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["Jim Getaz" <jgetaz(--nospam--at)shockeyprecast.com>]

            Davis,

                        Your “Based on all the technical information and test reports received along with my personal site visits, it is my professional opinion...” sounds a lot like the weasel words we use when asked for this kind of certification. As a precast concrete subcontractor with PEs on staff but a lot of consultants designing Design-Build projects, we sometimes have to “certify” construction, and it is occurring with increasing frequency. We say we depend on our PCI certified QC department’s inspections, our PCI certified erector’s daily reports, our field coordinator’s inspection, our field QC inspection and at least one engineer’s field observation to say that everything is in accordance with the erection drawings and the remedial details. The only issue is that the requirement usually wants this from the design engineer, who often works for a consultant. Now some of our consultants make a practice of visiting their sites during erection, but their insurance carriers still do not like it. So we do. So far, no AHJ has rejected our letter.

                        I have never been aware at the start of a project that this would be required, but since the GC usually still has a lot of our money when the request is received, we comply.

            Jim Getaz

            Winchester, Virginia