Before you read this one-page BLAST about steel fabricator approval, please read the International Building Code (IBC) Section 1704.2.5.1 at the bottom of the page. It is not easy reading, and it is considered ambiguous by most readers. You will probably need a little help understanding what the IBC code is really saying in this Section. Don’t worry – the cavalry is coming!
Yes, the Building Official is the only person who can authorize a fab shop not to perform special inspections on steel elements they are fabricating when the code actually requires them. At first blush, you might think that 1704.2.5.1 doesn’t say much about how the fab shop earns the right not to have shop special inspections; however, 1704.2.5.1 does require the shop to have a strong, active QC system that complies
with AISC 360 and AISC 303. A review of that QC system basically has to prove that the fab shop is capable of building the project’s steel elements (based on experience).
- The Building Official cannot approve the fab shop based on a review of its QC system after the shop has manufactured the steel elements for the project
- The QC system review includes the fab shop’s entire QC system, including in-house staff and consultants, nondestructive testing resources, and a history of the fab shop working with the staff and consultants
- Periodic auditing of fabrication and quality control practices of the fabrication shop is critical
- Periodic auditing is typically conducted twice annually
- The review of the QC program includes verification of proper equipment calibration
________
IBC Section 1704.2.5.1 Fabricator Approval
Special inspections is not required where the work is done on the premises of a fabricator approved to perform such work without special inspection. Approval shall be based on a review of the fabricator’s written fabrication procedures and quality control manual that provide a basis for control of materials and workmanship, with periodic auditing of fabrication and quality control practices by an approved agency or the building official.
At completion of fabrication, the approved fabricator shall submit a certificate of compliance to the owner or the owner’s authorized agent for submittal to the building official as specified in Section 1704.5 stating that the work was performed in accordance with the approved construction documents.
_________
For more information or further enthusiastic discourse on topics of CODE, please contact Alan Tuck at: [email protected] or 540.344.7939.
