ACPA Plant Certification Program Underway
After years of anticipation, the ACPA Plant Certification program was kicked off in December with the inspection of three plants. WJE & Associates inspectors visited CSR Hydro Conduit's Delaware, Ohio, plant on December 9. Amcor Precast in Ogden, Utah, was inspected on December 15, and Geneva Concrete Pipe Company on December 16. The inspections were referred to as beta test locations to ensure that the requirements in the Plant Certification Manual could reliably be met. It also afforded the WJE inspection team, led by Paul Krauss, to get experience in the concrete pipe manufacturing process. Members of the Plant Certification Task Group attended each of the inspections and then met to discuss and resolve any problems encountered during the inspections.
A decision of major significance reached by the task group was to suspend, for the first year of the program, a minimum grade of 75 percent in each of six critical elements in the evaluation process for sanitary sewer certification. The six critical elements that will now become effective next year are:
For storm sewer and culvert certification there are five critical elements with the hydrostatic joint test with differential load excluded. The tests are required for current inspections but for this year an overall grade of 75 percent is all that is required.
The goal for the first year is to have 20 plants participate in the certification program. This may seem a lofty goal but one that can be met with the support of the industry. Achieving plant certification requires much hard work and commitment by management and production personnel. There is, however, much to be gained in the certification process in addition to the certification itself. Jerry Rasmussen of Amcor Precast commented, "We've learned a tremendous amount of beneficial information about our operational practices over the last month as we prepared for the inspection." The objective of the Plant Certification Task Group was to "raise the bar" by which quality production was measured and it seems they have been successful.
An application for plant certification and the Plant Certification Manual can be obtained by contacting John Duffy. The Board of Directors will determine the fee structure at the January meeting.
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