A record of seventy-six examinees sat for the ACI/TCA Tilt-Up Supervisor and Technician Exam in Atlanta as part of the 2019 Tilt-Up Convention and Expo. The exam was preceded by a three-hour preparatory course entitled “Tilt-Up 101” given by TCA’s manager for regulatory and technical affairs, Jim Baty, FACI, FTCA and Joseph A. Daczko, FACI, the business development manager with the admixtures systems group of BASF Construction Chemicals. The talk was sponsored by HD Supply Construction & Industrial – White Cap.

“This is the second year Joe and I have participated together in bringing this introduction and preparatory seminar to Convention,” stated Baty. “The experience this year brought a much greater participation from attendees, and the packed room contributed to one of the most successful tilt-up certification exams in recent years. The depth of practical knowledge on concrete that [Joe] brings to the table leaves the attendees with a strong perspective on how they can manage projects from within specifications.”

Baty originally designed Tilt-Up 101 to focus on three primary topics of interest related to the practice of tilt-up construction and the preparation for ACI/TCA certification. “[Ed] Sauter and I have been teaching this content for a lot of years. Delivering the content in sections that focus on Architecture and the Market, Team Development and Planning, and, of course, Construction of Tilt-Up, rounds out the experience for those who may be seeking a deeper understanding of what tilt-up is right alongside those preparing to become certified.”

Thanks to the generous support of Williams Concrete Contracting, the TCA was proud to offer a dedicated certification preparation seminar (Tilt-Up 101) for Spanish speaking individuals this year in Atlanta. Jorge Figueroa Silva from Tilt-Up Asesores led the course and also served as the examiner for the Spanish version of the exam. The official study guide for the exam, “The Construction of Tilt-Up,” was published by the TCA in a bilingual format in 2016.

“Given the importance of the Spanish-speaking community to the construction industry, we felt this was a great service to the industry,” said Mitch Bloomquist, executive director for the TCA. “Not only does it give us something to offer those traveling from Spanish-speaking countries abroad, but it also allows us to better serve those Spanish-speaking workers here in the United States.”