Evening star., 1924-12-20
CITY'S GROWTH INCREASES
DUTIES OF INSPECTORS
Reports ShoU Ten Inspections Per Day
Per Nan as Necessary to Keep Up
With Construction.

AS the United States has stepped to
the fore of the great nations of the
world its National Capital is
progressing toward the estate of a
metropolis. with this great growth
has come a corresponding Increase in
the work and responsibilities of the
City's Government
In no other division Of the District
Government Is this more apparent
than in the building division. A few
Years ago an annual total of S10,-
100000 to $4,000, 900 for construction
projects was considered big business,
now. unless it reaches S35.000,O 900 to
100000 the building trade is con-
sdered slack
These large annual totals represent
buildings of all types, each of which
require inspection visits. Some indi-
vidual projects require as much as
10 to 100 reports.
Many Inspections Made.
All types of buildings are under
inspection bX this department. re-
2SrdleSS of floor area or class. The
inspection involves examination of
soil, location of building, concrete
footings, character of wall structure.
allowable projections and manner of
securing roof. When a building is
rooted the inspection as to safety and
stability is practically ended other
Ihan to require that all debris be re-
moved from public space and all dam
age done to public or private property
rernrdied. Many inspections are made
as frequently as possible to insure as
lar as practicable safe and secure
construction. The number increases
in ratio according to the magnitude
nf ha NK.ly i
long period of time
In order properly to inspect and su-
pervise building work it is essential
that the inspector should be fully
conversant with every job under his
charge. This in itself is a tremendous
task. Again the work is distributed
over large area and great deal of
time is required to travel from one
job TO another. not counting the time
consumed in climbing upon temporary
stairs, ladders or scaffolding, more
closely to examine work being done
or alreday completed.
An examination of the daily inSpec-
tton reports submitted as routine
work shows an average of 10 inspec-
ttons per man per day. This would
permit an average of Is minutes per
job. considering the available time of
inspections from 1890 am. to 4:30
PIN ana ueuuCllnS One-halt hOur Tor
lunch. The remainder of the time is
consumed in travelling from one job
TO another. Because of limited time
that can be given, thorough and COM
plete inspection of every detail is not
possible, especially as the visits can
not be made daily on account of the
large number of different operations
under way
Increase in Early Fail.
The figures are materially in
creased during the months 'of August,
September and October, and also to-
ward Spring, when building work al
ways reopens with great activity.
Repair work is often of very conf
plicated nature and requires more
rigid inspection than new work.
Practically all of the larger buildings
erected today involve the use of re-
inforced concrete or steel framing.
This class of work requires rigid in
SpeCtion and constant supervision.
The office of the building inspector
has assigned for the purpose of in
Specting reinforced concrete and steel
framing four inspectors who are
trained engineers.
During a rush, or when handicapped
by lack of assistants, it is very easy
for the computer to overlook some
important feature of engineering in