Meet Brindley Engineering’s Lead Inspectors: Justin Arnold and Thomas Twardowski. Part 2: Why Recognition in ACI CODE 562-25 Matters
In part 1 of our series we talked about as the concrete repair industry continues to evolve, owners, engineers, and contractors are increasingly asking an important question: Who is actually qualified to inspect concrete repairs in the field?
Welcome to Part 2 of our series, where we will talk about ACI CODE 562-25. A significant milestone for the repair industry is the formal recognition of the ICRI Concrete Surface Repair Technician certification within the commentary of ACI CODE 562-25, Assessment, Repair, and Rehabilitation of Existing Concrete Structures. This recognition is important for several reasons.
First, ACI 562 serves as the primary code governing the assessment, repair, and rehabilitation of existing concrete structures. It provides the technical framework that engineers rely upon when developing repair programs and evaluating existing infrastructure.
When a certification program is referenced within the commentary of such an influential code document, it signals that the industry’s leading experts recognize the value of that credential in supporting quality repair outcomes. That matters because ACI 562 is quickly becoming the primary repair code referenced by engineers and, in some jurisdictions, adopted outright.
The commentary identifies CSRT as a qualified program for inspection of concrete repairs.
That’s a major shift.
It means inspection is no longer assumed.
It’s expected, and increasingly defined.
Second, the recognition helps address the longstanding question of field qualifications. While codes establish technical requirements for repairs, project teams often struggle to define who possesses the appropriate expertise to verify compliance in the field. The acknowledgment of ICRI CSRT within the ACI 562 framework provides additional industry validation for a recognized pathway to demonstrated competency.
Finally, this recognition reinforces the broader principle that successful repair projects require qualified personnel at every stage—from assessment and design through construction and inspection.
Reducing Risk, Improving Reliability
The recognition of ICRI CSRT within the ACI 562-25 commentary reinforces an important industry message: successful concrete repair depends not only on materials and design, but also on the qualifications of the people responsible for carrying out and evaluating the work.
As the repair industry continues to mature, owners and engineers should increasingly view technician certification as more than a credential. It is a risk-reduction tool, a quality assurance measure, and an investment in long-term structural reliability.
Justin Arnold brings over 15 years of experience working across new construction, turnarounds, shutdowns, and both small and large capital projects, filling roles from field inspector, QC, QA, supervisor and project manager.
Thomas Twardowski brings over 13 years of industrial experience across petrochemical, industrial, civil, and critical facilities such as hospitals. A lot of his work has focused on field execution, seeing firsthand how concrete repair decisions play out long after the paperwork is done.
- Get in touch today to talk more about concrete repair!
- Read Part 1 of our series: Who is actually qualified to inspect concrete repairs in the field?
- Stay tuned for Part 3 of series called: Connecting to the Broader ACI Landscape
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