Originally Posted by
Aaron Miller
After years of reading the IRC deferring to the IBC deferring to PTI and looping around endlessly, interrupted only here and there by exceptions allowing the building official to decide this and that, I still cannot make an air-tight argument that a slab-on-grade in expansive soil must be:
(1) designed by an engineer or "design professional"
(2) inspected by that engineer during the process
While I'm at it, how about soil testing to proceed the construction of the above foundation? PTI says that soil testing "shall" occur. IRC and IBC say that you must adhere to PTI requirements, but then say the building official can decide.
Jeez! Any ideas here?
Thanks,
Aaron
Aaron, I always have read into the IRC the same as you (follow the Post Tension Institute recommendations).
Where the PTI states 'SHALL', I take this to mean that THERE IS NO OPTION-- shall means you 'will' to it this way.
So, when the IRC refers to the PTI (that says that soil testing *shall* occur), that means that the IRC is defering the to tighter/ higher demand.