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CTL/Thompson Adds Turnkey Service for Helical Pile Manufacturers
by Moncef Souissi
December 18, 2012
CTL/Thompson with headquarters in Denver, CO www.ctlt.com, has been offering geotechnical engineering and materials testing services since 1971, with structural and environmental engineering services added more recently. The CTL office located in Fort Collins, CO added a new service that began in 2007. The service offers compliance testing per AC358 - the acceptance criteria for helical pile systems and devices published by the International Code Council Evaluation Service - ICC-ES www.icc-es.org. Since starting the service the company has provided compliance testing for helical pile and helical anchor manufacturers in the U.S. and Canada.
The CTL suite of helical pile testing services has been certified by IAS – International Accreditation Services, www.iasonline.org and CTL’s accredited test lab number is TL-342. The services required to comply with AC358 include:
Laboratory Capacity Test Services
- Torsion (lead component, couplings, shafts, helices)
- Helix Capacity Test
- Coupling Rigidity
- Axial Compression
- Axial Tension
- Shaft Bending
Field Capacity Test Services
- Axial Compression Load Test
- Axial Tension Load Test
- Lateral Load Test
- Side-Load Bracket Test
Calculations Required per AC358
New Turnkey Service - CTL is Now a Complete One-Stop Shop for Manufacturers
“Given our in-depth knowledge of the requirements in AC358 plus our five years of testing and certification experience, we think CTL is uniquely qualified to help clients obtain an ICC-ES evaluation report,” says Moncef Souissi - CTL’s IAS Lab Technical Manager. “In an effort to provide even more value for our clients, CTL is now offering the service of completing the entire submittal package required by ICC-ES. Preparing the submittal package once testing and calculations are completed is very time consuming and can be a bit overwhelming for helical manufacturers. With our inherent knowledge and familiarity with the process, we feel this extension of our services will provide value for our customers. In other words, our clients provide us with their products, and we do the rest - a true one-stop shop,” Souissi added.
Another requirement for helical pile manufacturers after receiving ICC-ES certification is the ongoing audits or inspections of their manufacturing facilities and processes. Manufacturing facilities should be inspected 4 times a year as described in AC304 section 2.3 . Since CTL is also an accredited inspection agency (No. AA-735), the company offers this service to its clients as well. “Our experience in the helical pile industry brings a practical and realistic view to providing audits. We understand helical pile products, the process by which this product is manufactured and the pressures inherent in the industry. Our goal is to work closely with clients to improve manufacturing processes, to minimize errors and to reduce costs through an effective quality audit program,” Souissi continued.
CTL I Thompson, Inc.
351 Linden St., Suite 140
Fort Collins, CO 80524
Ph # 970-206-9455
Fax 970-206-9441