Design & Training
The only formal certification program of its kind in the geosynthetic tube industry.
TITANTube® Engineer Tech Certification Program
Anyone can sell a geotextile tube. Knowing how to design, specify, install, and troubleshoot one under real field conditions — across varying materials, site constraints, and regulatory environments — is a different matter entirely. FTG developed the TITANTube® Engineer Tech Certification Program because no equivalent program existed.
The certification program incorporates more than 30 years of continuous product design and field deployment into a structured, transferable body of knowledge — the backbone of FTG’s global technical network.
30+
Years of Field Knowledge
4
Certification Levels
21+
Countries Served
6
Continents
Program Structure
The entry level is designed for representatives, distributors, and project managers who work with TITANTube® systems but are not responsible for hands-on installation or technical design. Basic certification covers how geotextile tube systems work and what applications they are suited to. Someone with basic certification will be armed with the knowledge to identify environmental or coastal erosion issues that FTG might address with a system approach for sludge or sediment dewatering or capping or for coastal protection and/or wetland restoration.
Installation certification is for field crew members responsible for hands-on system deployment. It covers tube layout and positioning, how the fill ports are used, pumping system setup and optimization, polymer conditioning fundamentals, pressure band monitoring, perimeter management, and field quality control. Installation-certified crew members have the knowledge to use a TITANTube® system correctly under field conditions — and they have FTG’s continued support when they encounter the unexpected so they continually learn from every installation.
Advanced certification is for technical leads and project managers responsible for the full system design and deployment scope. It covers site assessment and material characterization, system sizing and layout design, polymer selection and dosing, filling sequence management, multi-tier stacking operations, and performance monitoring. Advanced-certified participants can take a project from site assessment through final dewatering.
Master’s certification is the highest level of the program, reserved for FTG’s own design specialists and the most experienced field technical leads in FTG’s global network. It covers complex application scenarios — unusual material types, challenging site geometries, multi-phase projects, and applications at the boundary of what geotextile tube technology can achieve. Masters-certified practitioners contribute to value engineered solutions and the ongoing development of the program itself.
Why It Matters
The performance of a geotextile tube system depends heavily on how it is deployed — not just on the quality of the fabric. A system that is correctly sized, correctly positioned, and correctly filled under polymer-conditioned conditions will perform dramatically better than an otherwise identical system that is not. The difference shows up in dewatering rate, solids retention, water quality, and the volume of material that needs to be managed at the end of the project.
Certification ensures that the people responsible for deployment decisions have been trained on what those decisions are and why they matter. It creates a shared technical language between FTG, its global partners, and the project teams they serve — which improves communication, reduces field surprises, and increases the probability that a project performs as designed.
International Reach
FTG’s commitment to certification is most visible in its Africa operations. FTG’s permanently based staff in Western Cape and Gauteng, South Africa, and West Africa are specifically trained and certified for the applications they serve — dewatering, coastal protection, and cap reinforcement in environments that present unique material types, climate conditions, and logistical constraints. That level of in-region technical capability is what separates FTG from geosynthetic suppliers who ship product into Africa without the support infrastructure to ensure it performs.
FTG regularly brings representatives, distributors, and installation partners from Africa, Latin America, Canada, and Asia to its facilities in Metter, Georgia for in-person certification training.
Common Questions
Certification is available to FTG representatives, approved distributors, installation contractors working within FTG’s project network, and project owners who want to develop in-house technical capability. Eligibility is tied to an active working relationship with FTG — certification is not an open-enrollment public program. If you are a project owner or contractor interested in whether your team qualifies, contact FTG to discuss the relationship context and what training path makes sense.
Basic certification can typically be completed in one to two days of structured training — either at FTG’s Metter facility or in a structured remote format for introductory content. Installation certification involves a mix of classroom and hands-on field components and generally requires two to three days minimum, though additional field experience is part of the process. Advanced and Master’s certification develop over time through project experience combined with formal training — they are not achievable in a single training event. FTG will outline a specific path based on the participant’s starting point and objectives.
FTG offers training and certification in multiple language contexts, including Spanish and Portuguese for Latin American partners and in-country training supported by bilingual local staff in Africa. Training materials are primarily in English, but FTG works with its regional representatives and distributors to ensure effective knowledge transfer for non-English-speaking participants. Contact FTG to discuss language support for a specific training program.
Yes. On-site training is one of FTG’s standard delivery formats, particularly for installation certification where hands-on field experience is a core component. FTG’s technical team travels to project sites globally to conduct training in the context of a live or demonstration deployment. On-site training is most effective when there is an active project that provides the field conditions participants need to apply what they are learning in real time.
FTG’s certification program is designed to reflect current best practices, which evolve as the technology and field experience base develops. Participants who have not deployed systems for an extended period may complete a refresher program before taking on independent project responsibility — particularly for advanced or complex applications. FTG’s technical team stays in regular contact with certified partners and can identify when a refresher is advisable based on the specific application and time elapsed.
Certification is held by the individual, not the company. If a certified team member leaves, the company’s certified capacity is reduced accordingly. FTG recommends that companies with ongoing project needs maintain more than one certified individual at each relevant level — both as continuity planning and because shared capability generally produces better project outcomes than concentration in a single person. FTG can advise on building a certification structure that provides appropriate redundancy for a given project scope and frequency.
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