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Inspection Procedure for Vertical Rebar in Foundations

jar546

jar546

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Although I think I sound like a di&%head in this and will probably do a new one, the content is not that bad. Tired of getting calls for foundation inspection after everything is done and we have no idea what rebar was installed.

[video=youtube;0M4HdET6FwY]

 
Rick,

Maximum 5' high lift with clean cells wouldn't require holes at the bottom.
 
If the plan review shows rebar required, this is the inspection method. About 98% of the foundations require rebar. The problem is that they never called until the footer drains were in place and they were parged and tarred and anchor bolts were in place because none of the other inspectors in other areas required a rebar inspection. There was no way to verify compliance.
 
I guess I am confused. I usually do a pre-grout inspection with a mirror and sunlight from the top of the wall. If the mortar extends more than half an inch into the cell, or there's a bunch of tailing at the bottom, then they bust out holes and clean the cells.

If I understand your situation, you can't see into the cells from the top because they went too far with the construction. In that case, I would have them back things up until I could see down the cells.

But I must still be confused because if you can't see inside the cells, how will grout get in the cells?

The other thought that I have is that I don't think I could approve a CMU wall if all I saw was 5" of steel at the bottom.
 
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I see very little horizontal rebar. Most building in my area are on slabs and crawl spaces. And if they do use rebar they have it in the forms for poured concret. For commercial they have special inspectors. But wouldnt another way would to simply do an inspection in the middle of the constrution of the wall?
 
Rick18071 said:
For commercial they have special inspectors.
Click to expand...
Does that mean that the jurisdiction approves the work without doing their own inspection?
 
We do not have CMU foundations in out area. Commercial wall is a max 4 ft lift so it is easy to see on a sunny day or with a flashlight. What you describe is how we did CMU walls in Fl when I was there but they where 8 to 12 ft pours. Good video would add a look down the cell explaining why the mortar should not extend to far into the cell.
 
Rick18071 said:
But wouldn't another way would to simply do an inspection in the middle of the constrution of the wall?
Click to expand...
2104A.5.1.2.2 Low-lift grouted construction. Unitsshall be laid a maximum of 4 feet (1220 mm) before

grouting, and all over-hanging mortar and mortar

droppings shall be removed. Grouting shall follow

each 4 feet .........
Click to expand...
That shows me how wrong I can be. I have gone with 5' and allowed a half inch of overhanging mortar.

2104A.5.1.2.3 High-lift grouted construction.Where high-lift grouting is used, the method shall be

approved by the enforcement agency. Cleanout openings

shall be provided in every cell at the bottom of

each pour of grout. Alternatively, if the course at the

bottom of the pour is constructed entirely of inverted

open-end bond beam units, cleanout openings need

only be provided in every reinforced cell at the bottom

of each pour of grout. The foundation or other horizontal

construction joints shall be cleaned of all loose

material and mortar droppings before each pour. The

cleanouts shall be sealed before grouting. An

approved admixture that reduces early water loss and

produces an expansive action shall be used in the

grout.
Click to expand...
 
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When they strip the plywood from the bottom hole you can see whether or not the concrete made it all the way to the bottom which often does not happen, especially around lintels where there is a constriction. Most horizontal rebar is within the V'd lintel and the top bond beam so it is easy to see. To save concrete, some have been known to stuff the block with mortar bags so there is no grouting of the cores. A flashlight can be used from the top and bottom with a mirror and flashlight.
 
jar546 said:
When they strip the plywood from the bottom hole you can see whether or not the concrete made it all the way to the bottom which often does not happen, especially around lintels where there is a constriction. Most horizontal rebar is within the V'd lintel and the top bond beam so it is easy to see. To save concrete, some have been known to stuff the block with mortar bags so there is no grouting of the cores. A flashlight can be used from the top and bottom with a mirror and flashlight.
Click to expand...
Alrighty then....put that in the video.....you might have to provide the mortar bags.
 
ICE said:
Does that mean that the jurisdiction approves the work without doing their own inspection?
Click to expand...
Depends on what is being done. When I did special inspections sometimes the local inspector was there, sometimes not. Because I have done special inspections I tended to show up and watch for at least a little bit when I worked for a jurisdiction. I like to know what is really going on.

Sue
 
During our boom a couple of years ago we actually called the company performing the special inspections and had 2 of them removed from the jobsite because they did not know what they where looking for. EIT's that where just turned loose. Trust but verify
 
Jar are the vert's on 4'oc, also most cmu will have a horizontial every 4' to 5' the reason i ask about the vert's is they are required to have a clean out at everyone. Maybe from the top you can get a look down for the horz. Like ice say's inspection every 4" lift or 6 courses.
 
Dave, part of the issue is after the pour to verify the concrete got to the bottom of the core where it was suppose to be. On my own house, we found areas that did not after the plywood was removed from the holes. Sometimes it just gets hung up.
 
Are they using concrete or grout? if concrete no way to fill the entire cell with fins proturding and the horizontail rebar, aggregate to large, where grout will use 3/8 rock. Should always be grout ideally with a 8' slump
 
David Henderson said:
Are they using concrete or grout? if concrete no way to fill the entire cell with fins proturding and the horizontail rebar, aggregate to large, where grout will use 3/8 rock. Should always be grout ideally with a 8' slump
Click to expand...
Pea gravel aggregate in concrete for CMU cores
 
We stipulate pre-pour inspections for anything with rebar which usually is the majority of walls.

How do you guys and gals handle intersecting vertical and horizontal rebar - require tie, allow them to weave and tie the top, let special inspector handle it - if so what abour residential walls?
 
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