ICC 86 SFRM Inspector study plan
ICC 86 SFRM Inspector · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Codes, standards, and referenced documents applicable to SFRM inspection
Map the standards landscape by listing each referenced document category (test methods, material specifications, application standards, inspection standards) and stating in one sentence what each governs
Outline the code hierarchy from building code to referenced standards and explain how a code section points to an SFRM acceptance criterion
Define the inspection responsibilities and authority boundaries of the special inspector versus the contractor and the authority having jurisdiction
Locate and index the specific test-method numbers used for thickness, density, bond strength, and fire-resistance rating so you can recall them without notes
Your checkpoint
A one-page standards crosswalk table (standard designation, title, what it governs, which inspection task uses it) with at least 12 entries, self-quizzed to 90% recall
Codes, standards, and referenced documents applicable to SFRM inspection & SFRM materials, types, and fire-resistance principles
Explain how fire-resistance ratings are established for structural steel and distinguish restrained versus unrestrained assembly conditions
Describe the material families used for sprayed fire-resistive media and their distinguishing physical characteristics
Connect material physical properties (density, thermal conductivity, cohesive strength) to the fire protection they deliver
Identify which listed/classified product documentation an inspector must verify before accepting material on site
Your checkpoint
A written 400-word explainer plus a comparison table of at least three SFRM material types covering density range, typical use, and inspection sensitivity
Substrate preparation, surface conditions, and environmental requirements
List substrate acceptance conditions (surface contamination, coatings, primed versus bare steel, galvanizing, overspray) and state the inspection decision for each
Specify how to verify ambient and substrate temperature, humidity, and ventilation against product data before and during application
Describe how to evaluate surface preparation results and document a rejection when preparation is inadequate
Identify the sequence of hold points between substrate approval and the start of spraying
Your checkpoint
A pre-application checklist with at least 15 yes/no verification items, each tied to a hold point and a pass/fail criterion
Application methods, equipment, and installation procedures
Trace the application process from masking and priming through mixing, spraying, and curing, and name the inspection observation at each step
Describe equipment variables (mixer, pump, hose length, nozzle, air pressure) that affect applied density and thickness
Explain how multiple passes and lift thickness limits influence final product quality
Identify required environmental and curing conditions for the material to reach specified properties
Your checkpoint
A process flow diagram with at least 10 steps, each annotated with the inspector's observation and the defect that results if the step is done wrong
Thickness and density measurement, verification, and sampling
Explain the sampling pattern rules for thickness measurement, including how measurement locations are distributed across a member and a test area
Compute average thickness, minimum individual thickness, and compliance against the specified and required values for a worked example
Describe density sampling procedure from field-applied material through specimen preparation and calculation
Identify common measurement errors and how to avoid or document them
Your checkpoint
A worked calculation set of three synthetic thickness/density scenarios with correct pass/fail conclusions and a short note on the governing rule applied in each
Adhesion, cohesion, and bond testing & Thickness and density measurement, verification, and sampling
Describe the bond strength test procedure, specimen preparation, loading method, and failure-mode classification
Distinguish adhesion failure from cohesion failure and explain what each implies about the cause
State the acceptance thresholds for bond strength and how test frequency is determined
Combine thickness, density, and bond results into a single conformance judgment for a test area
Your checkpoint
A mock inspection data package (thickness, density, bond results for one test area) with a written conformance determination and failure-mode reasoning
Inspection documentation, reporting, and records & Defects, repairs, and corrective actions
Draft the required content elements of a daily inspection report and explain why each element protects the record's defensibility
Describe the correction and repair process for deficient thickness, density, and bond, including who approves and what must be re-tested
Identify typical defect categories, their likely causes, and the corrective action for each
Explain how nonconformance documentation, re-inspection, and closeout records connect
Your checkpoint
A complete sample daily report plus a nonconformance/repair record for one simulated defect, written to a standard you would defend in a dispute
Inspection documentation, reporting, and records & Defects, repairs, and corrective actions & Codes, standards, and referenced documents applicable to SFRM inspection
Re-derive from memory the standards crosswalk, test-method numbers, and acceptance criteria for all domains
Complete a timed full-length practice set and categorize every miss by domain and by knowledge versus procedure error
Re-study only the two weakest domains using your own week 1-7 deliverables as the study source
Write a one-page personal exam-day procedure for calculation and code-reference questions
Your checkpoint
A scored practice exam with an error log of at least 20 catalogued misses and a targeted re-study sheet for the two weakest domains
Milestones
Week 2: Recall the governing standard for each of the four core inspection tests (thickness, density, bond, fire-resistance classification) without notes, and state one sentence on what each standard controls
Week 4: Walk through the full application sequence aloud in under 10 minutes, naming the hold point and the pass/fail criterion at each stage
Week 6: Correctly compute average and minimum thickness and reach the right pass/fail conclusion on two of three unseen worked scenarios, and correctly label adhesion versus cohesion failure on a described specimen
Week 8: Score at least 80% on the timed practice set with no domain below 65%, and show that all misses in the weakest two domains have been re-studied and re-tested