Good afternoon. Welcome to PCI's webinar series. This presentation is How Precast Builds, PCI Architectural Certification. My name is Royce Covington, Manager of Member Services at PCI, and I'll be your moderator for this session. Before I turn the controls over to your presenter today, I have a few introductory items to note. If you need anything, please feel free to contact me by replying to the registration confirmation or send an email to marketing at pci.org as shown on your screen. Earlier today, we sent an email containing handouts for today's presentation. The handouts are also available for you to download now, located in the handout pane near the bottom of the GoToWebinar toolbox. There, you'll find a PDF of today's presentation, the PCI Architectural Certification brochure, detailed instructions to access your certificate, and a webinar attendance sign-in sheet, which is only for locations with more than one person viewing. If you cannot download any of the handouts, email me immediately at marketing at pci.org. Please note that your line is muted. Your webinar pane has an area for you to raise your hand. If you raise your hand, you will receive a private chat message from me. If you have a question regarding the subject material, please type it into the questions pane, where I will be keeping track of them to read to the presenter during the Q&A period. If there is a particular slide that your question refers to, please include the slide number with your question. Today's presentation will be recorded and uploaded to PCI's eLearning site. We will upload attendance data to www.rcep.net within 10 days, or you can print your Certificates of Continuing Education. Your login name at www.rcep.net is your email address, so please do not leave that blank if you're completing the attendance sign-in sheet. You need your email address to give you your certificate for this course. Again, if you're the only person at your location, there's no need to send in an attendance sign-in sheet, as we already have your information from registration. PCI has met the standards and requirements of the Registered Continuing Education Program, RCEP, of the National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors, NCEES, and we can offer one PDH for this course. Credit earned on completion of this session will be reported to RCEP. PCI is a registered provider of AIA, CES, and this presentation contains content that is endorsed by AIA. Any questions about the content of this webinar should be directed to PCI. Questions related to specific products or publications will be addressed at the end of the presentation. Our presenter for today is Randy Wilson, Director of Architectural Precast Systems at PCI. Randy has been promoting, educating, and marketing architectural precast concrete and thin masonry facade solutions to the architect and construction community throughout the United States and Canada for 30 years. He has been a member of PCI's Architectural Precast Committee since 1995 and was co-author of the M&L 122, PCI's Architectural Precast Concrete Manual, 3rd Edition. I'll now turn the controls over so that we can begin our presentation. Thank you, Royce, and I want to thank everyone for taking the time to attend today. You know, my hope is that you and your family, your co-workers, and friends are remaining safe during this pandemic and we'll start to get back to normalcy very soon. But I want to start by recognizing those that put this presentation together. This presentation is a production of PCI's Architectural Precast Concrete Committee. Over a dozen individuals representing precast producers, associate members, and professional members contributed to this content. Without naming names, I thank each of you for all your hard work, time, and expertise. This presentation is truly a collaboration of the best and brightest in the precast concrete industry. So today's objectives include discussing the purpose and benefits of certification programs. Many of the products that you specify are labeled as certified, but what does that really mean? We will take some time today to review some basic requirements of a certification program. We'll also explain the effect of a quality assurance program on finished product quality, safety, and the overall construction process. Quality and safety go hand-in-hand. That is because quality assurance programs include established practices that must be executed, documented, and inspected every day. Following the established process will ensure all workers in plant and on-site are safe. We'll also describe the basic differences between the various PCI certification categories. Now this is the heart of today's program, how to specify architectural precast concrete with the new certification categories. Today we are not going to focus on production and installation of precast, and we're not going to talk about the various colors, textures, and shapes available. What we are going to do is we're going to focus on the importance of using certified precast producer and explain how to specify architectural precast using the appropriate PCI certification categories. Now let's start by placing a definition on architectural precast. The term architectural precast concrete refers to any precast concrete component that through application of shape, finish, color, or texture contributes to the architectural form and the finished effect of the structure. Simply put, architectural precast is concrete components cast off-site in a controlled environment, shipped to the job site, and erected onto the building. As you will see in this presentation, architectural precast concrete combines maximum freedom of architectural expression with the economy of mass production. One reason is because concrete is elastic and it is not standard sizes or shapes. As demonstrated on the Pinnacle Sports Facility in Kansas City, a designer well versed in precast production methods can replicate a simple design feature across multiple pieces to create unique and interesting facades. Now not only is precast aesthetically versatile, it is also structurally versatile. The precast components on your project could be non-load-bearing cladding panels. They could be part of the structural building frame, or they could be the small decorative trim between windows or within a brick facade. Structural components can include exterior walls supporting roofs and floors, they could be the stairs and elevator shafts, or they could be a shear wall. Using precast panels as a structural component can save time and money to traditional cast-in-place or block elements. Precast panels can also be designed to encapsulate insulation within the wall section. Insulated precast panels are gaining popularity because precast combines the thermal mass of concrete with a high R-value of rigid insulation. Now I can talk for hours on the versatility of architectural precast, but regardless of how the products are used in the building, their products should be produced by a PCI certified plant. Now with that, we should also answer the question, who's PCI? Formed in 1954, the Precast Pre-Stressed Concrete Institute is the technical institute for the precast concrete structures industry. PCI has had the distinct honor of establishing, developing, and maintaining the body of knowledge for precast concrete industry and is recognized as one of the top technical institutes and trade associations in the United States. In simple terms, we are the organization to turn to when you have questions about precast concrete. PCI's purpose is to advance the use of high-quality precast concrete and structures. We do that through a collaboration of over 250 precast plants across North America who volunteer tens of thousands of hours each year to bring bigger, faster, stronger, and more aesthetically interesting concrete products to the built market. Now PCI certification is recognized as the leading and one of the most widely specified quality assurance programs in the construction industry. It is specified and are accepted by all major specification entities and government bodies in the United States and Canada. The reason these entities rely on PCI is because our comprehensive certification program includes plant production and in the field installation auditing to assure that all products are manufactured and installed in stringent industry standards. Now certification is extremely important to the design and construction community because as this quote reads, people want to build good buildings. After all, their reputations hang in the balance and of course it's always more expensive to fix something than it is to do it the right way the first time. Beyond just doing it right the first time, following an established certification program will reduce your risk and ensure the products will perform as expected for the life of the structure. So before we get into the PCI architectural certification program, let's first talk about what it means to be certified and define a certification program that construction professionals can rely upon. A certification program must be based on an established unbiased quality assurance system, which is an integrated and ongoing collection of practices focused on consistently achieving predictable outcomes. To achieve predictable outcomes, a manufacturer or service company must follow a defined process that will yield a consistent result. We sometimes use the analogy making precasts is like baking a cake. To be consistent, you have to not only follow the recipe, you must ensure the ingredients meet your standards, the batter is mixed properly for the specific amount of time, it's baked in the same pans and at the perfect temperature every time. Any variation to the process will most likely yield an unfavorable result. So to achieve the desired predictable outcomes, we must first start with a recipe. Now that recipe is not just a concrete mix design, it is a written process based on the industry's body of knowledge and performed by a certified personnel. The final step is to implement a regularly third-party auditing process. PCI producers and installers are required to follow a defined process that has been continually updated for over 50 years. Now every precast producer is required to have certified quality control personnel on staff. An internal quality control department will ensure that the facility is following the defined process. Quality control is the operational activities used to fulfill the requirements of the quality assurance system and includes testing, inspection, and documentation. Quality control is a critical component to ensure that the recipe is followed and the desired outcome is reached. Quality is not a sometimes activity, it's an all the time activity. It's a hundred percent commitment that yields more benefits than a high quality dependable product. It depends, it helps ensure a safe working environment for all our plant personnel. Now certification in a general sense means that an object, person, or organization has met a specific requirement and is labeled as competent to practice in that area. Certification of products typically means that the finished products have been inspected and tested to meet some form of standard, specification, or requirement. In construction, a product item like cement, reinforcement steel, or aggregates is typically linked to an ASTM or ANSI specification. Certification of people means that a particular person has been tested and has shown to have a specific skill set or competence, such as conducting inspections, operating machinery, or teaching others to perform a task. Certification of a process is a larger undertaking. This is a total quality assurance program that ensures the process is complete and functioning to industry standards. All the people, equipment, materials, and execution thereof are working in concert to achieve the desired outcome. Achieving this level of knowledge, proficiency, and performance requires a transparent collaboration between many organizations over decades of time. Now our number one priority in everything we do should be safety. Our designs and the materials we choose should ensure safe construction practices, protect the inhabitants for the life of the building, and provide a safe method for future renovations, expansions, and or deconstruction. So when selecting products, a designer should consider how products are made, how systems are assembled, the amount of manpower required on the site, and how long they'll be there. When you can enclose a structure faster with fewer people, your site is easier to manage and the risk for injuries or lost time is reduced. Deconstruction is a very hot topic in today's built world. Renovation and reuse is the ultimate green building solution. Architects are increasingly adapting these concepts into new designs. So it is valid to ask, what happens to this structure in 100 years? Selecting products and systems that can be easily modified, dismantled, expanded, or reused elsewhere should always be considered. And durability is another way of designing safety in your project. A product or system that requires little or no maintenance for the structure's life cycle protects the inhabitants from deterioration and doesn't place maintenance workers at risk. A thermal efficient facade system will reduce energy consumption, maintain consistent interior temperatures, and reduce moisture intrusion, all of which enhance inhabitant comfort and increase a building's life. And nothing says durability like surviving natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, and floods. Incorporating precast in your design is a shearwall stair tower or other complete structural will save lives. Now, the best approach to ensure a structure is built in accordance with safe design practices is to design with prefabricated certified products that follow a documented process. By using prefabricated products, you'll reduce your risk by reducing the numbers of workers on site. This will most often require that the design construction team work with a certified specialty contractor who follows a quality assurance program. One of the critical steps to ensure a safe design is to request that your installer provide a complete pre-construction plan in writing. And as we have learned, quality assurance applies equally to a product, a system, and a process, which is vital to building a safe structure for the life of the structure because safety and quality are directly linked to meet overall performance expectations. Now, specifying certified products and systems empowers the designer to control the building process. It is the best way to assure that what is designed is what is built. Certification gives you the opportunity to pre-qualify bidders early in that design process. It is recommended that you visit a manufacturing facility to gain a full understanding of the product's limitations, meet the people that are making your products, and clearly communicate your desires for the project. Taking this small step will reduce your risk, increase the probability of a successful project, and help ensure that the finished product meets your expectations. So, how do you, as a design construction professional, evaluate and select a reliable certification program? Well, start by asking some basic questions. For example, how does the certification process work? What are my options? What is measured? Who does the measuring and who created the yardstick? A program based on the preference of one person or one company isn't going to help you achieve an expected outcome. As demonstrated today, the most effective certification programs are those that are part of a comprehensive quality system and tied directly to an industry's body of knowledge. The collective knowledge of an industry possesses the design guides, the educational programs, the certification process, and the auditing process, and to justify its credibility, it's relied upon by code officials to ensure the buildings you design are safe for the public. While private collaborations can provide performance test data, and associations can offer a checklist-based certification, only the technical institute entrusted with the body of knowledge can provide a credible plant certification program. Now, the Precast Concrete Institute has been administering its certification programs for over 50 years. It is developed, managed, and improved upon with input from over 160 plants in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and is the most comprehensive and thorough certification program in the industry. As such, they clearly identify what they are certifying and the capabilities it represents. All PCI producers are certified in a specific category based on the products they produce within their plants. For example, making architectural precast requires different equipment training procedures and philosophy than it does to make a drape-strand bridge girder. Each PCI plant receives two unannounced audits per year by an independent third-party engineering company. We offer an erector certification program for installers that includes procedural and safety protocols. So, this is a complete certification program that offers training for our craftspeople, quality control processes for our plants, and testing for our products. The certification and training programs are specific to the plant based on the product being produced at that plant. For example, under the current system, all PCI plants that produce products with an architectural finish or serve as an architectural element are classified as an A1 producer, but that's about to change. Over the past 30 years, architectural precast has evolved from big flat gray panels to colored mixes and finish to complex curves, 3D forming, and integrated materials like brick, terracotta, and stone. Until now, PCI has had a one-size-fits-all certification program for those producers that have the capabilities of providing architectural colors and finishes. So, in order to improve alignment between designer expectations and PCI certified plant production capabilities, PCI is expanding the A1 certification category into five new categories. The new program will maintain current high level of quality inspection and performance requirements for all certification categories and it will create criteria for those producers who have advanced complexity capabilities. It also sets more accurate aesthetic and tolerance criteria for structural and industrial applications. This program works for all market segments, from the most artistic facade impressions to highly functional structures. So, what do you need to know and when do you need to know it? First is timing. The current A1 category is planned to be discontinued on July 1st, 2021. This date is dependent on COVID restrictions that could affect our auditors from performing their inspections. Any project that is bidding before that date will use the existing A1 architectural certification. Any project that is bidding after July 1st, 2021 should be specified using one of the new categories. Now, if your project is scheduled to be bidding during the summer of 2021, please consult with your local precast producer regarding the timing of the change. Now, we will further define each of these categories during the remainder of the presentation, but first we should identify each one of them. None of the categories are identical to the current A1 category, but to establish the baseline for those who are familiar with A1 and the design freedoms of precast, let's start with category AC. AC is similar to the same high quality architectural products as expected for A1 producers for over 50 years. They follow the same standards as our PCI manual 117 for quality control and our 135 manual for tolerances, which we'll outline further in the presentation. The AB and AA categories are measuring the precast concrete plant's aesthetic and complexity abilities. These categories have an increased emphasis on producing precast panels with shapes, projecting details, and tighter tolerances. They also require post-project surveys with the architect and construction manager to evaluate the process from early design to final acceptance. Now, the AD category is reserved for those primarily structural products with simple aesthetic features. Now, I want to emphasize the AD products are the same high quality concrete panels with the same long-term value proposition as the other categories, but they just don't require a lot of architectural features. The categories are defined by the project's level of complexity and aesthetic features and no other criteria. As you will see in our project examples, architectural precast is a very adaptable product. From warehouses to suburban offices to stadiums into high-rises, architectural precast is a superior product as compared to other cladding systems, but not all producers are suited for every project. Aligning a producer's capabilities with your specific project needs is the most effective way to taking your vision to reality. Now, on July 1st, 2020, all precast producers began the process of being certified in one of the five categories. All producers are required to produce three different mock-up panels with one of those mock-up panels being produced in the presence of an auditor. These mock-ups demonstrate the aesthetic capabilities of the plant and align with the complexity requirements for the specific category. Now, the goal is to issue new certifications for the industry on July 1st, 2021. Now, starting July of 2021, the annual certification processes will begin. The annual process is two unannounced audits per year and the auditors will be grading the products based on the new category format. Those in the higher complexity categories will need to demonstrate their capabilities via completed projects or produce new mock-up panels every two years. For those categories, any completed projects that require AA or AB certification will require surveys from the architect and construction manager. Those surveys will be reviewed and they'll be used to grade the AA and AB producers. Ongoing annual audits are an integral part of any credible certification program. It ensures that the companies being audited are improving their process over time and are incorporating the most current means and methods the industry offers. Now, the technical data behind all these categories can be found in the various PCI Quality Control Manuals. PCI Manual 116 is for structural precast concrete products with architectural finishes. PCI Manual 117 is for architectural precast concrete products that can be load-bearing or non-load-bearing elements. PCI Manual 135 defines precast concrete tolerances. These manuals describe the production processes to follow to produce quality precast concrete products and are the basis for all third-party testing. With exception, each of these can apply to any of the new categories based on the products designed and expected overall performance that you specify. Your local precast producer will work with you to provide guidance on how to use these manuals and the requirements within to clearly communicate your expectations to the bidders. Now, effective July 1 of 2021, plants certified as AA, AB, and AC will be required to use PCI-certified erectors to install their architectural precast. The installation process is one of the most critical steps to the process. These erectors must be certified in Category A for architectural products and follow all aspects of the Quality Control Manuals and the PCI Manual 127 Standards and Guidelines for the Erection of Precast Concrete Products. This manual covers creating a pre-construction plan, how to follow proper practices and procedures. It discusses the different equipment requirements. It lists appropriate tolerances. It establishes the quality control procedures and outlines the safety protocols an installation company should follow. It basically has it all. To fully describe each of the new categories, PCI has published the Architectural Certification Program Supplemental Requirement Document. This 130 page plus document includes general information about the overall program requirements for each category and the mock-up drawings required for each category. If you'd like to review or download a copy, please make a note to visit pci.org slash arc cert after the program. So if you're taking notes, that is pci.org slash a-r-c-h-c-e-r-t. Each precast concrete producer declared for themselves the certification category that best aligns with the capabilities and their customers that they serve. Producers communicated their category preference to PCI via a detailed application process in the spring of 2020. A good fact to know is that the program's supplemental requirements for a category may not be a full representation of the total capabilities of a producer. A specific producer may have aesthetic and or complexity capabilities beyond the category certification obtained. So let's take a look at the mock-ups. This is an example of one of the mock-ups. Each of the mock-ups are approximately 8 foot by 12 foot and include a typical architectural feature that you would encounter as a precast producer in any particular category. This mock-up drawing is the type 1 mock-up for the AD category. This panel contains one concrete mix, one finish, and a simple reveal or false joint. For the more complex category AA, the type 1 mock-up is a curved panel with two face mix colors, two different finish treatments, and a projecting three-dimensional features. Now, there is a corresponding matrix for each mock-up that describes the requirements to pass the certification process. This certification process is unprecedented in the industry. Each precast producer is required to manufacture a set of three mock-up panels to the same quality standards audited by the same third-party engineering firm and judged by the same criteria. As an industry, PCI producers are coming together to provide the market assurances that their products will meet your expectations. So, to help see the difference between the category complexities, we have placed the mock-ups for each category side by side. Starting from left to right, the AD mock-up is a simple flat panel with a colored concrete mix, a consistent finish, and two reveals. The AC mock-up follows the same requirement with a finished edge, similar to what you may see at a building corner opening or jam detail. The AB mock-up is a curved panel with raised bullnose details. It may be produced with two different concrete face mixes and two different finishes. Now, additional 3D projections are added to the AA mock-up panel. It has the same two mixes and two finish criteria as the AB mock-up, but the producer must demonstrate a top-edge finish, similar to what you would see at a parapet panel or even at an open balcony. For the second mock-up type, the producers must show their capabilities of casting thin brick into the panels. Moving from left to right again, the AD mock-up demonstrates a standard running bond pattern to emulate a typical hand-laid brick facade. Remember that the AD category that aligns with the structural precast panel tolerances, and these types of panels could be load-bearing. In fact, many parking garages are produced with load-bearing panels that require shapes, cast-in brick, and other aesthetic elements to mask the structure's utilitarian use and blend with surrounding architecture. Now, the AC mock-up is similar to AD mock-up, except that the producer must show capability to wrap the brick around the side of the panel. AB and AA mock-ups break up the brick field to demonstrate more complex architectural features, including brick transitioning into a stone detail, panel returns as to replicate a hand-laid brick corner, and adding some stone details like a cornice. Casting materials like thin brick, terracotta, and stone into precast panels is a great way for an architect to design with traditional materials with the benefits of pre-manufacturing. Now, mock-up type 3 demonstrates the precast producer's ability to add intricate details into the precast panel, including custom-made and pre-manufactured form liners. The type of details available are truly endless. AD and AC show a standard rib liner with AC demonstrating the ability to produce a finished return. The finish on the return is important to demonstrate for the projects that require window setbacks or butt joints at the building corners. AB and AA require the precast producer to construct a custom-detailed pattern using their in-house carpentry shop. The carpenters and form builders in architectural precast concrete plants are some of the best in the country. Not only do they have to replicate the architect's desired details, they have to construct them in reverse and in a form that can withstand 20 or more castings of concrete. It is quite amazing to see, and we recommend that you visit a local producer to fully appreciate their talent. Now, we don't want to forget the fifth category for architectural precast, which is the AT category, which includes the precast producers that make smaller precast elements like coping, masonry trim, and smaller precast components. These plants follow all the same standard and finish requirements as those that produce the large precast panels. As you can see, they must demonstrate the ability to make curved pieces, finished edges, and sides, and make all products with color, finish, and size consistency. These products are typically incorporated into full brick facades, freestanding building elements like signs, portcochairs, hardscape features, et cetera. They also produce a lot of small flat panels for projects that want the natural limestone panel expression. Now, PCI producers, large and small, continue to be in high demand because of the value of the brick, the value that they bring to the designers and the market in general as compared to other material options. Now, we know this is a lot of information to digest during a presentation, and I again refer you to the comprehensive comparison chart and the supplemental requirements on our website at pci.org slash arccert. But the basic takeaway here is to see how PCI is meeting the demands of the changing market. Some projects can be produced using long line steel beds and require a single consistent color and finish or a standard form liner. Other project types require custom wood molds, custom colored concrete, and maybe some shape or thin brick cast in the panels to add visual interest. We are seeing a growing interest in very complex shapes, multiple colors, interesting artistic features, and precast facades. These projects require a level of production sophistication that not all precast producers can achieve. For these projects, PCI has set higher quality standards that architects have asked for, and now they can rely upon. Now, shown on the screen is a portion of the supplemental requirement matrix. When meeting with your local precast producer, you can use the supplemental required manual to align your specific project details with the supplemental requirements matrix. To identify the category best suited for your project, you can discuss color and finish, types of embedded materials available, panel geometry, desired tolerances, and how each of these will affect your finished product. This collaboration meeting will give you the opportunity to consider all your options early in the design and establish a common goal everyone can rally behind. Now, to specify the proper category for your project, it all starts with sharing your design requirements with your local precast producer early in the design. They can review your design and compare your project-specific expectations with the supplemental requirements to define the category that best defines your project. Once the category is established, the precast producer will assist you with writing the architectural specification specific to your project. Now, PCI is currently drafting category-specific master specifications for each category, which will further simplify the process. But my number one piece of advice, don't go it alone. PCI producers routinely work as a team and are willing to guide you and assist you from initial concept to final bid day. So regardless of your discipline, architect, construction manager, general contractor, owner, developer, did I leave anybody out? I think that's everybody. So just go to pci.org and call your local producer. Now, again, this is a lot of information so far and has been relatively abstract. So let's try to bring all this information to reality. Let's look at some completed projects to help define the differences between the categories. Now, starting with the AT projects. Remember, AT is the category for smaller standard and specialty products. Many of these producers can produce the same high-quality products as larger producers, but they focus on a different market segment. You can see on the left how creative a designer can get when working with a local precast producer. And on the right are some intricate precast elements that replicate stone components within a full brick facade. Signage, limestone details, interior panels, small feature panels, these are all typical projects and products that fall into the AT category. Public hardscape continues to be a great application for architectural precast. This is the public square in Cleveland, Ohio, a great space for public use in the heart of an urban city. Now, moving on to the AD products. AD products are just as versatile as the more complex products. AD products are used in warehouses, schools, office buildings, stadium, and every other type of projects. As the mock-up drawings demonstrated, you can add reveals, thin brick, and form liners to AD panels, and you can incorporate those products into any project type. Large panels cast on steel beds most often are designed to be fully insulated load-bearing walls and used for many types of projects like data centers, gymnasiums, convention centers, and recently, safe rooms, especially in Tornado Alley with schools and community centers. Now, moving to AC projects start to incorporate a few architectural details like finished panel edges, multiple mixes or finishes, and tighter size tolerances. Now, the precast on this high-profile project in downtown Cincinnati incorporates a dark black concrete mix and a custom form liner pattern, features that precast producers have been executing for decades, but adapted to the most current trends. Now, precast is not necessarily the first product to consider when designing retail space, but when you consider the cost of the product, consider the cost of time, precast speed to market. Precast provides a high value to developers. Incorporating thin brick in the facade allows the precast to blend seamlessly into any environment. And here's another example of how an AC producer can add tremendous value with today's trends. This office building in Michigan incorporate thin brick into precast panels in a modern monolithic style that would be extremely difficult and time-consuming to execute with hand-laid brick. Now, versatility is another objective often used with precast. Precast producers in all categories have the freedom of using unlimited colors and different finish techniques to adapt to any architectural trends. Precast can also serve as the stabilizing aesthetic element on your project. They could be the transitional element or the visual focal point. A great way of adding value for your project is to use a precast as a template. A great way of adding value for your owner is using your structural components as the architectural feature for your project. This parking garage serves utilitarian function, but is softened with buff colored concrete and custom form liners to add some artistic appeal. Custom form liners, multiple colors and finishes in the same panel and projections are requirements for an AB producer. However, some AC producers possess these abilities also. Blending with traditional architecture on a decades old campus or setting the trends for future development, precast should be considered early for every single project. The University of Minnesota project uses a combination of thin brick and exposed concrete accents to give a historical look while the building shown on the right gives a windswept vibe using custom forming techniques playing off the natural lighting. Now, the study at University City in Philadelphia takes a creative approach to traditional brick. Taking the brick work into the precast plant gives the designer more control over the finished product. Everything is pre-designed, pre-selected and planned out to ensure that the architect's desires are fully executed. Precast is the material of choice when you wanna make a statement. The University Alloy, the Universal Alloy Light Press Plant in Georgia is one of those types of projects, is one that inspires designers to push the envelope literally. Customization is what precast is all about. Mixing and matching colors, materials, custom liners and a list goes on. This project is striking because the unique liner pattern that cascades across multiple panels. As architectural styles change, so does precast. Speed, adaptability and durability are the three most popular architectural precast features. Now, AA projects require the ability to incorporate delicate details, complex shapes and tight size tolerances. This project in Miami Beach, Florida showcases a fine finish, cleanliness and precise alignment between panels. This may seem simple, but precast producers don't leave anything to chance. Regardless of your project simplicity or complexity, contact your local precast producer early in the design. This is the time to discuss your vision, and begin the design assist process. Another feature that sets precast apart from other cladding options is its structural capability. This parking garage in the Atlanta suburb fits perfectly with the surrounding architecture and the facade panels are load bearing to help support the floors and the roof. You can see how this design could be easily adapted to another. Today's presentation is focused on PCI certification program, but this project is designed to be a great This project is a great example to discuss how utilizing BIM software with custom forms can create some amazing facades. Alternating pieces along the vertical and horizontal planes, allowing the facade to change expression depending on the time of day. BIM software simplifies the design process and ensures that the intricate details achieved by our AA and AV producers are realized. Now, each year PCI holds a design awards program. We have over 50 entries each year, and in some years close to a hundred. It continues to amaze us how architectural precast is being used. The art in architecture can be reinvigorated when you use precast elements. The grand stair on the St. Armand's parking garage gives an abstract feature that will stand the test of time. So from an abstract parking garage in Miami to one of the most iconic monuments in the world, precast is there. Ellis Island, the small piece of land surrounded by salt water in harsh climates. Precast concrete is the 100 year plus solution to enclose a museum that will house thousands of visitors each day. Now, a lot of materials claim to be high performance, but few are entrusted to live it. Now to finish up, the Intrepid building in Philadelphia is located in the old Navy shipyard. And that location was the inspiration behind this amazing facade. Working close with the precast producers and utilizing BIM software, the design team literally stretched precastability and has helped redefine precast forever. Now, we have several resources to help you design with architectural precast and select the best category for your project. The hub for all this information is at pci.org slash arccert. There you'll find the supplemental requirement document, some FAQs and other helpful information. If you're having trouble finding what you're looking for, or you'd rather speak with someone, you can reach out to us at pci.org slash contactpci, or better yet, contact your local architectural precast producer or your local PCI regional executive director. There are plenty of people available to help you understand the benefits of PCI certification and precast concrete products. Lastly is PCI's microsite for architects, engineers, and construction managers. That is at pci.org slash howprecastbuilds. There you'll find our body of knowledge in both electronic and hard copy formats. Now, that's the end of my presentation, but we would definitely want to open it up to questions. So I'll throw it back to Royce to see if he has any questions. Thank you, Randy. We already have a few questions. The first one is a two-part question. It says, what is the difference between QA and QC? Could you explain with an example and which one is a higher priority? Well, QA, quality assurance, and quality control, they work hand in hand with one another. Quality assurance is the overreaching program. It's the program where actually the quality control is the process. Excellent. Thank you, sir. The next question is, what category can be used as load-bearing panels? All categories can be used as load-bearing panels. It's really, the categories is primarily established for the complexity of the aesthetic finishes and shapes. So a couple of examples. If you're building a warehouse in the middle of cornfield Ohio, and it was just going to be completely painted, insulated panels, flat, no shape, no one's gonna see it but the cornfields and the cows, that would probably be an AD product. It's still a very high-quality product, has to meet all the same production and engineering criteria as current A1 certification. It's the same panel you get every day that whether you put it on a high rise or an outhouse, it's the same high-quality product. It just doesn't have any colors or shapes or textures. Now, if you take that same warehouse and you put it into an urban area where it's a requirement by the local architectural review board to have cast in brick, a big cornice detail, some form liners, two mixes, two finishes, it still can be the same structural warehouse panel, for example, like the target building or the retail establishment that we've shown. But it's gonna be the same panel, it just has to have an AA or an AD finish on the outside. So it's still the structural panel. Same thing with a parking garage. If you have a parking garage in the back of a campus that no one's gonna see, it's got gray panels, that could be an AD product because it's a structural product with no finish to it. But that same parking garage set in a streetscape that needs to blend with buildings around it with cornice details and two mixes, two finishes or some radius shapes, that would be considered more of an AA or an AD product. All right, thank you. Our next question is, will the certification detail the connections? No, the certification program does not detail the connections. It is only looking at aesthetic capabilities. All of the categories are referred back to PCI Manual 116 and 117. And in those manual and the Tolerance Manual 135, each one of those have established tolerances for connection locations and variation of size of connections and location of connections. So that's very consistent across the categories. Okay, next question is, what joint details are recommended? Wow, good question. I'll hit this a couple of different ways. When you typically look at a panel-to-panel joint, just picture a ribbon building, your bands of concrete, bands of glass, two panels coming together in the middle of the building in the same plane. We would just use a butt joint with a three-quarter inch joint between an open joint, three-quarter of an inch between the panels. Nothing shiplap, no offset joint, just a through joint. At the corners of the building, we have several different types of joints, actually. You could do a miter joint, a butt joint, or you could do a panel return. The joints along the facade, those joints, the through joints, are applicable to all categories. When you start looking at returns or butt joints, that does affect the categories because it does show a level of architectural finish that has to be, the capability of that architectural finish has to be demonstrated in the mock-up and also in the quality inspection and the auditing process. All right, thank you. Next question is, if we have exposed aggregate white concrete panels with a window, will it be in the AC category? It's a very, very good question. Yes, it would be in an AC category because if you've got a, if you're picturing a project that the windows are sitting right at the face of the panel, you really would need a return finish or a finish on the return of the edge of the panel. If you had the windows setting back a few inches and you would have a finish on the return of the panel and as soon as you have a finish on the return of the panel, you move into that AC category. The color texture finish is for every category. So an AD producer, most AD producers have the ability to make a white exposed aggregate panel given that it's one consistent color. You don't have white exposed at one place and buff colored acid wash in another. That would move you into the AB category. Very, very good question. That's one of the questions that we've kind of wrestled with through this whole several year process. Excellent. Next question is, how does the PCI certification satisfy the IBC requirements? That's a dandy. I'll have to get back with you on that. I would really wanna confer with our technical director on that to get you an exact answer. Okay. Next question is, what is the biggest panel size that can be manufactured? That's a good question too. I'll hit it this way. There's really a couple of constraints. One is physics. The other two are transportation and then building use. So if I'm laying out a facade that's a thousand foot long and a thousand foot tall, then obviously I wanna use as many, as few as panels as I can and make them as large as I can, but I also wanna make them in a replicatable pattern. So if I was just doing a flat wall, which I've done, we did a 20 some story residential tower here in Columbus, Ohio, where I live. The South facing facade was just solid concrete. There's one bay of windows that runs up vertically. We made those panels as big as we could based on the structure behind it, because we have to lay it out. So we have bearing points that mirror up to the structure behind it. I think those panels were 30 foot long in the horizontal direction and 12 foot tall in the vertical direction. Now, when you go to a parking garage, a lot of parking garages have 60 foot bays. In a 60 foot bay, you may have a spandrel panel that's 60, non load bearing spandrel panel that's 60 foot long by six to eight foot tall. And those are very doable. So kind of somewhere in there is the right range, 60 foot by six foot, 60 foot by eight foot, but you have to start looking at your weight restrictions. And also you have to look at your transportation restrictions from the plant to the job site. So that's the beginning of the answer. All right. Next question is, did PCI create guide specifications for the five new categories? We are doing that right now. In fact, I've got that on my other computer screen right now. So yes, we are in the middle of doing that, but I will say this because I'm glad this question was asked. You don't have to get on my soapbox by any means, but working with your local producer and using the information that we have within the supplemental requirements, I, myself personally, along with your local producer will assist you in ensuring that your specification aligns with the category that your project is looking at. So if it's an AC, we'll be able to put that together. But the goal is to have all of those specifications, those master specs available for the public by July 1st, 2021. But until then, I'll be happy to help your local producer create that. Okay, our next question is, when specifying architectural finished concrete, should the specifications reference only the PCI Manual 117? No. I think what we have, in our master specification, we reference 16, 17, and 35. 116, 117, and 135. And depending on what your other products are, there may be some additional manuals. But as the slide shown, and I'm reiterating, those documents are all available at pci.org. And we would really wanna use those manuals on a project-specific basis to make sure that the criteria in those manuals are clearly defined in your specification. Awesome, thank you so much. All right, so this next question is, sometimes we get efflorescence in architectural panels. Are there any ways to repair those? Another good project-specific question. Yes, there is. There is ways that you can wash the panel. Most often, when the salts are trying to, salts are in your panel and they're trying to come out, a lot of times you just have to let them come out, and that takes time. At some point, they, in my experience, most often, that stops at some point. There's a lot of factors why one building's gonna be efflorescing and the other one doesn't. So it's really a project-specific problem. So I'd really need to look at the precaster that provided the products, or maybe look at a precast consultant that could work with you on your specific project. Okay, thank you very much. This next question is, in the AB, AC, AB, and AA categories, if all panels are the same size, is there a range of which category costs more to build? That's, in a public webinar for PCI, it's a very tough question to answer, but I'll try to tiptoe, as long as nobody sues me or fires me. No, I shouldn't say that, but I'll try to tiptoe lightly. Costs are a very subjective thing. It really is up to the individual project and the local producers that are bidding the project. On the surface, an AA project is going to have more complex details, and therefore, they're gonna be more expensive per square foot. Now, with that said, if you are, if you work with your local producer and you have an established budget, and you show them your, this is what I always tell architects when I'm out with them, show me what you wanna build, and let's look at your budget and see what we can afford to include. It sounds like you're handing the keys to the safe to the robber at that point, but you really aren't. Precasters are very reliable about their budgets. They're gonna be honest with you because think of it from their perspective. They wanna build that next cover, magazine cover project, and they know they're not gonna be able to do it if they try to fatten their pockets, okay? So again, I'm treading lightly here. All I'm saying is that if you entrust your local producer to help you structurally, let them help you architecturally of how to create really intricate shapes that they can build in their forms and then they can replicate and then work with them on what those tolerances need to be, what those variations need to be so you can get the best bang for your buck. And you may find that the AD producer, which in no means is any less of a producer than anybody else, but you may find an AD producer that has limited aesthetic capabilities could actually provide you with more value than maybe an AA producer or vice versa. So it's really a project specific question, but hopefully I didn't hurt myself there. All right, looks like we have time for one more question. This one may be a little bit more in-depth. It says, does specifying a spray polyurethane foam insulation at the backside of the precast panel change any material component of the design mix from a compatibility perspective? No, it does not. We've seen that used quite a bit over the last, I don't know, first time I saw it was probably 20 years ago or so or more. And it does do a good job of sealing up all the cracks, but it doesn't change anything about the precast panel. All right, we have time for, got one last question that just popped in. Do you have an example of a certification program that's part of a quality management system? Well, in general self, in general statement, the PCI quality, the auditing process is a quality management system. I mean, that's what it was established for. I don't know, off the top of my head, they've got 90 items in their checklist that an independent auditor shows up unannounced to a precast plant. And by gosh, you better have your ducks in a row. Those auditors don't pull any punches. They go through every nook and cranny. They go through the checklist. It's very clear of what they're going to grade you upon. We have quality control schools for our quality control managers. Each plant's required to have a quality control level two or level three technician on their plant, in their plant. So that is a total quality management system. And when you add the erector certification program with it, everybody that touches your precast panel is part of the overall quality management system. All right, thank you so much, Randy. Looks like that's all the time we have for questions. On behalf of PCI, I would like to thank Randy for the great presentation, and all attendees for your participation. As a reminder, certificates of continuing education will appear on your account at www.rcep.net within 10 days. And the recording will be available on the PCI website at www.rcep.net. And the recording of today's webinar will be uploaded to PCI's e-learning site. If you have any further questions about today's webinar, please email marketing at pci.org with the title Online Arc Search Program. Thank you, and have a great day. Thank you. Thank you.

Randy Wilson

PCI Architectural Certification program

architectural precast concrete

certification categories

quality assurance

structural capabilities

aesthetic capabilities

completed projects

collaborating with local precast producers