An average day

[ICE]

Ice, do you have contact with the other inspectors in your office? or are you completely on your own, this project looks like a real good learning opportunity for the Other Inspector.

Chad,

His desk is five feet from mine. He knows what is right but doesn't seem to care. I don't say anything...to him or anyone else....well there's you and the folks that see this but here in the office I pretty much keep to myself. If I do bring it up, I am branded as a trouble maker.

 

[Chad Pasquini]

Well at least you can take solace in the fact that from what I have seen on this board, you do your job to the best of your ability, I have learned a great deal from your posts. Keep up the good fight

 

[Mr. Inspector]

I'm curios, if the plans don't show any rebar but it was put in but not right would you make them fix it?

 

[e hilton]

I'm curios, if the plans don't show any rebar but it was put in but not right would you make them fix it?

Architects are famous for a couple of notes on plans. "verify in field" "by others" "contractor to coordinate" and applicable to your question: "all work shall be in compliance with local codes".

 

[ICE]

Rick,

I would start with why the plans don't show any steel. Beyond that, if the steel is not required and that's why it's not on the plans, how could it be wrong?

The only mistake worth fixing that comes to mind would be if the steel was susceptible to rusting. And only because rusting steel can crack concrete.

I wonder if your's was a trick question.

 

[fireguy]

Rick, The only mistake worth fixing that comes to mind would be if the steel was susceptible to rusting. And only because rusting steel can crack concrete.QUOTE]

I used steel in the foundation of my garage because that is what the B/O said to do. I did not coat, wrap, paint or tar the steel. Do I need to worry about my foundation cracking? I saw steel laid into the freeway this summer, before the concrete was poured. I did not see any protection of the steel. Will the concrete crack?

 

[steveray]

FG....there are minimum cover requirements for concrete over rebar....ASCE 318 I think it is....depending on the application, 1.5 to 3"ish....

 

[jaycee]

There are various government projects going on in state of Hawaii due to spalling. Most of the deficiencies I've noticed was because the reinforcing steel had lack of concrete coverage. The state of Hawaii is paying big for the "minor" mistakes that the contractor/inspector missed. Keep up the good work gentlemen, and require that the minimum concrete coverage of reinforcing steel is met.

ALOHA

 

[JCraver]

FG....there are minimum cover requirements for concrete over rebar....ASCE 318 I think it is....depending on the application, 1.5 to 3"ish....

ACI 318, from the American Concrete Institute.

I'm rather strict about cover requirements here - too strict probably if you were to ask the contractors.... Rusty rebar will indeed bust the crap out of concrete though, so I'm gonna' continue to enforce it like I do.

 

[MASSDRIVER]

A little rust coating won't hurt "normal" flat work or slabs. It will sometimes get a light coat and stop there. The problem is around generally salty water conditions, like near a coast line. Then it burrows into the steel and causes flaking which expands the steel.

Brent

 

[ICE]

I don't know but I've been told that rust enhances the bond between steel and concrete. It's only if there is a loss of cross sectional area that is a cause to reject the steel.

 

[MASSDRIVER]

I don't know but I've been told that rust enhances the bond between steel and concrete. It's only if there is a loss of cross sectional area that is a cause to reject the steel.

Makes you wonder who would use bar so degraded that material has been lost to oxidation. That would be some real crap. I don't think I have ever seen something like that used, but I'm sure some have.

Brent.

 

[Msradell]

I saw steel laid into the freeway this summer, before the concrete was poured. I did not see any protection of the steel. Will the concrete crack?

I'm betting that the steel you saw blade for the expressway was green in color. If it was that's an epoxy coating and what's normally specified for highway construction.

 

[ICE]

Makes you wonder who would use bar so degraded that material has been lost to oxidation. That would be some real crap. I don't think I have ever seen something like that used, but I'm sure some have.Brent.

I've never seen it either but that's the code. I know a guy that used bed frames....hundreds of them....he owned a second hand furniture store/auction.

 

[MASSDRIVER]

I've never seen it either but that's the code. I know a guy that used bed frames....hundreds of them....he owned a second hand furniture store/auction.

Now see here!

I was sure I owned the "crap I've seen" title, when my dad and I did a block grant rehab house lift, and found out the entire sewer system was done in firehose, and garden hose for the supply.

Then you shell me like the Bismark drilling the Hood with bed frame rebar.

I got nothin'.

All is not lost though. I'm working in Hillbilly country up in Forestville so I still have a chance to redeem myself.

Brent.

 

[Phil]

The Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, CRSI, has a free tech note, Field Guide for Rust on Reinforcing Bars. See the link to CRSI 's free downloadable documents at http://www.crsi.org/index.cfm/landing/engineer

 

[JBI]

The folks who make it promote the heck out of it. The main 'issues' seem to be potential for damage to the coating that is not addressed at time of installation which can cause excessive localized corrosion and diminished bonding of the steel to the concrete. The comments I've seen relative to these concerns also recognize that concrete quality, proper re-bar placement, and excessive use of salts (I live in the northeast, so salt used for snow/ice on bridges/roads is an issue).

 

[mmmarvel]

Being a special inspector (for a testing lab - in my past life) I've done thousands of inspections of rebar for concrete. Roads, sidewalks, driveways, building foundations (one of the most interesting was the rebar mats, 4 of them, that were put on the bottom side of a jewelry store vault). Anyways, typically (90% of the time) a bit of rust on rebar is fine. I did a rehab on a parking garage recently where it was specified that the rebar be epoxy coated. Yes, proper coverage with concrete is the key element.

 

[Frank]

Being a special inspector (for a testing lab - in my past life) I've done thousands of inspections of rebar for concrete. Roads, sidewalks, driveways, building foundations (one of the most interesting was the rebar mats, 4 of them, that were put on the bottom side of a jewelry store vault). Anyways, typically (90% of the time) a bit of rust on rebar is fine. I did a rehab on a parking garage recently where it was specified that the rebar be epoxy coated. Yes, proper coverage with concrete is the key element.

Parking garages are always an issue with corrosion due to deicing salts carried in on the vehicles

 

[e hilton]

one of the most interesting was the rebar mats, 4 of them, that were put on the bottom side of a jewelry store vault).

I build a lot of banks, and the spec for the slab under the vault is 18" of concrete with minimum 4 layers of #6 bar 6" OC both ways. The concrete sub has to be careful about using the vibrator propery to get the concrete to fill all the gaps between the rebar.

 

[ICE]

Thanks for that. How about the walls.....and the ceiling.....what can you tell me about those?

 

[High Desert]

Nice try ICE. I've reviewed a number of banks and they don't like to give out the details of the bank vault, for obvious reasons.

 

[ICE]

Ya, I was surprised when he told us what the floor has in it. You've got to remember that Brent sees this.

If he's quick, he can become a sawhorse and edit his post. Or maybe fatboy and his pudgy little orange fingers can do it for him.

We have an ordinance regarding who can see plans....banks and ice cream parlors are off limits. The ice cream parlors I can understand but when was the last time anybody dug there way into a bank vault. Those enterprising sort of criminal are a thing of the past.

Nowadays the real crooks have the combination to the vault so it's just another box.

 

[MASSDRIVER]

3 Banks jobs in my time. (Construction ICE, CON-STRUC-TION).

Same grid as before, extended 3 feet out on all sides past the vault line, something like 2 feet deep. Steel and concrete layered wall and roof panels, like composite armor. All welded at the seams. The vault door and jambs were impressive.

I heard the good stuff is in the casinos though.

Thinking about pulling The Italian Job, but in Orange County. Gonna use a murdered-out 68 Camaro for the geteway.

You in?

Brent.