How to Write an ITP for Concrete Works

Concrete is the most unforgiving material on a construction site. Once the truck arrives and the pour begins, whatever is inside that formwork — correct or not — is staying there. A single missed hold point can mean cutting out and re-pouring an entire slab, at a cost measured in weeks, not hours.

That's why concrete ITPs are the most critical quality documents on any project involving structural or civil concrete. This guide walks through how to write one that actually protects you — covering the inspection points, acceptance criteria, and hold points that belong in every concrete ITP.

What a concrete ITP covers

A concrete ITP spans the full lifecycle from subgrade preparation to curing. Depending on the element (slab on ground, suspended slab, column, beam, retaining wall), the specific items vary — but the structure follows a consistent pattern:

1. Pre-pour preparation — formwork, reinforcement, embedments, concrete cover
2. Concrete supply and delivery — mix design verification, slump testing, temperature
3. Pour and placement — vibration, finishing, and cold/hot joint management
4. Post-pour — curing, stripping, and defect inspection

Each stage contains inspection items classified as either a hold point (H), witness point (W), or review point (R). The classification determines who must be present, whether work can proceed without sign-off, and the compliance consequence of missing the inspection.

The critical hold points

Not every inspection item in a concrete ITP should be a hold point — doing so defeats the purpose and creates scheduling bottlenecks. The following are the items that genuinely warrant mandatory stop-and-inspect status:

Reinforcement inspection (pre-pour)

This is the single most important hold point on any concrete ITP. Once concrete covers the steel, there is no non-destructive way to verify bar sizes, spacing, lap lengths, or cover.

What to check:

• Bar sizes and grades match the reinforcement schedule
• Spacing and lapping comply with AS 3600 Clause 13.2
• Chairs and spacers are at specified intervals with correct height for the exposure classification
• Starter bars and continuity reinforcement are correctly located
• No displaced, loose, or damaged bars

Acceptance criteria: Positioning within ±10mm per AS 3600 Clause 18.2.5. Cover within the tolerance band for the specified exposure class per AS 3600 Table 4.10.3.

Formwork inspection

Formwork failures during a pour are dangerous and expensive. Checking dimensions, alignment, joints, and propping before pouring prevents blowouts, grout loss, and level errors.

What to check:

• Dimensions match structural drawings (width, depth, length)
• Alignment and level within tolerance
• Joints sealed — no gaps that would allow grout loss
• Propping adequate and undamaged
• Form face clean, free of debris, and treated with release agent
• No standing water or foreign material

Acceptance criteria: Dimensions within ±10mm of specified values. Level and alignment per project specification tolerances.

Concrete supply verification

The mix design is specified by the structural engineer for a reason. Accepting the wrong strength, slump, or aggregate size compromises the element's structural capacity and durability.

What to check:

• Delivery docket matches the specified mix design (strength grade, max aggregate size, slump class, exposure class)
• Batch time on the docket — concrete must be placed within the allowable time from batching (typically 90 minutes per AS 1379)
• Slump test result within the specified range
• Temperature within acceptable limits (particularly relevant in hot or cold weather pours)

Acceptance criteria: Compressive strength grade per AS 1379. Slump within the specified class tolerance. Delivery within allowable transit time.

Witness points to include

Witness points don't stop work, but they give the superintendent or principal contractor the right to attend and inspect. Typical witness points in a concrete ITP:

• Pre-pour meeting — confirming pour sequence, pump location, finishing requirements, and access
• Concrete placement and vibration — visual inspection that concrete is being properly compacted, particularly around congested reinforcement
• Curing commencement — confirming that curing method matches the specification and is applied within the required timeframe
• Formwork stripping — checking that the minimum stripping time has elapsed and that the element shows no honeycombing, cold joints, or surface defects

Structuring the ITP document

A well-structured concrete ITP has a consistent format for each line item:

Each row should be specific enough to be auditable. "Check reinforcement" is not specific enough. "Verify bar sizes, spacing, laps, and cover per AS 3600 Cl. 18.2.5 and reinforcement schedule Rev C" is.

Common mistakes

Making everything a hold point. If every line item is a hold point, the inspector's schedule controls the entire pour program. Reserve hold points for irreversible work — reinforce, formwork, and mix verification.

Referencing outdated drawings. The ITP must reference the current revision of the structural drawings and specification. A signed ITP that references superseded drawings is a compliance gap, not a record.

No acceptance criteria. An inspection item without a measurable acceptance criterion is subjective. "Reinforcement OK" means nothing in an audit. "Bar spacing within ±10mm per AS 3600 Cl. 18.2.5" means everything.

Paper sign-offs that go missing. A paper ITP signed on site in the rain, stuffed into a folder, and lost before handover is worthless. Digital ITPs with electronic sign-off and automatic PDF generation eliminate this entirely.

How HoldPoint handles concrete ITPs

HoldPoint comes with pre-built concrete ITP templates covering pre-pour, post-pour, and curing inspections — all aligned to AS 3600. If you need a concrete ITP right now, the free AI ITP generator can build one from a scope description in under a minute.

Each template enforces hold points digitally: the document cannot progress past a hold point until the nominated party has signed off. Sign-off happens via a secure email link — no account required for the inspector or superintendent.

For multi-level projects, the Areas feature lets you apply the same concrete ITP across every level of a building and send one sign-off pack per floor — a single PDF combining every signed ITP for that area.

The result is an audit-ready record for every pour on every level, without manually duplicating documents or chasing paper.