Section 1705 Required Special Inspections and Tests
Special inspections and tests shall be required for proposed work that is, in the opinion of the building official, unusual in its nature, such as, but not limited to, the following examples:
- Construction materials and systems that are alternatives to materials and systems prescribed by this code.
- Unusual design applications of materials described in this code.
- Materials and systems required to be installed in accordance with additional manufacturer's instructions that prescribe requirements not contained in this code or in standards referenced by this code.
The special inspections and nondestructive testing of steel construction in buildings, structures, and portions thereof shall be in accordance with this section.
Exception: Special inspections of the steel fabrication process shall not be required where the fabrication process for the entire building or structure does not include any welding, thermal cutting or heating operation of any kind. In such cases, the fabricator shall be required to submit a detailed procedure for material control that demonstrates the fabricator's ability to maintain suitable records and procedures such that, at any time during the fabrication process, the material specification and grade for the main stress-carrying elements are capable of being determined. Mill test reports shall be identifiable to the main stress-carrying elements where required by the approved construction documents.
Special inspections and nondestructive testing of structural steel elements in buildings, structures and portions thereof shall be in accordance with the quality assurance inspection requirements of AISC 360.
Exception: Special inspection of railing systems composed of structural steel elements shall be limited to welding inspection of welds at the base of cantilevered rail posts.
Special inspections of open-web steel joists and joist girders in buildings, structures and portions thereof shall be in accordance with Table 1705.2.3.
| TYPE | CONTINUOUS SPECIAL INSPECTION |
PERIODIC SPECIAL INSPECTION |
REFERENCED STANDARDa |
| 1.Installation of open-web steel joists and joist girders. | |||
| a. End connections — welding or bolted. | — | X | SJI specifications listed in Section 2207.1. |
| b. Bridging — horizontal or diagonal. | — | — | — |
| 1.Standard bridging. | — | X | SJI specifications listed in Section 2207.1. |
| 2.Bridging that differs from the SJI
specifications listed in Section 2207.1.
|
— | X | — |
For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm.
- Where applicable, see Section 1705.12, Special inspections for seismic resistance.
Special inspections and tests of concrete construction shall be performed in accordance with this section and Table 1705.3.
Exception: Special inspections and tests shall not be required for:
- Isolated spread concrete footings of buildings three stories or less above grade plane that are fully supported on earth or rock.
-
Continuous concrete footings supporting walls of buildings three stories or less above grade plane that are fully supported on earth or rock where:
- 2.1. The footings support walls of light-frame construction.
- 2.2. The footings are designed in accordance with Table 1809.7.
- 2.3. The structural design of the footing is based on a specified compressive strength, f 'c, not more than 2,500 pounds per square inch (psi) (17.2 MPa), regardless of the compressive strength specified in the approved construction documents or used in the footing construction.
- Nonstructural concrete slabs supported directly on the ground, including prestressed slabs on grade, where the effective prestress in the concrete is less than 150 psi (1.03 MPa).
- Concrete foundation walls constructed in accordance with Table 1807.1.6.2.
- Concrete patios, driveways and sidewalks, on grade.
| TYPE | CONTINUOUS SPECIAL INSPECTION |
PERIODIC SPECIAL INSPECTION | REFERENCED STANDARDa | IBC REFERENCE |
| 1. Inspect reinforcement, including prestressing tendons, and verify placement. |
— | X | ACI 318: Ch. 20, 25.2, 25.3, 26.6.1-26.6.3 | 1908.4 |
| 2. Reinforcing bar welding: | ||||
|
— | X | AWS D1.4 | |
|
X | ACI 318: 26.6.4 | — | |
|
X | |||
| 3. Inspect anchors cast in concrete. | — | X | ACI 318: 17.8.2 | — |
| 4. Inspect anchors post-installed in hardened concrete members.b | ||||
|
X | X | ACI 318: 17.8.2.4 | — |
|
ACI 318: 17.8.2 | |||
| 5. Verify use of required design mix. | — | X | ACI 318: Ch. 19, 26.4.3, 26.4.4 | 1904.1, 1904.2, 1908.2, 1908.3 |
| 6. Prior to concrete placement, fabricate specimens for strength tests, perform slump and air content tests, and determine the temperature of the concrete. | X | — | ASTM C172 ASTM C31 ACI 318: 26.5, 26.12 |
1908.10 |
| 7. Inspect concrete and shotcrete placement for proper application techniques. | X | — | ACI 318: 26.5 | 1908.6, 1908.7, 1908.8 |
| 8. Verify maintenance of specified curing temperature and techniques. | — | X | ACI 318: 26.5.3-26.5.5 | 1908.9 |
| 9. Inspect prestressed concrete for: | ||||
|
X | — | ACI 318: 26.10 | — |
|
X |
|||
| 10. Inspect erection of precast concrete members. | — | X | ACI 318: 26.9 | — |
| 11. Verify in-situ concrete strength, prior to stressing of tendons in post-tensioned concrete and prior to removal of shores and forms from beams and structural slabs. | — | X | ACI 318: 26.11.2 | — |
| 12. Inspect formwork for shape, location and dimensions of the concrete member being formed. | — | X | ACI 318: 26.11.1.2(b) | — |
For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm.
- Where applicable, see Section 1705.12, Special inspections for seismic resistance.
- Specific requirements for special inspection shall be included in the research report for the anchor issued by an approved source in accordance with 17.8.2 in ACI 318, or other qualification procedures. Where specific requirements are not provided, special inspection requirements shall be specified by the registered design professional and shall be approved by the building official prior to the commencement of the work.
Special inspections and tests of masonry construction shall be performed in accordance with the quality assurance program requirements of TMS 402 and TMS 602.
Exception: Special inspections and tests shall not be required for:
- Empirically designed masonry, glass unit masonry or masonry veneer designed in accordance with Section 2109, 2110 or Chapter 14, respectively, where they are part of a structure classified as Risk Category I, II or III.
- Masonry foundation walls constructed in accordance with Table 1807.1.6.3(1), 1807.1.6.3(2), 1807.1.6.3(3) or 1807.1.6.3(4).
- Masonry fireplaces, masonry heaters or masonry chimneys installed or constructed in accordance with Section 2111, 2112 or 2113, respectively.
Special inspections and tests of existing site soil conditions, fill placement and load-bearing requirements shall be performed in accordance with this section and Table 1705.6. The approved geotechnical report and the construction documents prepared by the registered design professionals shall be used to determine compliance. During fill placement, the special inspector shall verify that proper materials and procedures are used in accordance with the provisions of the approved geotechnical report.
Exception: Where Section 1803 does not require reporting of materials and procedures for fill placement, the special inspector shall verify that the in-place dry density of the compacted fill is not less than 90 percent of the maximum dry density at optimum moisture content determined in accordance with ASTM D1557.
REQUIRED SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS OF SOILS
| TYPE | CONTINUOUS SPECIAL INSPECTION |
PERIODIC SPECIAL INSPECTION |
| 1. Verify materials below shallow foundations are adequate to achieve the design bearing
capacity.
|
— | X |
| 2. Verify excavations are extended to proper depth and have reached proper material. | — | X |
| 3. Perform classification and testing of compacted fill materials. | — | X |
| 4. Verify use of proper materials, densities and lift thicknesses during placement and compaction of compacted fill. | X | — |
| 5. Prior to placement of compacted fill, inspect subgrade and verify that site has been prepared properly. | — | X |
Special inspections and tests shall be performed during installation of driven deep foundation elements as specified in Table 1705.7. The approved geotechnical report and the construction documents prepared by the registered design professionals shall be used to determine compliance.
REQUIRED SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS OF DRIVEN DEEP FOUNDATION ELEMENTS
| TYPE | CONTINUOUS SPECIAL INSPECTION | PERIODIC SPECIAL INSPECTION |
| 1. Verify element materials, sizes and lengths comply with the requirements. | X | — |
| 2. Determine capacities of test elements and conduct additional load tests, as required. | X | — |
| 3. Inspect driving operations and maintain complete and accurate records for each element. | X | — |
| 4. Verify placement locations and plumbness, confirm type and size of hammer, record number of blows per foot of penetration, determine required penetrations to achieve design capacity, record tip and butt elevations and document any damage to foundation element. | X | — |
| 5. For steel elements, perform additional special inspections in accordance with Section 1705.2. | — | — |
| 6. For concrete elements and concrete-filled elements, perform tests and additional special inspections in accordance with Section 1705.3. | — | — |
| 7. For specialty elements, perform additional inspections as determined by the registered design professional in responsible charge. | — | — |
Special inspections and tests shall be performed during installation of cast-in-place deep foundation elements as specified in Table 1705.8. The approved geotechnical report and the construction documents prepared by the registered design professionals shall be used to determine compliance.
REQUIRED SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS OF CAST-IN-PLACE DEEP FOUNDATION ELEMENTS
| TYPE | CONTINUOUS SPECIAL INSPECTION | PERIODIC SPECIAL INSPECTION |
| 1. Inspect drilling operations and maintain complete and accurate records for each element. | X | — |
| 2. Verify placement locations and plumbness, confirm element diameters, bell diameters (if applicable), lengths, embedment into bedrock (if applicable) and adequate end-bearing strata capacity. Record concrete or grout volumes. | X | — |
| 3. For concrete elements, perform tests and additional special inspections in accordance with Section 1705.3. | — | — |
Special inspections for wind resistance specified in Sections 1705.11.1 through 1705.11.3, unless exempted by the exceptions to Section 1704.2, are required for buildings and structures constructed in the following areas:
- In wind Exposure Category B, where Vasd as determined in accordance with Section 1609.3.1 is 120 miles per hour (52.8 m/sec) or greater.
- In wind Exposure Category C or D, where Vasd as determined in accordance with Section 1609.3.1 is 110 mph (49 m/sec) or greater.