Courses

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SCT 10 Introduction to Concrete (2 days) - Lab session included

This course is recommended for small, medium and micro enterprises, junior technical and sales staff in the building, construction and allied industries, and anyone wanting a short introduction to concrete. Learners are given hands-on practical exercises to illustrate the theory given in the classroom. Learners must be able to read and write English.

Syllabus

• Properties of concrete
• Materials for concrete
• Receiving and storing materials
• Batching, mixing and testing concrete
• Transporting, placing and compacting
• Finishing and surface preparation
• Protection and curing
• Formwork and reinforcement
• Sand-cement mixes
• Durability of concrete 

• Requirements of concrete
• Choosing aggregates and cement
• Factors that make concrete more workable
• Compaction of concrete
• Mix proportions for concrete
• The importance of making good cubes
• Acceptance and storage of materials
• Formwork and reinforcement
• Sand-cement mixes
• Transporting
• Curing

 NB: Students who have recently attended the SCT 10 course, should not attend this course.

SCT 12 Mortars, Plasters, Screeds and Masonry (1 day) - Lab session included

This course was originally developed to assist NHBRC inspectors to interpret the requirements of the NHBRC 'Home Builder's Manual' and is written around that manual to the extent that the clauses are cross-referenced from the notes.

Syllabus

• Factors that affect the strength of concrete
• The role and selection of cement, sand, stone and water
• Receiving and storage of materials
• Mix proportions for concrete for foundations and floors
• Floor screeds and testing
• The slump and cube tests for concrete
• Concrete and clay masonry, expansion and shrinkage
• Waterproofing, cavity and block walls
• The need for movement joints
• Properties of mortar and plaster
• Sand-cement mixes
• Common causes of cracking
• Screeds

SCT 13 Making Concrete Bricks and Blocks (1 day) - Lab session included

This course will assist with empowering learners and enabling them to make a living and gives learners a rudimentary understanding of how to manufacture masonry units. Learners must be able to read and write English.

Syllabus

• Requirements of masonry
• How cement works and how to make masonry strong
• The quantity of water necessary for workability
• Blockmaking machines
• Selection of materials and mix proportions
• Curing of finished blocks
• Storage of materials
• Sand-cement mixes
• Testing of masonry
• Building with masonry to minimise cracking

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SCT 14 Concrete for RMC Truck Drivers  (1 day) - Lab session included

This course is intended to give RMC truck drivers an introduction to concrete and the tests that may be carried out in their presence and has the approval of SARMA. The course will provide basic concrete technology and will enable the driver to understand the importance of his position as a front line staff member interfacing with the client.

Syllabus

• Factors that affect the strength of concrete
• Bleeding, workability, cohesion and segregation of concrete
• The slump test – how to do it and what it means
• The cube test – how to make cubes and what they mean
• The effect of hot/cold weather on the transport of concrete
• Delays, contamination or spillage during transport
• Access to the worksite
• The effect of the addition of water
• Transport of concrete around the site after discharge
• Things to observe on site
• Washing out of the truck
• Customer relations

SCT 20 Concrete Practice (4 days) - lab session included

This course is recommended for foremen, clerks-of-work, technicians and supervisory sales, technical and engineering staff in the building, construction, mining and related industries.

Minimum entrance requirements
Grade 10 (Standard 8), able to read and write English, and do basic arithmetic calculations including percentages and ratios.

Syllabus

• Properties of fresh concrete
• Properties of concrete at early ages
• Properties of hardened concrete
• Materials for concrete
• Mix proportions and quantities
• Concrete production
• Transporting
• Placing and compacting
• Protection and curing
• Formwork
• Reinforcement
• Joints
• Sand-cement mixes
• Concreting in hot and cold weather
• Defects and repairs
• Low-density concrete
• Prestressed concrete
• Precast concrete
• Off-shutter and architectural finishes
• Sampling and testing
• Concrete pavements

SCT 21 Practical Concrete Surface Beds (1 day)

CPD Points - 1
This practical concrete surface beds course aims to help consulting civil engineers and contractors to overcome problems associated with design detailing and construction practice.

Minimum entrance requirements
Grade 12 minimum (standard 10) or experience in Floor Design & Construction.

Syllabus

• Design philosophy
• Subgrades and subbases
• Concrete
• Joints
• Reinforcement
• Construction
  • Subgrades and subbases
  • Damp-proofing
  • Construction joints
  • Concrete production and placing
  • Construction methods
  • Vacuum dewatering
  • Side forms
  • Dowels
  • Edging
  • Finishing
  • Curing
  • Joint sawing
  • Joint sealing
• Surface finishes
  • Construction methods
  • Finishing techniques
  • Adverse weather
  • Concrete toppings
  • Surface treatments
• Special applications

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SCT 22 Concrete Road Design and Construction (1 day)

CPD Points - 1
This course focuses on the technology applied in the design and construction of concrete pavements. It covers the supporting layers, thickness design using computer program, cncPave, and joint design, detailing and layout. Concrete materials and mix design, construction, modes of distress and failure and rehabilitation are also included.

Minimum entrance requirements
A degree or diploma in civil engineering is recommended. A number of years' experience in road design and/or construction is highly recommended.

Syllabus

• Pavement types and behaviour
  • Rigid pavement types and behaviour
  • Distress and modes of failure
  • Design objectives
• Concrete pavement support
  • Subgrades
  • Subbases
  • Drainage
• Pavement design
  • Introduction to Mechanistic Design
  • Mechanistic Design – cncPave and other methods
  • Use of cncPave
• Concrete mix design
  • Materials and specifications
  • Mix design
  • Durability
• Joints
  • Load transfer
  • Joint design
  • Joint layout
  • Sealants
• Reinforcement
  • Use and detailing of reinforcement
• Construction
  • Mechanised
  • Labour intensive
  • Inlays
  • Overlays
  • Low-volume roads

SCT 24 Concrete for Laboratory Testers (3 days) - lab session included

The course is designed to give laboratory testers an understanding of the SANS test methods used in the most frequently performed tests on concrete including the new durability tests. Test methods will be discussed in detail with laboratory demonstrations and an opportunity for hands-on practicals.

Syllabus

• Materials of concrete and the properties they bring
• Basics of how concrete works
• Different types of cement
• The different types of cement and their uses
• Testing of fresh concrete
• Testing of hardened concrete
• Durability tests: Oxygen permeability, Sorptivity and Chloride Conductivity
• Determination of concrete mix proportions by the eye-ball method
• Calculations related to the test methods
   

For more information click on Sabita icon for their courses on this subject:

SCT 25 Precasting small Items (2 days) (special course)

This course is designed to give both supervisory and factory floor staff the tools to make concrete units of greater strength at lower cost by using the correct technology for wet and dry processes.

Syllabus

• Materials of concrete and the properties they bring
• How cement and concrete works
• Dry concrete mixes
• Wet concrete mixes
• The need for high density i.e. compaction
• Mix proportions for the various types of concrete
• The use of admixtures in these concretes
• Selection of materials-particularly sand grading
• Abrasion resistance of pavers
• Introduction to blocklaying
• Shrinkage and waterproofing of blocks
• Introduction to building with concrete masonry
• Testing of finished product
• Kerbs and lintels

SCT 30 Concrete Technology (5 days) - lab session included

CPD Points - 5
This is an intensive course intended for civil and structural engineers, and experienced technicians and technologists and is an excellent medium for gaining an in-depth knowledge of how cement and concrete work.

Minimum entrance requirements
Grade 12 (Standard 10) with mathematics and science and at least two years of appropriate experience.

Syllabus

• Properties of fresh concrete
• Properties of concrete at early ages
• Properties of hardened concrete
• Cement and cementitious extenders
• Aggregates
• Mixing water and chemical admixtures
• Concrete mix design
• Concrete production
• Transporting
• Placing and compaction
• Protection and curing
• Formwork
• Reinforcement
• Joints
• Defects, blemishes and repairs
• Mix design and mixes for specialised applications
• Sand-cement mixes
• Off-shutter finishes
• Temperature and concrete
• Concrete Pavements
• Testing hardened concrete – non-destructive testing
• Testing hardened concrete

SCT 34 Prestressed Concrete Design and Practice

CPD Points - 2,5
The Duration of the course will be 24 hours, typically 16h00 - 20h00, on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings. The course is aimed at practising engineering graduates with either little or no experience in the design of prestressed concrete structures, or those who would like to refresh their skills in this field. The course is divided into two parts; Part I addressing the fundamental aspects and Part II focussing on more advanced topics. A complete set of lecture notes with examples is provided as part of the course.

Minimum entrance requirement
BSc Engineering degree or equivalent qualification.

Syllabus

• General principles
• Material properties
• Prestressing systems and procedures
• Design for flexure
• Prestressing losses
• Shear
• Effects of continuity
• Deflections
• Anchorage zone design
• Prestressed concrete slabs
• Detailing

SCT 35 Concrete Structures - Analysis and Design

CPD Points - 6
The duration of the course is 48 hours typically 4 hours from 16h00 - 20h00. The course is aimed at practising civil and structural engineers who wish to refresh their reinforced concrete design skills. The course is divided into two parts: the first covering the basic principles of reinforced concrete design and the second applying these principles in designing elements. A complete set of lecture notes with examples is provided as part of the course.

Minimum entrance requirements
BSc Engineering degree or equivalent qualification.

Syllabus

PART I

• Introduction
• Properties of reinforced concrete
• Principles of limit state design
• Analysis of the structure
• Analysis and design for flexure
• Flexure combined with thrust
• Design of beams for shear
• Bond and anchorage
• Design for serviceability
• Design of beams

PART II

• Design of suspended floors:
  • One-way spanning slabs
  • Two-way edge supported slabs
  • Flat slabs and punching shear
  • Ribbed slabs
• Design of columns
• Design of footings
• Design of stairs
• Calculating crack widths and deflections
• Design for torsion
• Introduction to prestressed concrete

SCT 36 Properties of Concrete for the Structural Designer and Constructor  (1 day)

CPD Points - 1
The subject matter covered in this course is based on the most common defects observed over a period spanning many years. The course is aimed at senior staff in the design and construction industry who have had some years of experience in their field.

Syllabus

• Constituent materials of concrete and their roles
• Mix proportions, batching and mixing
• Formwork, placement and compaction
• Concrete temperature, curing and joints
• Compressive strength and acceptance of cube crushing results
• Tensile, bond and shear strength
• Resistance to abrasion
• Cracking in the plastic and hardened states
• Moisture, thermal & chemical expansion & contraction
• Deformation under load: the importance of the E-value
• Durability of reinforced concrete in aggressive environments
• Specification of concrete

SCT 37 Durability of Concrete (1 day)

CPD Points - 1
Is it sufficient to ensure that structures do not collapse during or immediately after construction, or is it necessary to ensure that the investment of time and money in a structure is safeguarded for a substantial period of time?

This course is aimed at senior design and construction personnel.

Syllabus

• How cement works to ensure impermeability
• Mechanisms of mechanical deterioration
• Mechanisms of chemical deterioration
• Methods of making concrete impermeable
• Testing of permeability, sorptivity and conductivity

SCT 38 Structural Masonry Design and Masonry Materials

The duration of the course is 24 hours, typically 4 hours from 16h00 to 20h00. The course is aimed at the practicing civil and structural engineer, technologist and technician who wish to use design structural masonry and have an overall appreciation of the structural behaviour of masonry materials.

Minimum Entrance requirement
Degree or Diploma at a tertiary institution in the field of civil engineering A sound knowledge of the 'SANS 10160: South African Standard Code of Practice for the general use and loadings to be adopted in the design of buildings' is recommended.

Syllabus

• Unreinforced Masonry
  • Introduction and historical background
  • Definitions and terminology
  • Masonry materials
  • Good detailing practise
  • SANS Standards and applications
  • Specifications
  • Defects, diagnoses and repair
  • Design considerations
  • Design of masonry subjected to axial compression
  • Design of masonry subjected to bending
  • Design of masonry subjected to combined axial compression and bending
  • Accidental damage
• Reinforced Masonry
  • Design of reinforced masonry subject to axial compression, bending and combined stresses
  • Design of prestressed masonry subject to axial compression, bending and combined stresses

SCT 39a: The application of the finite element method in practice
SCT 39b: Design of reinforcement using finite element analysis

It is a course that was first presented more than twenty years ago which has undergone a continuing process of development and improvement by the author and presenter, Roland Prukl. Mr Prukl first became involved in Finite Element Analysis (FEA) shortly after the method was developed, and has become an authority on the subject. FEA is full of pitfalls that await the overconfident and unwary, and you can either learn these by trial and error, or you can spend a few days learning how to correctly use this remarkable tool.

This course is aimed at the practicing civil and structural engineer, technologist and technician who wish to design structures using Finite Element Analysis.

A complete set of lecture notes with examples is provided as part of the course.

The CPD points are split as follows:
The Application of the Finite Element Method in Practice 6 days – 5 points
Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures using FEM 1 day – 1 point.

Minimum entrance requirement
Degree or Diploma at a tertiary institution in the field of civil engineering.

Syllabus

• Introduction to finite element analysis
• Skeletal structures
• Plane stress and plane strain
• Plate bending
• Three-dimensional shells, axisymmetric shells and solid elements
• Complex structures
• Dynamics
• Buckling
• Geometric and material non-linear analysis
• Design of reinforcement using Finite Element Analysis 

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SCT 41 & 42 Concrete Technology & Construction (by correspondence only)

These courses are offered as correspondence courses only. They are designed for persons employed in a technical capacity, e.g. concrete technologists, civil engineering technicians or engineers who wish to improve their knowledge of all aspects of concrete. City & Guilds International (C&G) certificates are awarded to successful learners. All three parts start in September of each year. Registrations and examination registrations will be accepted until 30 January.

The course is available in three parts as:
SCT 41: General Principles (Part 1),
SCT 42: Practical Applications (Part 2)

The examinations consist of one three-hour paper for each course. SCT 41 and 42 may be studied at the same time by experienced learners.

Learners wishing to write at British Councils need to make their own arrangements with their local British Council prior to the exams. A separate examination and management fee will be payable in advance by the delegate. Contact the British Council for information on registration and costs. The onus is on the delegate to liaise with their local British Council.

Minimum entrance requirements
Grade 12 with mathematics and science. For SCT 42 at least one year of concrete construction site experience is strongly recommended.

Optional revision workshops are held in Midrand only in April 2012 prior to the examinations in May. 

SCT 41: General Principles (Part 1)

Syllabus

• Materials, including aggregates, cements, water, admixtures, reinforcing and prestressing
• Properties of concrete
• Testing concrete
• Specification of concrete, design of mixes and quality control
• Formwork
• Concrete production and supply
• Ready-mixed concrete
• Compacting and finishing
• Curing
• Reinforced concrete

SCT 42: Practical Applications (Part 2)

Syllabus

• Testing concrete
• Specification of concrete
• Quality control and mix design
• Joints
• Roads, materials and construction
• Reinforcement and prestressing
• Formwork including falsework
• Surface finishing, screeds and toppings
• Defects and repairs
• Concrete production and handling
• Floors
• Precast concrete and production
• Curing
• Site organisation and layout
• Ready-mixed concrete

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SCT 50 Advanced concrete technology 2012 – lab session included

The ACT course is presented in South Africa every two years, under the auspices of the Institute of Concrete Technology (ICT) in the United Kingdom. The next Advanced Concrete Technology (ACT) course will commence in January 2014 with two exams written July 2015.

The target audience includes qualified and experienced civil engineers, cement chemists, concrete technologists and technicians involved in the building, construction, precast concrete, mining and in the cement, aggregate, admixture and ready-mixed concrete industries.

Delegates will attend a 5 day introductory session in January and then two 3 day seminars during the course.  Industry experts will be invited to lecture at these seminars. Delegates will be required to submit 14 group assignments and a research project. Delegates have a choice of doing 4 individual assignments set by the C&CI in lieu of the research project.

Delegates who pass both three-hour examinations and pass their research project or the 4 individual assignments, will receive the Advanced Concrete Technology Diploma. This qualifies them for Corporate Membership of the ICT and, as corporate members, they may write the letters MICT behind their names and qualify for one years free membership to the Concrete Society of SA.

Applications
Please submit your application to the Course Manager for the 2014 / 2015 course by 30 November 2013.

Recommended entrance requirements 
An appropriate qualification in civil engineering or any other appropriate branch of science or technology is required. Without such a qualification a learners prior knowledge and experience will be assessed by the course manager before acceptance of registrations.

Note that SCT 41 and 42: Concrete Technology and Construction is regarded as ‘assumed knowledge’ for any candidate admitted to the ACT.

The course covers some 75 topics falling into the following broad categories:
• Cements
• Additions to concrete
• Admixtures
• Aggregates
• Fresh concrete
• Setting and hardening of concrete
• Properties of hardened concrete
• Durability of concrete
• Concrete construction
• Mix design
• Special concretes
• Ready-mixed concrete
• Special processes and technology for particular types of structures
• Concrete finishes
• Repairing concrete
• Formwork
• Concrete plant
• Precast concrete
• Concrete roads
• Industrial floors
• Principles of reinforced and prestressed concrete
• Test methods and equipment
• Quality concepts
• Quality control
• Statistics
• Standards, specifications and codes of practice
• Assessment of concrete construction
• Sources of information

ACT Diplomas are awarded by the Institute of Concrete Technology, UK, to successful learners.