3B85

PAY RANGE:  EP24

 

BUILDING PLANS EXAMINATION ENGINEER 1

 

GENERAL DEFINITION

 

This is specialized civil engineering work in the City's Licensing and Inspections agency.  Employees in this class examine, diversified plans for the construction, reconstruction or renovation of building structures to ensure conformance with sound engineering principles and with existing ordinances and regulations.  Work entails responsibility for finding and explaining errors or code violations in building plans and recommending corrective measures to engineers, architects, contractors and their representatives. Making determinations regarding the appropriateness of building plans and ensuring compliance with the building code are major aspects of the work.  Work is performed under the direction of an engineering supervisor.

 

ALLOCATING FACTORS: (The following conditions must be met for a position to be allocated to this class.)

 

·       Employees must review and approve building plans for conformance to existing codes and regulations.

·       Positions must be located in the Department of Licenses and Inspections.

 

TYPICAL EXAMPLES OF WORK (ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY)

 

Receives and examines plans, blueprints and specifications pertaining to the construction, alteration, or reconstruction of a wide range of buildings and other structures; examines in detail the proposed construction or reconstruction activities to determine conformance with sound engineering policy, existing regulations, and ordinances.

Performs the recalculation of structural, occupancy load and other figures to ensure they are correct.

Confers with architects, engineers, builders, inspectors and other interested parties, so that conformance with code requirements may be achieved.

Explains and interprets building code requirements to architects, contractors and other interested parties.

Approves plans and blue prints to determine if plans conform to standards.

Prepares detailed reports as necessary, pointing out reasons why specific plans were either approved or rejected; prepares reports indicating the status of assignments.

Keys pertinent data into electronic database via desktop personal computer terminal; utilizes a desktop personal computer terminal for typing and routine data entry; prepares reports derived from electronic data.

Performs related work as required.

 

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

KNOWLEDGE OF:

 

·       current principles and practices of the building construction trades

·       the theories, principles, practices and techniques of civil engineering

·       the mathematics involved in building design and construction

·       federal, state and local laws, codes, ordinances, standards and regulations as related to the building construction industry

·       the engineering theories, principles and practices used in the development, preparation and review of plans, designs, cost estimates, specifications and other contract and engineering documents

·       plumbing codes applicable to the examination of plumbing plans

·       the principles of personal computer operations

·       interactive data entry and retrieval procedures

 

SKILL IN:

 

·       the operation of a desktop personal computer terminal for data input; data retrieval and report writing

 

ABILITY TO:

 

·       make complex engineering computations

·       read and interpret construction plans and blueprints

·       express oral and written ideas effectively

·       establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates, contractors, architects, and their representatives

·       learn the applications of the department’s designated software database

·       operate an interactive desktop personal computer terminal

 

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE (The following statement represents the minimum training and experience standards which will be used to admit or reject applicants for tests.  Applications submitted by candidates for this class will be reviewed based on training and experience requirements as approved on 6/24).

 

EDUCATION:

OPTION 1:

 

Completion of a bachelor's degree program at an accredited college or university with major coursework in civil, hydraulic, sanitary or structural engineering.

 

OR


OPTION 2:

For Construction unit positions only in the Licenses and Inspections Department only:

Completion of bachelor’s degree program from an accredited college or university in construction management, engineering technology or architectural engineering.

 

AND

GENERAL EXPERIENCE (for all positions):

 

Two years of civil engineering experience.

 

AND

SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE (for all positions):

 

Two years of civil engineering experience at the full performance level examining or developing major construction plans for conformance to acceptable engineering practices and ordinances.

 

OR

 

Any equivalent combination of education determined to be acceptable by the Office of Human Resources that has included completion of a bachelor's degree program in a related area of engineering as an educational minimum.

 

NOTE: A master’s degree in civil engineering can equate for one year of the general experience requirement. 

 

PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS

 

Ability to physically perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required of a position in this class.

 

LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS, AND/OR CERTIFICATES

 

1.    Certification by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor and Industry, in accordance with the PA Uniform Construction Code within 30 days of the announcement closing date in the following categories:

 

·       Building Inspector

·       Building Plans Examiner

·       Mechanical Plans Examiner

·       Energy Plans Examiner

·       Accessibility Inspector/Plans Examiner

·       Plumbing Plans Examiner*

 

NOTE: Employees with permanent Civil Service status in the class as of March 3, 2017, are not required to secure and maintain the Plumbing Plans Examiner certification during tenure of employment in the class.

 

2.    Completion of course work or continuing education credits necessary to maintain certification during tenure of employment as a Building Plans Examination Engineer 1.

 

 Class Established:

8/65

Spec. Revisions:

1/70

CSC - 11/02; Ad. Board - 1/03

CSC - 9/08; Ad. Board - 10/08

CSC – 12/14; Ad. Board – 1/14

CSC – 8/15; Ad. Board – 8/15

 Spec Revision:

CSC – 2/17; Ad. Board – 4/17

Latest Spec. Revision:

CSC – 5/24

Ad. Board – 6/24

 

JL