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AGREMENT SOUTH AFRICA innovative construction products assessment

AGREMENT SOUTH AFRICA innovative construction products assessment. What is “ Agrément”?.

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AGREMENT SOUTH AFRICA innovative construction products assessment

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  1. AGREMENTSOUTH AFRICAinnovative construction products assessment

  2. What is “Agrément”? The word “Agrément” is French and it means consent or approval. The Board of AGREMENT SOUTH AFRICA was established in 1969 as an objective, independent agency which evaluates the fitness-for-purpose of non-standardised construction products.

  3. Structure ofAgrément Board of Agrément South Africa Technical AgencyTechnical Committee Experts

  4. Why Agrément? • Specialises in non-standard products (more than 30 years of experience) • More than 350 certificates • Complements SABS • International links with WFTAO

  5. Certification/Specification/Guarantee • Certificate “What can it do” • Specification “How to do it” • Guarantee “It will work for a certain period, otherwise you may be compensated”

  6. Why certification? • Facilitates acceptance of new products and saves selling time • Supports innovation and promotional drives • Assures customers that a QA system is implemented • Technical evaluation may lead to product improvements

  7. Certification Process Product submitted to Agrément SA Owner of Product Quality Management System developed ito ISO 9000 requirements Evaluation committee formed Submitted to SABS for adjudication • Planning of evaluation • programme • product classification • selection of tests • special considerations Feedback and reporting • Materials testing • material preparation • ageing/conditioning • performance testing • Feedback & reporting • discussion of results • technical report • technical summary Preparation of certificate by Agrément South Africa agency If satisfactory, certificate submitted to Board for approval

  8. Checks and Balances • Initial screening by Agency • Evaluation by experts • CSIR and others • Different experts for different aspects • SABS • Review by Agency • Technical Committee • Board

  9. Quality • Credibility • Manufacturing • On site

  10. Agrément Appraisal • Based on more than a single test result • Takes into account many factors, including quality management • Results in certificate of fitness-for-purpose that enables specifiers to make informed decisions

  11. Approach to performance evaluation • Relative rather than absolute evaluation • Performance is compared to that of standard products • Relies on benchmarking and expert evaluation • Challenge: Cooperation

  12. Why avoid absolute performance evaluation? • Requires a validated and quantified relationship between performance and test indicators • Indicator-performance relationships are not well validated at present

  13. Relative performance evaluation • Provides evaluation of performance relative to standard products • Identifies product strengths and weaknesses • Facilitates judgement re engineering and economic advantages/life cycle costing

  14. Progress to date(bituminous products) • Performance criteria established • Test methods and indicators proposed • Reviewed by local and international peers • Applications invited for pilot projects • Inertia/reluctance in the market

  15. Current status • Invited applications for bituminous products • Developing criteria for bridge deck joints • Examining possibility of introducing certification system for road stabilisers used on unpaved roads

  16. The way ahead • Pilot bituminous product evaluations • Authorities insist on Agrément certification for innovative and non-standardised products • Clauses in tender documentation/project specification • Cooperation between Agrément South Africa and Road Pavements Forum: • Regular feedback to Forum • Information sharing on products tested • Technical Committees

  17. WFTAO • 25 members from 21 countries • Facilitates transfer of national products to the global market place • Assessments accepted by all WFTAO members - but criteria might differ • Co-operation and exchange of information

  18. Test Report vs Appraisal • Test report - single aspect • Agrément appraisal - comprehensive

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