PCI CERTIFICATION
PCI Certification is the precast concrete structures industry’s most proven, comprehensive, trusted, and specified certification program. For 50 years, the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute has certified manufacturers of precast/prestressed concrete products. The certification program also addresses plant personnel and the erection process in the field, thereby providing the most comprehensive program in the industry. This assures owners, specifiers, and designers that precast concrete products are manufactured by companies that subscribe to nationally accepted standards, have comprehensive quality systems in place and are audited to ensure compliance.
PCI Certification is recognized as the leading and most widely specified quality-assurance program in the construction industry. It is specified by Masterspec, United Facilities Guide Specifications, the General Services Administration, more than 30 state departments of transportation, and many other federal, state, and municipal bodies, and is endorsed by the Federal Highway Administration. PCI Certification is the industry’s most comprehensive certification program, including plant, personnel, and field certification. From start to finish, PCI certifies the process of manufacturing and erecting precast and prestressed concrete components. This certification of plants, personnel, and product erection provides greater assurance to owners, architects, engineers, and contractors that precast concrete components will be manufactured and installed according to stringent industry standards. Below is a brief summary of these programs.
Plants
For over 40 years, PCI's Plant Certification Program has ensured that each plant has developed and documented an in-depth, in-house quality system based on time-tested national industry standards. Each plant undergoes two thorough, unannounced audits each year. The audits are conducted by competent, third-party engineers, who audit the plant according to requirements specifically developed for the types of products being manufactured.
Product Erection
The Certified Erector program evaluates erection procedures and field quality control for precast concrete. Introduced in 1999, this program extends PCI's quality performance standards throughout the construction process. The erection company's management and each erection crew are audited according to nationally published criteria, providing customers with the assurance that the product quality created by stringent factory conditions continues into the field during installation.
Personnel
The Plant Quality Personnel Certification Program, started in 1985, provides instruction and evaluation for three levels of trained, knowledgeable, and certified quality-control personnel. PCI also trains Certified Field Auditors (CFAs) and Certified Company Auditors (CCAs), who perform the audits to certify the precast concrete erector. This process extends personnel certification into the field.
All PCI Producer Members are PCI Certified and dedicated to quality. As PCI members, producers participate in and have access to over 80 committees and hundreds of industry professionals. This keeps members on the leading edge of technology, sustainability, research and development, codes, standards, and more. PCI members also have access to the latest manuals that guide and set the standards for the precast concrete structures industry. To learn more about PCI and its certification programs, visit the other sections of this website or contact the PCI Quality Programs Department at QualityPrograms@pci.org.