Previous ICC-ES articles have addressed how to determine which load values reported in ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) evaluation reports on adjustable steel columns should be used. ICC-ES evaluation reports provide design values for use in two different design methodologies, allowable stress design (ASD) and load and resisitance factor design (LRFD). When in doubt, it is always safe to use the ASD values, as these will always be lower than the LRFD values for comparable column lengths. More recently, it has been brought to our attention that the ASD design values in an ICC-ES evaluation report tend to be lower than values put forth by manufacturers of comparable products. While this would appear to suggest that the recognized products are not as reliable as those that are not recognized, the opposite is the truth. Adjustable steel columns recognized by ICC-ES have demonstrated strength capacity and are produced under verified quality control systems.

The requirements for demonstrating axial strength of an adjustable steel column are set forth in the ICC-ES Acceptance Criteria for Adjustable Steel Columns (AC335). Since the code provisions for steel do not provide direction on calculating capacities for these column assemblies, particularly the adjustment mechanisms, AC335 requires testing by an accredited third-party laboratory to determine the strength of the columns. The loads applied during testing are slightly eccentric, since the building components which bear on the columns may not always be perfectly placed.

Demonstrating compliance with the International Building Code and the International Residential Code through an ICC-ES evaluation report in accordance with AC335 reflects a manufacturer's commitment to the ideal of building safe buildings, which is the basis of the building codes. Only a few manufacturers have been proactive by successfully obtaining an ICC-ES evaluation report. They are AFCO Manufacturing Corporation (ESR-2452), the Akron Products Company (ESR-1767) and the Tiger Brand Jack Post Company (ESR-1766). Code officials and other industry professionals can readily accept these manufacturers' products as code-compliant.