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State of New Jersey Special Inspections

State of New Jersey Special Inspections

State of New Jersey Special Inspections

(OP)
Has the requirements for special inspections in NJ changed recently?  Specifically, are PE's not considered certified to perform these inspections without additional certification?  Residential and commercial structures including the concrete, steel, one pass welds, etc.

Thanks

 

MDJ
www.windspeedbyzip.com
www.groundsnowbyzip.com

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

is there a special inspector license?  florida has one and it has it's own requirements to become a special inspector.

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

(OP)
There is a special inspector license.  I think anyone with a couple years of related experience can take a test online and become certified.

I thought a PE was considered qualified without this additional license.

MDJ
www.windspeedbyzip.com
www.groundsnowbyzip.com

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

i'm not sure how it works in NJ, but in florida you have to be a PE just to be an SI.  and you have to have like 3 years of inspection experience as an agent of an SI to apply to be one.   

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

(OP)
Cap4000,

It looks like a PE is "qualified" as a special inspector of specific field.  However, it seems as if an application must be filed to get "certified".

A township asked for SI certifications for a particular job.  The client asked me to do the inspections and I said I would and a sealed report would be issued.  The town insisted on the SI "certification" so I just told the client to hire someone else with the cert.   

MDJ
www.windspeedbyzip.com
www.groundsnowbyzip.com

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

in GA, a PE can perform the SI as long as they are qualified in the field. being both a PE and SI in multiple fields, i recommend becoming certified as a SI. there are a lot of things you don't learn in text books or your everyday experience as an engineer. if you have practical field experience, it should be much easier to pass the exams. but if you got a stamp, "technically" you could sign off on most everything at least here in GA. again, i recommend getting certified through ICC even if you have PE.

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

(OP)
msucog,

I agree with you that alot can be learned by hands on experience.

In NJ I thought the same as in GA, if you are qualified in the field then your stamp was enough to issue the report.  I've been providing inspection reports for years and never a problem before.

I guess my remaining question is did NJ recently require PE's to file for SI certification?


 

MDJ
www.windspeedbyzip.com
www.groundsnowbyzip.com

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

swivel63...in order to be a Special Inspector in Florida, you have you have to be a PE or an Architect and have design experience in certain building types known as "Threshold Buildings".  I'm not sure how an Architect can qualify, but at least it's open to them...probably a political concession.  Any graduate of an accredited engineering program can serve as a field delegate (as can certain other qualified individuals), but cannot necessarily qualify to hold the SI designation, which is a license endorsement to your PE license.

This is not to be confused with the ICC designation of Special Inspector which does not require that you be an engineer, but it does require other qualifications such as ASNT Level II for nondestructive testing, ASCET Technician Certification, AWS CWI, etc.

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

here ya go...i thought there would be something similar to GA

http://www.state.nj.us/dca/codes/bulletins_ftos/list_of_bulletins_ftos/b_03_5.pdf

sounds like to me that it's okay for either a special inspector or special inspection agency to do the inspection. either way, it's up to the code official to accept/reject. if the permit is approved with the schedule of special inspections listing either you or your firm, then it should be okay. if there's any doubt, check with the code official. i'm quite certain that a PE stamp will suffice to satisfy the code official.

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

Mark- What authority asked you for the SI cert?  I have found in NJ that special inspection requirements are not typically enforced by the towns or requested by clients, despite the requirements of the code.  Perhaps that is going to change now.
 

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

(OP)
msucog,

Thanks for the link.  

I'm not 100% sure if there is a miscommunication between my client and the building dept or if the township is actually not accepting a sealed report for this inspection without SI certification.

The town is in Middlesex county.  

MDJ
www.windspeedbyzip.com
www.groundsnowbyzip.com

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

here is my take on SI: it is required by IBC. therefore if IBC is referenced in the contract documents, it must be performed unless otherwise approved by the EOR or contract adminiastrator (after given "okay" by BO). otherwise, you are putting yourself at risk of litigation. ASCE recently sent out a case study regarding an architect that did not "require" or follow through with SI. a precast panel failed during installation/lifting due to incorrect rebar placement, subsequently killed a worker and the architect was crucified (technically it's partially their responsibility to implement SI's). following the philosophy of "it's not required" does not relieve the liability if it is part of the contract documents. most states that have adopted IBc (which is most states) have incorporated the codes in to state law...thereby incorporating SI in to state law.

i've said it before and i'll say it again...we are just starting to see how lawyers and SI's co-exist. from my contracting and engineering experience, SI's are insurance for the owner, design team and contractor...as well as the general public. so it only makes sense to require/perform them. i suggest that any of you that believe otherwise go to work on a construction site for a few weeks...the things you see when no one is looking will blow your mind. SI's will not resolve all such issues but it at least gets things pointed in the right direction.

i'll gladly post the ASCE post if anyone is interested.

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

msucog...that's exactly how the Florida law came into being.  An engineer was practicing outside his expertise, deficiently designed a 10 story condo.  Contractor compounded his mistakes...it fell during construction killing 10 or 12 people.  That was in 1982 or so.  They instituted the law to inspect buildings of a certain level, because construction can be pretty crappy at times.

I've spent a lot of my career in field, inspecting construction.  Amazing what you see sometimes!

Hasn't stopped all the problems...we are now investigating the failure of a parking garage that collapsed during construction....the special inspector highlighted some significant issues and was ignored by the Engineer of Record and the contractor....collapsed during a concrete placement and killed 1 person.

 

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

Bear with me, as I haven't practiced in the US in a number of years.  Is a special inspector supposed to only focus on whether or not the construction is in accordance with the design, or is he supposed to know enough to recognize when a gross design error has been made?

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

hokie66...he is only responsible to check the construction against the design.  He is not responsible to check the design.   

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

In that case, and if the special inspector is the only inspector, I think there is a flaw in the philosophy.  If an experienced engineer, whether the designer or not, inspects the element under construction, he can serve as the last line of defence against a gross design error being built into a structure.  It may not happen very often, but I know of several cases where the final on site inspection by a senior structural engineer identified a defect that would have caused the structure to fail.

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

nothing restricts the design engineer from performing the inspections or providing additional inspections. i think a lot of folks would agree that some design engineers do not spend enough time on the job site. i personally welcome them...their on the hook for the design so it's great to see them walking around and pointing out any field issues that they would like fixed. with the SI program, it does require that "someone" inspect that almost everything is in place per the plans at the time of the inspection. i have seen projects where the SI does their thing, the county inspector behind them and the design engineer behind that. with the SI, at least the owner has a pair of eyes on site...most of the time, the contractor will do better work and not try to cover up "as much stuff" just knowing that the testing firm is on site (notice i said as much).

and by the way, i've seen the design engineer inspect a retaining wall before the forms were closed up. he gave the thumbs up and left (because all that was left was to set the bolts in place after the wall is closed up). the wall was closed up and anchor bolts began to be set. the bolts had some 4"x4" plates on the bottom and the vertical rebar (8-#6 or #7) was to come up and hook above the plates. well the dimensions of the pilaster were very tight (too tight) so that everything had to be exactly perfect for it to fit right. instead of pointing out that the dimensions were too tight for everything to fit, the foreman pulled out the torches, cut the hooks off about a foot or so below the plates, installed the bolts and called for concrete. and there ya go...

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

i've been the inspector that found something that could have caused a collapse (3 #6 bottom steel in lieu of 6 #9 bottom) on a previous project.  the inspector IMO, (threshold inspector in florida) should be an engineer, because most non engineers won't understand why there big bars bottom in the middle and big bars top at the ends.  or why there are big bars at the ends on walls as opposed to in the middle.  but most of the time that's not the case.  and most contractors/owners don't want to spend the money on an experienced engineer to do inspections if they don't have to.  guess this is why our contract docs need to be right.  

msucog, i practice in georgia now and have performed special inspections on concrete and wood construction, but as far as i know there isn't a special inspector license like there is in florida is there?  or is it an ICC thing?

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

hokie66...sure the concept is flawed..same as many other design/construction/government processes.  As flawed as it might be, I believe it has saved lives and huge amounts of property damage.

The SI who is also an engineer has to be careful not to take on the EOR responsibilities....therefore they do not review the design nor do they check the design.  Their obligation is contractual and (in Florida) statutory to check against the plans/specs and a specifically filed inspection plan.

Apparent design discrepancies can be pointed out to the EOR for review, but there's no obligation on the part of the SI to do so, nor should there be.  Finding one design error then obligates you to find ALL design errors...which are sometimes just differences of opinion between two engineers.

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

I am glad it has worked.  It just sounds like another division of responsibility to me.  Which, in the case of a failure, will give the lawyers a lot of opportunity to sort out who did what when.  We have what I think may be a somewhat similar situation in Australia with the recent introduction or "building certifiers" to largely replace local authority inspectors.  These can be separate from the design team, but are hired by the builder.  I think it has been a backward step.    

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

aren't special inspectors supposed to find ALL errors?  or at least ask a question.  that's how i've always done it when i was an SI agent.  unfortunately, on large condo jobs and any job in reality, no one will ever catch ALL the errors.

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

swivel63...only deviations from the plans, specs, and code.

hokie66...we have something similar here called "Private Provider Services".. an "independent" inspection firm can be hired by the contractor to replace the municipal inspection process.  Intended for expedience, but I think it is a conflict of interest.

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

ron,

is florida with the only state that actually has a special inspector license?

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

swivel63...as far as I know, yes.  The licensing was started in 1984-85 as a result of the Harbor Cay Condominium collapse in Cocoa Beach.

RE: State of New Jersey Special Inspections

New Jersey DCA is now requiring licensed special inspectors for specific items of construction.  These include concrete placement, reinforcing steel, spray applied fireproofing, structural steel, structural bolting, welding, EIFS, and structural masonry.  To qualify you need to be a PE, have an engineering or related degree, or hold a certification from ICC, AWS, ACI ect. You also need to show a certain amount of experience depending upon education.  You have to apply to the DCA and after approval you get a card with a number.  Special inspection is intended to detect construction errors and is not intended to detect design flaws.  It is not a substitute for structural observation.  The design team is not likely to spend all day checking electrode types, preheat, fit-up...  This is a reaction to the Tropicana garage collapse that could have been avoided if someone had simply checked the reinforcing.  Special inspection has been commonplace on the west coast for years, and many PE's (and others) make a career out of it.  http://www.nj.gov/dca/codes/licensingunit/pdf/spec_insp_11_08.pdf

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