GFRC Standards

MNL-130, Manual for Quality Control for Plants and Production of Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete Products, contains the material used for GFRC certification. Please also refer to the GFRC Study Guide prior to taking the GFRC certification exam. Topics include:

  • Quality control principles
  • Inspection, testing and record keeping
  • Fiber content, spraying, compaction and shrinkage
  • Cement and sand requirements
  • Plant practices
  • Shop drawings

GFRC Required Skills and Knowledge

Candidates for PCI Certified GFRC Quality Control Technician/Inspector should be familiar with:

  • GFRC plant equipment, construction tolerances,
  • GFRC formwork and associated casting surfaces,
  • GFRC mixtures and testing procedures, and
  • precast project specifications, precast setups, placement, sizes and dimensions.

Candidates for PCI Certified GFRC Quality Control Technician/Inspector should have experience:

  • reading shop drawings, checking dimensions of GFRC products and setups,
  • performing GFRC testing, and verifying concrete strength prior to stripping product from forms,
  • identifying, marking and documenting the disposition of products, reviewing products in storage for damage, and
  • recording all records for materials testing, placing, curing, and inspection of finished products.

Candidates for PCI certification must have the knowledge of basic math and algebra. Additional resources to help candidates assess their knowledge and access refresher training are available on the Basic Math Skill Requirements section, under Policies and Procedures.

GFRC Requirements

Candidates for GFRC Technician certification must meet the following requirements:

  • Submit a signed and endorsed GFRC certification application
  • Meet one of the following experience/education requirements:
    • Six (6) months of experience in a GFRC plant
    • Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering or related field
    • Associate degree in concrete technology
  • Pass a PCI GFRC certification examination

GFRC Certification Examination

The GFRC exam is a closed-book examination with 50 multiple-choice questions. The examinee is allowed one hour (60 minutes) to complete the examination, and a final score of 70% is required to pass the examination.

GFRC Recertification

GFRC certification is valid for a period of five years from the examination date. Recertification requires meeting all the above requirements for initial certification. Recertification requires re-examination and evidence of 36 months (total for five (5) years) of continuing acceptable experience in the production of GFRC.

Recertification with examination is required every five years until the individual has taken three exams over a 10-year period. Individuals who have passed three (3) GFRC exams over a 10-year period and have been continuously certified as GFRC Technicians for 15 years no longer have to meet the examination requirement.

Recertification without examination requires completion of a certification application and submittal of the request for exam exemption. The individual’s certification application must include evidence of acceptable continuing education and/or training every five (5) years.  Continuing education or training must include one of the following:

  1. Pass the GFRC examination administered by proctor with a minimum grade of 70%,
  2. Submit evidence of fifteen (15) hours (total for five (5) years) of continuing education or training in the field of quality control; design, concrete, finishing or other topics relevant to the GFRC industry, or
  3. Submit evidence of 36 months, (total for five (5) years) of continuing work experience in the field of quality control, engineering or production in the GFRC industry.

Failure to recertify within ninety (90) days after the expiration date shall require re-examination to reinstate certification.  Failure to recertify within six (6) months after the expiration date shall require re-examination, and the individual’s certification records will reflect a gap in certification.