The need for special inspections and qualified Special Inspectors is continuing to grow, driven by the desire to enhance public safety and verify that critical structural components of the building are properly constructed. Increasingly, municipalities and design engineers are required to satisfy the special inspection requirements included in chapter 17 of the International Building Code (IBC).
Geotechnology’s Construction Materials Testing Group (CMT) includes qualified trained staff to perform special inspections. Our CMT field representatives are certified by International Code Council (ICC), American Concrete Institute (ACI), Post-Tensioning Institute (PTI), American Society for Non-Destructive Testing (ASNT), American Welding Society (AWS), National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA), and National Institute for Certification of Engineering Technologies (NICET). Some of Geotechnology’s field representatives hold multiple certifications.
Special inspections are typically required for structural components of the building including the supporting soil, deep and shallow foundations, wood framing, concrete, reinforcing steel, masonry, structural steel, fireproofing, and exterior insulation and finishing systems (EIFS).
The design professional in charge is responsible for identifying specific components that require special inspection and incorporates a statement of required special inspections into the project documents. Those may include continuous and/or periodic inspections, depending on the item of work.
Geotechnology’s special inspectors then perform the tests and/or observations, issue electronic reports, and prepare periodic summary reports of our findings. If necessary, a deficiency punch list is generated. At project completion, we often prepare a final report, which includes the results of our observations and materials testing. For more information on special inspections, contact us.