Post-Tensioning Institute to Celebrate 25 years of plant certification

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – In 2014, the Post-Tensioning Institute (PTI), a nationally recognized standards development and credentialing organization, will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited PTI Plant Certification program.

In 1988, Loris Gerber of Loris L. Gerber, Inc., conducted eight in-depth inspections of plants producing unbonded single strand tendons. The inspections covered eight basic categories: Prestressing Steel; Anchor Castings; Wedges and Couplings; Sheathing; Corrosion Preventive Coating; Fabricating Line; Storage and Shipping; Record Keeping; and Stressing Equipment. Each category was further divided into specific segments of activity, which were universally utilized in the conduct of each inspection. In October of that year, Gerber presented the PTI Board of Directors with the first PTI Plant Certification Summary and Annual Report.

From this report it was determined that the program offered considerable benefit to the industry. Not only did it recognize the certified plants for adherence to industry standards of quality, but it also identified areas of growth and improvement for the industry as a whole. The program officially launched in 1989 after receiving authorization from the PTI Board of Directors.
Companies with plants that were among the first to participate in the program include:
 

• AMSYSCO, Inc.
• Continental Concrete Structures, Inc.
• DYWIDAG Systems International, Inc.
• PTE Systems International, LLC
• Suncoast Post-Tension
• VSL

In the 25 years since its origin, the program has grown considerably in size and credibility. Conducting as many as 140 inspections in a given year, Charles R. Adams & Associates has served as the program’s Independent Inspection Agency since 2005. With over 90 years of combined experience in the post-tensioning industry, three agency employees, Charles R. Adams, Charles Skarbrevik, and Rick D. Cooler, conduct thorough and objective evaluations of plants applying for, or maintaining, PTI certification. The guidelines by which the plants are certified are continually evaluated by CRT-20: Unbonded Tendon Plant Certification Subcommittee to ensure that unbonded post-tensioning tendons are being produced to the highest industry standard.

In 2013, the PTI Plant Certification program received ANSI accreditation; providing architects, designers, specifiers, contractors, owners and manufacturers with an additional degree of confidence in the products produced by PTI Certified plants.

“The fact that the Plant Certification program is entering its 25th year says a great deal about the continuity of the program,” Said Ted Neff, PTI Executive Director. “The 55 plants that are currently certified, the CRT-20: Unbonded Tendon Plant Certification Committee, and PTI staff played a pivotal role in reaching this milestone and ensuring the program’s growth throughout the next quarter century.”

Visit www.post-tensioning.org to learn more about PTI Plant Certification and view a listing of all of the plants that are currently certified.