BY MICHAEL MORRISON, JOHN NEHASIL
ACI Inspection Programs: Improving Quality in Concrete Construction
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key area of certification that can improve the quality of completed projects is the certification of inspectors. Inspector certification programs focus on proper procedures for inspecting various concrete installations and construction practices and identify inspectors capable of recognizing issues that require attention during each phase of a concrete construction project. To develop inspector programs, American Concrete Institute (ACI) committees reference codes, standards, and other documents with which an inspector should be familiar and establish a set of specific inspection responsibilities reflected in each program’s Job Task Analysis. The committees also establish certification requirements, including minimum work experience, and develop examination questions and passing score criteria. The following is a look at concrete inspection certifications available through ACI. In 2019, ACI launched its PostInstalled Concrete Anchor Installation Inspector (PICAA) certification program. This program modified the ACI Adhesive Anchor Installation Inspector (AAII) certification program (available since 2016), expanding it to include inspection of post-installed mechanical anchors and concrete screws. The original Adhesive Anchor Installation Inspector program was launched following the Adhesive Anchor Installer program that was developed in response to a 2006 incident in a Boston interstate highway tunnel, where collapse of ceiling panels crushed a car and killed a passenger. In addition to other issues, the installation of adhesive bolt fixtures supporting the ceiling panels was implicated
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calling for construction inspectors may in the failure, calling attention to a gap be wide-ranging, so ACI’s inspector in the quality chain. Industry experts program is designed to include tasks realized that effective adhesive anchor pertaining to quality control (where installation relies on both the installer the inspector is employed by the conunderstanding and executing proper tractor), code compliance (where the procedures, and inspectors possessing the specialized knowledge of and beyond inspector is employed by a governmental enforcement agency) and owner that of the installers. acceptance (where the inspector acts on While the immediate need was to behalf of the project owner). address adhesive anchor installation The Concrete Construction Speinspection, ACI realized during the cial Inspector program assessdevelopment of the AAII es knowledge of how to program that projects Adobe Stock Images By anut21ng Stock inspect and record the could also benefit results of concrete from the inspection construction inspecof post-installed tion based on codes mechanical and job specificaanchors. Not tions. The program wishing to delay covers inspection the availability of during preplacethe AAII program, ment, placement, and ACI delayed incorpost-placement operaporating inspection of tions. Certified Concrete mechanical anchors into Construction Special Inspectors are the program until after the AAII identified as able to read plans, evaluprogram became available. ate concrete conveyance, placement, The expanded PICAA program consolidation, testing procedures, and covers all of the AAII program materiinspect reinforcement placement. Speals and also covers the installation of cial inspectors can help determine if post-installed mechanical anchors. (Cerweather or other site conditions necestification candidates are now directed sitate special concreting operations and to the PICAA program for concrete can perform post-placement inspection anchor inspection certification. The original AAII program no longer admits of curing concrete. An Associate Concrete Construcparticipants.) tion Special Inspector qualification Both the new Post-Installed Concrete is also available. These associates have Anchor Installation Inspector program passed the written and plans reading and the existing Adhesive Anchor Instalexamination and are knowledgelation Inspector program are cited in able about inspection procedures the new ACI 318-19: Building Codes for concrete construction, including Requirements for Structural Concrete preplacement, placement, and postand Commentary, released in June 2019. placement operations, but do not have The number of real-world scenarios
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