Special inspections
Special inspections
(OP)
What is the extent of the special inspection information you typically put on your plans? A little, a lot, in between, specific sections of the IBC, by reference or repeated?
I'm looking for input as to how and how much others convey this information.
I'm looking for input as to how and how much others convey this information.






RE: Special inspections
There is no right answer. For an elementary school of masonry, bar joists, steel column, on a concrete foundation, I, as the building official require a program equal to the code and the designer is welcome to do more.
For a 6000 sf wood framed office building, if the concrete design is 3000 psi, and the soil assumed at 1500 psf (silt and clay aorund here), then I would not require any but the SER may want (and most do) the conrete and soils tested.
As a general rule, any welded or bolted connections - special inspections.
Don Phillips
http://worthingtonengineering.com
RE: Special inspections
RE: Special inspections
Don Phillips
http://worthingtonengineering.com
RE: Special inspections
RE: Special inspections
RE: Special inspections
RE: Special inspections
RE: Special inspections
UBC....OK, IBC....OK,
What are you saying about F.S. = 2? According to what code?
RE: Special inspections
1704.5.2 Engineered masonry in Occupancy Category I, II or III. The minimum special inspection program for masonry designed by Section 2107 or 2108 or by chapters other than Chapters 5, 6 or 7 of ACI 530/ASCE 5/TMS 402 in structures classified as Occupancy Category I, II or III, in accordance with Section 1604.5, shall comply with Table 1704.5.1.
Don Phillips
http://worthingtonengineering.com
RE: Special inspections
RE: Special inspections
special inspections can only help lower the liability of everyone involved--owners, engineers, testing firms, contractors, general public etc.--but only as long as they are performed "completely" as practical.
so to answer your question, put them on the plans for the field inspectors. put them in the specs to help the project managers and for documentation's sake. and provide the statement of special inspections to help fill in blanks and for the sake of the building official.
RE: Special inspections
RE: Special inspections
http://www.b-ase.org/17guidelines.pdf
RE: Special inspections
As far as just referencing the IBC tables, I guess in one sense that would seem reasonable as the general contractor and, more specifically, the inspection firm they hire, should have those documents at hand.
However, in many cases, I worry that the GC doesn't have a copy of the IBC handy and the testing lab will "bother" me with a phone call asking for a list of what tests are required. It doesn't take a whole lot of time to set up a table of notes like steve1's to quickly edit and paste onto your general note sheet.
Some items in the Chapter 17 tables apply or don't apply depending on the actual project and by us editing them down to only the applicable sections is preferrable to minimize confusion.
One example - in the masonry tables there is reference to prism testing of masonry. In most cases, we use the proportion method for mortar and grout and the unit method for determining f'm so prisms aren't required. If you just reference the table, you may get prism tests when they weren't required.
RE: Special inspections
if i were the structural, i'd prefer to have the masonry and grout prisms instead of unit testing with additional interpolation. the cost differences are neglible in the big scheme of things. the biggest costs are tied to the onsite time of the inspector/technician and that's a wash regardless of which route you take on the testing.
the statement of special of inspections should mimic the plans and specs. on the plans, i typically see the tables added directly to the plans with the spec verbage providing the crucial details.
RE: Special inspections
I understand how some owners do not hire engineers for construction observation. So sometimes, those calls from the field are a bother, in the sense that you are not getting paid. I typically place the burden of getting me information on the applicant or property owner.
I seldom accept "per code" on anything, including relatively mundane things like extinguisher types and locations, finish flame spread and smoke development, etc. Otherwise I would just need a letter stating a building is being built "per code" and we can just do away with detailed construction documents. Inspectors would just have to carry a code book in the truck and spend half the time looking up requirements.
Don Phillips
http://worthingtonengineering.com
RE: Special inspections
Not sure if we are miscommunicating, msucog, but my point was that I prefer to put more info on the plans so the phone calls asking what inspections are required don't have to occur. Good communication is always a plus in a project and this goes for the testing.
Prism tests usually aren't required if you simply specify proportion mixes and ASCE/ACI personnel have typically recommended using that and avoiding prism tests if possible.
RE: Special inspections