How often should an engineer visit a job site?
How often should an engineer visit a job site?
(OP)
See subject:
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS Come Join Us!Are you an
Engineering professional? Join Eng-Tips Forums!
*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail. Posting GuidelinesJobs |
How often should an engineer visit a job site?
|
RE: How often should an engineer visit a job site?
Dan - Owner
http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: How often should an engineer visit a job site?
RE: How often should an engineer visit a job site?
1) After all demolition is complete if remodel / addition
2) Before each unique concrete pour. (piers, gradebeams, basement mat, basement wall, structural slabs, etc.)
3) Often times 1-2 progress framing walkthroughs (exterior shear, or after significant framing is completed)
4) Rough framing walkthrough
5) Final framing after all trades have gone through
Average new two-story house with basement, would have 4-8 visits by the engineer.
I suspect this is more than most who do residential. Thankfully, we are in an area which tolerates a high level of engineering involvement.
RE: How often should an engineer visit a job site?
Dan - Owner
http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: How often should an engineer visit a job site?
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)
RE: How often should an engineer visit a job site?
Once foundations are poured and structural framing complete, does the structural engineer need to be go out to inspect application of gyp board on the walls? Likewise, the HVAC engineer does not need to watch foundations or slabs being poured.
For example a plumbing or electrical engineer might make several visits early to inspect underground utilities before they are covered. Then go several months without a visit while foundations and slabs are poured and structural framing erected.
If a job site is on the other side of town, weekly visits are easy to do. However if the site is in another state (I have one project going in Charleston, SC with the engineer out of Kansas City, MO), weekly visits becomes costly so you might be limited to visiting once a month.
RE: How often should an engineer visit a job site?
I try to make my plans as simple, consistant and easy to build as possible to prevent many issues that would require a site visit.
RE: How often should an engineer visit a job site?
RE: How often should an engineer visit a job site?
However, unless there are construction issues, there is typically nothing in the budget for the design personnel to come to the site.
I think this is a big mistake, especially for less experienced design employees.
It looks good on paper, but when you get out in the field, it might not work.
But, in this era of tight budgets, that is one thing that gets left out.
RE: How often should an engineer visit a job site?
On the contrary, I think it is very important for design engineers to make field visits. Even if the objective is as simple as "seeing how things are progressing". I have found that it is not uncommon for contractors to cut corners and not always tell the superintendent or you, the engineer. Often it will still meet code and the design intent and goes into my list of "lessons learned" for possible inclusion in future designs. But there are occasions where such deviations are not acceptable and needs to be corrected.
-Case in point: My organization recently had a group of buildings completed that are now having humidity issues. In attempting to find the source of the humidity it was discovered that certain interior walls were not constructed fully per the design, a layer of gyb was discovered to be missing. There was no RFI or request to change how the walls were built and the contractor's QC either missed it or let it go. Money is no having to be spent to fix things and find the source of the problem. Point I am wanting to make here is that we, the design community, cannot always trust Joe Plumber to build it as we design.
RE: How often should an engineer visit a job site?
Suggest your reread PED's post. The two of you basically agree, as do I.
RE: How often should an engineer visit a job site?
RE: How often should an engineer visit a job site?
And you can bring that A325 nut and bolt that you found in the dirt back to the office.