Educational Resources With Concrete Focus

A series of educational resources focused entirely on residential concrete construction has been created through a partnership between Home Builders Institute (HBI), the workforce development arm of NAHB, and the association’s recently formed Concrete Home Building Council (CHBC).

Cement-based wall systems are being used in more than 16% of new, above-grade housing construction, and residential applications for the material continue to grow, increasing the need for skilled labor in this specialized area.

"This partnership supports NAHB's mission of educating its builder membership in the latest technologies to construct affordable, quality housing throughout the country,” said Michael Weber, president of the CHBC. “HBI's expertise in delivering quality training is a perfect match for delivering the knowledge-base for cement building systems and products to our members."

Working with Brookline, Mass.-based curriculum designer Building Works Inc., HBI’s Residential Construction Academy (RCA) and the council have developed three courses that will debut early next year: “Concrete Mix Designs and Troubleshooting” in Atlanta, followed by “Masonry Veneer Walls” in Winston-Salem, N.C. and “Best Practices for Concrete Pavers and Segmental Retaining Walls” in Kalamazoo, Mich.

The courses will then be made available nationwide through state and local home builders associations and company training programs.

The courses are modeled after HBI’s Residential Construction Superintendent (RCS) designation and students who successfully complete them will receive a certificate recognizing their knowledge of cement-based building systems and products.

The CHBC was founded to serve as the authority on cement-based building materials for the building industry — a resource builders, contractors and architects can use to find the latest techniques, navigate the code-compliance maze and identify businesses across the country involved in the new technologies.

In addition to implementing the concrete superintendent courses, RCA is working with CHBC on adding a “Masonry and Concrete” text to its library of residential educational materials — a publishing venture with Thomson Delmar Learning that brings these resources to secondary and post-secondary educational institutions and workforce training programs.

Current texts in the series include: “House Wiring,” “Carpentry, Plumbing,” “HVAC,” “Basic Principles for Construction” and “Electrical Principles.” “Facilities Maintenance” will be published soon. Each textbook and its corresponding curriculum are based on industry standards established by NAHB members.

For more information, e-mail Joseph Krinock at HBI, or call him at 800-795-7955 x8928; or contact Dawn Faull at the Concrete Home Building Council, 800-368-5242 x8362. To view a listing of all the CHBC education courses available through NAHB, click here. [ return to top ]