<PAGE>

                                                                    Exhibit 31.2

                    CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

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

I, Edward J. Puisis, 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 in Dayton Superior Corporation's most recent fiscal
               quarter 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.

August 13, 2003                                    /s/ Edward J. Puisis

                                                  Edward J. Puisis
                                      Vice President and Chief Financial Officer