October 21, 2013
Blockmakers Workshops a Success
Thirteen concrete industry professionals from companies throughout North America recently completed the Concrete Masonry Technology and the Vibrapac courses, part of the Blockmakers Workshops at the World Center for Concrete Technology (WCCT).
[caption id="attachment_4906" align="alignnone" width="650"]
Above: Concrete Masonry Technology Students, September 2013[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4910" align="alignnone" width="650"]
Above: Vibrapac Students, October 2013[/caption]
Topics addressed during the week-long Concrete Masonry Technology course included material grading and blending, cementitious materials, lightweight aggregates, design mix development, admixes and pigments. Students also discussed producing and curing concrete masonry units, concrete products specifications and their multiple uses.
The Vibrapac concrete products machine course included a hands-on study of proper machine adjustments, electronics and electrical schematic print reading of the V3 Vibrapac concrete products machines. Students were given troubleshooting problems as a practical application of these topics.
Ron Scherer and Eric Krebs teamed up to instruct the courses held at the WCCT. Students had the opportunity to learn in a traditional classroom setting, hands-on in the lab and “eyes-on” in the Besser equipped block plant. This variety enhances the learning experience and gives key points extra emphasis. “The benefits of a properly trained workforce are huge,” commented Ron Scherer, WCCT co-instructor. He continued, “Investing one week of an employee’s time to training pays off with measurable results.”
The lineup of 2014 Blockmakers Workshops is expected to be complete soon and we look forward to seeing past and new students as we enter our 60th year of educating the concrete products industry.
Above: Concrete Masonry Technology Students, September 2013[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4910" align="alignnone" width="650"] Above: Vibrapac Students, October 2013[/caption]
Topics addressed during the week-long Concrete Masonry Technology course included material grading and blending, cementitious materials, lightweight aggregates, design mix development, admixes and pigments. Students also discussed producing and curing concrete masonry units, concrete products specifications and their multiple uses.
The Vibrapac concrete products machine course included a hands-on study of proper machine adjustments, electronics and electrical schematic print reading of the V3 Vibrapac concrete products machines. Students were given troubleshooting problems as a practical application of these topics.
Ron Scherer and Eric Krebs teamed up to instruct the courses held at the WCCT. Students had the opportunity to learn in a traditional classroom setting, hands-on in the lab and “eyes-on” in the Besser equipped block plant. This variety enhances the learning experience and gives key points extra emphasis. “The benefits of a properly trained workforce are huge,” commented Ron Scherer, WCCT co-instructor. He continued, “Investing one week of an employee’s time to training pays off with measurable results.”
The lineup of 2014 Blockmakers Workshops is expected to be complete soon and we look forward to seeing past and new students as we enter our 60th year of educating the concrete products industry.