Code Administration, Plans and Specification Review for Structural Steel
Code Administration: Authority, Hierarchy, and the Inspector's Role
An inspector works inside a legal hierarchy, and questions on this domain test whether you know who owns which decision. The building code (IBC Chapter 17 and its referenced standards) sets the minimum; AISC 360 (the Specification), AISC 303 (the Code of Standard Practice), the RCSC Specification for Structural Joints Using High-Strength Bolts, and AWS D1.1 supply the technical rules; and the contract documents may be stricter than the code but never looser. When two documents conflict, the more restrictive governs, and a genuine ambiguity is resolved in writing by the engineer of record (EOR) - never by a field decision.
Roles to keep straight
- EOR: design intent, including the type and location of connections and the forces they must carry.
- Fabricator and erector: means, methods, and quality control (QC).
- Owner's QA and the code-mandated special inspector: verification, documentation, and reporting.
The special inspector's authority derives from the building official. The inspector observes, records, and reports; the inspector does not direct the contractor's workforce, approve a substituted bolt grade or weld detail, or waive an inspection because the schedule is tight. Those are EOR or building-official actions.
Traps: scenarios in which the inspector "approves" a field fix, tells ironworkers how to plumb a column, or accepts a substitution because "the mill certificate looks the same." Another common trap assumes the IBC alone governs connections - it defers to AISC 360 and RCSC for the details.
Worked example: drawings specify 7/8 in. A490 bolts, the specification text says A325. There is no unilateral substitution. Write a nonconformance report, notify the EOR, and continue only with the approved item. Rule of thumb: code is the floor, contract is the ceiling, EOR breaks ties.
Plans and Specification Review for Structural Steel
Three drawing sets matter. Design drawings (by the EOR) show member sizes, elevations, loads, and - per AISC 303 - the type and configuration of connections and the forces for which they are designed. Shop drawings (by the fabricator) translate design intent into fabrication detail: member marks, piece dimensions, camber, cut lengths, hole types and bolt sizes, weld symbols and sizes, surface preparation and coating. Erection drawings (also the fabricator's) show field connections, erection marks, piece weights, and the sequence of member placement.
What a reviewer checks
- Member sizes and grades in the schedule match the framing plans and the general notes.
- Connection callouts are complete: bolt diameter, grade and hole type; weld process, size, length, and symbol placement.
- Special requirements appear: galvanizing, slip-critical joints, demand-critical welds, preheat, toughness.
- Revision clouds and dates are current, and superseded sheets are pulled from the field.
A review stamp typically reads "reviewed for conformance with the design concept" - it does not shift responsibility for means and methods or for dimensional accuracy to the reviewer.
Traps: assuming the EOR details every connection (AISC 303 assigns connection details to the fabricator's engineer, but the EOR still shows type and location); assuming an "approved" shop drawing makes the reviewer responsible for errors; overlooking that erection drawings, not shop drawings, drive field fit-up.
Rule of thumb: before accepting any shipment, confirm the piece mark on the steel matches a current approved shop drawing and an approved erection drawing - three documents, one mark.