Widespread ignorance on precast concrete standards sews confusion

Judging by the number of complaints received by the Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA), it is apparent that many construction professionals still believe that the SABS is the custodian of South African national standards, as well as the country’s only certification provider.

There is widespread confusion as to what constitutes a national standard for precast concrete products, who is the custodian of these standards, and who is accredited to certify that the standards are being met in the production process,” says Henry Cockcroft, director, CMA.

“We have been alerted by our members and our certification body, CMACS (CMA Certification Services), to numerous instances in which tender documents display this confusion. A typical example often occurs in the specification of precast concrete culverts. Instead of declaring that culverts comply with SANS 986:2019 – the national culvert standard – it states they should carry SABS certification or be SABS compliant,” he continues.

There are 16 precast concrete standards, which are all SANS (South African National Standards) and not SABS standards, and they all fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC).

“Therefore, any tender document that specifies a national standard should either name the specific SANS standard or, failing that, should call for SANS compliance. There should be no mention of the SABS in any tender document because there is no longer any such thing as a SABS standard,” Cockcroft explains.

The South African Bureau of Standards is a state-owned enterprise with two predominant divisions, namely the Standards Division and SABS Commercial. The former is involved in the creation and updating of SANS standards on behalf of the DTIC, while the latter is a private company, run as a business concern and involved in the testing and certification of products in compliance with the DTIC’s SANS specifications.

Becoming a standards certifier

Cockcroft point out that although SABS Commercial is one of the bodies accredited to certify precast concrete products to SANS standards, it is no longer the country’s sole certification auditing body as it once was.

After the introduction of the Standards Act (No. 8 of 2008), the custody of South Africa’s national standards was transferred from the SABS to the DTIC. And since then, any organisation can apply to become a standards certifier, provided they are accredited by the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS).

SANAS accredits businesses concerned with product certification in terms of section 22(2)(b) of the Accreditation for Conformity

Assessment, Calibration and Good Laboratory Practice Act (No. 19 of 2006). CMACS was first accredited to certify precast concrete products in 2017 and since then – as is legally mandated – CMACS is audited annually and gets reaccredited by SANAS as an accredited certification body every three years.

“Tender documents that state that a product should be SABS certified are not only misleading but are flouting the law and the Competitions Act (No. 89 of 1998). Because specifying who the certification body should be – be it CMACS, the SABS or any other certification body – precludes those companies that have used alternative certification auditors from tendering,” Cockcroft stresses.

“This practice, whether through ignorance or intention, limits opportunity to specific suppliers, promoting favouritism, collusion and price-fixing. Therefore, precast concrete producers should make sure that their consultants – i.e. engineers, architects and other professionals – are conversant with certification practice,” Cockcroft concludes.