Inspection points

1. Survey of the foundation

Before the panels arrive.

What to look at: corner points, side lengths, diagonals, the flatness of the surface, the position of the cast-in hold-downs.

Why it matters: inaccuracy accumulates during erection, and at the end there is nothing left to take it up. Setting out and foundation tolerances.

2. Completion of the frame

Before any lining goes on.

What to look at:

• the presence and detail of the bracing,
• the hold-downs at the ends of the shear walls,
• the density and quality of the screw fixing at the connections,
• the member identifiers: whether they are in the right places,
• the bearing and damp-proofing of the bottom track.

This is the most important inspection point: everything is still visible here.

3. Before the vapour control layer is closed

What to look at:

• the continuity of the membrane, the laps, the taping,
• the junctions: wall to floor, openings, the foundation,
• the sealing of the penetrations,
• whether the insulation is free of gaps.

If it can be arranged, carry out an airtightness test here: the fault can still be repaired. Airtightness and blower door.

4. Before lining

What to look at:

• cavity barriers at storey and compartment boundaries,
• fire stopping at the penetrations,
• the mechanical and electrical routes in the service cavity,
• everything that disappears after this.

How to record it

With photographs, with the location identifiable, tied to the construction log. A photograph alone is not enough if it does not show where and when it was taken. The construction log.

Who should inspect

The responsible technical manager at the least; on a larger project the designer’s input and the client’s technical supervisor too. The point is that somebody is there who knows what to look for.

The point

What is covered can only be looked at later by opening up. Four well-timed inspections decide the quality of the whole building.