In 2008 the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) started to develop a certification program for repair technicians with a focus on surface prep and cleaning rebar. But when Peter Craig addressed the first certification committee meeting, he insisted that within two years they develop a program to certify slab moisture testing technicians and that this was critical to the concrete and flooring industry. He maintained that too often there were inconsistencies in the way the standard moisture tests were performed in the field. He was persuasive and for that he is one of CC’s Most Influential People in 2012.
“When I was invited to be on the ICRI certification committee, I soon saw that there was a need to split the committee into moisture testing and other types of testing and evaluation,” he says. “The industry needed to have this certification program and the only way to have it accepted was to bring together all of the most knowledgeable people—the premier people in the business—and get them all to agree on the approach.”
And that’s what he did, involving not just the concrete moisture testing community but the leaders in concrete slabs and in the flooring and carpeting industry, including ASTM Committee F6, Resilient Floor Coverings. This inclusive approach resulted in the ICRI committee’s ability to conduct a series of review courses and certification programs across the country within the promised two-year window to where there are now more than 200 ICRI-certified concrete moisture testing technicians in the U.S. and ICRI certification is finding its way into a growing number of project specifications.
Craig has been involved with specialty aspects of concrete floor construction, maintenance, and repair for more than 38 years. He began his career on the materials side and moved full-time into consulting in 1999. Although originally recognized for his work developing solutions for curled and cracked slabs, today he is best known for his work with moisture-related flooring and coating problems over concrete slabs. This developed from his background study of below-slab vapor retarders and their effect on moisture and slab curling.
When asked if he isn’t putting himself out of business by spending all of his time teaching others how to avoid moisture problems, his philosophy of life comes out. “I never hesitate to share what I know or what I have. I have seen what moisture issues can cost and the effect it can have on people and their businesses. If there is anything I can do to help end this issue, I am happy to do it regardless of how it may affect my present business structure. I believe in sowing and reaping and that only good can come from helping and giving to those you work with or serve.”
