Membership Education
Course Description
This training prepares Certified Producer representatives to deliver CSI-104A, "Architectural Design with Cast Stone," to architects and design professionals. Attendees will learn how to confidently present the course content, including cast stone production, detailing, and sustainability, while gaining a deeper understanding of specification best practices. The session also covers AIA CEU logistics — sign-ins, evaluations, and course reporting — to ensure presentations meet AIA requirements. Attendees will leave equipped to position their company as a trusted educational resource and to promote the value of CSI Certified Producers to their audience.
See the full Course Description for CSI-104A Here.
What's In It For You
Presentation Skills — Learn how to confidently deliver the Architectural Design with Cast Stone CEU to architects and design professionals.
AIA CEU Logistics — Get trained on how to handle sign-ins, evaluations, and course reporting to ensure your presentations meet AIA requirements.
Industry Knowledge — Deepen your understanding of cast stone production, detailing, sustainability, and specification best practices.
Strategic Advantage — Position your company as a trusted educational resource and promote the value of CSI Certified Producers to your audience.
Presenters
Led by Craig Lyon and Liz Graves, this training will walk you through the course content and presentation process, including cast stone design, production, and sustainability, as well as how to properly deliver the CEU through CSI.
Date & Time
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM Central Time
Questions
Contact Liz Graves
liz@caststone.org
512.633.5437
CSI CEU Presenter Training (Train-the-Trainer) for CSI-104A: Architectural Design with Cast Stone
Course Description
Accurate testing is the foundation of ASTM C1264 conformance. This course trains producer personnel and independent laboratory staff to correctly perform compressive strength testing in accordance with ASTM C1194 and absorption testing in accordance with ASTM C1195, including the nuances of each method that are commonly missed. CSI introduced the Testing Technician Training Course to ensure that member producers are completing these tests accurately in house and that independent testing facilities understand the requirements specific to architectural cast stone. Attendees who pass the post-session test receive a Certificate of Completion valid for five years.
Who Should Attend
CSI Producer management and employees who perform in-house testing for compressive strength and absorption, and independent laboratory personnel.
What’s In It for You
• Testing Accuracy: Learn to perform ASTM C1194 and C1195 testing correctly, with attention to the details that most often cause errors.
• Certification: Earn a Certificate of Completion valid for five years, satisfying the requirement that each Producer Member maintain certified staff.
• Compliance Confidence: Understand how compressive strength and absorption results support conformance with ASTM C1264.
• Lab Qualification: Independent laboratories gain the certification required to serve Producer Members for six month verification testing.
Presenters
Jason Thopson
Date & Time
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
10:00 AM Central Time
Registration deadline: September 27, 2026
Cost
$75.00 per CSI Member
$125.00 per Non-CSI Member Independent Laboratory Personnel
Attendees will be invoiced by CSI.
Materials & Certification
Each registered attendee receives the seminar PowerPoint handout and the related ASTM standards the day prior to training. The test will be emailed to attendees immediately following the session and should be completed and returned to the Cast Stone Institute office that same day. A Certificate of Completion will be sent to each attendee who passes.
Certification Requirements
Certifications are valid for five years from the date of the passing test. Producer Members are responsible for maintaining a certified staff member at all times, and certifying more than one employee is recommended to ensure coverage.
At least one staff member of an independent lab used by a Producer Member for the six month independent testing verification must also pass the certification course. It is the Producer Member’s responsibility to confirm their lab has a certificate holder on staff. A listing of certified labs and personnel is available here.
Questions
Contact Liz Graves
liz@caststone.org
512.633.5437
All attendees must have computer, internet, and audio or phone access. Webinar access information will be sent before the meeting.
CSI Testing Technician Training Webinar
Course Description
Cast stone quality starts long before the mixer runs. It starts with understanding your aggregates. This session walks producers through the materials and testing that underpin a reliable mix design, including ASTM specifications for cement, aggregate, pigment and admixtures, field tests for cleanliness and clay content, and how to read and use gradation data to blend fine, mason, and coarse sands into a well-proportioned mix. From there, the session covers proper batching sequence, tamping technique, curing conditions, and the packaging and storage practices that protect finished units before they ship. Attendees will leave with practical, plant-floor guidance for troubleshooting mix performance and maintaining consistent quality control.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Identify the ASTM material specifications applicable to cement, aggregate, pigment, reinforcement, and admixtures used in dry tamp cast stone.
Perform and interpret field tests for aggregate cleanliness and clay/fine content, and use gradation data to blend sand sources for a target mix.
Apply proportioning principles to develop or adjust a mix design.
Describe correct batching sequence, tamping procedure, curing conditions, and proper packaging, storage, and quality control practices for finished units.
Who Should Attend: Producers and plant personnel.
Presenter:
Jim Grubaugh is President of Indiana Cast Stone, a cast stone manufacturer based in Spencer, Indiana, He brings 29 years of hands-on experience in the cast stone industry, having helped build one of the nation’s largest cast stone companies before starting his own operation six years ago. That background gives him a working knowledge of mix design, batching, and quality control form both sides of the business as a producer troubleshooting on the plant floor and as an owner responsible for the finished product.
Jim currently chairs the Education Committee for the Cast Stone Institute and previously served on its Technical Committee, where he has helped shape industry training and standards, He brings that same practical, materials - first approach to this session, walking attendees through the aggregate testing, mix proportioning, and production practices that separate a consistent, reliable batch from a guessing game.
Date & Time
Thursday, October 15th at 10AM
Questions
Contact Liz Graves
liz@caststone.org
512.633.5437
Dry Tamp Cast Stone Fundamentals: Materials, Mix Designs and Manufacturing
Course Description
Cast stone quality starts long before the mixer runs. It starts with understanding your aggregates. This session the basics of concrete proportioning, the process of selecting the right amounts of cement, water, aggregates, and admixtures to achieve a target strength and workability. Attendees will learn how different materials affect concrete performance and why proper mix design matters in construction. The session also introduces two specialized concrete types producers should know: Self- Consolidating Concrete (SCC), which flows into place without vibration, and Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC), which delivers very high strength and durability. Understanding these concrete types helps attendees choose the best mix for different project needs.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Explain the basics of concrete proportioning, including how cement, water, aggregate, and admixture selection affect strength and workability.
Describe how different materials affect concrete performance and why proper mix design matters in construction.
Identify the characteristics and applications of Self-Consolidating Concrete (SCC).
Identify the characteristics and applications of Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC).
Select the appropriate mix type for different project needs based on performance requirements.
Who Should Attend: Producers and plant personnel.
Presenter
Thomas M. Greene is a Regional Technical Services Manager for Chryso, based in Houston, TX, providing technical support to customers throughout the Mid - West and Southwest US, testing and data analysis for new admixture development, troubleshooting concrete problems, and technical training. tom has worked in the technical side of the concrete industry for more than 44 years, including tenures as Laboratory Manager for Rinker Materials and Technical Service Manager for portland and slag cement at Lone Star Industries. He is a frequent speaker at industry events and a co-developer of the former Concrete Fundamentals Laboratory at World of Concrete. Tom is a Fellow at the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and a Fellow at ASTM International, where he serves as Secretary for Committee C09 (Concrete and Concrete Aggregates).
Date & Time
Thursday, October 15, 11:00 AM at the Annual Convention
Cost
Included in convention registration.
Questions
Contact Liz Graves
liz@caststone.org
512.633.5437
Wet Cast Concrete Fundamentals: Mix Proportioning, SCC, and UHPC
Course Description
Artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving beyond the traditional chatbot into agentic frameworks capable of interacting with software, analyzing files, executing code, and performing multi-step tasks. This session explores what that evolution means for the cast stone industry, with a focus on practical applications in materials engineering, quality control, and plant operations. Through real-world examples, you will see how AI can move beyond answering questions to actively working with existing data, documents, spreadsheets, and engineering tools to streamline workflows and reduce repetitive tasks. The session will also cover the growing accessibility of custom tool development, showing how you can leverage your own domain expertise to build solutions tailored to your operations, even without extensive programming experience. Engineering judgment, data integrity, and human oversight remain central throughout.
Presenter
Noah Thibodeaux, Ph.D., Staff Engineer at Pennoni. We're grateful to Noah and the team at Pennoni for bringing this expertise to our members this year.
Date & Time
Friday, October 16th at 10AM
Cost
Included in convention registration.
Questions
Contact Liz Graves
liz@caststone.org
512.633.5437