Standard Practice for Inspection of Underground Precast Concrete Utility Structures

This practice covers the inspection of underground precast concrete utility structures designed and manufactured. The manufacturer shall have the following responsibilities: develop and use an effective quality control program that shall include material controls, tests, and inspections as agreed upon between manufacturer and purchaser throughout the fabrication process; make available the inspection records and associated test data; notify the inspector of any changes in material, method of fabrication, or quality control procedure; designate an individual as liaison to the inspector who will sign the inspection activity reports, and when necessary, will be available to the inspector to discuss matters pertaining to inspection, fabrication, and quality control; prepare sufficient concrete test cylinders to meet the purchaser's requirements for compressive strength; assemble, upon request, (without grout) selected concrete component sections to form a complete structure assembly to determine that fit-up requirements are as specified; and provide marking according to purchaser requirements. On the other hand, the inspector's responsibilities shall be the following: familiarize himself with the manufacturer's quality control program; determine that the fabrication of the precast units complies with drawings approved by the purchaser, including hardware and general requirements; immediately report to the purchaser and manufacturer any component parts, complete structures, etc., not in compliance; and clearly indicate on the inspection activity report any fabrication problems encountered and solutions utilized. The inspector shall inspect the materials and fabricated products such as reinforcing steel, assembly, hardware, and concrete.