The team at TRACKLOK® welcomes back Scott Simpson our Technical Director from secondment in the USA. Based in sunny California, Scott has been working for 18 months with our partners to gain international certification for the world leading range of TRACKLOK® and GRIDLOK® products.
No small feat and no small investment of time and money, but worth it when you have the chance to change the built environment for the better.
With TRACKLOK® active in the US construction market, Scott reflects on the challenges, the incredible outcomes achieved and where we go from here.
Q: How does the US market compare to NZ and Australia from a regulatory perspective?
Scott: There is a distinct difference between our performance based regulatory system and the prescriptive system in the USA. First thing you notice is the depth of understanding all project stakeholders have of what is required of them in the USA. There is very little ambiguity around codes and therefore the variability in interpretation from design professionals is minimised. I will say that the performance based system that we have in New Zealand and Australia does promote ingenuity and “new ways” of doing things, but personally I believe being left open to interpretation can lead to some “gilding the lily”, whether intentionally or not.
Q: What was the biggest learning you took from your time testing in the US?
Scott: Physical testing is so important, and getting the test methodology correct is paramount. Our team worked hard to gain consensus on the way we need to test to ensure a narrow band of variability.
Q: What was the most challenging testing you oversaw?
Scott: Undoubtedly the OSHPD OPM pre-approval program. By getting through all of that testing and providing the analysis of the data we have a certification which is comprehensive. OSHPD approval means that the design professional of record knows that submitting the OPM means that the detail in it will require no further review as submitted. Our testing and analysis came through in the end and our OPM for BRACELOK® was issued and shortly we will be proudly displaying our OPM for GRIDLOK®. The beautiful thing for me was seeing the validity of concept and capacity of product shine through in the most rigorous testing regime on the planet. I was also very happy to have worked with a team of skilled individuals to further develop our test plan to ensure it represents the built environment.
Q: What does it mean, in real terms, to develop such a test plan?
Scott: I firmly believe that this test plan we have developed will revolutionise the way in which we talk about non-structural bracing. It will benefit engineers by allowing the level of interpretation of our local codes to be minimised, meaning more consistency in approach, based on data. It will benefit the contractors by assuring them that the products and designs they are faced with have consistency and buildability. It’s a game changer.
As part of the continual journey of testing we have at TRACKLOK®, we have not only completed the testing to the rigorous US codes, we have also developed and refined the test methodology for how to test ceiling bracing. There have been many attempts over the years by various groups and individuals, however our passion for perfection has won though.
We are now looking to our home country regulators to share our learnings and help to improve clarity in this space. We believe it’s time there was an agreed standard test regime that allows for innovation, yet reduces the variability inherent in our performance based system. Engineers throughout New Zealand and Australia would have the data to narrow the gap of variability that currently persist from one project to the next.
—
Connect with Scott on LinkedIn
Email him: scott@tracklok.com
Or a call: 021 111 6107