AGREMENT SOUTH AFRICA innovative construction products assessment

ASSESSING THE FITNESS FOR PURPOSE OF BITUMINOUS MATERIALS THE ROLE OF AGREMENT SOUTH AFRICA Joop van Wamelen PrEng, Agrément South Africa

Two South African organisations give assurance to buyers and users of products South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) AGREMENT SOUTH AFRICA

The product life cycle Concept Development Introduction to market Market acceptance and growth Ongoing marketing as conventional product

The product life cycle and approval Concept Development Introduction to market Market acceptance and growth Ongoing marketing as conventional product Agrément South Africa

The product life cycle and approval Concept Development Introduction to market Market acceptance and growth Ongoing marketing as conventional product SABS

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”

The performance concept Establish performance criteria appropriate to the use of the subject and appropriate to local conditions Identify or develop suitable test methods Measure actual performance of subject Assess compliance with criteria

Test report vs assessment Test report - single aspect AGREMENT assessment - comprehensive

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

Assessment of innovative bituminous materials Some of the aspects to be assessed: durability (environment and traffic) stability – resistance to permanent deformation surface texture impermeability to air and water and quality assurance (plant and site)

Relative performance assessment Assessed relative to the measured performance or the specified performance of a range of standard products Identifies product strengths and weaknesses Facilitates judgment re engineering and economic advantages/life cycle costing

In this way nobody needs to go out on a limb to predict durability and performance years into the future

Agrément assessment process Discussion and application Preparation of assessment programme and contract offer Testing in experts’ laboratories Assessment of quality assurance system Preparation of assessment report Preparation of the AGREMENT certificate Peer review and approval by the board Post-certification monitoring

Agrément South Africa relies on peer review Assessment programme vetted by technical committee Draft AGREMENT certificate reviewed by AGREMENT technical team Draft AGREMENT certificate submitted to technical committee and panel of experts

Progress to date Performance criteria established Test methods and indicators proposed Reviewed by local and international peers Applications received for pilot projects Reluctance and price sensitivity in the market – doubt about the benefits?

Benefits of Agrément certification Objective assessment gives assurance of fitness-for-purpose Demonstrates compliance with specs or product performance requirements Approved quality management system Facilitates acceptance by specifiers – no more demonstration jobs Promotional aid Proof of confidence in product

What does an Agrément assessment cost? Less than a salesman for one year!

No other South African technical assessment service provides proof of fitness-for-purpose like an AGREMENT certificate

Primary business focus AGREMENT SOUTH AFRICA’S primary business is the certification of non- standardised construction products, through technical assessments that verify that the products are fit for purpose

Primary target audience AGREMENT SOUTH AFRICA serves the national interest by being the internationally acknowledged, independent South African agency that serves the construction community by providing assurance to specifiers and users of fitness-for-purpose of non-standardised products.

World Federation of Technical Assessment Organisations 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 Cooperation and exchange of information

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

Product A Product B STANDARD SPECIFICATION HIGH DURABILITY LOW DURABILITY TEST INDICATOR OBSERVED DISTRIBUTION OF VALUES RELATIVE EVALUATION