Material Certification Reports - just a CYA pointless ritual?

[kissymoose]

As part of our submittal checklist for a project, we require ASTM test reports and material certifications for steel, concrete, masonry, grouts, etc. We get them, but it just feels like this pointless cover-your-ass routine because these things are coming in with dates back to 2009! Lord knows whatever was tested that day is long gone. The materials being used on the job site are not accurately represented by the testing data and certifications we receive.

It's such a gray area to deal with. I know we're probably covered if, heaven forbid, the material itself does fail, but at this point we'd like to point to something that allows us to reject these reports for something more up to date. Do you know of any specifications or anything else that we can refer to that deals with testing report expiration dates or applicability criteria?

 

[JStephen]

It would depend on the test in question.
Mill test reports for steel are for the specific piece/heat furnished. It's possible that an item has been in inventory somewhere for 9 years but rather unlikely. Seeing reports from a year or two ago is not uncommon, though.
Weld qualification tests just don't expire, and if the original qualification tests were 10 years old, that's no problem.
On some of the other items, if they're testing samples from a particular source, and that source hasn't changed, I don't know why the testing data would change.
Welder certifications may expire if a welder doesn't use the process in question, but are good indefinitely otherwise.
Maybe be more specific on what tests seem to be out of date.

 

[Settingsun]

Can you simply specify that the test certificates be for the same batch as the materials used in the works? And that it is the contractor's responsibility to provide the documentation that demonstrates matching batches.

 

[Ron]

kissymoose....if you are requiring the mill certs in your specification, hold them to it (it is a good thing to require and helps you meet your standard of care). If they submit mill certs that are outdated, reject them and require appropriate submittals. YOU ARE IN CONTROL! Don't just accept anything a contractor throws your way. Stick to your guns....it's your liability, not his.

 

[WinelandV]

I may be wrong, but if I had to guess, it's the testing for the concrete that's coming in at 9 years old. I've seen mix submittal data, and break data that was pretty old (not 9 years, but 2 or 3).

 

[kissymoose]

That's basically it, winelandv, it's the masonry, grout, mortar, etc. that we're hung up on. The batch certificates are years old. You're right Ron, when it comes down to it, we can require resubmittal how we see fit, but it's always helpful and yields less kickback to refer to an authority such as ACI or the NCMA.

 

[Settingsun]

I can't help much (not American so don't know the landscape), but I often have luck solving specification issues by referring to state road authority specifications, especially bridge specifications. They're usually quite interested in test certificates for their records IME.

I wouldn't think you'd need to refer to a code/standard to require that they provide a manufacturer's document stating that the nine year-old certificate applies to the specific batch number in question.

For Australian cement, small manufacturers are required to test once per month minimum; medium & large are 1/week & 2/week minimum.