The Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute and the International Accreditation Service (IAS) have completed a cooperation agreement that will enable PCI-certified plants to apply their PCI certification toward accreditation by IAS as an approved structural fabricator, in accordance with the IAS AC 157 program.

Section 1704 of the International Building Code (IBC) requires special inspections of fabricated structural, load-bearing members unless an approved fabricator is used. One method to demonstrate code compliance is to use an approved fabricator that meets the requirements of IAS AC157, Accreditation for Fabricator Inspection Programs for Reinforced and Precast/Prestressed Concrete.

Accreditation as an approved fabricator under the IAS program provides building owners, specifiers, engineers, and architects with the upmost confidence that the fabricator consistently demonstrates competency in manufacturing the highest-quality precast concrete for a wide variety of building and transportation projects. Accreditation also provides building departments with a means to register and approve fabricators.

The added benefit of approved fabricator accreditation differentiates PCI-certified plants from other suppliers and will allow PCI plants to demonstrate clear compliance with Section 1704 of the IBC. This will eliminate the need for continuous special inspection at the fabricator, potentially saving time and reducing project costs.

During the process of obtaining IAS accreditation for PCI’s Plant Certification Program, PCI staff and members worked diligently with IAS staff to bring the requirements of PCI certification into as close alignment as possible with the requirements of AC157. Since then, IAS and PCI have been working together to reach agreement that by meeting the technical and inspection requirements of PCI certification, and accreditation program oversight from IAS, a PCI plant also meets the associated requirements of AC157. This culminated in the signing of the official agreement between PCI and IAS that acknowledges this.