aci 423.6 vs pt suppliers

huangyhg

aci 423.6 vs pt suppliers
sorry for the rant...
aci committee 423.6 vs pt suppliers
performed a pre-pour inspection at a project site this past week and found that the encapsulation protection sleeves at the fixed/live/intermediate end anchorages contained considerable free moisture.
the requirements of aci-423.6 are that for 鈥渁ggressive environments鈥?an encapsulated system be used and that that system be watertight.
the pt supplier argues that atlanta, ga is not an aggressive environment therefore the requirements regarding the same do not apply.
as the inspector i really don鈥檛 have any opinion one way or the other on the aggressive environment argument.  i mean i have a contract with the owner to perform code required special inspections and other contract compliance observations and to report the results of those insp/obs to the eor and arch.  it鈥檚 a pretty simple gig: observe and report.
the eor has written in the project manual an 鈥淓nvironmental definition鈥?that defines parking deck slabs as an 鈥渁ggressive environment鈥?  the project manual goes on to require that all areas defined as 鈥渁ggressive environment鈥?have fully encapsulated pt systems.  as a result, the owner has purchased and the contractor is installing an encapsulated pt system.
the pt supplier steadfastly refuses to make the pt coating in the protection sleeves 鈥渇ree of voids鈥?or to protect the material during shipping.  ok, i鈥檓 not making this up, the supplier now claims that if pt grease is added to the protection sleeves that this constitutes a change to their system and thus 鈥渧oids the warranty鈥?  not sure if that was an intentional pun on their part but i am stunned nonetheless that they are willing to go to mat over this.  the fixed end sleeves are supposed to be filled with grease at the factory and the live and intermediate end sleeves are supposed to be filled with grease in the field.  we know it, they know, everyone knows it, but these guys continue to be in a state of abject denial.
aci-423.6 2.3.5 鈥?aggressive environments
the sheathing connection to sleeving at couplers and
to all stressing-end, intermediate, and fixed-end
anchorages shall be watertight and free of air spaces.
so my question: on the jobs where you guys have specified encapsulated pt, are you checking this during your structural observations?  or are you verifying that the inspector is checking this?  and if so, what are you finding?  if not, why are you giving these guys a free pass?