
After testing and assessment of Blindbolt for use with BS 5950 and the Eurocodes, SCI are helping the company develop the market in the USA. In America, the International Code Council Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) prepares and publishes acceptance criteria for products not covered by published Standards – in a similar way to how a European Assessment Document (EAD) might cover a product for use with the Eurocodes. So far, the scope of AC437 – which covers fixings from one side only – has been extended to cover the gravity-operated Blindbolt. The next part of the process, which is now underway, is to complete the necessary testing and analysis of the test results in accordance with AC437. Once complete, the evaluation acts in a similar way to SCI Assessed in the UK – specifiers will have the reassurance that the design resistances and the product quality have been formally assessed and the fixing may be used with confidence.