Institute for Construction Education and Training (ICET)
1018 Maple St.
Big Rapids, MI 49307
This four-day course is designed for the technician testing hot mix asphalt (HMA) for roadways on local government agency projects that are not using Contractor Quality Control/Quality Assurance specifications.
The Michigan Department of Transportation regulations require that public or private entities involved in road construction projects on the National Highway System roads which are not QC/QA projects must have a “Michigan Certified HMA Laboratory Technician Level 1” conduct the acceptance tests.
An applicant must be a Michigan Certified Aggregate Technician Level 1 before enrolling in this course. A simple calculator able to compute basic math functions should be brought to class.
Technicians applying for recertification shall submit 5 HMA Test Reports completed within the prior year that verifies they have been active in testing HMA. Test reports should show the binder content, gradation, and crush content. Test reports should be electronically submitted to [email protected]
The Board of Examiners shall administer the examination for certification. The examination is composed of two parts:
Part 1 - Written examination
The written exam is an open book exam that tests for a basic knowledge of the characteristics of bituminous materials, bituminous plant operations, the calculations required for testing and documentation, and methods used for testing HMA Material
Part 2 - Practical examination
The HMA lab technician must demonstrate proper test procedures to complete:
- Sampling of HMA mixtures and reducing samples for testing
- The Determination of asphalt content by vacuum extraction methods with calculations and reports
- The Theoretical Maximum Density Test with calculations and reports
- The Marshall Bulk Specific Gravity Test with calculations and reports
- Calculate volumetric properties, Pb, VMA, VFA, Va.
Applicants failing any part of the exam will be allowed to retake that portion of the exam, written or practical. However, if an applicant fails a second time or if an applicant fails both written exam and practical exam, the entire course will need to be repeated. Options for retaking exams will be explained at the notification of failure.
All retests must be completed within thirty days and participants will be responsible to pay $150 for a written retest and $450 for a practical re-test.
This technician training course is a four-day course. This course is designed to give candidates the skills and knowledge necessary to pass the Michigan Certified HMA Laboratory Technician Level 1 Test. The course is composed of both classroom and laboratory instruction, with over half the course devoted to developing laboratory testing skills. Students can expect homework assignments.
Cost: $975.00 each session
Recertification is required every four years. It is the responsibility of the practicing technician to maintain an active certification. For recertification, the technician must pass a written and practical examination, similar in format to the original certification test. Failure to achieve a passing score will require the candidate to retake the exam. Failure to pass the second time will require the candidate to attend the entire certification course. If a Michigan Certified HMA Laboratory Technician Level 1 fails to become recertified within one calendar year from the date of certificate expiration, at a minimum, the full training course must be taken.
Technicians applying for recertification shall submit 5 HMA Test Reports completed within the prior year that verifies they have been active in testing HMA. Test reports should show the binder content, gradation, and crush content. Test reports should be electronically submitted to [email protected]
The refresher course includes a one-day workshop and written examination followed on the second day by the practical examination described above. The refresher course does not allow sufficient time for the technician to practice test methods. If a technician has not been performing test methods on a regular basis, the technician should enroll in the entire four-day training course. The four-day course does allow sufficient time for technicians to practice current test methods before completing the practical examination.
Technicians applying for recertification shall submit 5 HMA Test Reports completed within the prior year that verifies they have been active in testing HMA. Test reports should show the binder content, gradation, and crush content. Test reports should be electronically submitted to [email protected]