Special Inspections and Structural Testing

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Revision 2 · Aug 26, 2026 +29 −29

Corpus sync: neutrality remakes, note hygiene, datasheet relocation, transformer-split cross-refs
Showing changes from Rev 1 to Rev 2 in Special Inspections and Structural Testing.
---
title: Special Inspections and Structural Testing
7 unchanged lines
concrete, structural steel, masonry, compacted fill, deep foundations,
high-strength bolting, and welding.
Not intended for: Designing the structural elements themselves -- concrete in
+ Not intended for: Designing the structural elements themselves — concrete in
[[sync/cast-in-place-concrete]], steel members and connections in
[[sync/structural-steel-framing]], welding procedures in
29 unchanged lines
|----------|-------|
| IBC Chapter 17 | Special Inspections and Tests (International Building Code) |
| IBC §1704 | Special Inspections and Tests -- Administration |
+| IBC §1704 | Special Inspections and Tests — Administration |
| IBC §1705 | Required Verification and Inspection by material |
| IBC §1710 | Structural Observations |
| ACI 318 | Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete |
| AISC 360 | Specification for Structural Steel Buildings (Chapter N, Quality Assurance) |
| AWS D1.1/D1.1M | Structural Welding Code -- Steel |
| AWS D1.4/D1.4M | Structural Welding Code -- Reinforcing Steel |
+| AWS D1.1/D1.1M | Structural Welding Code — Steel |
+| AWS D1.4/D1.4M | Structural Welding Code — Reinforcing Steel |
| ASTM C31/C31M | Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens in the Field |
| ASTM C39/C39M | Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens |
26 unchanged lines
## Omitting an applicable item from the SSI is a common and consequential defect: a designer who lists concrete but omits post-installed anchors, high-strength bolting, or steel erection leaves those activities uninspected, and each is a separate required line item under IBC §1705. {note}
## Where the Seismic Design Category is elevated mid-project -- by adoption of updated ground-motion data or a change in occupancy category -- the SSI shall be amended to add any masonry, steel, or other inspections newly triggered.
+## Where the Seismic Design Category is elevated mid-project — by adoption of updated ground-motion data or a change in occupancy category — the SSI shall be amended to add any masonry, steel, or other inspections newly triggered.
### Statement of Special Inspections package
3 unchanged lines
type: radio
options:
- SSI prepared and sealed by the RDP in Responsible Charge (default)
+ - SSI prepared and sealed by the RDP in Responsible Charge
- SSI prepared by delegated engineer of record for each discipline
- Combined SSI plus structural observation plan in one sealed document
49 unchanged lines
## The agency's laboratory performing concrete, soil, grout, and mortar testing shall be accredited for the test methods it performs.
## Special inspection costs are owner-funded and are not included in the Contractor's base contract; the Owner shall retain and pay the agency directly. Identifying this responsibility in the Owner-Contractor Agreement early avoids a common budget dispute. {note}
+## Special inspection costs are owner-funded and are not included in the Contractor's base contract; the Owner shall retain and pay the agency directly. Identifying this responsibility in the Owner-Contractor Agreement early avoids a common budget dispute.
## Retaining the agency too late is a recurring and expensive failure: if footing excavation, reinforcement placement, and the first concrete pours proceed before the agency mobilizes, that work is uninspected and may trigger non-conformance reports or removal. {note}
7 unchanged lines
type: radio
options:
- Full-service firm covering soils, concrete, steel, masonry, and NDT under one contract (default)
+ - Full-service firm covering soils, concrete, steel, masonry, and NDT under one contract
- Inspection firm with subcontracted independent testing laboratory
- Inspector-of-record (single licensed PE) with laboratory subcontract
16 unchanged lines
type: radio
options:
- Owner retains and pays the agency directly (default)
+ - Owner retains and pays the agency directly
- Owner funds agency through a dedicated allowance in the contract
default: Owner retains and pays the agency directly
16 unchanged lines
## Nondestructive testing personnel shall be qualified and certified per ANSI/ASNT CP-189 for each NDT method they perform.
## ICC certification is granted by discipline -- Reinforced Concrete, Structural Masonry, Structural Steel and Bolting, Structural Welding, and Soils are separate credentials -- so a single inspector is rarely qualified across every discipline on the Project; the agency shall assign personnel accordingly. {note}
+## ICC certification is granted by discipline — Reinforced Concrete, Structural Masonry, Structural Steel and Bolting, Structural Welding, and Soils are separate credentials — so a single inspector is rarely qualified across every discipline on the Project; the agency shall assign personnel accordingly. {note}
### Inspector qualification basis
47 unchanged lines
## For continuous inspection activities, the inspected operation shall not proceed when the special inspector is not present.
## Ambiguous or missing continuous-versus-periodic designations are a frequent source of missed inspections: when arrival timing is uncoordinated, periodic inspections are skipped entirely. Every inspection item in the SSI shall carry an explicit designation. {note}
+## Ambiguous or missing continuous-versus-periodic designations are a frequent source of missed inspections: when arrival timing is uncoordinated, periodic inspections are skipped entirely. Every inspection item in the SSI shall carry an explicit designation.
## The special inspector shall maintain daily inspection records and shall furnish them to the building official, the RDP, and the Owner as required by the SSI.
17 unchanged lines
type: radio
options:
- Daily field reports plus weekly summary (default)
+ - Daily field reports plus weekly summary
- Daily field reports only
- Per-operation reports plus monthly summary
77 unchanged lines
type: radio
options:
- Periodic verification of hole prep, embedment, and torque (default)
+ - Periodic verification of hole prep, embedment, and torque
- Continuous for anchors resisting seismic or tension loads
- Not applicable -- no post-installed anchors
+ - Not applicable — no post-installed anchors
default: Periodic verification of hole prep, embedment, and torque
```
46 unchanged lines
type: radio
options:
- Periodic for snug-tight, periodic monitoring of pretensioning (default)
+ - Periodic for snug-tight, periodic monitoring of pretensioning
- Continuous during pretensioning operations
- Periodic throughout
53 unchanged lines
type: radio
options:
- Required -- engineered masonry or SDC C-F (default)
- Required -- empirical masonry exceeding 35 ft height
- Not applicable -- no structural masonry
default: Required -- engineered masonry or SDC C-F
+ - Required — engineered masonry or SDC C-F
+ - Required — empirical masonry exceeding 35 ft height
+ - Not applicable — no structural masonry
+default: Required — engineered masonry or SDC C-F
```
44 unchanged lines
## A minimum of one density test shall be performed per 2,500 square feet of compacted area per lift, or one per 500 cubic yards, whichever is more frequent, per IBC §1705.6.
## Some jurisdictions require 95% compaction throughout rather than the slab/footing split; the SSI shall reflect the AHJ's adopted criterion. {note}
+## Some jurisdictions require 95% compaction throughout rather than the slab/footing split; the SSI shall reflect the AHJ's adopted criterion.
### Fill compaction parameters
20 unchanged lines
```datasheet
label: Maximum loose lift thickness -- granular fill
+label: Maximum loose lift thickness — granular fill
type: range
unit: in
5 unchanged lines
```datasheet
label: Maximum loose lift thickness -- cohesive fill
+label: Maximum loose lift thickness — cohesive fill
type: range
unit: in
48 unchanged lines
type: radio
options:
- Continuous during installation (default)
+ - Continuous during installation
- Periodic with continuous for capacity verification
default: Continuous during installation
20 unchanged lines
type: radio
options:
- Required by IBC §1710 -- RDP performs at significant stages
- Not required by the AHJ for this structure (default)
+ - Required by IBC §1710 — RDP performs at significant stages
+ - Not required by the AHJ for this structure
default: Not required by the AHJ for this structure
```
27 unchanged lines
type: radio
options:
- RDP in Responsible Charge dispositions all non-conformances (default)
+ - RDP in Responsible Charge dispositions all non-conformances
- Discipline engineer of record dispositions within their discipline
default: RDP in Responsible Charge dispositions all non-conformances
4 unchanged lines
type: radio
options:
- Required before work proceeds (default)
+ - Required before work proceeds
- Required and documented in a closeout log
default: Required before work proceeds
105 unchanged lines
type: radio
options:
- Submitted before CO application, after all non-conformances resolved (default)
+ - Submitted before CO application, after all non-conformances resolved
- Submitted incrementally by discipline as each completes
default: Submitted before CO application, after all non-conformances resolved
28 unchanged lines
type: radio
options:
- Electronic with searchable index (default)
+ - Electronic with searchable index
- Electronic and paper originals
default: Electronic with searchable index
```

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