Structural Steel Inspection Documentation Requirements

Mill certifications (MTRs) are the baseline documentation for structural steel. Every heat of material that goes into the structure must have an MTR on file. The inspector's role is to verify that the heat number stamped or stenciled on the material matches the MTR before it is incorporated into the work.

IBC Table 1705.12.1 requires special inspection of high-strength bolted connections. The inspection type — continuous or periodic — depends on the connection type specified in the structural drawings.

Each bolting inspection log entry must capture:

1. Connection identification. Grid line reference, level or elevation, and connection designation from the erection drawings.
2. Bolt specification and lot number. ASTM specification (F3125 A325 or A490), diameter and length, and lot number from the container label. The lot number links back to the MTR on file.
3. Installation method. Turn-of-nut, direct tension indicator (DTI), twist-off bolt (TC bolt), or calibrated wrench — each method has different inspection and documentation requirements under AISC 360 Section J3.
4. Pre-installation verification. Confirmation that the bolt assembly — bolt, nut, and washer — was tested at the start of each shift using a Skidmore-Wilhelm device or equivalent when a calibrated wrench is the installation method.
5. Pretension verification results. For turn-of-nut: confirmation that the snug-tight condition was documented before rotation and that the required nut rotation was applied. For DTIs: gap measurement confirming required compression.
6. Conformance finding. Conforms or deficiency description with required corrective action.

Welding inspection documentation follows AWS D1.1 Structural Welding Code and IBC Chapter 17. The inspector must be an AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) or equivalent as required by the Statement of Special Inspections. Required fields in the welding inspection log:

CJP welds in demand-critical connections on seismic force-resisting systems require additional documentation under AISC 341 — including pre-qualified joint details, backing bar removal records, and notch-toughness certified filler metals.

AISC Code of Standard Practice Section 7.13 defines plumbness tolerances for structural steel columns: 1/500 of the column height for individual columns and 1/500 of the total building height at the building perimeter. The special inspector verifies that the erector's survey data is documented and within tolerance before connections are finalized.

Erection documentation typically includes the steel erector's plumb survey by column bay — a table of measured vs. allowable out-of-plumb values — and a crane pick log identifying lift sequence, pick dates, and responsible erector. This data is retained in the project file even though it is the erector's documentation, not the inspector's.

Structural steel inspection must be completed before fireproofing is applied. Once SFRM (spray-applied fire-resistive material) or intumescent coating covers the connections, reinspection requires destructive removal. The inspection log must record a close-out entry for each connection type confirming inspection was complete before concealment was authorized.

Sitemark's field documentation tools let steel inspectors log connections by grid line, attach close-up photos, and flag hold points before fireproofing crews move to each bay — eliminating the documentation gaps that building officials cite most frequently during steel special inspection review.