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Construction Inspections

B&A wants to make sure your project is a success. Having an accomplished inspection agency observing the construction process, to ensure that the plans and specifications are followed, is a fine idea. 

Our techincians are certified and our engineers are licensed to provide your required inspection and oversight services.

Our Services

Geotechnical Consulting

- Subsurface Investigation and Analysis
- Design and Consulting Services

Inspections & Testing

- Construction Inspections
- Construction Material Testing
- Laboratory Testing

UAV Mapping & 3D Documentation

- Aerial Photography
- Terrain Mapping
- Documentation of Construction Progress

“When you need your consultant ON-TIME and ON-SITE – We’re There”

Undercuts and Bearing Grade

Structures must be founded on natural-stable material. This requires an investigation of the “bearing grade” soils. Structural loading requirements will be defined in the design documents. The interfacing strata must be verified and be able to handle the anticipated structure loads. This is done by:

  • Excavating down to desired material/depths (undercutting),
  • Visually inspecting materials,
  • Probing the local layers with a penetrometer,
  • Testing samples in the laboratory, and/or
  • Monitoring groundwater conditions – any scour or subsidence during construction should be avoided.

Ground improvement measures may be suggested, by the geotechnical or structural engineer, if excessively weak or plastic soils are encountered.

Structural Concrete and Masonry

Prior to installation, concrete and masonry structural elements must be inspected to ensure compliance with the design documents. It is very expensive to modify structural concrete and masonry elements once placed.

Monitoring and inspecting structural concrete and masonry construction may include the checking of:

  • Internal reinforcement of cast-in place concrete or masonary building elements,
  • Precast structures, or
  • Pre- or post-tension building elements.

Typical methods, codes, and/or standards:

  • ACI 318, Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete
  • International Code Council (ICC), 2015 International Building Code (IBC)
  • CRSI Manual of Standard Practice

Structural Steel 

It is efficient to construct both big and small structures with steel elements. Inspection of structural steel includes checking:

  • Foundation connections,
  • Columns, girders, and beam sizes,
  • Welds and/or bolts,
  • Light-gauge construction, and
  • Decking.

Typical codes, manuals, methods, and/or standards:

  • AISC Steel Construction Manual
  • ANSI/AISC 360, Specification for Structural Steel Buildings
  • AWS D1.1, Structural Welding Code – Steel

Timber

Timber is one of the most common building materials. If improperly installed, catostrophic issues may arise. B&A is qualified to inspect timber construction to check installation of:

  • Platform and baloon stick framing,
  • Post and beam load-carrying construction, and
  • Sheathing and envelopment.

Typical codes, standards and/or associations:

  • AITC Timber Construction Manual
  • AWC National Design Specification (NDS) for Wood Construction, and Supplement
  • ANSI/AWC Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic Standard and AWC Manual for Engineered Wood Construction

SWPPP

Depending on the amount of land disturbed, your project may need to be monitored as part of a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). 

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation is quite clear on the need and requirements to contain and minimize construction run-off. Additionally, local jurisdictions (towns, counties, etc.) will not allow the closure of a building permit unless all SWPPP issues are addressed and properly documented.

SWPPP inspections begin as soon as ground is broken, through the construction phase, and are continued typically until erosion control devices removed and all disturbed areas have achieved 80% vegetative (grass) cover.

B&A technicians are trained and certified to conduct SWPPP inspections in accordance with all applicable regulations, including those set forth by the NYS DEC. 

The scope of services is expected to include on-site observation and documentation of erosion control efforts to comply with State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) General Permit for Storm water Discharges from Construction Activity and detailed by the Civil Engineer of Record.  

Floor Flatness

 Big-box stores require flat floors for their interior design. Further, high tolerances in industrial settings require acceptable floor flatness. 

Once the concrete floor has been installed measurments are taken to determine if the the flatness and levelness is within the design requirements. 

Applicable ASTM standards:

  • E-1155 – Standard Test Method for Determining FF Floor Flatness and FL Floor Levelness Numbers

Crosshole Sonic Logging

Drilled shafts are a common deep foundation option. However, the load-carrying capacity of these types of foundations – which are also called “caissons” – is based on the concrete volume and reinforcement within.

Measuring the integrity of a constructed drilled pier via the cross-hole sonic logging method evaluates as-built conditions.

This method involves dropping mechanical wave transducers down into the shaft, acquiring data, and post-processing. If the pier does not have the desired geometrical or material design, cross-hole sonic logging can help identify such deviations before putting into service.

(Photo by GRL Engineers, Cleveland, OH)