Section 03.20.00 covers the verification, placement, and inspection of reinforcing steel, welded wire reinforcement, mechanical couplers, supports, ties, and accessories used to reinforce cast-in-place and precast concrete.
Because reinforcing placement directly affects structural capacity, durability, and crack-control performance, even small deviations in spacing, cover, lap lengths, or congestion can lead to long-term performance problems.
The three-phase QAQC flow, Preparatory, Initial, and Follow-Up keeps these risks contained by validating bar lists and layouts before installation, confirming the accuracy of the first reinforcement placement, and monitoring ongoing work to keep production aligned with design intent.
FTQ360 captures location-linked cover measurements, lap-length checks, bar layout photos, and coating-condition logs to create a defensible record of reinforcing quality.
This checklist supports reinforcing inspections from the earliest layout activities through concrete placement. Preparatory steps confirm approved bar lists, shop drawings, fabrication tags, support spacing, coupler approvals, and installation sequencing, controls that directly relate to root causes of congestion, misplacement, and inadequate cover.
In the Initial phase, the checklist guides inspectors through verifying bar sizes, spacing, layering order, lap lengths, mechanical coupler installation, and cover using physical measurements and photos.
During Follow-Up, you track recurring conditions such as bar drift, chair settlement, congestion around embeds, and access for vibration.
By the time the concrete arrives, every bar, lap, and support already has a traceable QAQC history tied to its pour location.
Reinforcing work has recurring field issues because placement accuracy, cover control, and congestion all influence how concrete consolidates and performs.
Most reinforcing problems originate in the Preparatory and Initial phases, where drawing interpretation, bar sequencing, and support placement determine what happens once concrete is placed.
The failure modes below show how each risk ties directly to FTQ360 checkpoints in all three inspection phases.
Root cause: Chairs too low, bars walking during placement, rebar floating in high-slump concrete, or mis-set form spacers.
Field indicators: Exposed bar at edges, rust staining shortly after pour, cover readings below minimum tolerance.
FTQ360 Inspection: Preparatory-phase checks verify chair spacing and bar-support types; Initial-phase readings capture actual cover with required measurement fields; Follow-Up entries tie repeated low-cover zones to specific crews, elevations, or form sets.
Root cause: Dense reinforcement layouts, uncoordinated embeds, incorrect bar layering, or unexpected interferences.
Field indicators: Honeycombing between bars, voids around congested nodes, difficulty inserting a vibrator.
FTQ360 Inspection: Preparatory-phase layout review identifies choke points; Initial-phase photos capture congestion around embeds before concrete arrives; Follow-Up logs track vibration access and recurring problem locations.
Root cause: Fabrication errors, misinterpreting splice zones, cutting bars in the field, or laps placed in high-stress regions.
Field indicators: Crack patterns forming at lap zones, bar movement during placement, visible mismatch in stagger.
FTQ360 Inspection: Preparatory-phase bar-mark verification prevents mismatches; Initial-phase lap-length measurements document compliance; Follow-Up trending exposes repeated splice-length deviations.
Root cause: Rough handling, dragging bars across concrete, tie-wire abrasion, or storage contamination.
Field indicators: Flaked coating, exposed steel, discolored patches, or impact markings.
FTQ360 Inspection: Preparatory-phase storage checks confirm protection; Initial-phase photo documentation records coating condition; Follow-Up logs track coating repairs tied to specific bar bundles.
Root cause: Poor coordination between trades, incomplete layout, or bars shifting during vibration.
Field indicators: Bars clashing with sleeves, reduced edge cover, or rebar bent around conflicts.
FTQ360 Inspection: Preparatory-phase reviews confirm embed layout; Initial-phase photos show reinforcement clearance; Follow-up records detect recurring embed conflicts across similar details.
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Prepare for success by verifying that personnel, materials, equipment, and documentation are ready for work to begin. Inspectors confirm approved bar lists, shop drawings, fabrication tags, coupler submittals, and support spacing.
These preparatory controls directly address the root causes behind insufficient cover, congestion, and bar misplacement.
Coordination between reinforcing crews, formworkers, and MEP installers is reviewed so conflicts around embeds are resolved before bars are placed.
FTQ360 captures key photos, chair-layout patterns, and bar-mark verifications so the Initial phase starts from known, documented conditions.
This phase confirms that work starts correctly. Inspectors verify bar sizes, spacing, layering order, cover, lap lengths, and mechanical-coupler installation.
These Initial-phase checks directly counteract the failure modes linked to incorrect laps, misaligned reinforcement, and coating damage.
Photos tie each inspection point to a location, and measurement fields confirm that cover meets minimum design requirements. Early deviations, such as drifting bars or missing ties, are corrected immediately so the reinforcing standard is established before full production ramps up.
This phase aims to keep work proceeding correctly. Inspectors track chair settlement, bar drift, recurring congestion, and embed alignment as more areas are reinforced.
These checks connect directly to the indicators identified in the failure modes: void-prone congestion zones, reduced cover from shifting bars, or splice patterns drifting from the approved layout.
FTQ360’s location-linked logs reveal recurring issues early, such as consistent low cover at certain elevations, so crews can correct patterns before concrete placement.
All of the work culminates with a final result; this phase ensures the completed installation meets project requirements.
Inspectors verify that reinforcement is secure, correctly spaced, and ready for concrete placement. Any repairs, coating touch-ups, or relocations are documented and tied to specific bar marks or locations.
The reinforcing inspection record, cover checks, laps, coating photos, and embed clearance measurements, is compiled in FTQ360 so downstream stakeholders have a complete, traceable package tied to each pour.
ACI 318 – Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete.
UFGS 03 20 00 Concrete Reinforcing
FTQ360 runs on tablets and phones (online or offline), allowing inspectors to capture photos and measurements at the point of work.
Required fields and conditional logic prevent skips and enforce holds. Time and user stamps maintain traceability, and lot/location tracking ties each reinforcement inspection to the pour or structural element.
Dashboards reveal patterns, such as recurring low cover or splice drift, so teams can correct issues before they propagate across floors or shear walls.
Prefer the FTQ360 in-app setup?
Open Checklist Setup → Library, search for the code and tap to clone the checklist.
Then tailor checkpoint templates to your requirements.
If your team still needs paper in select areas, you can print the PDF from the FTQ360 app, mark it up in the field, then transcribe results and attach photos later, just note that paper won’t enforce required fields, conditional logic, or holds like the app does.
For step-by-step help, visit support.ftq360.com.
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