<PAGE>

                                                                    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 quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Dayton
            Superior Corporation;

      2.    Based on my knowledge, this quarterly 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 quarterly report;

      3.    Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
            information included in this quarterly 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 quarterly 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
                  quarterly 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 quarterly report based on such
                  evaluation; and

            c)    disclosed in this quarterly 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.

November 12, 2004                        /s/ Stephen R. Morrey
                                         ----------------------------
                                         Stephen R. Morrey
                                         President and Chief Executive Officer