112 Issues Found in Railroad Bridge Plans—Including Critical Structural Conflicts
Impossible anchor bolt geometry, drilled shaft cover deficiencies, bolt specification contradictions, and unpopulated Bill of Material—surfaced before construction.
The Project
A major railroad bridge project involving drilled shaft foundations, secant walls, structural steel girders, and multiple retaining walls. InspectMind performed a comprehensive cross-check of the 49-sheet drawing set against project specifications, identifying critical conflicts between drawings and specs, impossible geometric conditions, and fundamental documentation gaps that would have caused construction delays and costly RFIs.
Sample Findings
Anchor bolt length of 1'-6" equals embedment depth of 1'-6"—zero projection available for bearing assembly, yet detail shows bolt projecting through masonry plate, washer, and nut.
Drawing specifies ASTM F1852 twist-off bolts, but spec requires F3125 with turn-of-nut tightening. F1852 bolts cannot be installed using turn-of-nut method.
Multiple sheets show 3" clear cover for drilled shafts, but specification requires 5" minimum. This 2" deficiency affects all foundation elements.
All pay items (concrete, reinforcement, drilled shafts) show quantity of zero. This is an unpopulated template that prevents bidding and procurement.
Drawing requires 95% Standard Proctor; spec requires 100% Modified Proctor near abutments. These are fundamentally different test methods with different compaction energy.
Drawing specifies 5 thermal wires for TIP testing, but spec requires wires "in pairs." An odd number cannot form complete pairs for cage eccentricity detection.
Issue Categories
Structural & Foundations
Drilled shaft cover, concrete strength, anchor embedment issues
Fastener & Connection Conflicts
Bolt specs (F1852 vs F3125), anchor geometry, installation methods
Specification Contradictions
Compaction, galvanizing, epoxy, lifting hook, and splice conflicts
Documentation & Coordination
Zero BOM quantities, missing details, incomplete references
Value Delivered
"The anchor bolt geometry issue alone would have stopped bearing installation. Finding 112 issues before construction started saved us from months of RFIs and field delays on a critical railroad project."
— Project Team