Structural Inspection Methods Flashcards
7 cards from real CCI practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Structural Inspection Methods flashcards as text
During a seismic inspection of a reinforced concrete shear wall, what is the purpose of 'boundary elements'?
Answer: Heavily reinforced zones at wall ends that confine concrete and resist overturning forces
Boundary elements are densely reinforced end zones of shear walls that provide confinement and ductility to resist the large compressive forces generated during seismic overturning.
What is the primary structural purpose of 'continuity plates' (also called 'stiffener plates') in a steel moment frame column?
Answer: To distribute concentrated beam flange forces across the column web and prevent web crippling
Continuity plates align with beam flanges inside the column and distribute the concentrated flange forces across the column web to prevent local web yielding or crippling.
An inspector is reviewing shop drawings for a precast concrete double-tee. What dimension is most critical to verify regarding the connection hardware?
Answer: Embed plate location, projection, and elevation relative to the structural bearing surface
Embed plate location and elevation are critical because misplaced hardware prevents the double-tee from bearing correctly and may make field welded connections impossible.
When performing a visual inspection of a steel truss, which member condition is most critical to flag for immediate engineering review?
Answer: A buckled or laterally displaced compression chord member
A buckled or displaced compression chord indicates the member has exceeded its capacity and the truss may be on the verge of collapse, requiring immediate load removal and engineering evaluation.
What does the term 'development length' mean in reinforced concrete, and why is it inspected?
Answer: The minimum embedment length required for a bar to develop its full tensile strength through bond
Development length is the minimum bar embedment needed to transfer the bar's full design force into the surrounding concrete through bond stress.
During inspection of a drilled pier (caisson), the inspector observes 'sloughing' of the hole walls. This is most significant because:
Answer: Loose material that falls to the bottom creates a weak layer under the pier tip, reducing bearing capacity
Sloughed material accumulating at the bottom of a drilled pier hole creates a soft layer that dramatically reduces the pier's end-bearing capacity.
A CCI inspector notices that field-bent rebar at a construction joint does not match the bend radius shown on the structural drawings. The concern is:
Answer: Overbending or using too tight a radius can cause cracking or fracture of the steel at the bend
Rebar bent to a tighter radius than specified can crack the steel at the outer face of the bend, creating a stress concentration that may cause failure under load.