PCI Certified

PLANTS

For over 40 years, PCI’s Plant Certification Program has ensured that each plant has developed and documented an in-depth, in-house quality system based on time-tested national industry standards. Each plant undergoes two thorough, unannounced audits each year. The audits are conducted by competent, third-party engineers, who audit the plant according to requirements specifically developed for the types of products being manufactured.

 PEOPLE

The Plant Quality Personnel Certification Program, started in 1985, provides instruction and evaluation for three levels of trained, knowledgeable, and certified quality-control personnel. PCI also trains Certified Field Auditors (CFAs) and Certified Company Auditors (CCAs), who perform the audits to qualify or certify the precast concrete erector. This process extends personnel certification into the field.

 PRODUCT ERECTION:

The Qualified Erector and Certified Erector programs evaluate erection procedures and field quality control for precast concrete. Introduced in 1999, these programs extend PCI’s quality performance standards throughout the construction process. The erection company’s management and each erection crew are audited according to nationally published criteria, providing customers with the assurance that the product quality created by stringent factory conditions continues into the field during installation.

HIGH STANDARDS:

PCI’s standards for quality precast concrete production and erection are difficult to achieve. Once attained and practiced consistently, these standards contribute to improved and continued customer satisfaction—not only by ensuring that the manufacturing and installation processes are high quality, but by helping make the construction process faster and smoother for all parties involved. The standards ensure that plants consistently maintain high-quality operations and output through daily internal control processes and inspections of operations, materials, equipment, products, and processes.

DURABILITY:

Architectural precast concrete offers the building owner peace of mind that results from the certain knowledge that the building’s walls have long-term durability and require little or no maintenance to preserve their original look. Economical precasting is based on achieving high strength to allow units to be stripped from the mold at an early age. This requires high cement contents and low water-cement ratios. Combined with good compaction and curing in a controlled factory environment, these factors ensure a dense, highly durable concrete. A low water-cement ratio has been proven to increase resistance to weathering and corrosion. Entrained air may be used to improve freeze-thaw resistance in particularly severe environments.

OBJECTIVITY:

All PCI Producer Members are required to maintain PCI Certification for their plants. Producers are not required, however, to join PCI to participate in the PCI Certification Program, ensuring objectivity for the entire process. Owners, architects, engineers, and contractors all benefit when precast concrete components, products, and erection services are provided by PCI-Certified companies. 

AESTHICS:

Architectural precast concrete panels provide the designer with an unlimited architectural vocabulary of expression. Whether the project’s aesthetic intent is traditional or contemporary, precast concrete can be shaped in a cost effective manner. The material is incredibly responsive to the designer’s needs. The only limits are imagination and creativity. Visual interest in the building’s façade can be enhanced with architectural devices such as ribs, bullnoses, reveals, chamfers or casting against various types of formliners. Precast may be designed with a combination of concave, convex and flat sectional shapes. Taking advantage of precast’s initial plasticity can economically create these shapes, adding considerable aesthetic appeal to a project. Design flexibility is possible in both color and texture by varying aggregate and matrix colors, size of aggregates, finishing processes and depth of exposure. Combining different finishes using the same or different concrete mixes within a single precast concrete unit can provide additional flexibility. A highly articulated pattern of color and texture develops a richness of architectural expression.

COMMITMENT TO QUALITY:

Architectural precast concrete units produced by PCI-certified plants are produced under strict, factory-controlled conditions to ensure a high quality façade in the desired shapes, colors and textures along with close tolerances. Every PCI member must undergo two stringent unannounced inspections each year by independent auditors to maintain PCI certification. The inspections focus on the process by which the unit is produced, as well as the plant’s general operation. Certification pays off for owners and designers because it produces fewer worries about on-site discovery of units out of tolerance, connection details that aren’t cast precisely or finishes that aren’t matched from panel to panel. It also minimizes the need for continuous inspections.