ASCENT DESIGNING WITH PRECAST ® INSIGHT A BOLD STEP FOR PCI CERTIFICATION About four years ago, PCI selected a small group of architectural precast con-crete producers to have a frank discussion with several leading architects from around the country. The goal was to learn how the PCI Plant Certification Program helps them in their work, and to understand the shortcomings of the program. It ended up being a very direct conversation and we learned a lot. One of the most important things we learned is that the program didn’t do enough to high-light a precast concrete producer’s ability to meet specific requirements the architects were looking for. They told us that by lumping together all producers who can do some architec-tural work, it was impossible to know what to expect. Their stories described specifying PCI Architectural Certification Category A1, only to be told that the low-bid producer was not capable of executing what was shown on the drawings. They were looking for a clearer way to specify requirements that would give them more certainty that t heir vision for a structure can be accomplished. In no uncertain terms, the architects explained that they were reluctant to specify precast concrete because they were not sure the results would meet their expectations and those of the owners who hired them. It was clear something had to change, so PCI created a certification process that would differentiate between producers’ abilities, thus creating a system that ensures the details and aesthetic goals specified by architects can be met. The new PCI Architectural Certification Program came to life on October 1. As a precast concrete producer, Gage Brothers has spent the last couple of years attending committee meetings and learning what this means for us and for our clients. We have wrestled with de-termining the appropriate certification category and how to embrace that category. We con-tinue to examine our internal practices to ensure they are in line with the category for which we are certified. We believe this all adds value for the architect and, ultimately, the owner. This bold step by PCI will position precast concrete for continued growth by setting specific expectations for the products delivered by producers in each certification category. By meet-ing these expectations, the precast concrete producer reinforces the architect’s decision to use precast concrete. This circle of trust will result in more precast concrete on more projects. I hope architectural precast concrete producers have been promoting this new program and continue to do so. We need to lead the design community through this change and make it as simple as we can. This much needed update to the PCI Architectural Certification Pro-gram will continue to make precast concrete the product of choice. JOE BUNKERS PRESIDENT, GAGE BROTHERS PCI ARCHITECTURAL PRECAST CONCRETE COMMITTEE MEMBER Joe Bunkers is a member of the PCI Architectural Precast Concrete Committee and president of Gage Brothers. Visit pci.org/archcert for more information about the PCI Architectural Certification Program.
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