How often should an engineer visit a job site?

[333OnlyHalfEvil]

See subject:

 

[MacGyverS2000]

How high is the building?

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[hokie66]

This depends on lots of things, like the size of the project, the construction schedule, etc. No concise answer will suffice, but I think current practice in most instances provides inadequate site presence by the design engineer.

 

[jdgengineer]

We mainly complete high-end single family residences. Our standard is:

1) After all demolition is complete if remodel / addition
2) Before each unique concrete pour. (piers, gradebeams, basement mat, basement wall, structural slabs, etc.)
3) Often times 1-2 progress framing walkthroughs (exterior shear, or after significant framing is completed)
4) Rough framing walkthrough
5) Final framing after all trades have gone through

Average new two-story house with basement, would have 4-8 visits by the engineer.

I suspect this is more than most who do residential. Thankfully, we are in an area which tolerates a high level of engineering involvement.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Thankfully, we are in an area which tolerates a high level of engineering involvement.

This statement makes me weep for our professions...

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[msquared48]

As often as the contract stipulates.

Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)

 

[dbill74]

As Hokie66 says, it depends. Size, complexity, budget, contract requirements, schedule, site location, etc. Also consider do you need to be making weekly field visits for during the entire project?

Once foundations are poured and structural framing complete, does the structural engineer need to be go out to inspect application of gyp board on the walls? Likewise, the HVAC engineer does not need to watch foundations or slabs being poured.

For example a plumbing or electrical engineer might make several visits early to inspect underground utilities before they are covered. Then go several months without a visit while foundations and slabs are poured and structural framing erected.

If a job site is on the other side of town, weekly visits are easy to do. However if the site is in another state (I have one project going in Charleston, SC with the engineer out of Kansas City, MO), weekly visits becomes costly so you might be limited to visiting once a month.

 

[XR250]

I do mostly residential and light commercial. I rarely go to jobsites unless a problem arises. No one around here wants to pay for C.A.
I try to make my plans as simple, consistant and easy to build as possible to prevent many issues that would require a site visit.

 

[hokie66]

Before entering any contract, the issue of site visits should be resolved. Part of the decision process involves certifications required. If you sign certifications at the end, you must do everything required in order to be truthful.

 

[PEDARRIN2]

My company has separate (non design) individuals who make field visits, inspect construction, issue reports, etc. There is typically a contractually agreed number of visits or a certain budget for this effort.

However, unless there are construction issues, there is typically nothing in the budget for the design personnel to come to the site.

I think this is a big mistake, especially for less experienced design employees.

It looks good on paper, but when you get out in the field, it might not work.

But, in this era of tight budgets, that is one thing that gets left out.

 

[dbill74]

When I was a young engineer, just "learning the ropes", I made frequent trips to job sites. Initially with senior engineers and eventually on my own. The things I saw and learned about the construction process have been invaluable to me as a design engineer. Actually seeing how the various parts of a building interact and fit together, watching the construction guys do their thing; all have helped me to make better decisions in the design process and IMHO create better designs.

I think this is a big mistake, especially for less experienced design employees.

On the contrary, I think it is very important for design engineers to make field visits. Even if the objective is as simple as "seeing how things are progressing". I have found that it is not uncommon for contractors to cut corners and not always tell the superintendent or you, the engineer. Often it will still meet code and the design intent and goes into my list of "lessons learned" for possible inclusion in future designs. But there are occasions where such deviations are not acceptable and needs to be corrected.

-Case in point: My organization recently had a group of buildings completed that are now having humidity issues. In attempting to find the source of the humidity it was discovered that certain interior walls were not constructed fully per the design, a layer of gyb was discovered to be missing. There was no RFI or request to change how the walls were built and the contractor's QC either missed it or let it go. Money is no having to be spent to fix things and find the source of the problem. Point I am wanting to make here is that we, the design community, cannot always trust Joe Plumber to build it as we design.

 

[hokie66]

dbill,
Suggest your reread PED's post. The two of you basically agree, as do I.

 

[GMcD]

There are also local PE and P.Eng. Association requirements for "good practice" (that will hold up in court) - for example - in British Columbia, APEGBC REQUIRES the engineer of record to make site reviews at his discretion, or if the site reviews are delegated, it must be at the EOR's direct supervision - which means that all site review reports have to be initialed or signed off by the EOR as proof of "direct supervision". APEGBC even goes as far as saying that the EOR cannot stipulate fixed numbers of site visits that may limit the ability to make site reviews "at his discretion".

 

[BUGGAR]

I confess to making a lot of "free" Saturday job inspections. Damn the lack of pay; it's nice to spend unrestricted time just looking at what is being built, especially without a Contractor being under foot.
And you can bring that A325 nut and bolt that you found in the dirt back to the office.