Earlier this month, Advanced Special Inspection, Inc. dispatched a Building Management Systems (BMS) specialist to West Africa for Quality Control consultation. The scope of this project includes identification and diagnosis of the in-progress installation of our client’s BMS system. Once issues and benchmarks are identified, the specialist will then troubleshoot the system and assist in bringing it on-line. Finally, the specialist will instruct and educate our client about future system maintenance and operation.

As our business grows, so too does our need for more space.  We are excited to announce our new office address.  As of February 1, 2013, Advanced Special Inspection, Inc.’s new address is 266 Mobil Avenue, Suite 201, Camarillo, CA  93010.  Our phone numbers, emails, and all other contact information remains the same.

Advanced Special Inspection, Inc. is happy to announce that it has won three new contracts with LA County’s Department of Building and Safety; Architectural & Engineering Division. ASI is the small business partner of three separate prime contractors who will provide on-call project inspection services throughout LA County through 2016. For the past three years ASI has provided identical services through two partnerships. It was this experience, the quality of our inspectors, and our ability to cover any job, anywhere, anytime that helped our partner companies win the new contracts.

If you are an inspector interested in working for LA County, please email us your CV (resume). We are always looking for inspectors that carry the following certifications:

Plumbing Inspector
Mechanical Inspector
Electrical Inspector
Building Inspector
Combination Inspector
Reinforced Concrete Special Inspector
Structural Masonry Special Inspector
Pre-stressed Concrete Special Inspector
Structural Steel, Welding & Bolting Special Inspector
AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Fireproofing Special Inspector
OSHPD IOR’s
DSA IOR’s

These positions require experience in project/IOR inspection and deputy inspection. The positions are located throughout Los Angeles County. The duration of these projects range from days to years depending on their scope.

Advanced Special Inspection, Inc. dispatched an electrical inspector to West Africa earlier this month.  He will be providing electrical inspection and quality control (QA/QC) services for the new construction of our client’s employee campus.  This campus will provide on-shore support for their off-shore drilling endeavors in West Africa.  It has a 6-story pre-stressed concrete building with several smaller buildings and a high-security fence surrounding it.  ASI’s scope of services include the oversight and inspection of the installation of low to medium volt applications including security systems, fiber-optics, general power applications, and generator tie-in.

Advanced Special Inspection, Inc. is providing Los Angeles County Deputy Inspection services on two photo-voltaic solar field projects in Los Angeles County for First Solar, Inc., a thin-film photo-voltaic module manufacturer and installer.

1. The AV Solar Ranch One (AVSR1) is a 10-square mile solar field located in the Antelope Valley area of North Los Angeles County.  According to First Solar, Inc., this field will produce “enough electricity [230MW] to meet the annual energy needs of about 75,000 average homes, displacing approximately 140,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year—the equivalent of taking about 30,000 cars off the road.”

2. The NRG-Alpine Solar Field is a 3+ square mile site located in Lancaster, CA.

In addition, Advanced Special Inspection, Inc. is providing Los Angeles County Deputy Inspection services for the AVSR1 Substation as well.  The substation, underground transmission line, and overhead transmission line foundations will be constructed of deep concrete piles, shallow slabs-on-grade, and precast concrete vaults.  Above-grade structures will be structural steel assemblies.

ASI’s scope of services for the solar fields and substation include on-site and off-site inspection of high-strength bolting, structural steel, reinforced concrete, load/torque verification, material ID, and post-installed anchor installation.

Definitions:

• Quality Assurance: A set of activities designed to ensure that the development and/or maintenance process is adequate to ensure a project will meet its objectives.
• Quality Control: A set of activities designed to evaluate a developed product.

Quality Assurance makes sure you are doing the right things, the right way.

Quality Control makes sure the results of what you’ve done are what you expected.

Advanced Special Inspection, Inc. (ASI) provides QA/QC & third-party services for the construction industry in the following sectors:

• Industrial
• Commercial
• Multi-residential
• Single-family residential
• Municipal/Public/Military (including hospitals & schools)

Service summary:

With increased pressure to complete buildings in a timely manner, many details are often overlooked, skipped or done incorrectly in order to make the deadlines and budgets.  If these systems fail as a result, law suits, injuries, and damage oftentimes follow.

The purpose of QA/QC and third-party services is to help eliminate or greatly reduce the occurrence of these potential liabilities.  These services can be tailored to focus on specific elements such as windows, roofing, plumbing or framing.  Or, they can be applied to all elements of any given building.  The extent to which these services are administered is at the discretion of the developer or construction manager.  The following list is the usual areas of focus:

• Foundation
• Structural framing
• Windows and doors
• Mechanical/ventilation
• Electrical
• Plumbing
• Roof/waterproofing
• Insulation
• Exterior cladding

QA/QC Reports can be used for the following:

1. as documented evidence in legal proceedings (professional witness)
2. as leverage against subcontractors who are not meeting their contract obligations
3. as a sales tool for prospective buyers looking for proof of quality craftsmanship
4. as documentation for bank or lender inspections
5. as benchmark documentation for the developer (great for construction managers)

How it works:

1. QA/QC services can be hired by any level of construction from the plumbing subcontractor up to the developer or construction manager.  Any company that feels they would benefit from the additional documentation has the ability to hire these services.  Oftentimes public projects such as schools, hospitals, along with lenders and/or insurance companies will require these inspections.
2. A qualified QA/QC inspector will be onsite only for the task(s) specified by the service agreement.
3. He will review the approved plans, specifications, submittals, shop drawings, standards, etc. for whatever element(s) are to be inspected.
4. Each day upon completion of his inspection, he will write a QA/QC report of his findings.
5. A copy of the daily report is left on-site.  Backup copies are scanned and stored by ASI, Inc.  Distribution of these reports can be authorized only by the company who hired these services.
6. A punch-list of work that needs correction is left with the client.
7. The inspector(s) perform follow-up inspections to make sure those items were corrected.
8. A formal report of the final findings is composed upon completion of the inspected elements.  This includes all photos and documentation.
9. Fees are based on hours worked (including office hours for composition of reports).  Additional fees may be applied under Special circumstances.

How ASI’s QA/QC services fit in with existing inspection, testing, and engineering firms:

QA/QC and third-party services easily fit into an existing inspection, testing, engineering firm’s mix.

• Add QA/QC services to an existing inspection and testing contract to prolong your presence on that jobsite.
• If another company is providing inspection and testing services on a job, then offer to provide QA/QC and third-party services in addition to your competitors services.
• These services can be offered on union and non-union jobs.  QA/QC inspectors are considered “consultants” and/or “managers.”
• Expand your potential market to lenders, insurance companies, and all construction trades.
• By offering these services, you provide a more comprehensive list of services to potential clients.

The following is an excerpt from the report that was published by the California State Auditor, Bureau of State Audits –

December 2011 Report 2011-116.

For the full report, in PDF format, click here.

Department of General Services:

The Division of the State Architect Lacks Enforcement Authority and Has Weak Oversight Procedures, Increasing the Risk That School Construction Projects May Be Unsafe

HIGHLIGHTS

Our review of the Department of General Services’ implementation of the Field Act (act), revealed the following about the Division of the State Architect (division):

• While the division must certify school construction projects when they comply with the act, as of December 2010 approximately 16,400 projects statewide remained uncertified.
• Statewide, 23 percent of projects closed in the last three fiscal years remain uncertified.
• The division inconsistently used its authority to order districts to stop work on projects after identifying a potential threat to public safety.
• The division did not effectively document its determinations about the risk level of uncertified projects or to use these determinations to guide its approach to following up on those projects.
• The division’s level of oversight of school construction processes is not comprehensive—of 24 projects we reviewed, three did not have evidence of any site visits by its field engineers and eight had evidence of only one site visit.
• Although districts must submit inspectors for approval prior to construction, for 22 of 34 projects we reviewed, the division did not approve the inspectors until after construction began.
• The division does not provide the same level of construction oversight for fire and life safety and accessibility as it does for structural safety even though it reviews plans for all three disciplines.

For the results of the audit, recommendations, and Agency comments, please read the full review (PDF) here.

There are over one hundred special inspection/deputy inspection and materials testing service providers in Southern California alone.  Your choices range from multi-national laboratories/engineering conglomerates that offer every service under the sun, to simple sole-proprietor contractors who specialize in one or a few disciplines only.  The prices charged by these companies goes from high to low respectively.  ASI fits right in the middle of this spectrum, offering a full range of special/deputy inspection, materials testing, and non-destructive testing services at a competitive mid-range price point.  What makes ASI better than the competion?  The diference is in the service.  Advanced Special Inspection, Inc. prides itself on its reputation as a company that goes the extra mile to satisfy its clients.  ASI’s goal is to develop a team approach with its clients and create a lasting business relationship.  How does ASI achieve this?  Simple, by listening to the needs of its clients.   Each client is different, their needs are different, and their expectations are different.  Through open communication and flexibility, ASI is able to adjust, addapt, and implement a custom service plan for each client – big or small.

A picture speaks a thousand words.  Take a look at this cast-in-place wall.  It was poured with a hard-rock mix, no plasticizer, low slump, on a hot day, with congested reinforcement and block-outs.  Rock pockets and voids can occur when these conditions are present – even with thorough vibration.  However, inadequate or incomplete vibration exacerbates the situation, as seen here.  In an extreme case such as this, the engineer will have to decide between exposing and patching the voids, or demolishing the wall and starting over.

Workers attempt to expose all voids in this 30-foot wall.

ASI is proud to announce it’s Small Business Enterprise Certification (SBE) through the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (METRO).  It was determined that Advanced Special Inspection meets the eligibility standards set forth by METRO’s Small Business Enterprise Program in the following categories:

NAICS 541350 & 541380 – Building Inspection Services & Testing Laboratories

• Deputy Inspection – (reinforced concrete, structural masonry, fireproofing, pre-stressed concrete, structural steel – welding & bolting, wood, & all subcategories of deputy inspection)
• Non-destructive Testing - (ultrasonic, magnetic particle, dye-penetrant, radar, x-ray, radio-graphic, and all other forms of non-destructive testing relating to steel and concrete)
• Special Inspection - (see Deputy inspection above)
• Materials Testing - (masonry, mortar, grout, concrete, rebar & post-tension cables, steel & metalergy, fiber-wrap, and much more)

With this certification, ASI has the ability to help contractors meet their SBE participation requirements on METRO projects.  ASI’s certification file number is 5542.

ASI is also a certified SBE with the following entities:

• State of California, Certificate #51210
• Federal Government – CCR & Small Business Administration (SBA)
• County of Los Angeles (CAMIS), Vendor #14194201
• Port of Long Beach, Account #29391
• San Diego County Water Authority, Account #29391
• City of Los Angeles, BAVN
• Los Angeles Harbor Division