Precast Concrete Inspector II (PCI Level II) — Columbia, SC

Construction Material Testing; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 41,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Construction Material Testing seeks a Precast Concrete Inspector II to lead plant quality control for precast and prestressed production, or perform owner and agency plant inspection for DOT programs. You verify prestressing operations, review mix designs and strength records, and decide on acceptance of finished products.

Responsibilities include maintaining QC records for PCI and DOT, supervising Level I inspectors, and assigning daily coverage.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in a certified precast or prestressed plant.
• PCI Quality Control Personnel Certification Level II is required.
• Working knowledge of PCI MNL-116/MNL-117 and DOT precast specs.
• ACI certification preferred; able to enforce specifications on the line.

Responsibilities

• Verify prestressing operations: strand certification, tensioning, elongation, detensioning sequence.
• Review mix designs, batch tickets, and strength records.
• Accept or reject finished products against specs and shop drawings.
• Maintain plant QC records for PCI and DOT programs; supervise Level I inspectors.
• Travel between plants on project assignments with per diem as assigned.

Skills

2+ years experience

PCI Level II

Record review

Quality control

Job description

A Precast Concrete Inspector II leads plant quality control for precast and prestressed production, or performs owner and agency plant inspection for DOT and structural precast programs: verifying prestressing operations, reviewing mix designs and strength records, accepting or rejecting finished products, keeping the plant QC records the PCI or DOT certification program requires, and supervising Level I inspectors. PCI Quality Control Personnel Certification Level II is required.

Responsibilities: Verify prestressing operations: strand certification, tensioning, elongation, detensioning sequence, and transfer strength; Review mix designs, batch tickets, and strength records; investigate low breaks and adjust with the plant; Accept or reject finished products against the specification and the shop drawings; disposition repairs; Maintain plant QC records for PCI plant certification and DOT or owner acceptance programs; Supervise Level I inspectors; assign daily coverage and review their records.

Qualifications: PCI Quality Control Personnel Certification Level II, current, with 2+ years in a certified precast or prestressed plant; Working knowledge of PCI MNL-116/MNL-117 and the DOT precast specifications for your state; ACI Concrete Strength Testing Technician certification preferred; Able to hold a production line to the specification when the schedule is pushing.

What a week in this job looks like: Your week is the plant's quality record: detensioning approvals at the start of the day, a low-break investigation before the next pour uses the same mix, product acceptance for a DOT girder load with the state inspector present, and the records review that keeps the plant's PCI certification and DOT approval in place. Level I inspectors run the daily tests; you review, decide, and sign. On owner and agency assignments you are the outside eye in someone else's plant, which means your acceptance decisions are documented well enough to stand on their own.

Certifications, training, and where this leads: Level II leads to Precast Inspector III and plant quality management. Sponsored training covers PCI Level III, ACI laboratory certifications, and DOT plant inspector qualification for the states where we work.

Pay, schedule, and travel: Pay runs $30 to $40 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.

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.