Section 1704 Special Inspections and Tests, Contractor Responsibility and Structural Observation

Where application is made to the building official for construction as specified in Section 105, the owner or the owner's authorized agent, other than the contractor, shall employ one or more approved agencies to provide special inspections and tests during construction on the types of work specified in Section 1705 and identify the approved agencies to the building official. These special inspections and tests are in addition to the inspections by the building official that are identified in Section 110.

Prior to the start of the construction, the approved agencies shall provide written documentation to the building official demonstrating the competence and relevant experience or training of the special inspectors who will perform the special inspections and tests during construction. Experience or training shall be considered to be relevant where the documented experience or training is related in complexity to the same type of special inspection or testing activities for projects of similar complexity and material qualities. These qualifications are in addition to qualifications specified in other sections of this code.

The registered design professional in responsible charge and engineers of record involved in the design of the project are permitted to act as the approved agency and their personnel are permitted to act as special inspectors for the work designed by them, provided they qualify as special inspectors.

The applicant shall submit a statement of special inspections in accordance with Section 107.1 as a condition for permit issuance. This statement shall be in accordance with Section 1704.3.

Exception: A statement of special inspections is not required for portions of structures designed and constructed in accordance with the cold-formed steel light-frame construction provisions of Section 2211.1.2 or the conventional light-frame construction provisions of Section 2308.

Where special inspections or tests are required by Section 1705, the registered design professional in responsible charge shall prepare a statement of special inspections in accordance with Section 1704.3.1 for submittal by the applicant in accordance with Section 1704.2.3.

Exception: The statement of special inspections is permitted to be prepared by a qualified person approved by the building official for construction not designed by a registered design professional.

The statement of special inspections shall identify the following:

1. The materials, systems, components and work required to have special inspections or tests by the building official or by the registered design professional responsible for each portion of the work.
2. The type and extent of each special inspection.
3. The type and extent of each test.
4. Additional requirements for special inspections or tests for seismic or wind resistance as specified in Sections 1705.11, 1705.12 and 1705.13.
5. For each type of special inspection, identification as to whether it will be continuous special inspection, periodic special inspection or performed in accordance with the notation used in the referenced standard where the inspections are defined.

In addition to the submittal of reports of special inspections and tests in accordance with Section 1704.2.4, reports and certificates shall be submitted by the owner or the owner's authorized agent to the building official for each of the following:

1. Certificates of compliance for the fabrication of structural, load-bearing or lateral load-resisting members or assemblies on the premises of an approved fabricator in accordance with Section 1704.2.5.1.
2. Certificates of compliance for the seismic qualification of nonstructural components, supports and attachments in accordance with Section 1705.13.2.
3. Certificates of compliance for designated seismic systems in accordance with Section 1705.13.3.
4. Reports of preconstruction tests for shotcrete in accordance with Section 1908.5.
5. Certificates of compliance for open web steel joists and joist girders in accordance with Section 2207.5.
6. Reports of material properties verifying compliance with the requirements of AWS D1.4 for weldability as specified in Section 26.6.4 of ACI 318 for reinforcing bars in concrete complying with a standard other than ASTM A706 that are to be welded.
7. Reports of mill tests in accordance with Section 20.2.2.5 of ACI 318 for reinforcing bars complying with ASTM A615 and used to resist earthquake-induced flexural or axial forces in the special moment frames, special structural walls or coupling beams connecting special structural walls of seismic force-resisting systems in structures assigned to Seismic Design Category B, C, D, E or F.

Where required by the provisions of Section 1704.6.1, 1704.6.2 or 1704.6.3, the owner or the owner's authorized agent shall employ a registered design professional to perform structural observations. Structural observation does not include or waive the responsibility for the inspections in Section 110 or the special inspections in Section 1705 or other sections of this code.

Prior to the commencement of observations, the structural observer shall submit to the building official a written statement identifying the frequency and extent of structural observations.

At the conclusion of the work included in the permit, the structural observer shall submit to the building official a written statement that the site visits have been made and identify any reported deficiencies that, to the best of the structural observer's knowledge, have not been resolved.

Structural observations shall be provided for those structures assigned to Seismic Design Category D, E or F where one or more of the following conditions exist:

1. The structure is classified as Risk Category III or IV.
2. The structure is assigned to Seismic Design Category E, is classified as Risk Category I or II, and is greater than two stories above the grade plane.