Precast Concrete Inspector I (PCI Level I) — Covington, KY

Construction Material Testing; Covington (KY); On-site; USD 33,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Construction Material Testing is seeking a Precast Concrete Inspector I to perform plant quality control on precast and prestressed concrete. You will check forms, reinforcement, strand tensioning records, and run fresh concrete tests, casting cylinders, and inspecting finished pieces before shipment.

Requirements include PCI Level I or ACI Grade I with plant experience, reading shop drawings, and a reliable early production schedule. Travel between plants with per diem may apply.

Qualifications

• PCI Quality Control Personnel Certification Level I, or ACI Concrete Field Testing Grade I with 1+ years in a precast or prestressed plant.
• Reads shop drawings and tensioning calculations.
• Comfortable with plant hours and an early production schedule.
• Consistent, careful, and honest with the numbers.

Responsibilities

• Inspect forms, reinforcement, embeds, and blockouts against the shop drawings before each pour.
• Verify strand tensioning elongation and force records against the calculated values.
• Run fresh concrete tests (slump, air, temperature, unit weight) and cast cylinders per ASTM C31.
• Perform stripping and release strength breaks and record them against the required values.
• Inspect finished products for dimensions, camber, finish, and defects and tag them for shipment or repair.

Skills

Reads shop drawings

Tensioning calculations

Early schedule adaptability

Accurate numerical work

Education

PCI Quality Control Personnel Certification Level I

ACI Concrete Field Testing Grade I

Tools

PCI Level I Certification

PCI Level II Certification

ACI Strength Testing Certification

ACI Aggregate Certification

Job description

A Precast Concrete Inspector I performs plant quality control on precast and prestressed concrete: checking forms and reinforcement before the pour, verifying strand tensioning records, running fresh concrete tests, casting and curing cylinders, and inspecting finished pieces for dimensions and defects before they ship. PCI Quality Control Personnel Certification Level I is required or must be earned in the first months; ACI Concrete Field Testing Grade I with plant experience qualifies you to start.

Responsibilities: Inspect forms, reinforcement, embeds, and blockouts against the shop drawings before each pour; Verify strand tensioning elongation and force records against the calculated values; Run fresh concrete tests (slump, air, temperature, unit weight) and cast cylinders per ASTM C31; Perform stripping and release strength breaks and record them against the required values; Inspect finished products for dimensions, camber, finish, and defects and tag them for shipment or repair.

Qualifications: PCI Quality Control Personnel Certification Level I, or ACI Concrete Field Testing Grade I with 1+ years in a precast or prestressed plant; Reads shop drawings and tensioning calculations; Comfortable with plant hours and an early production schedule; Consistent, careful, and honest with the numbers.

What a week in this job looks like:

A precast plant pours every day, so the week has a rhythm: pre-pour inspections early, fresh concrete tests as the forms fill, stripping breaks the next morning to confirm the pieces can be released, and finished-product inspection before a load goes out the gate. Every check ties back to a shop drawing and a specification. Precast quality control is where a lot of good concrete technicians learn the material properly, because you see the same mix, the same forms, and the same strand day after day and learn exactly what changes the result.

Certifications, training, and where this leads:

The company sponsors PCI Level I and Level II certification; Precast Inspector II follows Level II and adds prestressing and plant QC responsibility. ACI Strength Testing and Aggregate certifications are the laboratory additions.

Pay, schedule, and travel:

Pay runs $24 to $32 an hour depending on certifications held, verified experience, and the program you are assigned to. Plant hours: production pours early and stripping breaks are first thing, so days start before dawn and follow the plant's schedule, with overtime during heavy production. Plant positions are tied to the plant's location; owner and agency inspection assignments involve travel between plants on a project basis with per diem as assigned.

Safety, quality, and the standards we work under:

Precast quality control is performed to PCI MNL-116/MNL-117, the project specification, and the DOT requirements that apply, and reported under our documented AASHTO R18 quality system. A release strength is a number, not an estimate, and a piece ships when the record says it can. Plant safety — cranes, tensioning beds, strand release, and moving product — is trained, enforced, and part of the inspector's job.

How hiring works, and our commitment:

Apply with your PCI certification level, the plants and product lines you have worked in, and your ACI certifications. Expect a direct conversation with the people you would work for, references that get called, and a written offer consistent with this posting. The role requires a valid driver's license and the ability to be present on active jobsites, with pre-employment screening consistent with jobsite and client requirements. We are an equal opportunity employer and consider every applicant without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status.