Purpose & Scope
Section 03.30.00 covers ready-mixed concrete placement, consolidation, finishing, jointing, protection, and curing for slabs, walls, columns, beams, and foundations. Cast-in-place concrete depends on a chain of controlled steps, mix verification, delivery timing, form stability, consolidation, finishing, protection, and curing.
A single gap in that chain can lead to defects that compromise structural performance or long-term durability.
The three-phase QAQC flow, Preparatory, Initial, and Follow-Up, keeps the process on track by verifying readiness before concrete arrives, establishing the standard at the first placement, and maintaining consistency across every pour.
FTQ360 ties slump, air, temperature, batch tickets, consolidation steps, finishing timing, and curing data to each pour, creating a defensible QAQC record.
What the Checklist Covers
You use this checklist from early concrete planning through curing, protection, and strength acceptance. Preparatory steps confirm mix designs, submittals, batching and delivery requirements, embed coordination, environmental controls, hot- and cold-weather procedures, and form readiness, directly addressing the root causes of strength loss, cracking, and honeycombing.
In the Initial phase, inspectors verify slump, air content, temperature, batch tickets, placement procedures, consolidation, jointing, finishing sequence, and curing start times.
The Follow-Up phase tracks delivery pacing, vibration access, surface protection, evaporation rate, finishing consistency, environmental conditions, finishing windows, and curing continuity.
At completion, inspectors document compressive test results, final surface condition, curing compliance, and repairs.
Common Failure Modes & Risk Prevention
Cast-in-place concrete has recurring field issues because mix behavior, temperature, moisture loss, placement timing, and finishing windows all interact throughout installation.
Most issues originate in the Preparatory and Initial phases, where mix verification, placement planning, and environmental conditions establish the foundation for performance.
The failure modes below tie directly to FTQ360 checkpoints across all phases.
Honeycombing and void pockets
Root cause: Inadequate consolidation, congested reinforcement, long drop heights, poor access, or cold joints forming during placement pauses.
Field indicators: Rock pockets, exposed aggregate, voids around bars, rough areas revealed at form stripping.
FTQ360 Inspection: Preparatory checks verify vibration access and congestion; Initial-phase logs capture consolidation techniques at the first lift; Follow-Up entries track vibration patterns and identify recurring void-prone zones.
Plastic shrinkage cracking
Root cause: High evaporation rates from wind, low humidity, hot weather, sun exposure, or insufficient early curing.
Field indicators: Map cracking, parallel cracking along reentrant corners, hairline tearing within hours of finishing.
FTQ360 Inspection: Preparatory-phase environmental reviews document evaporation-rate risks; Initial-phase curing-start timestamps and surface moisture checks provide early control; Follow-Up logs track temperature, humidity, and wind so trends emerge before cracking spreads.
Strength inconsistency or low breaks
Root cause: Excess site-added water, long delivery times, improper mixing, or incorrect admixture dosing.
Field indicators: Low 7- or 28-day breaks, weak edges at sawcuts, delamination under light load, or segregation during placement.
FTQ360 Inspection: Preparatory-phase confirmation of mix design and batching requirements; Initial-phase ticket photos, slump/air/temperature readings, and cylinder creation logs; Follow-Up trending identifies whether low breaks cluster by time of day, mix, or crew.
Surface scaling or delamination
Root cause: Finishing before bleed water dissipates, premature exposure to freezing, or inadequate curing.
Field indicators: Flaking surfaces, thin shell-like scaling, soft spots near joints or edges, or surface discoloration.
FTQ360 Inspection: Initial-phase finishing-sequence documentation ensures floating and troweling occur after bleed-water disappearance; Follow-Up entries verify curing continuity and protection.
Cold joints and poor bonding between lifts
Root cause: Delays between loads, improper pacing, inconsistent delivery, or overextended finishing window.
Field indicators: Clearly visible seams, texture changes, cracking at interfaces, or color shifts.
FTQ360 Inspection: Preparatory-phase pour plan defines pacing; Initial-phase time-stamped placement sequencing verifies compliance; Follow-Up trending detects delays before cold joints become systemic.
Checklist Preview
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Preparatory Phase
Prepare for success by verifying that personnel, materials, equipment, and documentation are ready for work to begin. Inspectors confirm mix designs, admixture compatibility, batch plant approvals, delivery limits, form readiness, embed placement, reinforcement congestion, and vibration access.
Environmental controls, wind breaks, sunshades, cooling/heating materials, curing compounds, and fogging equipment, are reviewed, especially for hot or cold weather concreting.
These controls directly address failure modes such as plastic shrinkage cracking, cold joints, and low strengths.
FTQ360 captures batch-plant submittals, form photos, and environmental setups, ensuring the Initial phase begins on solid footing.
Initial Phase
This phase confirms that work starts correctly. Inspectors verify batch tickets, slump, air content, temperature, initial set timing, placement sequencing, consolidation, finishing windows, and curing initiation.
These checks counteract the failure modes linked to honeycombing, plastic cracking, surface scaling, and strength variation.
FTQ360 ties each measurement and photo to a pour and location, creating the benchmark that all subsequent placements must follow. Deviations, such as slump drift, early finishing, or delayed curing, are corrected immediately before continuing.
Follow-Up Phase
This phase aims to keep work proceeding correctly. Inspectors track delivery pacing, finishing consistency, environmental conditions, evaporation rate, consolidation patterns, form pressure behavior, and curing continuity.
These checks directly link to the indicators identified in the failure modes, scaling, cold joints, plastic cracking, and strength inconsistencies.
FTQ360’s location-linked logs reveal emerging patterns across pours, enabling early adjustments to pacing, curing, consolidation, or environmental controls.
Completion, Final Acceptance & Closeout
All of the work culminates with a final result; this phase ensures the completed installation meets project requirements. Inspectors verify curing duration, sawcut timing, joint quality, final surface condition, and compressive test results.
Any repairs are documented by location. FTQ360 compiles pour logs, slump/air/temperature readings, finish timing, curing documentation, and test reports into a complete closeout package for acceptance.
References and Other Specification Systems
References
ACI 301 – Specifications for Structural Concrete.
Other Specification Systems
UFGS 03 30 00 Cast-in-Place Concrete
FTQ360 Inspection & QAQC Platform
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.
How to Use the Free Template (quick start)
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.
MasterSpec® and MasterFormat® are registered trademarks. This blog references section numbers and titles for clarity only and does not reproduce proprietary content.
