HB 1603 — An Act providing for requirements for sampling and initial curing of concrete samples on commercial construction projects; and imposing penalties.

PRINTER'S NO.    1919

                    THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        HOUSE BILL
                        No. 1603
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY MULLINS, ECKER, HILL-EVANS, FREEMAN, BURGOS,
        CURRY, SANCHEZ, D. WILLIAMS AND DONAHUE, JUNE 13, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT,
        JUNE 16, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Providing for requirements for sampling and initial curing of
 2      concrete samples on commercial construction projects; and
 3      imposing penalties.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6   Section 1.   Short title.
 7      This act shall be known and may be cited as the Reliable
 8   Acceptance Testing of Concrete Act.
 9   Section 2.   Definitions.
10      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12   context clearly indicates otherwise:
13      "ACI."    The American Concrete Institute.
14      "ASTM."   ASTM International.
15      "Contractor."   A person, firm or corporation with which an
16   owner enters into an agreement for the construction of a
17   project.
18      "Department."   The Department of Labor and Industry of the
 1   Commonwealth.
 2      "Owner's testing agency."     A firm or entity under contract
 3   with an owner to provide testing services for quality assurance
 4   and compliance with the requirements of ASTM C1077.
 5   Section 3.     Sampling and initial curing of concrete samples.
 6      (a)   Requirement.--A contractor and owner's testing agency
 7   shall provide for the casting of concrete test specimens for the
 8   purpose of acceptance of concrete and for the initial curing of
 9   concrete test specimens at a project site on commercial
10   construction projects as provided under this section.
11      (b)   Duties of owner's testing agency.--The owner's testing
12   agency shall:
13            (1)   Obtain samples of concrete in accordance with ASTM
14      C172 and cast test specimens in accordance with ASTM C31.
15            (2)   Cure test specimens, monitor and report curing
16      conditions for conformance with the requirements of ASTM C31
17      and as provided under this section.
18            (3)   Provide a container for the storage of test
19      specimens at the project site that will facilitate
20      conformance to the storage and initial curing requirements of
21      ASTM C31.
22            (4)   Store the test specimens in the initial curing
23      container and maintain the required temperature and moisture
24      conditions during the initial curing period as defined in the
25      standard curing requirements of ASTM C31.
26            (5)   Transport test specimens from the project site to
27      the testing location in accordance with the requirements of
28      ASTM C31.
29            (6)   Maintain the test specimens at a laboratory in
30      accordance with the final curing section for standard curing

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 1      in the requirements of ASTM C31.
 2            (7)   Test the specimens for strength in accordance with
 3      the requirements of ASTM C39.
 4      (c)   Duties of contractor.--A contractor shall provide at
 5   least 110 volts of power and water and space for the initial
 6   curing container for use by the owner's testing agency, security
 7   and timely access to the storage location of the concrete test
 8   specimens.
 9      (d)   Initial curing of test specimens.--The initial curing of
10   test specimens shall be conducted as follows:
11            (1)   The initial curing environment surrounding test
12      specimens shall be monitored by a digital system that records
13      temperature at least every hour, within the range of 30
14      degrees Fahrenheit to 120 degrees Fahrenheit and to an
15      accuracy of 1 degree Fahrenheit, and provide software to
16      access the stored data.
17            (2)   When requested, the output from the automated
18      temperature measuring device shall be made available in real
19      time to the contractor, concrete supplier, concrete special
20      inspector, licensed design professional and building code
21      official. The output from the automated temperature device
22      shall be included in the concrete strength report issued by
23      the owner's testing agency.
24      (e)   Technician requirements.--Sampling, casting of test
25   specimens and providing, maintaining and monitoring of initial
26   curing shall be conducted by a technician holding a current ACI
27   Grade I Concrete Field Testing Technician certification.
28      (f)   Final curing and testing of specimens.--Final curing and
29   testing of specimens for strength shall be done in accordance
30   with the requirements of ASTM C31 and ASTM C39 by a technician

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 1   holding a current ACI Concrete Strength Testing Technician
 2   certification.
 3   Section 4.   Enforcement.
 4      The department shall enforce the provisions of this act.
 5   Section 5.   Penalties.
 6      A person who violates this act shall be subject to the
 7   following:
 8          (1)   For a first violation, a warning.
 9          (2)   For a second violation, a fine of $500.
10          (3)   For a third violation, a fine of $1,000 and
11      inclusion on a list of violators posted on the department's
12      publicly accessible Internet website for a period of one
13      year.
14          (4)   For a fourth and subsequent violation, a fine of
15      $2,000 and inclusion on a list of violators posted on the
16      department's publicly accessible Internet website for a
17      period of one year for each violation.
18   Section 6.   Effective date.
19      This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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