Section 1704A — California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)

SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS, CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITY AND

STRUCTURAL OBSERVATION

1704 A .1 General. Special inspections and tests, statements of special inspections, responsibilities of contractors, submittals to the building official and structural observations shall meet the applicable requirements of this section.

1704 A .2 Special inspections and tests. Where application is made to the building official for construction as specified in Section 105, the owner shall employ one or more approved agencies to provide special inspections and tests during construction on the types of work specified in Section 1705 A 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.

[OSHPD 1 & 4] The inspectors shall act under the direction of the architect or structural engineer or both, and be respon- sible to the Owner. Where the California Administrative Code (CAC) Section 7-115 (a) 2 permits construction docu- ments to be prepared under the responsible charge of a mechanical, electrical or civil engineer, inspectors shall be permitted to work under the direction of engineer in appro- priate branch as permitted therein.

Exceptions:

Special inspections and tests are not required for construction of a minor nature or as warranted by conditions in the jurisdiction as approved by the building official .

SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS

1703 A .3 Record of approval. For any material, appliance, equipment, system or method of construction that has been approved, a record of such approval, including the conditions and limitations of the approval, shall be kept on file in the building official’s office and shall be available for public review at appropriate times.

1703 A .4 Performance. Specific information consisting of test reports conducted by an approved agency in accordance with the appropriate referenced standards, or other such information as necessary, shall be provided for the building official to determine that the product, material or assembly meets the applicable code requirements.

[OSHPD 1 & 4] Tests performed by an independent approved testing agency/laboratory or under the responsi- ble charge of a competent approved independent Regis- tered Design Professional shall be deemed to comply with requirements of this section. Test reports for structural tests shall be reviewed and accepted by an independent California licensed structural engineer.

1703 A .4.1 Research and investigation. Sufficient technical data shall be submitted to the building official to substantiate the proposed use of any product, material or assembly. If it is determined that the evidence submitted is satisfactory proof of performance for the use intended, the building official shall approve the use of the product, material or assembly subject to the requirements of this code. The costs, reports and investigations required under these provisions shall be paid by the owner or the owner’s authorized agent.

1703 A .4.2 Research reports. Supporting data, where necessary to assist in the approval of products, materials or assemblies not specifically provided for in this code, shall consist of valid research reports from approved sources.

1703 A .5 Labeling. Products, materials or assemblies required to be labeled shall be labeled in accordance with the procedures set forth in Sections 1703 A .5.1 through 1703 A .5.4.

1703 A .5.1 Testing. An approved agency shall test a representative sample of the product, material or assembly being labeled to the relevant standard or standards. The approved agency shall maintain a record of the tests performed. The record shall provide sufficient detail to verify compliance with the test standard.

1703 A .5.2 Inspection and identification. The approved agency shall periodically perform an inspection, which shall be in-plant if necessary, of the product or material that is to be labeled. The inspection shall verify that the labeled product, material or assembly is representative of the product, material or assembly tested.

1703 A .5.3 Label information. The label shall contain the manufacturer’s identification, model number, serial number or definitive information describing the performance characteristics of the product, material or assembly and the approved agency’s identification.

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SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS

premises of a fabricator’s shop, special inspections of the fabricated items shall be performed during fabrication.

1704 A .2.5.1 Fabricator approval. Not permitted by DSA-SS, DSA-SS/CC, or OSHPD.

1704 A .3 Statement of special inspections. Where special inspections or tests are required by Section 1705A, the registered design professional in responsible charge shall prepare a statement of special inspections in accordance with Section 1704 A .3.1 for submittal by the applicant in accordance with Section 1704 A .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.

1704 A .3.1 Content of statement of special inspections. The statement of special inspections shall identify the following:

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.
The type and extent of each special inspection.
The type and extent of each test.
Additional requirements for special inspections or tests for seismic or wind resistance as specified in Sections 1705 A .11, 1705 A .12 and 1705 A .13.
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.

1704 A .3.2 Seismic requirements in the statement of special inspections. Where Section 1705 A .12 or 1705 A .13 specifies special inspections or tests for seismic resistance, the statement of special inspections shall identify the equipment/components that require special seis- mic certification and seismic force-resisting systems that are subject to the special inspections or tests.

1704 A .3.3 Wind requirements in the statement of spe- cial inspections. Where Section 1705 A .11 specifies special inspection for wind resistance, the statement of special inspections shall identify the main windforce-resisting systems and wind-resisting components that are subject to special inspections.

1704 A .4 Contractor responsibility. Each contractor responsible for the construction of a main wind- or seismic force-resisting system, installation of equipment/components requiring special seismic certification or a wind- or seismic force-resisting component listed in the statement of special inspections shall submit a written statement of responsibility to the building official and the owner or the owner’s authorized agent prior to the commencement of work on the system or component. The contractor’s statement of responsibility shall contain acknowledgement of awareness of the special requirements contained in the statement of special inspections.

[DSA-SS, DSA-SS/CC] Reference to Section 105 and Section 110 shall be to the California Adminis- trative Code instead.

1704 A .2.1 Special inspector qualifications. 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.

1704 A .2.2 Access for special inspection. The construction or work for which special inspection or testing is required shall remain accessible and exposed for special inspection or testing purposes until completion of the required special inspections or tests.

1704 A .2.3 Statement of special inspections. The applicant shall submit a statement of special inspections pre- pared by the registered design professional in general responsible charge in accordance with Section 107.1 as a condition for construction documents review. This statement shall be in accordance with Section 1704 A .3.

[DSA-SS, DSA-SS/CC] Reference to Section 107.1 shall be to the California Administrative Code instead.

1704 A .2.4 Report requirement. The inspector(s) of record and approved agencies shall keep records of special inspections and tests. The inspector of record and approved agency shall submit reports of special inspections and tests to the building official and to the registered design professional in responsible charge as required by the California Administrative Code . Reports shall indicate that work inspected or tested was or was not completed in conformance to approved construction documents as required by the California Administrative Code and this code . Discrepancies shall be brought to the immediate attention of the contractor for correction. If they are not corrected, the discrepancies shall be brought to the attention of the building official and to the registered design professional in responsible charge prior to the completion of that phase of the work. A final report documenting required special inspections and tests, and correction of any discrepancies noted in the inspections or tests, shall be submitted at a point in time agreed upon prior to the start of work by the owner or the owner’s authorized agent to the building official.

1704 A .2.5 Special inspection of fabricated items. Where fabrication of structural, load-bearing or lateral loadresisting members or assemblies is being conducted on the

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of the building official, unusual in its nature, such as, but not limited to, the following examples:

Construction materials and systems that are alternatives to materials and systems prescribed by this code.
Unusual design applications of materials described in this code.
Materials and systems required to be installed in accordance with additional manufacturer’s instructions that prescribe requirements not contained in this code or in standards referenced by this code.

1705 A .2 Steel construction. The special inspections and nondestructive testing of steel construction in buildings, structures, and portions thereof shall be in accordance with this section.

Exception: Special inspections of the steel fabrication process shall not be required where the fabrication process for the entire building or structure does not include any welding, thermal cutting or heating operation of any kind. In such cases, the fabricator shall be required to submit a detailed procedure for material control that demonstrates the fabricator’s ability to maintain suitable records and procedures such that, at any time during the fabrication process, the material specification and grade for the main stress-carrying elements are capable of being determined. Mill test reports shall be identifiable to the main stress-carrying elements where required by the approved construction documents.

1705 A .2.1 Structural steel. Special inspections and nondestructive testing of structural steel elements in buildings, structures and portions thereof shall be in accordance with the quality assurance requirements of this section, Chapter 22A and quality control requirements of AISC 360, AISC 341 and AISC 358.

Exception: Special inspection of railing systems composed of structural steel elements shall be limited to welding inspection of welds at the base of cantilevered rail posts.

AISC 360, Chapter N and AISC 341, Chapter J are adopted, except as noted below:

The following provisions of AISC 360, Chapter N are not adopted:

1. N4, Item 2 (Quality Assurance Inspector Qualifications).

2. N5, Item 2 (Quality Assurance).

3. N5, Item 3 (Coordinated Inspection).

4. N5, Item 4 (Inspection of Welding).

5. N6 (Approved Fabricators and Erectors).

6. N7 (Nonconforming Material and Workmanship).

Additionally, the requirements of Table 1705A.2.1 of the California Building Code shall apply.

In addition to the quality assurance requirements con- tained in AISC 341, Chapter J, Section J5 (Inspection Tasks), the requirements of Section 1704A.3 and Table 1705A.2.1 of the California Building Code shall apply.

SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS

1704 A .5 Submittals to the building official. In addition to the submittal of reports of special inspections and tests in accordance with Section 1704 A .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:

Certificates of compliance for the manufacturer’s certi- fication of nonstructural components, supports and attachments in accordance with Section 1705 A .13.2.

2. Certificates of compliance for equipment/components requiring special seismic certification in accordance with Section 1705 A .13.3.

3. Reports of preconstruction tests for shotcrete in accordance with Section 1908 A .5.

4. Certificates of compliance for open web steel joists and joist girders in accordance with Section 2207 A .5.

5. 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.

6. 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 earthquakeinduced 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.

1704 A .6 Structural observations. T he owner shall employ a registered design professional to perform structural observations. Structural observation does not include or waive the responsibility for the inspections in Section 110A or the special inspections in Section 1705 A 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.

[DSA-SS, DSA-SS/CC] Reference to Section 110 shall be to the California Administrative Code instead.