The Post-Tensioning Institute of Australia (PTIA) has worked with international construction steel certification authority CARES to develop the Australian Post Tensioning Scheme (APTS). The scheme covers contractors installing post-tensioning systems, producers of prestressing anchors and prebagged grout.
PTIA CEO, James Woods and CARES CEO, Lee Brankley said the launch of the scheme was expected to lead to ongoing improvements in the consistency of construction nationwide. The arrival of the scheme in Australian and New Zealand followed two years of detailed discussions between CARES, ACRS and PTIA as well as talks with structural engineers, major contractors, and clients.
Mr Brankley said working with the PTIA as a natural evolution of longstanding collaborative relationships and reflected CARES’ commitment to effective multi-stakeholder engagement with clients, consultants, and contractors.
“We are confident this scheme will work well for the good of the industry. Thanks to CARES’ long track record it is already a proven success in the UK, and as well as Australia is also now being adopted in several other countries.” he stated.
“We expect colleagues will quickly see improvements in quality through transparency in supply, installation and performance, and much greater clarity around the provenance of critical materials sourced for Australia’s built environment.
The Post Tensioning scheme includes both safety-critical installations as well as products entering the supply chain covered by ACRS certification. Along with enhancing industry expertise, the scheme will complement ongoing activities by State and Territory governments to enhance quality control in built structures through digitalisation of supply chains and proven assurance measures.
PTIA’s James Woods said he is confident the wider industry will “seize the opportunity to tap into the vast experience and knowledge that CARES is bringing to Australia”.
He added that the scheme was timely and will bring much needed certification and independent regulation to the industry, remarking that it is “a workable solution at a time of increased scrutiny on building quality”.
The new standards are specifically designed to provide greater assurance in construction supply chains nationwide and provide complete transparency and clarity for manufacturers and contractors.
The model specification can be found on the PTIA website – www.ptia.org.au.
About the author
Desi Corbett
Desi is the Editor of Concrete in Australia and at the helm of our magazine for eight years. She was behind the Institute's weekly news bulletins from 2016-2021 and is now writing our focused news items. Desi has been an engineering news and features journalist/editor across all disciplines since 2013 - part of a 30-year career writing for a wide range of industries.