on video demonstrations, procedure outlines, a glossary and a review quiz.

According to Rod Elderton, the ASTM eTEC training has ongoing value. Certification committee chair for the SoCal Chapter of the American Concrete Institute and a retired technical manager for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Elderton says that his ACI chapter conducts from 14 to 19 Grade 1 certification programs each year, with an average class size of 35, and uses eTEC. "Our students continue to refer to the eTEC training after certification to assist them in becoming more familiar with the performance of the various tests," he says.

Additional online training videos, available to ASTM Standards and Engineering Digital Library Plus clients, cover details of running ASTM standard test methods developed by a number of ASTM technical committees. ASTM plans more to come for those who prefer online training options.

ASTM also takes advantage of online formats for members and officers by holding regular webinars on relevant topics. From new member orientation and handling negative votes to roster maintenance and using online standards development tools, ASTM staffers host free programs to introduce you to or assist you in your member tasks and responsibilities. Check the roster of topics, upcoming dates and times, and to register. In addition, slide presentations that accompany the officers' training workshop can be accessed (at no charge) from the member training pages. Presentations address strategic planning, electronic balloting, officer responsibilities and more.

Numerous in-person training courses are held on an ongoing basis in cities across the United States and taught by instructors who are experts in their subjects, covering such diverse topics as glass and statistics, corrosion and plastics in any of more than 35 courses. Many courses - petroleum in the Middle East and Asia, textiles in India, environment in Asia - are offered through international training partners.

Custom designed instruction at your company facility can also be arranged; some offerings, such as oxygen systems operations and maintenance, ASTM standards for asbestos control, and risk-based corrective action for chemical releases, are held only on site. The advantages of saving travel time and costs with an on-site course can be extended even farther by content tailored specifically for your firm or group.

An added benefit of training courses and ASTM International meeting attendance is that they often count toward continuing education and professional development requirements. ASTM has compiled information about numerous state requirements along with relevant continuing education, professional competency and professional development details, as well as website addresses for reference.

For more details, contact ASTM Sales (phone: 877-909-ASTM).

If you would like a program developed where none currently exists, contact David von Glahn, ASTM (phone: 610-832-9591).