Sources: American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, Mich.; Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, Schaumburg, Ill.; CP staff
On the heels of a 35-participant pilot, ACI and CRSI have begun phased launch of their Adhesive Anchor Installer Certification program through ACI chapters in California, Illinois and Pennsylvania.
The National Transportation Safety Board compelled certification development after the failure of creep-prone, suspended ceiling hardware anchors in Boston’s Central Artery/Tunnel. The August 2006 incident saw the release of precast concrete ceiling panels onto the roadway, claiming the life of one passenger. In a report faulting CA/T suppliers, engineers and contractors, NTSB officials recommended that ACI use its “building codes, forums, educational materials, and publications to inform design and construction agencies of the potential for gradual deformation in anchor adhesives under sustained tensile-load applications.”
ACI teamed with CRSI for Adhesive Anchor Installer Certification, adding it as a requirement in the recently released ACI 318-11, Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete, for anchorages in sustained tension loading conditions and installation orientations from horizontal to vertically upward (overhead). “As part of the process of adopting the design procedures into the ACI 318 Building Code, it became clear to Code Committee members that a certification program was imperative for successful installation of these anchors under certain conditions,” explains CRSI Vice President of Engineering Neal Anderson. “This connection type should be thought of as being similar to a structural weld, in that an adhesive anchorage is usually a key load-carrying connection. Proper training and certification [are] crucial.”
Engineers recognize adhesive anchors as an important structural connection in many anchorage-to-concrete applications, he adds; capacity depends on the bond strength achieved between the adhesive and concrete, and adhesive and anchor. Manufacturers have developed installation procedures aimed at ensuring proper conditions for their products to achieve the design bond strength.
The program was fast-tracked by ACI Committee 601A – Adhesive Anchor Installer and a group of Subject Matter Experts identifying certification criteria. Candidates must comprehend and execute instructions to properly install adhesive anchors; possess the knowledge to properly assess ambient conditions and concrete condition; be familiar with materials, equipment, and tools for installing adhesive anchors; and, determine when it is appropriate to proceed with an installation or when additional guidance from a supervisor/foreman/project engineer is needed.
“There are many different variables to consider when installing adhesive anchors,” says ACI Managing Director of Certification Programs John Nehasil. “From understanding jobsite conditions and manufacturers’ instructions to recognizing time limits of the adhesive and proper selection and assembly of equipment, installing adhesive anchors properly involves awareness of the variables and skill in executing instructions. The ACI/CRSI Adhesive Anchor Installer Certification program is designed to verify that candidates possess these qualities.”
Additional information can be obtained at www.ACICertification.com, or from ACI, 248/848-3800. A directory of ACI Local Sponsoring Groups that conduct certification testing is posted www.concrete.org/CERTIFICATION/CERT_SPON.HTM.