Dean Steel Buildings & AC-472

Quality and Service to Our Customers

Dean Steel Buildings is committed to satisfying the needs of its customers at all times. In an effort to maintain excellence in quality, on December 21, 2010, we earned AC-472 accreditation from the International Accreditation Service in all of our facilities.

(From https://www.iasonline.org/services/metal-building-inspection/)

Inspection Programs for Manufacturers of Metal Building Systems

Technology for manufacturing metal building systems has evolved to the point where the structural elements and components of almost all metal building structures are fabricated at facilities remote from the erection site. While the erection of the building can be monitored on site for some building code requirements, most elements of a metal building (built-up structural steel members, secondary members such as cold-formed steel or steel joists, and welding and bolting processes) must be inspected during fabrication and verified as being compliance with the code. In October 2007, the Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) approached IAS with a request that IAS develop an accreditation program for inspection of its member metal building manufacturers. The program should be designed to serve the needs of both MBMA members and code officials and other regulators. Over the next several months, IAS staff worked with the MBMA to develop a comprehensive accreditation program for the inspection of the metal-building fabrication process, based on the requirements of Chapter 17 of the International Building Code® (IBC).

The culmination of the cooperative efforts of IAS and the MBMA is the IAS Accreditation Criteria for Inspection Programs for Manufacturers of Metal Building Systems (AC472). In April 2008, the proposed AC472 was placed on the agenda of the IAS Accreditation Committee and discussed in a public hearing. Following testimony from members of the MBMA and interested parties, the proposed AC472 was approved by the Committee with an effective date of May 1, 2008.

The new criteria has three parts. Part A covers fabrication of structural weldments and cold-formed products requiring welding; Part B covers fabrication of cold-formed products not requiring welding; and Part C deals with the design of metal buildings. The inspection program outlined in AC472 addresses quality management system elements such as personnel requirements, product traceability, process control, and various administrative and technical requirements. The criteria, in fact, covers all system elements that are essential if code officials are to have full confidence in, and approve, IAS-accredited fabricators of metal buildings. Of particular significance to code officials is the fact that AC472 covers all Chapter 17 requirements of the IBC that apply to quality control and inspection of metal building manufacturers. Among other things, IAS accreditation measures a manufacturer’s ability to conform to approved construction documents and standards referenced in the building codes through, on-site assessment by IAS staff and periodic monitoring by IAS-accredited third-party inspection agencies.

At DSB, we believe that competence can only be achieved if our organization is capable of managing the training needs of our staff.

We make every employee directly involved with each step of the process because  we depend on our people, their experience, abilities and knowledge towards the future.