PCI Summer Series - How Precast Builds: PCI Architectural Certification Program-AISC-PCI-Quality-White-Paper

AISC-PCI-Quality-White-Paper

Pdf Summary

This white paper discusses the essential characteristics for an organization offering construction industry certification. It emphasizes the importance of technical institutes in providing a consensus-driven forum for the development of engineering, design, and quality standards. These institutes facilitate the exchange of knowledge among industry stakeholders and provide a framework for collaboration and information dissemination that other organizations cannot match. The paper highlights the role of certification programs in verifying the quality and reliability of prefabricated engineered components. It emphasizes the need for these programs to be part of a comprehensive quality system specific to the components being addressed. The paper also emphasizes the advantages of certification programs developed and run by independent technical institutes, which ensure transparency, process improvement, and impartiality. It notes that in the construction industry, the technical institute serving the corresponding industry segment is the only organization that provides all the necessary functional elements of a comprehensive quality system and serves as the singular, standardized, and accredited certification organization. The paper outlines twelve characteristics that make up a comprehensive quality system, including industry standing, clearly stated purpose, broad professional involvement, governance and consensus, research, validation, dissemination, certification of personnel and fabrication processes, independent audits, feedback and recourse, and continuing commitment. The paper concludes by emphasizing the importance of credible certification programs in assuring the quality of component fabricators and the need for stakeholders and project decision-makers to support quality assurance and certification programs based on these principles. It also provides information about the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) and the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), two organizations dedicated to promoting and advancing quality standards in their respective industries.

Keywords

construction industry certification

technical institutes

quality standards

certification programs

comprehensive quality system

transparency in certification

impartiality in certification

accredited certification organization

independent audits

credible certification programs