The eLearning Center for Gatlin Education Services

Overview

A basic understanding of the underlying causes of concrete deficiencies is essential to performing meaningful evaluations which lead to the proper selection of the method or technique used to successfully repair concrete. Symptoms or observations of a deficiency must be differentiated from the actual cause of the deficiency, and it is imperative that causes and not symptoms be addressed in repairs. Deterioration of concrete is an extremely complex subject since, in most cases, the damage detected will be the result of more than one mechanism.

In this course, the student will review Chapter 3, Causes of Distress and Deterioration of Concrete from Engineer Manual (EM) 1110-2-2002, "Engineering and Design - Evaluation and Repair of Concrete Structures" published by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (issued 30 June 1995). This course is most relevant to engineers wishing to attain knowledge on the most common causes of problems in concrete. The course also provides a brief description of the basic mechanism of each common problem, a description of the typical symptoms that would be observed during a visual inspection, and suggests preventative methods or techniques to prevent further damage.

The student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of ten (10) questions at the end of this course to earn PDH credits.

Specific Knowledge or Skill Attained

This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:

  · Common causes of concrete deterioration
  · Symptoms of concrete distress and deterioration that can be found during visual inspections
  · Preventative measures to reduce or eliminate further concrete degradation

State Board Acceptance

This course can be used by professional engineers to fulfill PDH requirements mandated by state and provincial licensing boards. Decatur Professional Development is an approved provider of continuing education in all states that pre-approve course providers. In all other states that mandate continuing education for engineers, it is the individual engineer's responsibility to determine the suitability of activities for PDH credit. The state boards typically accept online* courses that cover technical, managerial** or ethical content and which are relevant to the practice of engineering. The course must have a clear purpose or objective with a content that will maintain, improve or expand the skills and knowledge of the licensee's field of practice. For questions about your mandatory PDH requirements, visit the website of your state licensing board.

*Online courses are accepted by all state licensing boards that mandate continuing education. Other than New York (which limits online courses to 18 PDH) and Iowa (which limits online courses to 6 PDH), there are no limits placed by other states on the number of hours that can be earned through online continuing education. Consult with your state licensing board if you have any questions about the acceptability of online courses.

**The New York State Board of Engineers does not accept general office management courses, but will accept project management courses that are offered by an approved provider and that are technical in nature and contribute to the engineer's professional practice.