Section 03.45.00 covers architectural precast façade units, including load-bearing and non-load-bearing wall panels, spandrels, columns, trim elements, and aesthetic finishes.Because architectural precast must satisfy both structural and appearance requirements, alignment, joint control, color consistency, and handling protection all demand tight field coordination. Small errors, panel drift, surface blemishes, joint tapering, or patch mismatch, can become highly visible once units are installed.
The three-phase QAQC flow, Preparatory, Initial, and Follow-Up, ensures readiness before the first pick, validates the first panel’s alignment and appearance, and maintains consistent performance across the elevation.
FTQ360 captures finish photos, joint measurements, bearing conditions, and connection details to build a full record of façade quality.
You use this checklist from delivery and staging through erection, alignment, joint treatment, and surface acceptance.
Preparatory steps confirm approved shop drawings, finish criteria, lifting plans, rigging inspections, bearing pads, grout materials, joint layout, and patching procedures, controls that directly influence the root causes of visible defects. In the Initial phase, inspectors verify the first panel’s alignment, joint width, bearing pad seating, hardware engagement, brace installation, and finish consistency.
During the Follow-Up phase, inspectors monitor joint consistency, panel plumbness, surface condition, handling damage, and uniformity of repairs as more panels are erected.
By completion, inspectors document finish acceptance, joint alignment, patch uniformity, and final connection torque, building a comprehensive QAQC record tied to each piece mark.
Architectural precast exhibits recurring field issues because appearance requirements amplify even minor placement, handling, or production variations.
Most issues arise in the Preparatory and Initial phases, where bearing surfaces, joint layout, rigging, and finish verification set the stage for the elevation. The failure modes below connect directly to FTQ360 checkpoints across all three phases.
Root cause: Layout drift, camber differences, shimming inconsistencies, or incorrect brace adjustments during erection.
Field indicators: Tapered joints, inconsistent reveals, visible panel stepping, or misaligned horizontal/vertical grid lines.
FTQ360 Inspection: Preparatory-phase joint-setting plans and grid layouts; Initial-phase joint-width measurements; Follow-Up log entries that track joint uniformity and flag drift patterns across successive picks.
Root cause: Production variability, improper release agent, patching that doesn’t match, handling marks, or curing differences.
Field indicators: Blotching, texture mismatch, visible trowel marks, or shade variation between adjacent panels.
FTQ360 Inspection: Preparatory-phase acceptance of finish samples and mockups; Initial-phase finish-quality photos of the first install; Follow-Up photos track surface consistency and reveal recurring plant or handling-related blemishes.
Root cause: Incorrect rigging angles, sling abrasion, impact during transport, or improper storage orientation.
Field indicators: Corner chips, edge spalls, hairline cracks radiating from lifting points, or anchor disturbance.
FTQ360 Inspection: Preparatory-phase rigging verification and lifting plan documentation; Initial-phase lift-angle and contact-point photos; Follow-Up logs of damage by piece mark highlight patterns linked to crews or storage methods.
Root cause: Bolt-hole misalignment, insert placement drift during production, shim displacement, or brace adjustments not matching design tolerance.
Field indicators: Face stepping between panels, joint mismatch, forced fit-up, or visible deviation from designed façade plane.
FTQ360 Inspection: Preparatory-phase hardware verification and connection layout; Initial-phase plumbness and fit-up documentation; Follow-Up torque logs and alignment measurements detect cumulative drift before it propagates across elevations.
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Prepare for success by verifying that personnel, equipment, materials, and documentation are ready for work to begin. Inspectors confirm the approved finish mockup, lifting plans, rigging conditions, bearing pad specifications, connection hardware, joint-layout drawings, grout materials, and patching protocols.
These controls directly address the root causes behind joint variation, surface defects, and forced fit-ups. Inspectors verify staging orientation, environmental limits (especially temperature/sun exposure affecting color perception), and brace patterns.
FTQ360 captures finish-mockup acceptance, rigging configurations, and bearing-surface conditions so the Initial phase begins with clearly defined aesthetic and structural benchmarks.
This phase confirms that work starts correctly. Inspectors verify the first panel’s plumbness, alignment, joint width, bearing-pad seating, shim stack arrangement, hardware engagement, brace installation, and finish consistency.
These checks directly counteract the failure modes linked to tapered joints, surface blemishes, and connection drift. Photos document all conditions and finish details, giving the erection crew a performance standard to follow.
Any variation, color mismatch, uneven joint, misalignment, or hardware misfit, is corrected immediately before the elevation continues.
This phase aims to keep work proceeding correctly. Inspectors monitor joint uniformity, brace tension, surface consistency, handling protection, panel plumbness, and alignment as panels are erected.
These checks directly link to the indicators seen in the failure modes, joint drift, damage patterns, surface inconsistencies, or connection alignment issues.
FTQ360’s location-linked logs allow inspectors to track emerging trends across elevations or sequences, enabling proactive adjustment of shimming, bracing, or handling practices before aesthetic defects propagate.
All of the work culminates with a final result; this phase ensures the completed installation meets project requirements.
Inspectors verify joint alignment, uniformity of finish and color, patch matching, final torque of hardware, grout cure, and completed connections.
Any required repairs are documented with photos and tied to each piece mark.
FTQ360 compiles finish assessments, joint-width logs, photos, and hardware verification records into a complete closeout package for acceptance and warranty.
ASTM C150 – Standard Specification for Portland Cement.
ASTM C33 – Concrete Aggregates.
CRD-C521 – Non-Shrink Grout.
UFGS 03 45 00 Precast Architectural Concrete
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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