The PCI Erector Certification Program extends the institute’s demanding quality standards to the process of erecting finished precast concrete products in the field. The program provides assurance that the high-quality precast concrete components produced by a PCI-Certified Plant are erected to the exacting standards expected by owners, developers, architects, contractors, and the precast concrete structures industry as a whole. The erection process is vital to the overall performance of the finished precast concrete products in the structure. Handling pieces properly and installing them correctly requires well-trained erection personnel who understand every aspect of lifting, maneuvering, and connecting each precast concrete component, regardless of its shape or size. An erector may qualify in one of two structural classifications and/or an architectural classification.

Certified Erectors

The PCI Erector Certification Program is designed to provide assurance that the erecting organization has the managerial and administrative capability to achieve and sustain performance consistent with requirements established by PCI, the producer, and the owner/specifier. It represents the highest commitment to safety and quality an erector can achieve under the PCI Quality Assurance System. Each crew of a PCI-Certified Erector is audited twice per year by a PCI-Certified Field Auditor (CFA) with at least one of the two audits conducted by an independent auditor. In addition, the organization’s quality documents, safety and erection procedures, personnel qualification records, project files, and equipment management records are audited annually by an independent third-party PCI-Certified Company Auditor (CCA) to provide evidence that the required managerial and administrative criteria are being met on all applicable projects.

PCI-Certified Erectors are audited in accordance with standards published in the following PCI Quality Manuals:

• MNL-127, Erector’s Manual – Standards and Guidelines for the Erection of Precast Concrete Products
• MNL-132, Erection Safety for Precast and Prestressed Concrete

CCAs review all of the erectors’ field quality audit reports (FQARs) and erector post audit declarations (EPADs) for all primary erection crews that have been completed since the previous company quality audit. The company auditor determines the applicability of certification categories and audits representative erection from within all erecting categories that are in evidence during each company audit. Company auditors make a recommendation for certification based on the physical evidence they obtain during the company audit. Since the various precast concrete product lines require different levels of expertise and installation techniques to erect, PCI certification provides a system of categories. This system ensures that erectors are qualified to erect the products that are specified.

Below is a breakdown of the PCI certification categories, including details about each category.