ICC-ES eNews

A Winning Combination: New AC14 Checklist, Preparedness, Cooperation and Communication

How does a re-exam out of schedule get completed and the new evaluation report posted in less than a month? It begins with a diligent report holder who plans ahead, a dedicated Senior Evaluation Specialist, mutual cooperation and communication, and an engaged industry group that developed a checklist for AC14 (Prefabricated Wood I-Joists).

With detailed input from experts in the wood industry, Jason Smart, ICC-ES Senior Evaluation Specialist, working in conjunction with Kurt Stochlia, ICC-ES Technical Director, recently developed a new Technical Review Checklist for Evaluation of Prefabricated Wood I-Joists in Accordance with AC14 to assist applicants and ES report holders in preparation of their submittals.

The Manager of Product Acceptance with Boise Cascade, L.L.C., is the first report holder to use the new checklist. Having worked with Jason on other reports, he contacted Jason approximately three months in advance to let him know to expect an application for a re-exam out of schedule. Jason sent the new AC14 checklist to the applicant to help him prepare his submittal package. The applicant regularly kept Jason informed of the details of the proposed changes, testing program, etc., prior to his submittal. “This ongoing communication prepared me for exactly what to expect within the data package,” said Jason.

On March 3, the 537-page submittal was received by the business office. It was assigned to Jason on March 10, who was able to complete the final draft by March 27 and forward the report for printing on April 2. “I would say the main reason I could complete it so quickly is because the applicant did such a great job of preparing the data package. He used the new AC14 checklist, and called me numerous times to get advice as he was compiling the submittal. He then scheduled a meeting with me in the Birmingham office on March 12 to formally present the data package and go through it with me document by document,” said Jason.

As noted by the applicant upon completion of the re-exam, the following tips will help ensure an expedited evaluation:

1. The applicant should prepare a clearly documented submittal package that includes all technical requirements and justification.
2. The applicant should not alter or make assumptions when making an interpretation of any applicable test standards unless the assumptions have been clearly communicated in advance to the evaluating engineer. This should be done in writing.
3. The applicant should keep the evaluation engineer updated as to the status of the testing and/or submittal package so they are not surprised when it arrives, or annoyed when they set aside time for an evaluation that has been over-promised.
4. It helps to schedule an on-site visit with the evaluation engineer when the evaluation package has been submitted. This can save significant time for all parties.

ICC-ES continues to work in several areas to improve the overall application and evaluation process while maintaining its technical integrity. Many thanks go to Boise Cascade, L.L.C., for being such a cooperative and supportive report holder, and to Jason Smart for his dedicated approach to evaluations.

ICC-ES welcomes participation by other industry groups who would be interested in developing similar checklists for submittals as they relate to other acceptance criteria. For more information, please contact Rosalind Fazel at 1-800-423-6587, extension 5689.

For more information about ICC-ES, please visit our website.