ICC-ES AC Approved!by Rich Davis
“Any time the leading companies (also intense competitors) in an industry can work together harmoniously for the purpose of serving the greater good, the outcome of such an effort often times results in a watershed event. I do believe this to be the case for the helical pier industry as architects, engineers and code officials across the U.S. will now be able to specify and approve helical piers for their projects knowing these products have passed the rigorous International Code Council certification standards,” says CHFM Chairman and Magnum Piering executive, Bill Bonekemper.
AC358 was approved by unanimous vote from ICC members on Tuesday June 5th in Los Angeles at the ICC’s quarterly meeting. Seven of the nine members of the Ad Hoc Committee of Helical Foundation Manufacturers (CHFM) were on hand to witness this historic event for the helical pier industry. As reported previously by HPW, AC358 was rejected at the February 2007 ICC meeting, and CHFM members spent a great deal of time after that working through the ICC-ES recommended changes in the AC. According to Bonekemper, there were many 2-3 hour conference call meetings conducted during the time leading up to the May 23rd deadline for final draft submission.
HPW readers can find the approved AC358 at the following ICC-ES web address:
http://icc-es.org/Criteria_Development/0706-pre/memos/ac358.pdf
HPW has also loaded the PDF file of AC358 on our website.
Jeff Tulley, senior manager with Earth Contact Products said, “I would like to thank all CHFM members who participated in this long and difficult process, for without their perseverance the approval of AC358 would surely not have happened. I would also like to thank our lead consultant Dr. Howard Perko (HPW Advisory Panel) and his team from CTL / Thompson for working through the near endless amount of engineering detail and writing to complete AC358. Also, we are grateful to consultant Robert Hoyt, P.E. (HPW Advisory Panel) of Hoyt Engineering, who joined the project in the final stages to provide numerous sample calculations and to assist CHFM members with technical reviews. We would also like to acknowledge the help and support provided by two ICC-ES Staff Engineers – Mr. Brian Gerber, Principal Structural Engineer and Mr. Russ Krivchuk, Senior Staff Engineer”, Tulley added.
High Cost for Manufacturers to Obtain ICC Certification Report
When HPW reviewed the testing requirements defined in AC358, it became apparent that manufacturers who intend to apply for certification will be spending a substantial amount of money to comply with the testing requirements of the AC. The testing requirements include both laboratory destructive testing as well as numerous permutations of capacity testing done at undisclosed sites. For manufacturers intending to obtain certifications for both square bar and round shaft products, it appears as if most costs will repeat thus doubling a manufacturer’s total cost.
HPW intends to monitor and report on ICC-ES applications and certifications in an attempt to keep our readers informed on this important industry activity. Members of the CHFM are expected to be among the first to submit applications to ICC-ES, and these companies include: Magnum Piering www.magnumpiering.com, Chance Civil Construction www.abchance.com, , MacLean Dixie www.joslynmfg.com, Ram Jack Systems www.ramjack.com, Fasteel www.fasteel.com, Techno Metal Post www.technometalpost.com , Earth Contact Products www.earthcontactproducts.com, Grip Tite www.griptite.com, and Can’t Sink www.cantsink.com.
HPW will continue to monitor this application and approval process closely, and we will report on events as they unfold. 
Helical Pier World
