Precast Inc. - May/June 2008 - (Page 68) A S S O C I AT I O N N E W S NPCA Conducts Inspector Training NPCA recently fine-tuned its Plant Certification Program with a two-day training course for 24 inspectors conducted at a Hanson Pipe & Precast plant in Grand Prairie, Texas. Certification inspectors from PSI Inc. and HPS Consultants, NPCA’s third-party inspection contractors, reviewed the details of the “NPCA Quality Control Manual for Precast and Prestressed Plants,” which forms the basis of the certification program. Mel Marshall of Mel C. Marshall Industrial Consultants and Marti Harrell, NPCA director of Certification Programs and Continuing Education, led the training, which focused on the requirements of the QC Manual, the administration of the certification program and customer service. NPCA conducts several inspector field training sessions each year to ensure all of its plant certification inspectors are fully versed in the program requirements and NPCA’s gold standard expectation of customer service. For more information about the Plant Certification Program, contact Richard Krolewski, promotion specialist, at rkrolewski@precast.org or (800) 3667731. VARTAN BABAKHANIAN, P.E., FACI, TECHNICAL SERVICES MANAGER OF HANSON AGGREGATES INC. SOUTHWEST REGION, LEADS A TEAM OF INSPECTORS DURING THE NPCA TRAINING COURSE. HPS Partners with NPCA As the NPCA Plant Certification Program continues to grow, so does the need for additional inspectors to conduct independent third-party audits. NPCA has announced that HPS Consultants Inc. will partner with NPCA as a third-party inspection agency for the certification program. With more than 50 years of service and offices located throughout the United States, HPS Consultants has appeared as a Top 500 design firm in Engineering News-Record magazine’s listing of premier U.S. design firms. HPS Consultants specializes in seven market groups including: Departments of Transportation, local government, federal and state government, energy and industry, railways, aviation and communications. Additionally, HPS Consultants provides geotechnical and 68 MAY/JUNE 2008 | PRECAST INC. laboratory services to its many clients. NPCA looks forward to this new partnership with HPS Consultants. For questions about HPS Consultants or the Plant Certification Program, contact Marti Harrell, NPCA director of Certification Programs and Continuing Education, at mharrell@precast.org or (800) 366-7731. been active in robotics clubs and competition, scouting, skiing and snowboarding clubs. He is majoring in electrical engineering at GMU and hopes to work in quality control and manufacturing systems after graduation. Alex was sponsored by Paul Sherman of Oldcastle Precast Inc. in Fredericksburg, Va. Stephanie Grannetino, Glenmoore, Pa. Stephanie is a junior at Philadelphia University pursuing a degree in architecture. In addition to making the Dean’s List for excellent grades, Stephanie has won awards for writing and architectural drawing while at the university. She works for the university in a work study program, has an internship with an architectural firm and does CAD and database work for A.C. Miller Concrete Products Inc., an NPCA member and her sponsor. Stephanie hopes to work for a sustainable firm specializing in the energy efficiency of buildings and the building process after completing her degree. She was sponsored by Ramzi Kawar of A.C. Miller Concrete Products Inc. Scholarship Recipients Since 1989, the NPCA Educational Foundation has provided educational scholarships to undergraduate students enrolled in a civil engineering and construction-related curriculum. The foundation’s philosophy is to introduce the features and benefits of precast concrete products and create a more educated specifying community. Scholarship amounts are $1,000 per year, up to four years. This year's recipients are: Alexander Behnaz, Oak Hill, Va. Alex is currently a freshman at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. He graduated in the top 10 percent of his senior class in 2007, winning awards as an AP Scholar and from the physics department of his high school. Alex has NPCA photo
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