In early 2013, the International Code Council Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) revised its Acceptance Criteria for Helical Foundation Systems and Devices (AC358). All current report holders must update their Evaluation Services Reports (ESRs) by December 1st of this year – and Ram Jack Texas met this deadline in July 2013, a full five months before the official deadline.
The ESR is a cheat sheet for the building officials, architects and engineers responsible for a building’s structural integrity. The report verifies a few key points:
- a product’s load capacity
- the product’s compliance with the International Building Code
- whether the product was evaluated as braced or un-braced system
- that the product is part of a high-quality, reliable control system
The AC358 was first approved in 2007, based on the 2006 International Building Code (IBC). The Acceptance Criteria was updated in 2009 and again in 2012. In February 2011, Ram Jack was the first manufacturer of helical piles to receive the Evaluation Service Report (ESR-1854). In the following years, only three other helical pile manufacturers have received the ESR.
In addition to being ahead of the game, Ram Jack also developed a new product – a 3.5-inch diameter helical pile. This helical pile has a 14,000 ft.-lb. torque rating and includes a new construction bracket and a side load bracket. The company was also able to increase the torque rating on a smaller helical pile – a 2.875” diameter version – to 8,200 ft.-lbs.
Randon Gregory of Ram Jack Oklahoma and Arkansas explained that the company had some extra motivation to get its product up to code. With plans to expand to Los Angeles, Gregory said, Ram Jack was eager to tweak its product and begin working on its new branch.
Ram Jack has been a pioneer in the foundation repair systems industry since 1968. The family-owned business began patenting its innovative system in 1985 and expanded to Texas the same year. Their repair system is the most reliable method designed to date – and all employees are professionally and thoroughly trained. Currently, Ram Jack has a dealership network that spans the U.S. as well as affiliates in Dallas, San Antonio, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and Ada, Oklahoma.
