Pre-pour slab inspections

[inspect-a-home]

I'm needing some tips and advice for pre-pour inspections, is there any great sites or reading material. Also is it required in Texas to have any special licenses to inspect Pre-pour??

[Jim Katen]

I'm needing some tips and advice for pre-pour inspections, is there any great sites or reading material. Also is it required in Texas to have any special licenses to inspect Pre-pour??

I don't know anything about the requirements in TX.

That aside, I'd look at:

* Is the moisture barrier in place and intact?

* Is the pad set on undisturbed soil below the layer of organic matter or on engineered fill?

* Has the gravel pad been adequately compacted?

* Has the gravel pad been adequately compacted?

* Has the gravel pad been adequately compacted? (Repeat until certain.)

* If it's a big job, has compaction testing been done and is the documentation from the testing company on site?

* Are the forms adequately sized to yield a proper slab thickness?

* Is the rebar the proper size and is is properly laid out according to the plans? Are all chairs or dobies in place? Are the rebars clean? Is the Ufer ground connection point present?

* If it'll be post tensioned, are the cables laid out in the proper configuration? In particular, are they arranged to pass over or under the rebars and any bearing points in the proper places?

* Are the plumbing, electrical and, if necessary, mechanical rough-ins in the proper locations? Grab the plans and measure them yourself. Fifteen minutes here can save a huge mess later on.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[RSpermo]

A pre-pour inspection as part of the county inspection program is a phase inspection. You need to be a licensed inspector, a TRCC approved third party inspector or an engineer to do a phase inspection. I let the designing engineering firm do the slab preparation inspection - they design, they inspect it and they are responsible! If I do anything as part of the pre-pour I measure the drains (IAW the plan), check for electrical conduits, ground, plumbing rough-in, etc. Who would inspect for? The builder or the buyer. You need to research the TREC and TRCC rules.

[Darren]

* Has the gravel pad been adequately compacted?

* Has the gravel pad been adequately compacted?

* Has the gravel pad been adequately compacted? (Repeat until certain

- Jim Katen, Oregon

I had a soil engineer on a job one time tell me there is no need to compact the stone we were installing under a slab. I gave him my 'what the f' look and continued with the compaction.

The next project I had a different soils guy say the same thing when we dumped 3/4 clean in an over excavated footing.

[Jim Katen]

* Has the gravel pad been adequately compacted?

* Has the gravel pad been adequately compacted?

* Has the gravel pad been adequately compacted? (Repeat until certain

- Jim Katen, Oregon

I had a soil engineer on a job one time tell me there is no need to compact the stone we were installing under a slab. I gave him my 'what the f' look and continued with the compaction.

The next project I had a different soils guy say the same thing when we dumped 3/4 clean in an over excavated footing.

Depends on the kind of stone. If you're using round river rock or any kind of clean sharp rock where all of the pieces are roughly the same size, there's no need for compaction -- in fact you won't be able to compact it much. If that was the kind of stone you were using, the PEs were right.

However, if you're using "gravel" -- a mixture of stone sizes that contains everything from the specified size right down to fines -- then you've got to compact it before you place the concrete or it will compact itself after you place the concrete. And that would be bad.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[illenium]

In california, to pre inspect any reinforcing steel or post tension prior to the placement of concrete one needs to be a accredited by the ICC and approved to inspect that kind of work by the building official in the jurisdiction where the inspection will be performed.

When I arrive on a job to pre inspect a slab on grade the first thing I do after meeting with the super intendant and concrete foreman is walk the slab and get familiar with the layout. At this time i'm also looking for standard code deviations like debris and deleterious material in the footing and in the slab. I'm also looking at reinforcing steel clearances, ensuring that plumbing is properly wrapped, vapor barrier is installed, no obvious signs of rebar or post tension missing, etc.. The next thing I do is go over the plans and familiarize myself with them. Next I verify the type-size-grade and lap lengths of the rebar and verify that it was placed in accordance with the stamped construction drawings. I count hold downs and anchor bolts and verify that they are installed correctly. I also verify the placement of conduits and plumbing and ensure that they too are in conformance with the applicable building codes and the drawings. After giving the slab the once over, I then verify that all of the documents are in order and sign off on the inspection card if there aren't any discrepancies or missing pieces of the puzzle. Sometimes if I find something wrong and the contractor is there, I will let them fix it while I continue my inspection. Writing non compliance notices can be a pain in the butt. Of course this is just a broad over view of how I perform an inspection, each job has it's unique way of going up.

Check out http://www.iccsafe.org for more information regarding special inspection.