Talking shop today over coffee with some other inspectors and the question comes up, "who is supposed to provide Plans to the Inspector?"  All of us ended up pointing to D1.1 (2010), 6.1.6, but there's the rub.  The clause says "shall be furnished" but it doesn't say by whom.  I take the stand that as a Verification Inspector, the documents I need should be supplied by the Contractor, while some other folks think I should by my own Plans.  I believe the intent of the clause is that the Documents should be supplied by the Contractor.  A little clarification from the Code Scholars would bee helpful.

Let's start the conversation from the vantage point of the third party inspector retained by the Owner and assume the project specifications reference either AISC's Specification for Structural Steel Buildings, AWS D1.1, or both. The verification inspector, as defined by AWS D1.1 needs to have copies of the design drawings as well as the detailed shop drawings. The verification inspector and the Engineer, as defined by AWS D1.1 both work for the Owner. All the fabrication and shop details must be reviewed and approved for construction/fabrication by the Engineer. All changes or modifications must pass through the Engineer for his review and approval. That being the case, it is fitting and proper for the Engineer to provide the verification inspector with copies of all approved drawings. It is a simple matter for the Engineer to print copies of the drawings for the verification inspector and if need be, the Engineer can pass the costs of reproduction back to the owner (which is the usual case).

It makes little sense for the fabricator/erector to provide drawings that have not yet been reviewed or approved by the Engineer. This arrangement, i.e., the Engineer providing the latest approved drawings, assures the Engineer that only approved drawings are used for the purpose of inspection. 

Drawing control is usually the weak link in any manufacturing system. I usually make it a point to include a clause in my quote that makes it the client's responsibility to provide me with the latest drawings and any revisions as they are approved. That way I am provided with the drawings the Owner, i.e., the client, has approved and it eliminates the problem of the manufacturer supplying me with drawings that are out of date or not yet reviewed and approved by the client.

The situation is very different for the contractor's inspector, i.e., the in-house inspector that works directly for the fabricator. Drawing control is still a problem area that needs close attention. It is usually the function of engineering or quality control to ensure the correct drawings are used for fabrication. It is not uncommon to begin the inspection process with by comparing the drawings issued to the inspector and those being used by the production personnel. This is a good starting point because it is common to discover different drawings are being used by the two entities involved. It serves a useful purpose to verify everyone is using the same drawings and revisions before going too far with the manufacturing/inspection process. 

Best regards - Al