Start with the list in the opening designer note of the issued Section 03 45 33 and confirm that the framing plans, member sections, and connection details show each item, especially the design loads, whether the topping is in the dead load, and where the topping is thinner or missing. Then check that the drawings give the contractor’s precast engineer everything the Drawing and Design Calculation Information article asks them to design from, and that the bearing pads, openings, fire ratings, finishes, and plant and erector certification categories kept in the section match the members actually drawn.
Assemble the review package
Gather the structural general notes with the design loads and concrete data, the precast framing plans with piece layout, column grid, floor elevations, and openings, the member sections and schedules, the bearing and connection details, the topping and slab edge plans, the architectural reflected ceiling plans and elevations showing exposed precast, the life safety plans with fire ratings, the MEP penetration and sleeve plans, and the issued Section 03 45 33 with Sections 03 30 00, 03 45 00, 05 12 00, 07 92 00, and 01 45 35. Follow one bay from its framing plan through a beam-to-column connection and a slab opening before assuming the others are detailed the same way.
WBDG publishes UFGS 03 45 33: Precast [Prestressed] Structural Concrete as a public guide-specification reference (accessed October 29, 2026). Use your project’s issued specification and amendments for the actual comparison; the guide specification does not automatically govern your project. The checklist below is an original suggested review workflow, not a reproduction of the UFGS requirements.
Eight checks to run against the issued set
Use one record per location or system. The CSV contains the same eight prompts plus fields for source revisions, observed evidence, the review owner, the decision, and closure references.
| Check | Sources to compare | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| What the drawings must show | Opening designer note on drawing information + precast framing plans + member sections and schedules | Do the drawings show the live and dead loads, the framing layout with column centers, offsets, floor elevations, and openings, a cross-section for each member type, the joint locations, the camber, and the tendon information the note lists, or are some items left for the precaster to guess? |
| Delegated member and connection design | System Description, Design Requirements, Loads, and Drawing and Design Calculation Information articles + structural general notes | The section has the precast engineer design the members and connections for the loads and spans indicated. Do the general notes give every load the Loads article names, including lateral and construction loads, and do they say which connections the engineer of record has designed and which are left to the precaster? |
| Topping and composite action | Design Requirements topping bracket + Concrete Topping article + Section 03 30 00 + topping and slab plans | Does the bracket say whether the topping may be counted in member strength, and do the plans mark areas where the topping is thinner, missing, or interrupted, such as at drains, ramps, or equipment pads, as the designer note asks? |
| Bearing, anchorage, and connections | Bearing Pads, Built-In Anchorage Devices, Bearing Surfaces, Anchorage, and Welding articles + connection details + Section 05 12 00 | Is a bearing pad type indicated at each support that suits its location, with interior-only pad types kept out of exterior bearings, are the weld plates, bearing plates, and steel shapes embedded in members indicated, and do the welded connections match the structural steel section? |
| Openings and blockouts | Blockouts and Openings articles + MEP penetration and sleeve plans + framing plans | Is every opening that would cut primary reinforcing or prestressing strands drawn on the framing plans so that it is cast in at the plant, with headers and steel framing members sized, and do the MEP plans show no other penetrations that would need a field cut? |
| Fire rating by member | Performance Requirements article + life safety plans + member schedules | Where the members are rated, is the rating indicated for each member or area rather than stated once, and does it match the fire-resistance ratings on the life safety plans and the design method the section allows? |
| Finishes and exposure | Surface Finish, Concrete Mix Design, and Tests, Inspections, and Verifications articles + architectural plans and elevations + site exposure | Do the finish grades kept for exposed and unexposed surfaces, and any architectural finish, match where precast is exposed to view on the architectural sheets, and are the marine, freeze-thaw, and chloride brackets kept or deleted to suit the site? |
| Plant, erector, and inspection requirements | Manufacturer Qualifications, Erector Certification, Erector Qualifications, Factory Inspection, and Construction Records articles + Section 01 45 35 schedule | Does the PCI plant certification category fit the products drawn, such as hollow-core or deflected-strand members, does the erector category match a simple deck or a complete loadbearing precast system, and does the special inspection schedule agree on shop and field inspection? |
Worked example: an untopped mechanical room and an uncast shaft
Illustrative example: a two-story administration building uses hollow-core planks with a composite topping on precast beams and columns. The issued Section 03 45 33 lets the topping count toward member strength, but the second-floor mechanical room is drawn with a housekeeping pad and no topping, and nothing on the plans marks it as untopped. The plumbing plans show a riser shaft through the planks that does not appear on the precast framing plan, the general notes give the live load but not the superimposed dead load, and the erector bracket keeps the category for simple deck systems although the precast beams and columns carry the building.
Ask the structural engineer of record to mark the mechanical room as an untopped area, add the superimposed dead load and state whether the topping is included in the dead load, and add the riser shaft opening with its header to the framing plan so that it is cast in at the plant. Ask the specifier to change the erector certification bracket to the category for complete structural systems, and confirm that the precast engineer’s calculations use the revised loads.
Avoid a false conflict
Section 03 45 33 is for plant-made structural members. Precast wall panels go to Section 03 45 00, site-cast tilt-up panels are covered in the tilt-up concrete guide, and cast-in-place toppings, pour strips, and slabs are in Section 03 30 00, so check those before calling a requirement missing. The current guide section cites ACI 318-19 and the PCI manuals; confirm the editions your project invokes. A precaster’s sealed design does not replace the engineer of record’s review of loads, connections, and the effect of openings on the supporting structure.
When requirements disagree, follow the project’s document-control and clarification process. Do not assume that drawings always override specifications, or the reverse. Identify the exact sources and request an authorized decision.
Close the issue across the affected documents
Record the location or tag, drawing and specification references, issue dates, observed difference, and the decision needed. Assign an owner and keep the item open until the response identifies the governing requirement. Check the revised drawings and specification references together; a response email alone may leave the issued package inconsistent.
For the overall process, use the guide to drawing and specification conflicts. Mark an inapplicable checklist row with a reason, and distinguish a verified correction from a question that still needs design information.
Where Groundbook fits
Groundbook’s drawing and specification review helps investigate potential disagreements in the documents you supply. Include the relevant specification sections and drawing references, then verify the cited evidence with the responsible reviewers before acting on a finding.