Engineering QA/QC and Field Inspection: Systems for Consistent Quality Delivery

QA vs QC: Understanding the Distinction

Quality Assurance (QA): The system of processes designed to prevent errors — checklists, peer review procedures, standards, and training that reduce the likelihood of defects in your work product.

Quality Control (QC): The specific checks performed on a work product to identify and correct errors before it is delivered — reviewing calculations, checking drawing coordination, verifying code compliance.

Both are necessary. QA creates the culture and procedures; QC is the execution of those procedures on each deliverable. Many small engineering firms focus only on QC (reviewing the specific document) without investing in QA (building the systematic process that makes QC more effective and consistent).

Calculation Review: The First Line of Defense

Engineering calculations are the technical basis for all design decisions. Calculation errors — wrong load assumptions, incorrect unit conversions, misapplied code provisions — are the most common source of design defects.

Calculation QC best practices: - Document your calculations clearly: show all assumptions, load inputs, code references, and intermediate steps. A calculation that cannot be followed by a reviewing PE cannot be effectively checked. - Require an independent PE check for all calculations on stamped documents. The checker should work through the calculations independently, not just follow the original engineer's work. - Use calculation software with built-in code checks (RISA, RAM, ETABS) to flag code compliance issues automatically — but treat software output as a starting point for review, not a final answer. - Maintain a calculation archive organized by project and revision date.

Drawing Coordination Review

Many engineering errors are not calculation errors — they are coordination failures between disciplines. The structural drawings show a column that the architectural drawings do not accommodate. The MEP drawings route ductwork through a structural beam. The civil grading plan conflicts with the landscape plan.

Coordination review checklist: - Verify all dimensions and elevations are consistent across all disciplines - Confirm structural member locations are consistent with architectural layout - Check that MEP routing does not penetrate structural members without proper framing details - Verify civil grades are consistent with architectural floor elevations and MEP invert elevations - Confirm specification sections are consistent with drawing general notes

On BIM projects (Revit), run clash detection before issuing for permit. Navisworks (included in Autodesk AEC Collection) automates cross-discipline clash detection and generates clash reports.

Field Observation Reports: Documentation Requirements

When providing construction administration services, your field observation report (FOR) is your primary documentation of what you observed and what you communicated during each site visit. It is also your primary evidence in a professional liability dispute.

FOR minimum required elements: - Project name, number, and address - Date and time of visit, weather conditions - Work observed (specific work in place at time of visit) - Contractor personnel on site (superintendent name) - Conformance or non-conformance with contract documents - Any deficiencies observed with description and location - Instructions or directions given to contractor (who, what, when) - Photographs with captions (attach to FOR) - Date FOR was issued to owner and contractor

Issue FORs within 24–48 hours of each site visit. Never delay issuing a FOR with a noted deficiency — prompt notification is both a professional obligation and a legal protection.

RFI and Submittal Management

During construction, contractors submit Requests for Information (RFIs) asking for clarification on contract documents, and submit shop drawings and product data for engineer review. Managing these submittals is a core CA responsibility.

RFI log minimum tracking: - RFI number (sequential) - Date received - Description of question - RFI response (your clarification or direction) - Date response issued - Impact on contract price or schedule (if any)

Submittal log minimum tracking: - Submittal number - Description (e.g., 'Structural Steel Shop Drawings, Grid Lines A-F') - Date received - Action taken (Approved / Approved as Noted / Revise and Resubmit / Rejected) - Date returned to contractor - Revision number

Respond to RFIs and submittals within the contractually required timeframe (typically 7–14 days). Late responses that delay the contractor can create liquidated damages exposure for the owner and friction with the project team.

Using Procore and Digital CA Tools

Procore (procore.com) is the most widely used construction management platform and is used by GCs, owners, and engineering consultants for CA documentation. If your GC or owner uses Procore, you will likely be given access as a project team member at no cost.

Procore modules for engineering consultants: - RFIs: Create, respond to, and track RFIs within the platform - Submittals: Receive, review, action, and return submittals with version tracking - Observations: Document field observations with photographs, location, and status (open/closed) - Correspondence: Track all project correspondence with timestamping

Alternatives for firms not using Procore: - Fieldwire: Field inspection documentation with photo capture and issue tracking - Raken: Daily report and field observation documentation for construction inspectors - PlanGrid (now part of Autodesk Construction Cloud): Drawing management and markup for field use

For firms doing significant CA work, invest in learning and using whatever platform your GC clients prefer. Meeting clients in their workflow is a BD advantage.

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