A slab gets poured before the compaction test results come back, or formwork is stripped before a surveyor has confirmed the as-built levels. Once that happens, proving the work is compliant gets a lot harder, and rework is often the only way to be sure. Survey Requests and Test Requests exist to stop that from happening: they’re the formal, traceable way of asking someone qualified to check the work before it’s covered up or signed off.
What are Survey and Test Requests?
Survey Requests and Test Requests are two related but distinct case types used in construction quality management, usually linked to a Lot and a specific Inspection and Test Plan (ITP) item.
A Test Request asks a testing body or laboratory to test a material or completed element of work against the project specification, such as concrete strength, compaction density, or weld integrity. A Survey Request asks a surveyor to confirm as-built dimensions, levels, or positions against the design before work proceeds or is covered up. Both create a formal request-and-response record tied to the exact activity they relate to, rather than a verbal check or an email that’s easy to lose track of.
Why Survey and Test Requests matter in construction
- Traceability: every test and survey result is tied to the specific Lot and ITP item it verifies, rather than sitting in a separate folder disconnected from the work.
- Compliance: many ITPs include hold or witness points that specifically require a test or survey result before work can proceed.
- Risk reduction: catching a failed test or an out-of-tolerance survey before the work is covered up is far cheaper than discovering it later.
- Programme protection: a clear request with a tracked turnaround time helps avoid the schedule impact of a result that’s chased up too late.
- Audit readiness: a complete set of survey and test records against each Lot supports handover and any later compliance review.
What a good Survey or Test Request includes
- Reference to the Lot and ITP item: exactly which activity or element the request relates to.
- Scope of the test or survey: what’s being tested or measured, and against what acceptance criteria or tolerance.
- Responsible party: the testing body, laboratory, or surveyor the request is issued to.
- Required response date: when the result is needed, particularly where it sits ahead of a hold point.
- Attached report or result: the test certificate or survey data, uploaded and linked back to the request.
- Close-out: the engineer’s review confirming the result meets requirements, or a request for resubmission.
Common challenges
- Requests raised verbally or by email, with no central register of what’s outstanding.
- Work proceeding before test or survey results have actually come back.
- Reports filed separately from the Lot and ITP they relate to, making them hard to find later.
- No visibility on turnaround times, so a slow response becomes a programme problem before anyone notices.
- Survey and test records missing from the handover package because they were never linked to the rest of the Lot’s documentation.
Best practices
- Raise the Survey or Test Request before the relevant hold or witness point is reached, not after.
- Link every request to the specific Lot and ITP item it verifies.
- Set a required response date and track it, especially where a hold point depends on the result.
- Require the report to be uploaded and linked back to the request before it’s closed out.
- Keep survey and test records in the same register as the rest of the Lot, not a separate spreadsheet.
How Glaass Supports Survey and Test Requests
Glaass manages Survey Requests and Test Requests as part of its Quality module, alongside ITPs, Lot Management, and Hold and Witness Points. With Glaass, project teams can:
- Raise a Test Request or Survey Request directly from a Lot or ITP item, so it’s linked to the exact activity it covers
- Notify the testing body or surveyor directly through the platform, with the report uploaded back into the same case
- Have the engineer close the request or request resubmission based on the result
- Export a completed Lot, together with its Survey and Test Requests and every other linked case, into a single Lot Binder
- Pin Survey and Test Requests to the relevant 3D model element for teams working with BIM
- Search, filter, and export the register of requests across the project for reporting and handover
- Raise and track requests offline on-site through the mobile app, with automatic sync once back online
By keeping survey and test results linked to the exact Lot and ITP item they relate to, Glaass helps project teams verify work is compliant before it’s covered up, not after.
Final thoughts
Survey and Test Requests are a small piece of paperwork with an outsized effect on quality and risk. Raised early, linked to the right activity, and tracked through to a result, they turn “we’re pretty sure this is fine” into a documented, defensible record. If your team is still chasing test and survey results by email, it’s worth seeing how Glaass keeps them connected to the Lot they belong to, from request to close-out. You can find out more at glaass.net.
FAQ
What’s the difference between a Survey Request and a Test Request?
A Survey Request asks a surveyor to confirm as-built dimensions, levels, or position against the design. A Test Request asks a testing body or laboratory to test a material or completed element of work against the project specification.
When should a Survey or Test Request be raised?
Before the relevant hold or witness point, and before the work is covered up, so the result is available while it’s still possible to act on it if something doesn’t meet requirements.
Who is responsible for closing out a Test or Survey Request?
Typically the site or quality engineer, once they’ve reviewed the report against the specified acceptance criteria or tolerance.
What happens if a test fails or a survey is out of tolerance?
The engineer requests resubmission, rework, or further investigation, and the request stays open until the issue is resolved and re-verified.
Do Survey and Test Requests need to be kept with the rest of the Lot’s records?
Generally, yes. Many contracts and quality management plans expect a complete, auditable set of survey and test records against each Lot, particularly at handover.
