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                                                                    Exhibit 31.1

                    CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

            Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, Stephen R. Morrey, certify that:

     1.   I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Dayton Superior
          Corporation;

     2.   Based on my knowledge, this annual report does not contain any untrue
          statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
          necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances
          under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to
          the period covered by this annual report;

     3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
          information included in this annual report, fairly present in all
          material respects the financial condition, results of operations and
          cash flows of Dayton Superior Corporation as of, and for, the periods
          presented in this annual report;

     4.   Dayton Superior Corporation's other certifying officer and I are
          responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and
          procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e))
          for Dayton Superior Corporation and we have:

          a)   designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
               disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
               supervision, to ensure that material information relating to
               Dayton Superior Corporation, including its consolidated
               subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those
               entities, particularly during the period in which this annual
               report is being prepared;

          b)   evaluated the effectiveness of Dayton Superior Corporation's
               disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report
               our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure
               controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by
               this annual report based on such evaluation; and

          c)   disclosed in this annual report any change in Dayton Superior
               Corporation's internal control over financial reporting that
               occurred during Dayton Superior Corporation's most recent fiscal
               year that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
               materially affect, Dayton Superior Corporation's internal control
               over financial reporting; and

     5.   Dayton Superior Corporation's other certifying officer and I have
          disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control
          over financial reporting, to Dayton Superior Corporation's auditors
          and the audit committee of Dayton Superior Corporation's board of
          directors:

          a)   all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
               design or operation of internal control over financial reporting
               which are reasonably likely to adversely affect Dayton Superior
               Corporation's ability to record, process, summarize and report
               financial information; and

          b)   any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
               other employees who have a significant role in Dayton Superior
               Corporation's internal control over financial reporting.

March 30, 2004                            /s/ Stephen R. Morrey
                                          --------------------------------------

                                          Stephen R. Morrey
                                          President and Chief Executive Officer