The broadcast is now starting. All attendees are in listen-only mode. Good morning. Welcome to PCI's webinar summer series. Today's presentation is Architectural Precast Certification Program Architects' Perspective, the Importance of Collaboration and Certification, a Roundtable Discussion. I'm Nicole Clow, Marketing Coordinator at PCI, and I'll be your moderator for this session. Before I turn the controls over to your presenters for today, I have a few introductory items to note. Earlier today, we sent an email to all registered attendees with handouts of today's presentation. The email contained a webinar sign-in sheet, a guide to downloading your Certificate of Continuing Education, and a copy of today's presentation. The handouts are also available now and can be found in the handout section of your webinar pane. If there are multiple listeners on your line, please circulate the sign-in sheet and send the completed attendance sheet back to PCI per the instructions on the form. 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If you have a question, please type it into the questions pane and I will be keeping track of your questions and will read them to the presenters during the Q&A period. Also, a pop-up survey will appear after the webinar ends. Today's presentation will be recorded and uploaded to the PCI eLearning Center. PCI has met the requirements of the AIA Continuing Education System and can offer one HSWLU for this presentation. We are a registered provider of AIA CES, and today's presentation contains content that has been approved or endorsed by AIA. Any questions about the content of this webinar should be directed to PCI. Credit earned on completion of this program will be reported to CES records for AIA members. Questions related to specific products or publications will be addressed at the end of the presentation. Our presenter for today is Dawn Decker. I will now hand the controls over so we can begin the presentation. All right. Thank you, Nicole. And I so want to extend my acknowledgement and just deep thanks and gratitude to Mr. Michael Zinssen and Mr. Johnny Noble and Mr. Corey Boyce, who agreed to participate in this presentation. So thank you. I'm a last minute person to be involved and to help contribute to the seminar, but I'm so thrilled to be here and to be able to acknowledge these folks and also to have them share during our roundtable discussion, the importance of collaboration and certification as part of their terrific examples in advocacy for precast. So with that, Nicole, we want to turn the slide and move forward in the presentation. I sure appreciate you helping me out in advancing the slides and moving forward in the content. So today is a combination of four of a series of webinars for this particular topic and our new architectural certification program guidelines actually go into effect October 1st. So it's timely that we culminate with this particular topic and how it impacts architecture and the folks that really are going to embed these guidelines into their specifications going forward. So just want you to know that this will meet, as Nicole mentioned, one health, safety and welfare learning unit. And there are actually three other courses on this particular topic, including the prior course of precast producer roundtable discussion panel, which we highly encourage you to listen in on that too from their perspective and knowing what this means for their businesses and collaborating with design professionals. So moving forward, the next slide. So here are learning objectives for today. And we'll briefly, because this is, again, the fourth in the series, we'll talk about the certification categories and the safety provisions associated with the prefabrication of precast concrete. But mostly we're going to talk about demonstrating how architects and construction managers and people collaborate on these particular projects to be able to deliver these very custom and high end projects that you'll see reflected on these slides. It really is the collaboration of the architecture and design teams that you'll see throughout this presentation. And then we'll discuss the importance of the mockup process, which is critically important to the acceptability of appearance. And our three roundtable panelists will share their experience relative to mockups and how crucial they are in the process. Next slide, please. So you're going to hear some common themes, and this will be present during our roundtable panelist discussions is really from the outset and as early as possible in the process, collaboration starts with your local precast producer. And we get a number of questions. We have FAQ tools on our website that will help you understand what these changes mean for your specification of the process in general. But it's really aligning your design intent with that local producer's capability to ensure that you get exactly what you want in terms of meeting your requirements on your project. And again, the third here is definitely the alignment. The alignment with the precaster and their capability is your design intent. And with the new program guidelines that are outlined for each of the categories. Now our next slide we're reviewing and we always come back to, you know, kind of our baseline. What is architectural precast? And it really is unlimited in terms of your architectural expression, whatever you're looking to achieve throughout this presentation, you see some really excellent and exceptional examples of architectural precast. So is 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? And again, it can be the cladding or facade panel or it can be a low bearing component and included in your insulated wall panel design. So it's very versatile is one of our themes that we discuss as part of the pillars of what you're able to achieve with architectural precast. Now in our next slide here we just continue to remind who PCI is. The Precast Pre-Stressed Concrete Institute, of course, was founded in 1954 and we are a quality insurance provides certification to our 250 certified plants in North America and these folks contribute in 60 or more committees thousands of hours every year to really advance the industry to create innovation in the industry and make sure that we're achieving the quality and the aesthetics that you're looking for. But the body of knowledge here is really the foundation of this, which is we develop, maintain, and disseminate this body of knowledge and some of those components of that are some of these manuals that you see here on the screen. And it's a really rigorous process from the point of the QC people in the plants actually getting ongoing and continuous education around this, but the process itself and also the erection or installation of precast tubes. So that's what we've been doing since 1954. And on our next slide, it's really looking at the existing certification categories. So we've been administering this for over 50 years and, you know, it's a dynamic and evolving thing as most things are in our industry. So here, what you see over the last 50 years is A1 architectural was really a one size fits all category, so to speak, for all the plants that produce architectural precast. And a couple of years ago, the industry got together and said, hey, with the advancements of what we're looking for out of architectural precast, we need to have a little bit more distinction amongst these categories and thus between designers, architects, construction professionals, and the producers coming together then to define what is now going to be the new program and goes into effect October 1. So with that, on our next slide, of course, we don't want to ever forget about safety, quality, and resiliency and it resonates in our industry that safety is our number one priority. And everything that we do. So our designs and the materials we choose should ensure safe construction practices. Of course, protect the inhabitants for the life of the building and provide a safe method for future renovations, expansion, or deconstruction. So when selecting products, a designer should consider how the products are made, how the systems are assembled, the amount of manpower required on site, and how long they will be there. When you enclose a structure faster with fewer people, of course, your site can be safer. It's easier to manage and the risk for injuries or lost time is reduced. So deconstruction is also a hot topic in today's built world. Renovation and reuse is really the ultimate in green building solution. Instead of taking something to a landfill, it's better if you can utilize the materials that are already there. So architects are increasingly adapting these concepts into new designs and you know, thinking about what happens in 75 or 100 years, which certainly a precast concrete building can deliver to you. Also, durability is another way of designing safety into your project and precast can withstand extreme conditions and has been tested for blast, multi-hazard protection, of course, high winds, floods, and is a non-combustible material. So nothing says durability like surviving natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, fire, and flood. So flooding, incorporating precasting your design as share walls, stair towers, or the complete structure will, of course, can definitely save lives and protect property. Furthermore to that, on our next slide here regarding safety, quality, and resiliency, by using prefabricated products, you will reduce your risk by reducing the number of workers on site, as mentioned. 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. 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 meeting overall performance expectations. So a little bit more on the new categories. We mentioned that we had kind of a one-size-fits-all, and now we've evolved to the five categories, and not one specifically aligns truly to the A1 category, but a little bit about them. Nonetheless, we will further define them through the remainder of this presentation. I'm sure that our panelists will speak to them as they pertain to past and the potential for future projects. So let's define them. To establish a baseline for those who are familiar with A1 and the design freedoms and precast, we'll start with the 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 Quality Control Manual and 135 Tolerance Manual. Now, 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 shape, projecting details, and titer tolerances. They also require post-project surveys with the architect and construction manager to evaluate the process, and I think you're going to hear Johnny Noble as it pertains to the Hershey Garage. It's really important also from a bin management and coordination standpoint, and they are part of, they are baked into AB and AA categories in terms of having that technology as part of the process. The AD category is reserved for those primarily structural products with simple aesthetic features. They still have the same high-quality concrete panels with the same long-term value proposition as the other categories, but maybe not as much in terms of architectural features. Now, the categories are defined by the project's level of complexity and aesthetic features and not any other criteria, and you'll hear the panelists talk about these as they pertain to some of their, again, past or current projects. So, where do you go to find information? Well, we have a website page that you can see here on our next slide, and specifically some of the supplemental requirements here. So, to fully describe everything, including we have a frequently asked questions document that answers a lot of questions. A lot of folks have asked, does this change the schedule in any way? Does it increase the cost of precast? Knowing, in fact, when you involve a precaster much earlier on in the design process, a lot of these questions can be addressed, and certainly having the specialty contractor on board as early as possible will help provide very strong and positive outcomes. So, here we refer to the supplemental requirements document. It's 130 pages, but it's well organized and has a matrix in the front that helps you understand by each category what the impacts are in terms of the geometry of the panels and what's possible, the finishes, the materials, etc. So, with that, on the next slide here, you can actually see the category requirements and a matrix that appears in numerous documents that we've provided to you. You can download a brochure. We have a designer's notebooks that is now available, and it's a very visual document that gives you a sense. Words on paper here, you know what those categories are, but more importantly, what does that mean in terms of a literal project and its outcome. So, the next slide here does give you an illustration, then, of our new designer's notebook, which is just now available, and you'll get, again, this matrix that you see to the far right on the slide here, but equally important would be, well, what does that mean in terms of an actual building? And so, it's very rich with photography, so it gives you an example of these. It also goes over the mock-up panels, which are critically important that the pre-caster had to manufacture as part of their certification and qualification process. So, again, on this next slide, I think it's most important that you do see these project examples by category, so you really understand the distinction between each. And moving from left to right here is your category AD, a single mix, single finish, and still you can create some really nice visual outcomes here with various other types of staining or painting you might do with the panels. ACE here is a beautiful application of a really deep mix and a form liner. And again, to the right, you see more complexity, multiple finishes, projections, and really interesting geometry on these panels. So, that's, I think, what you're definitely most interested in. And now we're going to introduce our panelists for the remainder and the bulk of this presentation. So, it really brings to life what these categories are, what the new certification process means, and how top designers are incorporating these into specifications in the collaboration with their respective design teams and the construction folks on these projects. So, proud to introduce Michael Zinssen, AIACDT CCA Lead AP Vice President, Regional Quality and Construction Administration Leader for Canon Design out of St. Louis. A little bit about Michael, his personal career bio is he's got a degree from the College of Architecture and Urban Design from the University of Kansas and has been a professional architect for 31 years. A little bit about Canon, 1,300-person firm servicing all market sectors and 17 locations across US, Canada, and an office in Mumbai. So, welcome, Michael. We're sure happy and thrilled to have you here and looking forward to hearing more from you as we get into some of our questionnaire questions. So, welcome. Thank you. Thank you for having me. Next, we have Johnny Noble, who's Associate Principal of the Lamar Johnson Collaborative, Chicago, Illinois. And right here in my backyard in Pennsylvania, this really beautiful hooded bunker, we have garages that look like that. Who says they have to be these, you know, sterile, rectangular boxes? They certainly are. And look at how Johnny's firm envisioned this garage to be. Personal career bio for Johnny, he's got an architecture degree from Ball State University and has been 15 years as a professional architect. And a little bit about Lamar Johnson Collaborative in Chicago, formed in 2019, emerging in two other companies, 58 licensed architects, and a full service design and architecture firm with emphasis on industrial, corporate, residential, healthcare, institutional, and the public realm. So welcome Johnny, so thrilled to have you as well. Appreciate you joining us. Yeah, it's fun. And now we have Corey. Corey, forgive me, I hope I'm not mispronouncing both your last names. Boaz, I'll take whatever you can give me. Please correct me so I get it right. It's Boaz. Boaz, thank you. And he's a principal at Studio GC in Chicago, Illinois. Welcome Corey. His personal career bio, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 15 years as an architect and Studio GC is a mid-sized firm servicing Chicagoland and the collar counties with extension into neighboring states. Project types, as you can see here on the screen, he's got some primary and higher education, municipal libraries, recreation, commercial, health care, and financial. So welcome Corey and again thank you for being here. Sure, appreciate it. Thank you Donna, I appreciate being part of the panel. So next we're going to transition into having some of our dialogue, but first I think it's always fun to talk with each of you as professionals in terms of what inspired and interested you in becoming an architect and what do you find fulfilling about the career and a little bit about your firm's focus. So I'll start with Michael and then we can go to Johnny and Corey, but Michael if you can share with us a little bit about your background and becoming an architect and what you really enjoy about the profession. Sure, thank you. I've always been interested in art, making art and other things, and how mechanical things worked or didn't work, how things were constructed, and I've always enjoyed complex puzzles and problem-solving. The practice of architecture embodies all those things and therefore you learn something new almost every day no matter how many years you've practiced. And our firm in particular, we're a recognized leader in health care, science and tech, and sports and recreation, and commercial interiors, but we really service all market sectors. We're a very large firm with multiple offices and that presents its own challenges in today's marketplace, but it allows us the freedom to fluctuate between very small and very large projects. Excellent, thank you. And Johnny? Yeah, a lot of what Michael says about the art I resonate with, but also I guess, you know, my father's an architect so I grew up with drawings all over the kitchen table, dining room table, each night as he worked on them, so I got to kind of be fascinated with with that as he worked through it and talked to me about it. So I certainly have it in the family and in my head that's what I was gonna be. I was gonna have to be an architect, but I love it. I love being a part of something bigger than myself and being able to contribute to the world in a unique way. I think that is unique to the construction industry. And similar to Michael, we do all project types and all market sectors and so I like to do work all over the country and even the world and I think that adds a lot of interest to the profession and I never really know what I'm gonna be doing day to day and where where the project might take me and I think that's thrilling. Yeah, I think it's gonna fill you with such pride when you drive by a building and you see something that your team worked on and and know that that's something that, you know, people are enjoying and having a great experience but also they, you know, your firm contributed to that. So that's really great. Thank you. And Corey? And to complete the broken record, yes, the challenge is that opportunities can present on a daily basis. You definitely aren't doing something same every day. What really inspired me was kind of the effect of a public space can have on a person. My firm does focus on the public sector most of all and really drives me is when doing a school specifically when a kid walks into the building or a classroom for the first time you just see a little twinkle in their eye and just their response and that kind of goes to pretty much anyone that walks into a new space that has been designed specifically for that community. Yeah, that's wonderful. You know, the building and those spaces have such an impact on how we perform as individuals whether we're in schools or offices or any other type of building. So it's, again, we're so proud and appreciative for you to be here. So part of this, panelists, we have some of course pre-arranged questions that we've asked the panelists to comment on and we'll kind of rotate gear in terms of their contribution relative to each question. And, you know, it's relative to the process and the new certification and how they're incorporating it into their process but also what this means to our industry in terms of what producers and all of us who support them will help in what these certification categories mean to designing new buildings. So we're going to start here with our first question. What do you expect to gain from early collaboration with a specialty contractor like a precast producer? And Johnny, we're going to ask you to lead this one off and then Corey and Michael will chime in. Yeah, great and it's a great question and it's something that we do a lot of. A bulk of our work is design-build and so the earlier we can collaborate, the better. The better for the schedule, the better for the costs. And so I think one of the main things we look for is people who are excited about what what they do and who want to innovate and want to be collaborative and listen to ideas and and help us make something together because at the end of the day, that project will belong to everybody. And so I think that you know the having the right personality and right mindset going into early collaboration is critical and we look for that you know because we want to be in that room early on and we want to hear ideas and hear something that we didn't think of because that happens a lot. Architects have their head in one area and the precaster or the sub will have their head in another area and we want to come together. So I think some of those tolerances, limits on materials, limits on I'm thinking of the Hershey garage which we work all those pieces are structural and so that became an early collaboration effort even with the structural consultant to work through those shapes because of that unique aspect. So yeah, I think that's you know great great people who really want to try something new and make something new and be innovative and then getting all those constraints because architects I think work best with constraints. Some of the beautiful buildings come out of projects that have a ton of constraints so I think those are the things that we look for. Okay, Mr. Boas, can you elaborate? I sure can. I definitely am picking up on the innovation portion of Johnny's response there but really like you said architects live in one world, precasters live in another world. The early collaboration does kind of bring us together and tells us really what's possible. We have a vision we want to achieve. How can we expand upon that vision? How can we make it work? And this early collaboration can actually bring us together and figure out how we can make something work. It might not take a minute, it might not take two, it might take several weeks but ultimately at the end of the day we're gonna have a piece of art, a piece of sculpture that people can live in or I'm sure Johnny will expand more about the Hershey Garage but we're not doing just boxes anymore. We're doing things with excitement and early collaboration allows us to do that, to expand. Yes, absolutely. Thank you. And you know we've had COVID and you mentioned it's allowed us to collaborate in different ways, right? So we've been using technology platforms more than ever to really help you realize your vision. So absolutely we have to evolve and we have to adapt as required by the environment and conditions. So Mr. Zenson, would you like to also add to the discussion here on this topic? Sure, I think my answer again will be a little similar, pretty similar but you know as an architect you're really a generalist and you rely on people that specialize in certain areas to help you understand the constraints that you have to put out in your documents, understand what's possible, what's not possible. You have to be able to drill down and speak the same language but you know these people are expertise in their fields. They really can help guide you to where you need to go. So when we know that the solution needs to be precast and designed not fully formed yet, we like to take advantage of these insights into the latest techniques you know to create dynamic forms and still achieve economy through repetition. So I think the you know the power of precast is the fluid medium so you can shape it very easily but you still have to respond to all the other constraints of weight and structure and span. And then when we have a more formed vision of design, we really want to gain from the precast or the expertise about the finish, the tolerances, how it goes together, and the limitations in order to achieve design we've already kind of formulated. And then obviously to sometimes kind of hide the fact that it's panelized jointed building by certain techniques in which you apply to the joints themselves. So Michael you made an excellent comment about you know the fluidity and you know when a project or a solution seems to fit in terms of precast. Are there times where you found that this is a really great opportunity for precast and conversely where it might not be the best solution? I think you know one of the great things about precast is you know it can be competitive in terms of space to enclosure similar to like a unitized curtain wall. Although with the new emphasis on energy coasts and the crisis that the planet's in you know opaque walls are always much better performing than glass walls. Also with increased impact from climate change, resiliency and precast is really hard to beat in terms of that resiliency. I can't say that I can think of a project where it necessarily wouldn't be appropriate but you know it has it has to be right for the project team, right for the constructor. There's a whole lot of different variables that go in to make a construction schedule and sometimes it makes sense and adds speed to market and other times constraints on sites or or the size of certain things might limit the ability to pick precast. I think that precast is a very very flexible medium in terms of its design expression and its ability to effectively not look like a necessarily just a concrete panelized system. You can have precasts faced with stone, you can have precasts faced with brick, you can create dynamic shapes that get amazing and dynamic shadows and play with light. So I think that one of the most important things about the revised standard and specifying under PCI that has a standard in place is that if you can predict the outcomes of those and you can know up front the capabilities of the precaster then your design vision you know you can be secure that your design vision is going to happen. I really appreciate your comments about resiliency. More than ever you know with the the number of different weather events that we're seeing across the country and it seems like it's fairly routine now that resiliency gets brought up in the conversation probably early and often so a precast definitely performs well there. And our next question and I think Michael I might have jumped the gun here with your response which fit really really well with that next question. Our next question is the primary goal of the new certification program is to align a precast producers capabilities with project specific requirements. The program highlights the various levels of shape and detail complexity and production and installation tolerances and how do you see these initiatives enhancing your process? And Michael forgive me for asking you to you know to lead off but also to answer this but I think you already mentioned some comments relative to this. Yeah it's probably very similar. I'm not sure that it's really going to enhance our process per se because we've always really embraced trying to work with precasters when we have precast involved early on. I think it will identify to us precasters that have the capability based on the project's potential. I think PCI certification has always been about delivering a quality product but this revision or the revision to the standard it really is going to provide design firms the security that the vision of the design can be executed by twinning bidder. And this is an important distinction by having a PCI certified plant. By the ability by having the ability to specify on the capabilities to match the project requirements you really can have a predictable outcome. And I think that this was needed in the industry. I think it's going to be a great success. There's there are implications for the precaster if they fail to achieve the design requirements on a project and so extra incentive for them to make sure that at every turn at every project they're paying attention to these items. So not only are they pre-qualified but they also there's a there's a follow-up program through which surveys and registration that they're actually executing upon those promises take place. And that's that's a critical critical thing. And I think that the security of this predictability really should give people the confidence to be a little more experimental with the medium. And that combined with newer technologies that allow for the forming of complex shapes through you know industrial sized CNC machines and some precast firms are now exploring 3d printing their forms with large industrial 3d printers. I think that the limits of the expression are I mean are almost limitless. Yeah fantastic absolutely all those things and excellent points about kind of pushing driving innovation and driving advancements in the industry for sure. So thank you. Corey what are your thoughts on this question? Yeah I want to expand on the predictability that Michael kept referring back to. Not only the predictability of the process but also the peace of mind that the not only the designer has but the owner has. If it's a public bid project you're not just crossing your fingers on bid day that the low bidder can actually achieve the project. The early collaboration does allow for that that peace of mind to happen. And with a couple of the certification levels of the PCI certification actually does require the BIM collaboration of a BIM model building information model that will that can have all the pieces in there to match all the tolerances that are needed such that your design that has pushed an envelope it can be achieved can be constructed as designed and we're not just at the level of hope which we all have hope before and doesn't have good outcomes. Yeah hope is not a strategy right Corey? So that's correct. Excellent so Johnny how about your thoughts on this one? Yeah I mean those are two fantastic answers. I mean I would just say from the client's perspective we're finding that they want more and more control over the final product whether it's schedule or cost but also just the look of it. Like when we show early design work they want their final product to look like that. They you know they expect what's in the rendering to be what's built at a greater degree of accuracy than ever before and I think anything that helps people align their expectation on what the final product will be is important because yeah that's just one thing with our clients we've seen just a lot of expectation for control over over that final product. Yeah I'm sure you know with the Hershey garage and your other projects the mock-up became that much more critical because it's hard for the client to translate what they see in one dimension to you know an actual physical product to know that again the confidence is there that a specialty contractor can do that. So the mock-up you probably see have become critical in this process. Yep absolutely. Okay in our next question we have is around what's achievable again for the overall design and construction process. So can you provide an example each of you of a project where the precast producer provided a benefit to the project that you didn't realize was possible. I think we started this conversation Johnny you mentioned you get excited about working with people who have this passion for their craft right and so they want to sit down and work with you and roll their sleeves up and say yes here's what's possible but then try and bring something a little bit extra. So maybe they suggested a design feature otherwise unachievable and or something to help meet the overall project budget or simplify the overall design and construction experience. So we'll start with Michael on this one. Michael are you on mute or? Oh yes sorry. I was just saying to myself that I have a similar experience to Johnny in the fact that when you engage with precasters early a lot of precasters get really excited about possibilities and designs they are interested to engage in things they've never done or seen before and the exchange can be very dynamic at the early stages and the best precasters are really really in tune with coming up and stepping up to the challenges. I remember on Oak Ridge National Laboratories chemical and material science building we were trying to achieve a singular, long brise soleil, which was in the middle of a glass panel, and we wanted this as a repetitive element. In our early meetings with the design assist pre-test partner, the initial comments were, I don't see a way in which that's possible. I don't see that that's able to work, it's too long, this, that, and the other thing. Then one of their team members said, I have an idea, I think we can make this work, but I want to go back and I want to try and build it. They left our office and three weeks later they said, we built four of these, three of them failed, but we think we figured it out in the last one. I think that that shows the importance of the early dialogue, but also if you can bring the pre-casters on board early if you're in a construction management type project and you can make them part of the design assist team, then they have some skin in the game and they also have the ability to do some trial and error production methods. I think it's a fabulous time for pre-cast, I think the standard is going to allow you to have dialogue with the right people at the right time and then talk about what's really possible at the earliest stages. Absolutely, it's fun when you get people together and they love their craft, as Johnny said, and they just want to see what's possible to continue to push in advance and more importantly to help you achieve your design intent. So Johnny, how about you on this one? Yeah, I mean there were a lot of good ideas, but the project that I referenced, the Hershey Garage, well there were two big ideas. One was increasing the span, the structural span from 45 to 60 feet, which saved a ton on structural costs and really allowed us to even meet the budget. It was a great idea that just came early on, they saw how we were trying to use the facade as the structure and felt like they could achieve the structural depth they needed to do the 60 feet within the current design. The other way was, I mean we started that particular project with some ridiculous amount of unique formwork, over 60 unique forms, and as kind of typical, maybe typical architects in early conceptual, you just kind of draw on what looks right. And then through the iterative process of working with them, we got it down to eight unique forms, and I think it was a better project because of that. It looked more refined, it looked more thoughtful, and it just looked like it made sense. And that all came from just ideas in the room, working together with the precaster. Awesome. Yeah. Definitely optimizing the forms to have the best outcomes is something that precasters are extremely adept at. Corey? Yeah, my early collaboration was born out of necessity. We had a couple of public school projects in Aurora, Illinois, and several in Chicago, but basically we had a summer to construct a significant addition and a brand new building. So we also had extremely tight site constraints. So one of the things that collaboration allowed us to do is provide some interest to the panel itself using several different form liners, finishes, inlaid brick, other materials in the panel itself, and combining it into not only the facade, but the structural and thermal envelope. So 10, 12 inches, 14 inches, and you have everything in one, one-stop shop. And once they start installing, a couple of days and you already have your structure up, so everything else can be installed in the middle. These were schools that were 100 plus years old, and the addition looks like it has the same brick feel with a thin brick within the panels that matches almost exactly to the existing. Can't really tell it's an addition. And then the brand new school as well, being able to provide the same neighborhood type school feel, but yet in precast, but you can't really guess it's precast, because what the collaboration allows those joint lines to kind of disappear. Yeah, Corey, I think that's an excellent point you bring up about the insulated wall panels. We see that growing in terms of product category in our markets all over the place in lots of different applications. So thanks for bringing that up. So our next question is on how do you see the new architectural precast concrete certification program advancing the design and construction industry moving forward? Corey, we'll start off with you on this one. You're muted, Corey. There we go. Okay. We're flipping through some slides. Yeah, simply providing the early collaboration to push the design and get things right the first time, because once the panels show up or once the precast shows up, there's no changing it. It's what you get. If you want to change it, you've got several weeks and you're already delayed, or different changes in the site that no one's happy with. So early collaboration does give you the peace of mind that I think all three of us did reference early on in the presentation, that you know you're going to get what's right if you have this early collaboration and certification of those panels. Yep. Absolutely. I think we see a couple examples here on the slide, Corey, of the schools I think you might have referenced. Correct. Yeah. The left is, can't really tell where the addition is, where the existing building, and the right is a brand new facility. So I haven't pulled it, but I believe they do provide some interest as opposed to a logistical gray box. Yeah. Yeah. Beautiful. Beautiful. Johnny? Yeah. I mean, I think, I mean, any certification program that helps align the vision for the project. I think that's the one thing that stood out. I mean, we've talked about some other benefits already, but just the, you know, in the design build process, which again is something we're focused on and we're seeing more of a future of, there's just an overall effort to align the vision for everybody all the way down to the subcontractors and end users. So I think that's, that's the one thing that kind of sticks out to me as a potential benefit moving forward. Great. And Michael? I think I've hit on this one probably every one of my answers, but I think, you know, the new certification really allows the design firm the assurance that if I want to push the envelope the fluid medium has to offer, I can do so knowing that I have the ability to specify the capabilities of the producers and I won't be either disappointed in the outcome or constantly faced with issues after procurement with the producer's ability to perform and execute the project. And I think this insurance, this assurance will provide, you know, the freedom for designers to explore the potential of the medium and that will continually push the industry forward and we'll get the industry to embrace modern technologies that will allow, you know, the expressivity of the medium to be realized, but realizing this expression in the most economic ways. Yeah, absolutely. And I think our last question as we close out the panelist conversation and then we'll try and leave a little bit of time open if we have questions from participants on the line is we've alluded a little bit to the mock-up process. So as an architect and speaking for the design world as a whole, do you feel the process of making mock-ups and demonstrating the finished product to the owner and other stakeholders is a worthwhile investment and it's certainly incorporated as part of the certification process in terms of the categorization and the level of complexity for each. So Johnny, your thoughts on mock-ups? Yeah, I mean mock-ups are an incredible tool that every project should use. I mean, a specific example that we found is during the mock-up process, I think with Michael who mentioned the 3D printing of formwork, we had, you know, the curvilinear shapes and so we thought 3D printing the formworks would be one way to achieve them. And then through the mock-up process, we realized that between the heat of the concrete and actually in the weight of the concrete at the scale that we were using, it was crushing the filament that – so it was crushing the 3D printed formwork. And these are the pieces that were, you know, over 100,000 pounds. So you can, you know, most facade pieces aren't going to be 100,000 pounds, but because these were structural, they were. And so we had to move to doing wood, you know, your traditional wood formwork, which meant that the shapes had to be amenable to that. So we had to make sure that they could – every single section you take through one of our pieces is made up of straight lines so that you're able to do the ribbing for the formwork. So that's something that we learned early through the shape, the overall shape of the pieces of formwork. And so it was very helpful for us. I think it also gives, you know, the owner some confidence in aesthetic and materiality and color and the way the light hits it out on the site. There's so many things that mock-ups add to the process. Yeah. I think the light that you mentioned definitely is so critical in seeing it from different parts, you know, different – looking at the facade from different angles. So absolutely. Corey? Yeah. Picking up on a confidence by the owner of that, Johnny, a reference back to specifically with addition projects that are trying to somewhat match an existing facility, providing a mock-up that can really show, okay, does this really match what it is? Is this thin brick really going to match? Is this form line really going to match and line up? And how is it going to be constructed? Is it going to be able to be constructed to meet with the other materials or the other trades out on site? So not only having just a mock-up in a vacuum, but actually having a working mock-up that can be part of the construction so that if everything is right, it's definitely a peace of mind for the additional costs that are associated that can provide a great solution. Great. Thank you. And, Michael, you're closing parting remarks, and this will conclude our discussion for the panelists. I'll finish out a few more slides, and then we'll open it up to folks that are on the line. Okay. Well, I think, you know, creating a building is almost always creating a unique solution to a problem. In most cases, there's no real prototype. And with design that pushes the art form of building, there's always some portion that's a little bit experimental. Sometimes the mock-up is necessary to sell a concept that the concept can be realized to an owner. In other cases, it's necessary to confirm the outcome. And I think in all cases, it really allows everyone, owners, constructors, designers, to see in real-life scale critical junctures and components and really evaluate their success from an aesthetic, constructability, and service-life perspective. So, you know, we always try to incorporate mock-ups where we can. Obviously, sometimes that can be a challenge from project budget, but, you know, you always benefit from seeing a mock-up in place. There will be always some problem solved through the use of the mock-ups that wasn't anticipated, and you're solving it before you reach it in construction. Yep. It's just absolutely critical, as all of these excellent remarks that you have all made about the collaboration and the design is just getting your local precaster involved as early as possible to be able to realize your vision, the design intent, and to deliver a building that you and your clients can be proud of and delivers for them what they need in terms of how that building is going to perform. So, thank you for that. I know we're winding down here, and we have some questions from folks who are on the webinar. So, Nicole, do you want to, you know, direct those questions to the panelists? Of course. First, I just want to say on behalf of PCI, I'd like to thank our presenters for a great presentation. We do have a few questions. Just trying to get to the very first question. So, once you choose a certified factory-slash-precaster, do the design pieces need to be certified or tested? So, I think the products are already, I'm not sure what the person means by testing. Certainly, the quality assurance and the engineering that goes into manufacturing those pieces to meet whatever requirements are needed for that project are already built into the process. So, if the questioner wants to elaborate on the testing, not quite sure what we're looking for there, but as part of the certification process, it's certainly the producer meets those tolerances and those guidelines as per what's outlined in each category. So, that's part of the qualification for each of the categories. Yeah, and could I add to that answer? Of course. Please do. I think that it's important to note that you're not really specifying an actual factory or producer. What you're trying to specify is the certification. What qualifications does the planter or processing precaster have so that you know that they can meet your capabilities on the project? You still want to have, you still want to work with somebody local if you can, and obviously at the right certification level, but you also want that competition during the bidding process. So, there will be other plants that are certified at that same level that will compete for that project potentially if they're in a close enough proximity to the project. So, what you're really specifying is a certification level, not a particular plant. Excellent. Thank you so much for that clarification. I really appreciate it. It's always good to get the answers from multiple vantage points. We do have, yes. Oh, no, you're good. We do have another question. Is the mock-up for visual purposes or do you need to test it for fire, structural behavior, et cetera? Yep. I'm interested in what the panelists have to say about that. I have, of course, an answer to that, but you know what your experience is and as it relates to the new certification. Michael, do you want to kind of give your thoughts on that? We've had mock-ups that are used for different purposes. I think the one thing that you have to, you know, you certainly can construct a mock-up to test it with different field envelope tests. Obviously, the AMA test when you're integrating windows and other aspects of the jointing in a building. I think the one thing that is very critical when you're going to be testing a mock-up to be concerned with is not artificially creating conditions that won't actually exist in the building. And sometimes that can be difficult on a mock-up, but that really shouldn't really preclude you from going forward with testing them. But they are, you really want to understand what the purpose of the mock-up is when you draw it to make sure you're capturing the most unique features. And you also want to be conscious of the mock-up, you know, what you want to test it for so that everybody's on board and everybody understands what the mock-up is going to be used for in its final configuration. Yep. Now, Corey or Johnny, would you like to add anything to that? Yeah, I do want to add a little bit more to that. The mock-up is kind of its own little design itself to figure out, okay, what is really needed? What are we trying to test and achieve with this? I mean, not only is it testing out the appearance, but really how does the mock-up interact with the other materials in the project? So, like I think I mentioned in one of the questions, the aqua is just not the precast piece, but it's really how it responds to the other pieces of the trades. Yep. Great. Yeah. Don, I'll just add, I mean, those are both spot on, but yeah, typically when we do a mock-up, you know, they are expensive, so you don't want to do more if you don't have to. So, we will generally try to do one that we can test for water, test the joints for water. So, we'll have a real project condition that we can test it for as well. Excellent. Appreciate you all. I want to conclude the program by thanking our panelists so much for your insights about the new certification program, but also your exceptional examples of precast through your design firms work. We just so appreciate that as an industry. So, closing this out, Johnny Noble, thank you. Corey Boaz, thank you. And Michael Vinson, thank you so much. We so appreciate your thoughts and applications of precast, as well as your insights relative to the certification. So, with that, I'm going to turn it over to Nicole to close the program out. Thank you, Dawn. So, unfortunately, we do not have enough time for any more questions, but all questions will be forwarded to the presenters along with your contact information. As a reminder, certificates of continuing education will appear in your account at www.rsep.net within 10 days. If you have any further questions about today's webinar, please email marketing at pci.org. Thank you again and have a great day and stay safe. Thank you.

Architectural Precast Certification Program

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Certification

Precast Concrete

Design and Construction Industry

Mock-up Process

Innovative Design Solutions

Cost Savings

Design Capabilities

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