Construction Manual

Caltrans intends that this manual be used as a resource to provide procedural guidance for personnel engaged in contract administration. This manual is a guide, not a compilation of mandatory instructions. Unless guiding language is explicitly mandatory, personnel are expected to perform in accordance with the guidance in this manual within the resources allotted for construction contract administration. The resident engineer has a primary role of contract administration and is in responsible charge for administration of the contract. The assistant resident engineer (inspector) has a primary role of field inspection of contractor quality of work. The resident engineer coordinates with inspectors to determine appropriate priorities for testing and inspection of work quality based on contractor-proposed order of work for the shift. A contract may have one or more inspectors assigned and each may have one or more activities to inspect as part of their daily responsibilities. There is no contractual requirement to provide full time inspection of any activity; inspectors may not be on site from start to end of contractor operations, and they may be required, due to staffing levels, to rotate inspection activities among their assigned work areas during the work shift or as work progresses. The provisions herein for contract inspection are only applicable when the inspector is present and observing a particular contractor operation and recognizes the issue as it develops or after completion of the work