Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 17, September 10, 2024
A.
Sealing Requirements for Professional Engineers
1.
Seal Specifications. Pursuant
to section
12-120-216(1),
C.R.S., the seal authorized by the State Board of Licensure for Architects,
Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors for licensees is of the
crimp type, rubber stamp type, and/or computer generated type. The seal shall
be of a design and size shown below. The diameter of the outer circle shall be
nominally 1 5/8 inches (41 mm) and the diameter of the inner circle shall be
nominally 15/16 inches (24 mm). The license number assigned shall be centered
in the inner area of the seal in the space occupied by the word "NUMBER" and
the size of the numbers shall be the same size of the letters in the word
"NUMBER". The word "NUMBER" should not appear on the seal. Seals obtained prior
to July 1, 2005 shall be deemed acceptable.
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2.
Seal Application. A manual or electronic seal must be applied to
either the final reproducible, the final reproduction, the final electronic
record document, or record set of all of the following:
a. Each sheet of engineering drawings; or,
(1) An electronic seal on the cover page(s)
of a set of drawings.
(a) The cover page(s)
shall contain the identical sheet border, title block and project title as the
remaining pages of the set of drawings.
When opting to seal only the cover page(s) of a set of
drawings, a notation shall be included in the title block of every page noting
that all seals for the set of drawings are applied to the cover page(s).
(b) All pages in the set of
drawings shall be numbered, including the cover page(s).
(c) Electronic seals affixed to the cover
page(s) of the set of drawings must adhere to all requirements of Board Rules,
including a statement of the scope of work and, if relevant, page numbers
associated with the scope.
(d) If
electronically sealing on the cover page(s), Signature Dynamic Technology shall
be used.
b. The
cover page(s), title page(s), or table of contents of specifications bound in
book form.
c. The title page(s) of
details bound in book form and prepared specifically to supplement project
drawings.
d. The title page(s) or
signature page of engineering reports.
3.
Signature and Date Required.
The manual or electronic signature of the licensee and date of signature shall
be affixed to the document. The signature of the licensee and date of signature
shall appear through the seal.
a.
Repealed.
4. Sealing
Documents That Are Not Final. When a licensee seals engineering documents that
are not final, the status of the engineering documents must be identified as
preliminary. Further qualifying descriptors may be added, e.g. "for
review."
5.
Limiting Scope of
Responsibility. When a licensee signs and seals a document, the licensee
is responsible for the entire document unless the licensee limits the seal to
one or more disciplines (e.g. civil, structural, mechanical, etc.) shown on the
document. To limit the scope of responsibility for an engineering document to
one or more disciplines, on the face of such document, the licensee must
include a specific written note adjacent to the seal that accurately reflects
the scope of responsibility for the document.
All disciplines or aspects of the work shown on that document
must be signed and sealed by the person(s) in responsible charge.
6.
Specifying Manufactured
Components in Designs. Licensees may specify manufactured components
that are exempted by statute as part of design documents. "Manufactured
components" for the purposes of this Rule shall consist of such items as a
pump, motor, prefabricated truss, or other type of item that is manufactured in
multiple units for selection and use in projects that must be designed by
professional engineers. Systems of manufactured components that are specific to
a particular use or application must also be designed by a professional
engineer. The licensee may show the manufactured component on the drawing or
document and is responsible for the correct selection and specification of the
manufactured components, but is not responsible for the proper design and
manufacture of the manufactured components selected.
7.
Retaining Engineering
Documents. The sealed, signed, and dated reproducible, or a copy of all
documents displaying the licensee's seal, signature, and date, shall be
retained and made available by the licensee or the licensee's employer for a
minimum time period not less than the statute of repose pursuant to section
13-80-104,
C.R.S.
B.
Engineer's Certification
1.
Circumstances and Applicable Actions. When a professional engineer
is presented with a certification to be signed and/or sealed, the professional
engineer should carefully evaluate that certification to determine if any of
the following circumstances apply:
a. Matters
that are beyond the professional engineer's competence, training, or
education.
b. Matters that are
beyond the professional engineer's services actually provided.
c. Matters that were not prepared under the
professional engineer's responsible charge.
If any of these circumstances apply, that engineer shall take
either of the following actions:
(1)
Modify such certification to limit its scope to those matters that the
professional engineer can properly sign and/or seal.
(2) Decline to sign such
certification.
2.
Certification Defined.
Certification is defined as a statement that includes all of the following:
a. Is signed and/or sealed by a professional
engineer representing that the engineering services addressed therein have been
performed by the professional engineer or under the professional engineer in
responsible charge.
b. Is based
upon the professional engineer's knowledge, information, and belief.
c. Is in accordance with applicable standards
of practice.
d. Is not a guaranty
or warranty, either expressed or implied.
3.
Grading and Drainage
Certificates. Professional engineers who provide grading and drainage
certifications are responsible for reviewing the data provided to them by land
surveyors and personally visiting the area to be certified.
C.
Construction Observation
as the Practice of Engineering.
Section
12-120-202(6),
C.R.S., defines the "... observation of construction to evaluate compliance
with plans and specifications..." as the practice of engineering. Observation
of construction to evaluate compliance with plans and specifications includes,
but is not limited to, the following activities:
1. Observing construction operations and
interpreting the project plans and specifications to monitor general compliance
with the plans, specifications, and the intent of the design.
2. Evaluation or analysis of design problems
due to actual field conditions encountered.
3. Evaluation or analysis of the testing of
materials, equipment, or systems for acceptance, when appropriate to the
project.
A person who is performing any of the above listed activities
is engaging in the practice of engineering and must either be licensed as a
professional engineer in Colorado or must be under the responsible charge of a
Colorado professional engineer.
D.
Materials Testing.
The development of testing protocols for engineering
projects, the interpretation of materials testing data, or any subsequent
analysis or engineering design relying upon materials testing data constitutes
the practice of engineering as defined in section
12-120-202(6),
C.R.S. However, materials testing, in and of itself, and its related data
collection, may be done by individuals who are not professional
engineers.
H.
Establishing Horizontal and Vertical Controls.
The Colorado Statutes permit both professional engineers and
professional land surveyors to establish horizontal and vertical control for
Aerial Mapping, Topographic Mapping, and Planimetric Mapping. When any of the
previously mentioned horizontal and vertical controls are tied to, referenced
to, or controlled by land lines or property lines, these controls shall be
established under the direct supervision of a professional land surveyor
licensed in Colorado.
