Section 1910A Concrete, Reinforcement and Anchor Testing

The concrete supplier shall furnish to the enforcement agency certification that the cement proposed for use on the project has been manufactured and tested in compliance with the requirements of ASTM C150 for portland cement and ASTM C595 or ASTM C1157 for blended hydraulic cement, whichever is applicable. When a mineral admixture or ground granulated blast-furnace slag is proposed for use, the concrete supplier shall furnish to the enforcement agency certification that they have been manufactured and tested in compliance with ASTM C618 or ASTM C989, whichever is applicable. The concrete producer shall provide copies of the cementitious material supplier's Certificate of Compliance that represents the materials used by date of shipment for concrete. Cementitious materials without Certification of Compliance shall not be used.

Samples shall be taken from bundles as delivered from the mill, with the bundles identified as to heat number and the accompanying mill certificate. One tensile test and one bend test shall be made from a sample from each 10 tons (9080 kg) or fraction thereof of each size of reinforcing steel.

Where positive identification of the heat number cannot be made or where random samples are to be taken, one series of tests shall be made from each 2 ¹/₂ tons (2270 kg) or fraction thereof of each size of reinforcing steel.

Tests of reinforcing bars may be waived by the structural engineer with the approval of the Building Official for one-story buildings or non-building structures provided they are identified in the construction documents and certified mill test reports are provided to the inspector of record for each shipment of such reinforcement.

All wires or bars of each size from each mill heat and all strands from each manufactured reel to be shipped to the site shall be assigned an individual lot number and shall be tagged in such a manner that each lot can be accurately identified at the jobsite. Each lot of tendon and anchorage assemblies and bar couplers to be installed shall be likewise identified.

The following samples of materials and tendons selected by the engineer or the designated testing laboratory from the prestressing steel at the plant or jobsite shall be furnished by the contractor and tested by an approved independent testing agency:

1. For wire, strand or bars, 7-foot-long (2134 mm) samples shall be taken of the coil of wire or strand reel or rods. A minimum of one random sample per 5,000 pounds (2270 kg) of each heat or lot used on the job shall be selected.

2. For prefabricated prestressing tendons other than bars, one completely fabricated tendon 10 feet (3048 mm) in length between grips with anchorage assembly at one end shall be furnished for each size and type of tendon and anchorage assembly.

   Variations of the bearing plate size need not be considered.

   The anchorages of unbonded tendons shall develop at least 95 percent of the minimum specified ultimate strength of the pre-stressing steel. The total elongation of the tendon under ultimate load shall not be less than 2 percent measured in a minimum gage length of 10 feet (3048 mm).

   Anchorages of bonded tendons shall develop at least 90 percent of the minimum specified strength of the prestressing steel tested in an unbonded state. All couplings shall develop at least 95 percent of the minimum specified strength of the prestressing steel and shall not reduce the elongation at rupture below the requirements of the tendon itself.

3. If the prestressing tendon is a bar, one 7-foot (2134 mm) length complete with one end anchorage shall be furnished and, in addition, if couplers are to be used with the bar, two 4-foot (1219 mm) lengths of bar fabricated to fit and equipped with one coupler shall be furnished.
4. Mill tests of materials used for end anchorages shall be furnished. In addition, at least one Brinnell hardness test shall be made of each thickness of bearing plate.

Cores of the completed composite concrete construction shall be taken to demonstrate the shear strength along the contact surfaces. The cores shall be tested when the cast-in-place concrete is approximately 28 days old and shall be tested by a shear loading parallel to the joint between the precast concrete and the cast-in-place concrete. The minimum unit shear strength of the contact surface area of the core shall not be less than 100 psi (689 kPa).

At least one core shall be taken from each building for each 5,000 square feet (465m²) of area of composite concrete construction and not less than three cores shall be taken from each project. The architect or structural engineer in responsible charge of the project or his or her representative shall designate the location for sampling.

When post-installed anchors are used in lieu of cast-in place bolts, the installation verification test loads, frequency, and acceptance criteria shall be in accordance with this section.

Test loads or torques and acceptance criteria shall be shown on the construction documents.

If any anchor fails testing, all anchors of the same type shall be tested, which are installed by the same trade, not previously tested until twenty (20) consecutive anchors pass, then resume the initial test frequency.

The test procedure shall be as permitted by an approved evaluation report using criteria adopted in this code. All post-installed anchors shall be tension tested.

Exception: [OSHPD 1 & 4] Torque-controlled post-installed anchors shall be permitted to be tested using torque based on an approved test report using criteria adopted in this code.

Exception [DSA-SS]: Torque-controlled post-installed anchors and screw type anchors shall be permitted to be tested using torque based on an approved test report using criteria adopted in this code.

Alternatively, manufacturer's recommendation for testing may be approved by the enforcement agency, based on an approved test report using criteria adopted in this code.

When post-installed anchors are used for sill plate bolting applications, 10 percent of the anchors shall be tested.

When post-installed anchors are used for other structural applications, all such anchors shall be tested.

When post-installed anchors are used for nonstructural components, such as equipment anchorage, 50 percent or alternate bolts in a group, including at least one-half the anchors in each group, shall be tested.

The testing of the post-installed anchors shall be done in the presence of the special inspector and a report of the test results shall be submitted to the enforcement agency.

Exceptions:

1. Undercut anchors that allow visual confirmation of full set shall not require testing.
2. Where the factored design tension on anchors is less than 100 lbs and those anchors are clearly noted on the approved construction documents, only 10 percent of those anchors shall be tested.

3. Where adhesive anchor systems are used to install reinforcing dowel bars in hardened concrete, only 25 percent of the dowels shall be tested if all of the following conditions are met:

   a. The dowels are used exclusively to transmit shear forces across joints between existing and new concrete.

   b. The number of dowels in any one member equals or exceeds 12.

   c. The dowels are uniformly distributed across seismic force resisting members (such as shear walls, collectors and diaphragms).

   Anchors to be tested shall be selected at random by the special inspector/inspector of record (IOR).

4. Testing of shear dowels across cold joints in slabs on grade, where the slab is not part of the lateral force-resisting system shall not be required.
5. Testing is not required for power actuated fasteners used to attach tracks of interior non-shear wall partitions for shear only, where there are at least three fasteners per segment of track.

Required test loads shall be determined by one of the following methods:

1. Twice the maximum allowable tension load or one and a quarter (1¹/₄) times the maximum design strength of anchors as provided in an approved evaluation report using criteria adopted in this code or determined in accordance with Chapter 17 ofACI 318.

   Tension test load need not exceed 80 percent of the nominal yield strength of the anchor element (= 0.8 A_se f_ya).

2. The manufacturer's recommended installation torque based on an approved evaluation report using criteria adopted in this code.

Acceptance criteria for post-installed anchors shall be based on an approved evaluation report using criteria adopted in this code. Field tests shall satisfy the following minimum requirements.

1. Hydraulic ram method:

   Anchors tested with a hydraulic jack or spring loaded apparatus shall maintain the test load for a minimum of 15 seconds and shall exhibit no discernible movement during the tension test, e.g., as evidenced by loosening of the washer under the nut.

   For adhesive anchors, where other than bond is being tested, the testing apparatus support shall not be located within 1.5 times the anchor’s embedment depth to avoid restricting the concrete shear cone type failure mechanism from occurring.

2. Torque wrench method:

   Torque-controlled post-installed anchors tested with a calibrated torque wrench shall attain the specified torque within ¹/₂ turn of the nut; or one-quarter (¹/₄) turn of the nut for a ³/₈ inch sleeve anchor only.

   [DSA-SS] Screw-type anchors tested with a calibrated torque wrench shall attain the specified torque within one-quarter (¹/₄) turn of the screw after initial seating of the screw head.