The Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute

and Perpetual Commitment. “One of our newest initiatives is an updated Architectural Precast Certification program,” says Risser. “It was designed in response to architects wanting as better way of differentiating precast concrete producers capabilities. The Architectural Certification program showcases our members’ abilities and capabilities, so that architects can find the right partners for projects, especially more complex ones.” Besides offering technical guidelines, PCI also doubles as an education and promotion agency for the precast concrete sector – educating owners, engineers, designers, and architects about precast concrete through a network of local precast associations or PCI Chapters. These chapters include PCI’s approximately 165 concrete producers, 105 erectors, several hundred suppliers, and about 1500 professional members. The Institute brings together all its members at an annual convention held at the Precast Show, a major tradeshow led by the National Precast Concrete Association (NPCA). This year’s Precast Show attracted over 4,000 participants. Also, PCI hosts Committee Days every September, which draw, on average, 600 attendants. In addition to shows and conventions, PCI also communicates with its members through its three magazines, PCI Journal, ASCENT Magazine, and ASPIRE Magazine. “PCI Journal is our newsletter edition, where we talk about industry developments and publish technical papers,” says Risser. “ASCENT Magazine and ASPIRE Magazine are community-based editions, targeting the architectural and bridge design communities, respectively.” Risser is proud to point out that the PCI has also implemented a comprehensive electronic communications strategy, recently adopted by its board. This approach has proven to be very timely, especially in the face of the current pandemic. He notes, “Through the pandemic, PCI is hosting a series of educational webinars FIU Student Academic Center – Rich Montalbano/RiMO Photo LLC