Trade walkthroughs
How to inspect precast concrete
Precast concrete splits the inspection in two: the plant, where the piece is cast with its reinforcement, embeds, and finish, and the field, where it's erected and connected. The connections and the bearing are what make erected panels and members act as a structure, and they're often welded, grouted, or bolted and then covered. Verify what arrived matches the approved shop drawings, then verify it's set and connected within tolerance before it's loaded and closed in.
For the superintendent and QC manager verifying precast panel and structural precast erection against the approved shop and erection drawings, alongside the special inspector.
Step by step
Confirm plant QC and the approved shop drawings
Verify the pieces match the approved shop drawings for dimension, reinforcement, embeds, and finish, and that the plant's QC records — including any prestressing or first-article piece — accompany the delivery. The mock-up or first piece sets the accepted finish and color standard.
Inspect pieces on delivery for damage and marks
Check each piece against its erection mark for the right member in the right place, and inspect for cracking, spalling, chipped edges, and shipping damage before it's lifted. Note embed and connection hardware location and condition against the drawings.
Verify the supporting structure and bearing
Confirm the supporting structure — foundation, steel, or the piece below — is at the right elevation and location, that bearing pads, shims, and bearing length match the detail, and that embeds in the supporting structure line up. A piece set on the wrong bearing has no load path.
Check erection plumb, level, and alignment
Verify pieces are set plumb, level, and aligned within the erection tolerance, with consistent joint widths and reveals across the facade. Correcting alignment after connections are welded or grouted is expensive and often impossible.
Inspect connections — welds, bolts, and grout
Confirm each connection is made per the detail: field welds of the right size by qualified welders, bolted connections complete and tightened, and grouted or dry-packed connections and keyways filled solid. Verify the special inspector observes the welding and any grouting the code requires. The connections carry the building.
Confirm bracing stays until connections are complete
Verify temporary bracing and shoring stay in place until the permanent connections are made and released, and that lifting and bracing follow the erection engineer's sequence. A panel unbraced before its connections are complete is a life-safety hazard.
Verify joints, sealants, and weatherproofing
For architectural and cladding precast, confirm the joint treatment — backer rod and sealant, gaskets, or the drained-joint detail — matches the design, and that the joints manage water as intended. The precast face is not the waterproofing; the joints are.
Document connections and finishes before cover
Photograph the bearing, connections, and grouting before fireproofing, topping, or finishes cover them, keep the plant QC and special-inspection records in the file, and write up damage, out-of-tolerance erection, or incomplete connections as nonconformance or punch items.
What gets missed
- Welding or grouting connections before erection plumb, level, and alignment are verified.
- Bearing pads, shims, or bearing length wrong, leaving a piece with no proper load path.
- Temporary bracing pulled before the permanent connections are complete and released.
- Connections and grouting covered by fireproofing or topping before they're inspected and photographed.
- Treating the panel face as the weatherproofing while the joint sealant detail is neglected.
Questions people ask
- What gets inspected at the plant versus in the field?
- The plant casts the piece — reinforcement, embeds, prestressing, dimension, and finish — under its own QC, ideally verified against an approved first piece. The field inspection covers erection: bearing, alignment, and the connections that tie the pieces into a structure. Both records travel with the precast.
- Why are the connections the critical inspection?
- Because individual precast pieces only become a structure through their connections, and those welds, bolts, and grouted joints carry the loads and get covered by fireproofing, topping, or finishes. Once covered, an incomplete or defective connection is invisible — so it's verified and photographed while it's exposed.
Standards behind it
Terms worth knowing
Checklists that make this a one-tap job
Free, field-ready checklists, each with the photo every item needs before it can be submitted.
Related guides
- How to inspect structural steelInspect steel erection in order — anchor bolts, plumb and level, bolted and welded connections — against the erection drawings and the inspection plan.
- How to inspect a concrete pourRun the pre-pour inspection, watch the pour, and check the finish — formwork, rebar, embeds, mix, and curing — because concrete only gets inspected once.
- How to inspect a retaining wallInspect a retaining wall from the foundation up — bearing, reinforcement, drainage, backfill, and the wall system itself — because the drainage and steel are buried behind it.
Reading the steps is one thing. Proving you walked them is the job.
RTI holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and the photos are attached, then chains the record so it can be proven untouched later.