SUPERVISION OF CONSTRUCTION
The inspector's vital role is to assure the
structural engineer and owner that the reinforcing materials are in place as shown on
placing drawings and bar lists. The inspector must, of course, work with details that have
been approved before fabrication, but at times there are unanticipated fit problems of
reinforcing bar congestion that were not resolved at the design/ detailing level. If the
inspector disagrees with the details and reinforcement furnished in accordance with the
detail drawings, the delay at the job site while the question is referred to the
structural engineer idles the iron workers and concrete crews and may shut down all work.
This creates added costs that are far out of proportion to the steel cost and cost of a
prior review for approval by the structural engineer.
APPROVAL OF REINFORCING STEEL
PLACING DRAWINGS
Some specifications require that reinforcing steel placing drawings be
sealed by a professional engineer employed by the fabricator. The application of a
professional engineer's seal implies that the engineer was "in responsible charge
of," not merely a contributor to, the work. In some states a contributor may seal a
drawing only if the registrant in responsible charge also seals the work.
Since the fabricator's detailers make no engineering decisions but only
determine the number of bars from pre-established spacings, bar lengths, bend locations,
and bar positioning from instructions provided in the design engineer's specifications and
engineering drawings, there is nothing to be in responsible charge of to seal. All
directions of structural importance are provided by the structural engineer.
Occasionally, there are errors in these
instructions and opportunities for misinterpretations, as there also can be on the
fabricator's placing drawings. The desire for error-free construction is of importance to
all. Instructing the fabricator to have a professional engineer seal the placing drawings,
however, does not satisfy this desire.
Aside from possible ethical violations, if a professional engineer
employed by the fabricator were to seal the placing drawings, it would be most likely
after a review of drawings prepared by others. Since this engineer was not in responsible
charge and has little knowledge of the structural engineer's intentions other than what is
shown on the structural drawings and specifications, the placing drawings must still be
reviewed and approved by the structural engineer in responsible charge. The result is
another layer of engineering expense but certainly not another layer of engineering
protection for society. The structural engineer of record, in responsible charge, must be
the one to review and approve reinforcing steel placing drawings.
It is important to recognize the difference between a structural steel
fabricator's service, such as designing structural steel connections, where engineering
decisions may be required and a reinforcing steel fabricator's service preparing
reinforcing steel placing drawings where engineering decisions are never required. Even
the decision as to whether a structural steel fabricator's drawings shall be sealed by an
engineer employed by the fabricator must be made on the basis of whether independent
engineering decisions that the fabricator was in responsible charge of appear on the
drawings.
