Free checklist
Special inspectionCast-in-place concrete special inspection checklist
Once concrete is placed, the reinforcement and the mix behind it are unverifiable. The independent inspector confirms the steel, witnesses the sampling, and records the placement while everything is still visible.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo evidence it needs
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Work the list here and watch the gate hold, or load it into RTI and let it enforce the real thing.
Reinforcement and embeds
Bar size, grade, spacing and lap lengths match the approved drawings
Placement checked against the reinforcement drawings before forms are closed.
Concrete cover and support verified
Chairs and spacers maintain the specified cover; a tape photographed at cover.
Embeds, anchor bolts and openings located and secured
Position and projection confirmed against the plan; nothing loose before the pour.
Rebar bundle tags trace to the approved grade and mill reports
Heat and grade on the bundle tags match the approved shop drawings and the mill test reports on file.
Formwork shape, location and dimensions checked before the pour
Member size and location match the drawings; forms clean of debris, ice and standing water at placement.
Mix and sampling
Delivery ticket matches the approved mix design
Mix identification, water added and elapsed time checked on the ticket.
Fresh-concrete tests and specimen sets witnessed
Slump, temperature, air and specimen casting performed and witnessed at the specified frequency.
Specimens labeled and protected for initial curing on site
Cylinders marked with the placement location and set in a curing box or protected spot away from traffic, sun and frost.
Out-of-spec loads reported to the contractor before discharge
Slump, temperature, mix or elapsed time outside the approved limits noted with the ticket number and reported to the placing foreman before the load goes in; the outcome recorded.
No photo
Placement and curing
Placement, consolidation and cold-joint control observed
No segregation; consolidation and lift sequence appropriate for the element.
Curing and protection started and maintained as specified
Curing method in place promptly; protection appropriate to the conditions.
Placement-day weather checked against the approved plan
Air temperature, wind and forecast noted at the start of placement; when they trigger it, the hot- or cold-weather measures the approved plan calls for are in place.
No photo
Discrepancies and reporting
Results missing the acceptance criteria sent to the EOR and AHJ
Strength or fresh-concrete results outside the specified values reported with the element and pour location they represent, so the engineer of record can direct any follow-up.
No photoPlacement report ties tickets, tests and element location together
Each report lists the element, volume, ticket numbers and specimen sets, plus weather, delays or cold joints noted during the pour, as the statement of special inspections requires.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Reinforcement signed off after forms were closed, so cover and spacing could not be verified.
- Test specimens taken and cured without the inspector present to witness the sampling.
- Delivery tickets not checked against the approved mix, so a substituted mix went in unnoticed.
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this cast-in-place concrete checklist cover?
- 14 items across 4 sections, covering reinforcement and embeds, mix and sampling, placement and curing, discrepancies and reporting. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- A third-party or owner's-rep special inspector for concrete, with the placing crew and the testing lab.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Before the pour (reinforcement and embeds), at delivery (mix verification and sampling), and during placement and curing.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 10 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 16 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a cast-in-place concrete inspection?
- Reinforcement signed off after forms were closed, so cover and spacing could not be verified. Test specimens taken and cured without the inspector present to witness the sampling. Delivery tickets not checked against the approved mix, so a substituted mix went in unnoticed.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.
Related checklists
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 16 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.
See all 508 checklists · 6741 items and 5984 photo requirements in total.