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We are delighted to report two new programs recently developed at the Geosynthetic Institute (GSI).(1) An online Designing with Geosynthetics (DwG) course is now available: www.geosynthetic-institute.org/courses.htm. Scroll down to Course #3 to see the requisite details. The course itself is completely coordinated with the 6th edition of the DwG textbook. It consists of 1,540 slides with about 18 hours of voiceover, allowing for about one minute for each slide. See the following table for the specific contents.
GSI’s new online, distance learning course, Designing with Geosynthetics (DwG) by Bob Koerner:
DwG book chapterTitleDwG course sections covered (%)Number of slidesPresentation time (minutes)1Geosynthethicsall121602aGeotextiles2.1 to 2.4119902bGeotextiles2.5 to 2.6122852cGeotextiles2.765702dGeotextiles2.8 to 2.11126853Geogridsall112854Geonetsall72605aGeomembranes5.1 to 5.292655bGeomembranes5.3 to 5.5115705cGeomembranes5.6100805dGeomembranes5.7 to 5.13152906aGCLsall89706bGCLsnew topics72557Geofoamall67408Geocompositesall11680
We think that the best way to optimize the learning process during this course is to have a copy of the DwG e-book on a laptop or tablet (it is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the publisher Xlibris for $7), with the online course slides on a desktop and work the two computers simultaneously slide-by-slide and page-by-page. The fee is $1,000 for members and $3,000 for nonmembers, each having six months of access time. A group can take the course together, as well as individuals by themselves, in any conceivable location. If desired, the course carries with it 18 professional development hours (PDHs).
(2) The Geosynthetic Designer Certification Program (GDCP) is also available now: www.geosynthetic-institute.org/gdcpintro.pdf. It includes an introduction that describes the rationale behind the program as originally presented in Geosynthetics magazine’s GSI column titled “We’re losing the battle,” June/July 2016, pp. 51–52; geosyntheticsmagazine.com/2016/06/01/were-losing-the-battle/
The program also includes: a disclaimer, requirements, application, reference material, sample questions, proctor manual, and proctor application. In the requirements section you will see that the applicant must:
- be a graduate of an accredited engineering program.
- have six months of geosynthetic design experience.
- complete the application form.
- pay the $500 fee for five years of certification.
- take a 45-question examination, with ≥ 70% passing.
The examination itself is divided into 15 sections (see table), each consisting of five questions. A candidate must answer any three questions in each section, making a total of 45 questions to be answered. Most of the questions are numeric, as is geosynthetic design practice in general. Scroll down to the “Sample Questions” to get insight on the level of the examination. Unlike our other certification examination questions, however, this examination is of an open-book, open-notes format and does require a calculator to “crunch the numbers.”
Lastly, please spread the word within your organization and to others as well. We sincerely hope that one, or both, of the above two programs will be beneficial in upgrading the technical base of geosynthetic designers to properly utilize all of our geosynthetic materials in all of their many applications. Both programs are ready to go and if you have questions or comments, please contact us:
Bob Koerner:
robert.koerner@coe.drexel.edu
Marilyn Ashley:
mvashley@verizon.net
Jamie Koerner:
jrkoerner@verizon.net