New Managing Director of Quality Programs
PCI welcomes Jacques Cattan as its new Managing Director, Quality Programs. Jacques will oversee PCI’s quality programs, including certification activities for precast concrete plants, erectors, and personnel.
“I am very excited to join the PCI quality programs family and I look forward to using my diverse background in the AEC community, as well as standards development organizations, to contribute to the precast, prestressed concrete Body of Knowledge.” Click here for the full PCI press release.
Jacques will replace Mike Kesselmayer, who will retire from the same position at the end of 2023. Jacques’ contact information is jcattan@pci.org, Cell Number: 773-456-9503; Direct Number (effective Dec. 1, 2023: 312-583-6770.
Maintaining Current Contact Information for Certified Personnel
Certified personnel who do not maintain current contact information in PCI’s Certification Management System (CMS) can have trouble accessing their accounts and it can also lead to difficulty verifying certification.
Changes in employment usually lead to changes in an individual’s email address in PCI’s CMS. The CMS uses an individual’s email address to track application information, exam results, and certifications. As such, it is extremely important for certified individuals and candidates for certification to maintain current email addresses in the system. Not doing so can lead to duplicate accounts in the system, resulting in difficulty for PCI to verify certification or an individual’s inability to access their account.
Individuals with changes in their email address or changes in employer should update PCI staff at Qualityprograms@pci.org. This email address should also be used when encountering login issues or the inability to see current certifications in the CMS dashboard.
New Field Quality Audit Report Form Issued
The Field Quality Audit Report (FQAR) and Erectors Post-Audit Declaration (EPAD) forms have been updated and are to be used for all erector field audits.
The new FQAR and EPAD forms are now available on the PCI website and their use is to be implemented immediately. Additionally, copies will be emailed to all CFAs and certified erectors, notifying them of the change.
Although the use of the new forms is effective immediately, it is understood that there are some field audits currently in process and it will also take some time for everyone to become aware of the change. Please note the following milestones:
- November 2023 to May 1, 2024 – FQARs and EPADs submitted on the old forms will be accepted by PCI. CFAs and erectors submitting the old revisions of these forms will be reminded to use the new revisions and will be provided with links to both new forms.
- May 1, 2024 – Full implementation of the new forms will be complete, and prior revisions of the forms will no longer be accepted.
As a reminder, FQARs and EPADs should be emailed to audit@pci.org. Hard copies are not required. Please direct any questions to Qualityprograms@pci.org.
Gary Wildung Receives 2023 T. Henry Clark Award
Gary Wildung was presented the T. Henry Clark Award at PCI’s awards luncheon during PCI Committee Days in October. Watch Award Video.
The T. Henry Clark award was established to recognize an individual, group of individuals, or a firm that has delivered a resource that improves or enhances the quality of precast, prestressed concrete products or processes. T. Henry Clark was a believer of quality and quality processes; this award recognizes those who create or promote quality in a way that would have made Henry proud.
Gary is the former vice president and owner of FDG Inc. in Colorado, which he cofounded in 1990. Since retiring in 2018, he has continued to serve as the FDG-PCI liaison.
Gary has long been an important contributor to PCI’s committee work, particularly in the areas of quality assurance, safety, and certification. In addition to membership in multiple committees, he has chaired the Quality Activities Council and the Safeguarding Impartiality Committee, vice-chaired the Quality Enhancement Committee and served on PCI’s Board of Directors.
With more than 50 years of industry experience, Gary has been a strong advocate for involving producers and erectors in PCI’s work. He is widely praised by colleagues and peers for his vast expertise and his commitment to advancing both PCI and the precast concrete industry.
Update on Minimum Points Requirement for Architectural Category Recertification
At its PCI Committee Days meeting, the Architectural Certification Subcommittee approved a short delay in implementation of the requirement for meeting the initial recertification point threshold for the new architectural certification categories.
Plants with certification in the architectural group are required to demonstrate continued capability in their certification category by achieving a minimum number of key feature points every two years. This is administered using a rolling two-year period, based upon the last four regular audit cycles (semi-annual), after the initial two-year certification period.
For most plants, the initial two-year certification period ended October 1, 2023, and plants that had received four regular audits by that date were required to have the minimum number of key feature points. A possible consequence of not meeting the point threshold either at the completion of the initial certification period or on a continuous basis thereafter is loss of architectural group certification.
As the subcommittee reviewed the status of plants that had met the 2-year and 4-audit threshold, it was noted that a significant number of plants did not have the required points. The committee voted to extend the initial certification period through a plant’s first regular audit of 2024 (to occur from January to June). At that audit, points to be counted for recertification will include the plant’s last four rolling regular audits (previous three and the current) and any special audits/evaluations that occurred within that period. Following the initial certification period, plants will need to maintain the required minimum number of points on a rolling four regular audit basis to maintain certification in their category.
The key features to be demonstrated for each category are listed in the respective chapters of the Architectural Certification Program Supplemental Requirements. Of course, the preferred way to obtain the points is to be able to show products in production or storage that have the required features. Plants that are short of points and do not expect to have production that will provide the required points can construct one or more mockup panels. There are two options for mockup panels:
- Construct one or more of the mockup panels fabricated for initial certification, as shown in the Architectural Certification Program Supplemental Requirements, for the plant’s certification category.
- Construct a mockup panel of the plant’s own design with appropriate key features to demonstrate the plant’s continued capabilities and earn the necessary points.
In either case, the drawings and mix designs for the mockup panel must be submitted for review well in advance of when the panel will be constructed, just as was required with initial category certification. This will allow time for review, to ensure the panel meets the eligibility criteria and would provide the necessary points.
Suggestions
Please forward suggestions for future quality-related articles for this newsletter to Mike Kesselmayer at mkesselmayer@pci.org.