Slab conduit stub-up pre-placement record

Direct answer

Before slab-on-grade placement covers electrical conduit rough-in, the pre-placement record should identify the building area, grid, room, slab pour, conduit tag, raceway type, trade size, circuit or system served, destination, stub-up height, stub-up orientation, cap or plug status, pull tape if used, bend or sweep basis, support method, plumbness, routing photo, relation to reinforcement, vapor retarder penetration, slab edge, construction joint, equipment pad, sleeve, blockout, conflict, correction owner, retest photo, inspection witness, and exact release decision.

The record is not just proof that conduit is present. It is proof that each stub-up can survive the concrete operation without being filled with concrete, moved by workers, damaged by pump hose movement, bent below its intended sweep, buried at the wrong height, left without a tag, confused with a spare, routed into a future anchor zone, or released with an unresolved structural or electrical conflict.

Use this as documentation guidance only. The approved drawings, specifications, product listing, manufacturer instructions, structural drawings, reinforcing layout, post-tension or vapor-retarder procedures, electrical engineer, concrete engineer, inspector, authority having jurisdiction, and qualified electrical contractor control the actual installation, code compliance, material selection, spacing, grounding, bonding, and slab-placement release.

A complete deliverable usually has four parts: the marked plan or photo map, the close-up photo set, the exception log, and the release statement. The plan shows where the reviewer was standing and which conduit sequence was checked. The close-ups show caps, tags, bends, and supports. The exception log shows what was not ready. The release statement says which conduits and which slab area are allowed to be covered.

Define the release boundary

Start the record by defining the boundary being released. A useful boundary is specific: Area A slab-on-grade, grids 3 through 6 and B through D, pour strip SOG-2, electrical conduits serving panel LP-1, floor equipment, owner devices, and spare risers shown on drawing E2.11. A weak boundary says electrical rough-in ready and leaves everyone guessing which stub-ups were reviewed.

The boundary should also say what is outside the release. Floor boxes, sleeves, in-slab junction boxes, grounding electrode work, underground service duct banks, site utility service stubs, low-voltage-only conduits, fire alarm raceways, or conduits held for owner layout may need separate records. This article is about conduit stub-ups that rise through or are set for slab-on-grade placement. It should not be stretched until it duplicates a floor-box pre-pour record.

Tie the boundary to the slab placement plan. Note the concrete date, pour sequence, slab thickness basis, vapor retarder status, reinforcing status, sawcut or construction joint layout, equipment pads, equipment housekeeping pads, anchor zones, control joints, wall lines, column lines, and any concrete crew access route that could affect a stub-up. The release should make clear whether the concrete crew is allowed to place the whole area or only a named strip.

If the release boundary changes during review, revise the record before placement. A field team may start with the idea that the whole slab is ready and then discover one equipment pad, one conduit bank, or one wall line is held. That change should not live only in a conversation. The final packet should say which portion was removed from the release and why.

Start from approved documents

The record should begin with the controlling documents: electrical drawings, conduit schedules, panel schedules, equipment shop drawings, system riser drawings, structural slab drawings, reinforcing drawings, approved product data, and any project detail for embedded conduits or spare conduits. The Chicago Public Schools conduit standard reviewed for this package is a useful example because it calls for coordination of conduit arrangement with structural members, equipment, ducts, piping, and exact termination locations, and it requires record routing for underground and embedded conduits.

WBDG and VA raceway specifications reviewed for this package show why drawings and project standards matter. They include requirements for conduit types, supports, bends, closed conduit ends, empty conduits, stub-ups, and boxes. They are not a substitute for the local project specification, but they demonstrate the kind of details that should be visible in a pre-placement record before concrete hides the work.

Do not use the photo packet to create an undocumented field design. If the stub-up moved from the plan, a sweep changed size, a conduit bank shifted to miss reinforcement, or a spare was added for future use, record the approved sketch, request for information, engineer direction, or inspector note. A photo without the approval trail only proves the changed condition existed.

The document review should happen before the close-up photo walk. That order prevents the reviewer from normalizing whatever is already installed. First identify what the plan expects, what the specification requires, what the product data allows, and what the concrete placement plan needs. Then walk the slab and compare the field condition to that basis. The record becomes stronger because the photos answer known questions instead of collecting random images.

Build the photo sequence

Use a repeatable photo sequence for each stub-up or group. The first photo should show the area context: grid lines, slab edge, wall line, formwork, reinforcement, vapor retarder, equipment pad, and nearby benchmarks. The second photo should show the tag close enough to read. The third should show the cap or plug. The fourth should show the bend or sweep path before it disappears below the slab. The fifth should show support and protection against movement.

Add scale when the record depends on height, cover, clearance, or offset. A tape, ruler, story pole, laser mark, chalk line, string line, or grid mark can turn a general photo into evidence. If the project requires a top-of-stub elevation, a flush coupling, a plug set flush with finished floor, or a stub held above finish for later equipment connection, photograph the basis instead of relying on a note.

Do not rely on one wide photo of a conduit forest. Group photos are useful for orientation, but the close-up record must let a reviewer identify each conduit and distinguish power, controls, low-voltage, spare, floor equipment, and site utility conduits. When several conduits look identical, use temporary tags that survive the pre-placement inspection and are visible before the concrete crew begins work.

Keep the photos in walking order. If the reviewer moves from grid B3 to B4 and then across to C4, the file sequence should follow that path. Random photo order makes later review slower and increases the chance that a missing cap or duplicate tag is overlooked. A simple route map with arrows can make a dense slab photo set readable months later.

Record location, height, and orientation

Each stub-up needs a location reference. Use grid intersections, wall offsets, equipment bases, column lines, pad corners, slab edge offsets, room numbers, or survey points. If the stub-up is tied to a future wall, panel, transformer, pump, kiosk, island, counter, machine, bollard, or owner device, include the equipment tag or architectural reference that explains why the conduit rises at that point.

Height matters because the wrong height can force chipping or an awkward coupling after concrete. Some project details call for flush couplings or threaded plugs set flush with the finished floor for future conduits. Other details intentionally leave conduits above the slab for equipment connection. The record should show which condition applies to each conduit, whether finished floor is bare concrete or includes a later topping, and whether the stub height is temporary or final.

Orientation matters at bends and equipment connections. A sweep that points toward the wrong panel, wall, or equipment pad may pass a quick presence check and still fail during wire pulling or trim. Photograph the direction of the bend leg, any temporary bracing that keeps the riser plumb, and the intended destination. If curved portions of a bend must not be visible above the finished slab under the project standard, show that the straight riser portion is what will emerge.

For equipment pads, record the relationship between the stub-up and the future enclosure footprint. A conduit can be in the right general room and still land under a cabinet wall, inside a housekeeping pad edge, behind a required working-clearance line, or in a conflict with anchor bolts. When the equipment template is available, photograph the stub-up against that template before release.

Prove caps and plugs

Caps and plugs are a core part of this record. The VA raceway specification reviewed for this package directs empty conduit ends to be closed with plugs or caps at rough-in to prevent debris entry. The NASA electrical specification reviewed for this package discusses conduits stubbed through concrete floors with couplings or plugs for future use. CANTEX product sheets reviewed for this package separately support PVC end caps and poly plugs as conduit closure products.

The photo should show the actual cap or plug installed on each open end. Do not let the record say capped if the photo only shows a conduit rim in shadow. Show whether the cap is a temporary cap, threaded plug, pull-eye plug, solvent-cemented cap, unglued cap, waterproof-taped cap, or other project-approved closure. If a pull tape is attached to an end cap or plug under the owner standard, photograph the tape label and attachment point.

Cap evidence is also a housekeeping and concrete-protection issue. Open conduit can collect mud, water, aggregate, trash, and slurry during placement. If caps are intentionally left loose for later removal, if plugs are temporary, or if an owner standard says caps should not be sealed, record that basis. The goal is not to invent a universal cap method. The goal is to show that the method used was intentional, approved, and visible before placement.

For future conduits, prove both closure and retrievability. A conduit intended for future use may need a plug that can be found, removed, and used later without damaging the slab. Photograph the plug type, finished-floor relationship, tag, and any pull string or tape required by the project. If the plug is flush, add a location reference so the future crew is not searching blind.

Check cap fit during the walk. A cap sitting beside a conduit, a plug pushed halfway in, a cracked end cap, a taped-over open end, or a cap that will be knocked off by the first rake pass should not be counted as protected without a correction note. If the cap has to be removed for inspection, reinstall it and take the final protected-condition photo before release.

Tag every conduit

A tag should make the stub-up understandable without the electrician who installed it standing there. Include panel, circuit, system, destination, spare number, conduit trade size, drawing reference, room, grid, and direction where those details are needed. For similar conduits in a bank, number them in the same order as the drawing or field sketch so the photo record can be matched to the plan later.

Temporary tags should be visible in photos and durable enough to last through the pre-placement review. A marker on tape may be enough for a short review if the project accepts it; a printed tag, tie-on label, flag, or color-coded schedule may be better for dense areas. FortisBC material reviewed for this package provides an example of terminated conduits being capped and marked by lot number or duct designation in a utility setting. The general lesson is that a capped conduit still needs an identity.

Tags should not create a false approval. If a conduit is a spare, say spare. If it is held for a missing equipment submittal, say held. If it is a low-voltage conduit crossing a power area, say which system owns it. If the actual use is unknown, stop the release until the routing and ownership are clarified or document the hold. A neatly capped but unidentified conduit is still a future dispute.

The best tag photos show both the readable tag and the physical condition being released. A tag-only close-up proves identity but not readiness. A cap-only close-up proves protection but not identity. Put the tag, cap, conduit rim, and nearby location mark in one frame when possible, then add a wider photo for context. This simple habit makes the record much easier to audit.

Show bend and sweep evidence

The record should show the bend or sweep before concrete hides the geometry. Photograph factory sweeps, field bends, offsets, couplings, transition fittings, long-radius bends, and any bend that changes direction near the slab. The photo should let a reviewer see whether the conduit was kinked, crushed, flattened, sharply forced, or pointed into a conflict.

CANTEX installation guidance reviewed for this package warns that bending beyond published allowances can buckle PVC conduit and recommends factory bends when a bend is shorter than the minimum bending radius. The Steel Tube Institute guide reviewed for this package discusses correct benders, springback, short-radius bends, and support of the conduit wall when stress is high. The Klein bender guide reviewed for this package identifies the 90 degree stub-up as a common bend and emphasizes correct bender size and marking.

The pre-placement record does not need to calculate every pull. It should preserve the evidence that the bend type, radius basis, direction, and condition were reviewed. If the project limits the number of 90 degree bends between pull points, requires long-radius sweeps, requires a specific factory elbow, or prohibits a damaged bend, show the drawing note or project standard and the actual installed condition.

When the bend evidence is partly buried before the final slab placement, record the earlier stage too. For example, a conduit may be laid, bedded, backfilled, and then exposed only as a vertical riser when the slab crew arrives. In that case, include the rough-in photos that show the sweep before cover, plus the final pre-placement photo that shows the tag, cap, and riser condition at slab release.

Record support and movement protection

Concrete placement can move conduit. Workers step around stub-ups, pump hoses drag across reinforcement, vibrators and rakes create lateral pressure, and finishing work can twist an unsupported riser. A good record therefore shows how each stub-up is held in place before placement: tie wire, bracing, rack, template, form attachment, rebar attachment approved for the project, spacer, stake, sleeve, or other accepted method.

The Steel Tube Institute guide reviewed for this package emphasizes supporting and securely fastening raceways, checking fittings and locknuts, and protecting raceway joints. The CPS conduit standard reviewed for this package says conduits embedded within structural concrete slabs, where approved, should be secured to prevent floating or movement during concrete pouring. These are not generic permission to tie conduit anywhere. They are reminders to document the project-approved movement control.

Photograph support from more than one angle when the support is hidden behind reinforcement. Show the riser plumb, the brace or template, the bend leg, and the cap. If the conduit is intentionally allowed to slide through supports for thermal movement in an above-grade or transition condition, document the expansion fitting or support basis. If the conduit is supposed to be fixed in place for the slab release, document that it was fixed.

Support evidence should include what will happen during placement, not just what the conduit looks like before the first truck arrives. If braces must remain until initial set, say so. If a template will be removed after consolidation around the risers, say who removes it and when. If an electrician will stand by during placement, name that role in the release note.

Coordinate with reinforcement

The conduit record should show more than conduit. Slab-on-grade placement involves reinforcement, welded wire, dowels, chairs, vapor retarder, sleeves, blockouts, anchor zones, thickened edges, grade beams, construction joints, control joints, sawcut layout, and embedded items. A stub-up may be electrically correct and still conflict with the concrete or structural plan.

The WBDG cast-in-place concrete specification reviewed for this package requires concrete readiness to include forms, reinforcement, embedded items, and related placement conditions. It also calls for formwork drawings to include locations of inserts, conduit, sleeves, and other embedded items. The Urbandale concrete specification reviewed for this package states that reinforcement, inserts, embedded parts, and joints should not be disturbed during placement. Those concrete-side requirements support photographing conduit in context, not in isolation.

Record conflicts before they are covered. Examples include conduit stacked too high in a slab, a riser pushed into a grade beam, a sweep crossing a construction joint without an approved detail, a stub-up in an anchor-drill zone, a conduit bank pinching reinforcement cover, a vapor retarder puncture without a seal detail, or a field relocation made without structural approval. Mark these as holds until the responsible designer or inspector resolves them.

Take one set of photos looking at the conduit from the concrete team's perspective. That means low-angle views through reinforcement, photos along the pump-hose path, and photos at slab edges or joints. These images often reveal issues that a top-down electrical inspection misses: a riser leaning into a form, a sweep rubbing a chair, or a conduit bank that leaves no room for concrete consolidation.

Protect slab penetrations and edges

Stub-ups often occur near slab edges, wall lines, equipment pads, and housekeeping pads. These areas attract anchor bolts, sawcuts, sleeves, waterproofing, vapor-retarder repairs, formwork stripping, and equipment layout changes. The record should show the conduit relationship to the slab edge, form, wall line, pad edge, and any future drilling or anchoring zone.

If a conduit penetrates a vapor retarder or membrane, photograph the penetration before concrete and show the approved seal method. If a conduit crosses a planned joint, document whether an expansion, deflection, sleeve, or alternate routing detail is required by the project. NEMA expansion-fitting guidance reviewed for this package is useful background for why movement conditions and securely mounted items matter, but the project drawings and specifications decide when a fitting is required.

Edges also create damage risk. A riser at the edge of a pour strip can be kicked, hit by screed work, buried by a cold joint, or broken during form stripping. Record temporary protection such as cover boards, templates, guards, paint flags, barrier tape, or designated no-step zones only if the project team accepts those methods. The photo should show the protection and the owner of the protection during placement.

For slab edge and pad-edge conduits, add a post-form-strip check to the turnover plan. The pre-placement record can show that the conduit was protected before concrete, but edge conditions are still vulnerable when forms are stripped, sawcuts are made, or equipment pads are finished. A short after-placement photo closes that loop and helps catch broken or displaced risers before trim-out.

Separate power, controls, and low-voltage

Dense stub-up areas can mix power, controls, security, communications, fire alarm, building automation, and owner equipment conduits. The record should make ownership clear because a concrete crew, inspector, or future trim-out team may not know which conduit belongs to which system. Use tags, schedule references, color coding where approved, and a photo map to distinguish each system.

This is especially important when a conduit bank enters an equipment pad or control cabinet area. A wrong order can force crossed conduits above the slab or make a cabinet impossible to land cleanly. Photograph the bank from the equipment side and from the feed side. If a conduit is a spare, include it in the sequence so it is not mistaken for a missing circuit.

Do not use the conduit stub-up record to decide separation rules, fill, conductor sizing, or voltage-drop corrections. Those are design and code matters. The record should instead preserve the evidence that the installed conduit order matches the approved plan and that any changes were reviewed by the right parties before the slab was placed.

If multiple trades own nearby conduits, include a short responsibility note. The electrical contractor may own power, a technology contractor may own communications, a controls contractor may own building automation, and a utility contractor may own service duct. The slab release should not bury a conduit whose owner was not present or whose tag cannot be matched to the right scope.

When the record includes both building conduits and utility conduits, label the boundary between them. Utility standards may use different cap, tape, sweep, marker, and inspection requirements from the building electrical specification. The pre-placement packet should say which standard applies to which conduit group so a building reviewer does not accidentally accept a utility condition, or the reverse.

Inspection table

Use a compact table so the electrical, concrete, structural, inspection, and owner teams review the same evidence before placement.

Pre-placement checklist

Run this checklist before the conduit rough-in is covered by slab-on-grade concrete.

• Slab area, pour strip, room, grid, drawing reference, and inspection date are named.
• Each conduit stub-up has a readable tag tied to a circuit, system, spare, or destination.
• Conduit raceway type, trade size, transition fitting, and approved product basis are recorded.
• Stub-up location is photographed against grid, wall, equipment, slab edge, or pad references.
• Stub-up height or flush condition is shown against the finished-floor or project detail basis.
• Every open conduit end is capped or plugged according to the project-approved method.
• Pull tape, pull string, or mandrel evidence is recorded where the project requires it.
• Factory sweeps, field bends, offsets, and bend direction are photographed before they are hidden.
• Damaged, kinked, crushed, flattened, or sharply forced conduit is listed as a hold.
• Stub-ups are braced, supported, templated, or otherwise protected against movement as approved.
• Reinforcement, vapor retarder, sleeves, blockouts, joints, grade beams, and anchor zones are checked.
• Concrete crew protection is named, including no-step zones, pump hose route, and monitoring owner.
• Unapproved relocations, missing tags, missing caps, open fittings, and unknown spares are held.
• Exceptions include a correction owner, required retest photo, and inspector or engineer contact.
• The release decision states exactly which slab area and which conduits are released for placement.
• Final records are stored with rough-in inspection, concrete pre-placement, and turnover files.

Weak versus strong record

Weak record: Electrical conduits are stubbed up and capped. Ready for slab.

Strong record: Area SOG-2, grids B through D and 3 through 6, was reviewed on June 9, 2026 before slab-on-grade placement. Photos E-105-01 through E-105-06 show the overall pour area, reinforcement, vapor retarder, form edge, and conduit stub-up map. Each conduit is tagged to the E2.11 rough-in plan, with LP-1 power conduits tagged P1 through P6, controls conduits tagged C1 through C3, and two spares tagged SP-1 and SP-2.

The close-up photos show capped conduit ends, pull tape where required by the project detail, straight riser portions above the slab line, and factory 90 degree sweeps pointed toward the panel wall. Photos E-105-14 through E-105-18 show the bracing template tied to the approved support points, with no conduit touching the anchor zone for the equipment pad. One missing cap at C2 was held, corrected by the electrical foreman, rephotographed, and then released. The concrete crew was released to place SOG-2 only after the correction photo and inspector witness were added.

Common mistakes

The most common mistake is treating the cap as a minor detail. An open conduit can become a concrete, water, or debris path. The record should show the actual cap or plug, not a note that says typical. When a conduit bank has twelve identical openings, one missing cap can disappear in a wide photo unless every opening is deliberately checked.

Another mistake is photographing only the vertical riser. The sweep direction and bend condition below the slab are often more important than the visible pipe. If the bend points the wrong way, is kinked, is too tight for the project requirement, or is forced around reinforcement, the future pull or equipment connection may fail even though the stub-up looked neat from above.

Other mistakes include missing tags, unreadable tags, conduits released without a destination, spares not distinguished from active conduits, stub-ups moved without approval, vapor retarder penetrations left undocumented, supports hidden behind reinforcement, risers placed in anchor zones, conduits too close to a slab edge, no retest photo after correction, and no written limit on the slab area released.

When to hold placement

Hold placement when a conduit is unidentified, uncapped, damaged, unsupported, out of location, out of height tolerance, in conflict with reinforcement, in a vapor-retarder condition without an approved detail, routed through an anchor zone, or changed from the approved drawing without direction. Also hold when the bend is visibly kinked, crushed, flattened, too sharp for the approved product basis, or pointed toward the wrong destination.

Hold placement when the concrete team cannot protect the stub-ups. If the pump hose route crosses the conduit bank, if finishers must step through the stub area, if vibration will hit unsupported fittings, if a brace must be removed to place concrete, or if form stripping will break a riser, the release is not ready. Name the protection method and the person watching the condition during placement.

A hold should be precise. It should name the conduit tag, photo number, issue, controlling document or reviewer, correction owner, retest photo requirement, and whether the hold affects one conduit, one equipment pad, one room, or the whole pour strip. A vague hold creates the same problem as a vague release: nobody knows what concrete work is actually allowed.

Some holds can be cleared before the pour without changing the schedule. A missing tag, loose cap, or minor brace adjustment may only need a quick correction and retest photo. Other holds, such as a conduit through a structural element, a wrong sweep direction, or a conflict with a future anchor template, may require design direction. The hold log should separate these so the team does not treat every issue as equal.

Correction and retest photos

Corrections need their own photos. Do not overwrite the original condition or rely on a verbal update. If a cap was missing, photograph the missing cap, the installed cap, and the corrected conduit tag. If a riser was leaning, photograph the bracing before and after correction. If a sweep was relocated, photograph the old conflict, the approved direction, and the final bend path.

Retest photos should be tied to the same tag sequence as the original review. Use photo numbers or filenames that make the correction easy to find later. A record that says corrected in field but gives no photo can still fail during a later dispute because nobody can see what changed before the concrete was placed.

If the correction required engineer, inspector, owner, or authority review, include the approval reference in the package. If the correction was routine field cleanup, such as replacing a temporary cap or retightening a brace, record the responsible foreman and the final witness. The level of documentation should match the risk and the project procedure.

Do not let the retest photo introduce a new ambiguity. A close-up of a corrected cap is helpful, but it may lose the tag and location context. Pair it with a context photo or include the tag in the same frame. The later reviewer should be able to prove that the corrected condition belongs to the same conduit that was originally held.

Concrete crew protection

A conduit record should name the concrete-side protection plan. The electrician can install a correct stub-up, but the condition still depends on the placement crew not removing caps, dragging hose across risers, cutting braces, stepping on sweeps, burying tags, or pushing conduits out of plumb. The release should say who monitors the stub-up area during placement.

Protection can be simple or formal depending on the job: barricade tape, a plywood walk path, painted no-step marks, a temporary template, extra bracing, a spotter, a pre-pour huddle, or a marked pump-hose route. The record should not claim a protection method that the crew does not understand. Photograph the protection and tell the concrete foreman which items must not be disturbed.

Protection should be practical for the placement method. A small hand-placed slab may only need visible caps, a brief crew warning, and a final check. A large pump placement around a dense equipment pad may need a template, spotter, alternate hose path, and staged photos after consolidation. The record should match the actual risk instead of using the same note for every pour.

After placement starts, field conditions change quickly. If a cap comes off, a brace loosens, or a riser moves, stop and document the correction under the project procedure. The pre-placement record is strongest when it is paired with a short pour-watch note confirming that the released stub-ups remained protected until concrete was consolidated and finished around them.

The pour-watch note does not need to be complicated. It should identify the pour, the monitored conduit area, the person watching, any cap or support issue observed, the correction made, and the final status after finishing around the risers. That short note can prevent arguments later about whether damage happened before the pour, during placement, or after the slab was finished.

Post-placement handoff

After the slab is placed, store the pre-placement package with the concrete pour record, electrical rough-in inspection, slab pre-placement checklist, survey or layout records, product data, approved sketches, correction photos, and any inspector signoff. The point is to make future trim-out and troubleshooting faster, not to create a file nobody can find.

The handoff should be searchable by conduit tag, room, grid, panel, system, equipment tag, slab pour, and date. Include the photo map, not just the close-ups. A future electrician may need to know which way a sweep runs before drilling, anchoring, sawcutting, setting a cabinet, or trying to pull conductors through a raceway that was buried months earlier.

If a post-pour inspection finds a damaged or filled conduit, compare it to the pre-placement photos. The record can show whether the conduit was capped, supported, and correctly located before placement, which helps the team determine whether the issue came from pre-pour rough-in, concrete placement, form stripping, later layout work, or a trim-out activity.

The handoff should also preserve abandoned or deleted conduit decisions. If a conduit was capped and left as a future spare, say so. If a conduit was removed before placement, include the removal note. If a conduit was intentionally buried flush for future use, include the plug and location evidence. These details matter when the owner later asks whether a raceway exists under the slab.

Store the record in the same system that will be used during trim-out. A perfect pre-placement packet loses value if it sits in a personal phone gallery or an email thread that the next crew cannot access. The file name should include the project, slab area, date, and conduit group. The index should list the tags in order so a foreman can jump directly to the needed photo.

Different from a floor box record

A floor box pre-pour record focuses on the box body, sleeve, leveling system, cover, divider, knockout plugs, bonding or grounding basis, compartment orientation, and finish-floor trim. A conduit stub-up record focuses on the raceway identity, cap or plug, bend, sweep, support, height, destination, and concrete protection of open or future conduit risers.

The two records overlap at slab coordination, debris protection, tags, photos, exceptions, and release decisions. They should not be merged when the slab area contains both floor boxes and conduit stub-ups. Merging the records tends to hide the important details: box covers and dividers get checked while conduit caps are missed, or conduit tags get checked while floor-box bonding is ignored.

Use separate records when the inspection questions differ. If the condition is a floor outlet assembly, use the floor-box record. If the condition is a conduit rising through the slab for future equipment, wall, panel, or spare use, use the stub-up record. If one conduit feeds a floor box, cross-reference the records so the route and the box condition can both be found later.

Answer-ready summary

A concise answer can be used in meeting notes, inspection logs, or owner updates: The slab-on-grade conduit stub-up record should show each conduit tag, destination, trade size, location, height, cap or plug, pull tape where required, bend or sweep condition, support, slab conflict check, concrete protection method, exception, retest photo, witness, and release decision before concrete placement.

For a dense area, add this sentence: The photo packet should include an overall map, readable tag photos, cap or plug close-ups, bend-direction photos, support photos, reinforcement and vapor-retarder context, and a table listing which conduits are released, held, corrected, or excluded from the pour.

For a hold, use this sentence: Placement is held for conduit tag blank until the issue is corrected, the retest photo is added, and the electrical and concrete leads confirm whether the hold affects the individual conduit, the equipment pad, or the full pour strip.

Source-backed field logic

The validated sources do not create one universal stub-up detail. They support the field logic behind the record. WBDG and VA raceway specifications show that stub-ups, conduit bends, empty conduit closures, plugs, caps, and conduit supports are specification-level concerns. CANTEX and Carlon material supports PVC conduit, end caps, plugs, and bends. Steel Tube Institute and Klein material supports bend and support workmanship for metal raceways.

That is why the article avoids giving a one-size-fits-all answer such as all stub-ups must be this height or all caps must be sealed. The reviewed documents show that conditions vary by raceway type, owner standard, future use, embedded condition, equipment connection, and movement requirement. The record should preserve the approved basis and the actual field condition for that project.

The concrete sources support the timing of the record. WBDG cast-in-place concrete material says concrete readiness includes forms, reinforcement, embedded items, and related placement conditions. The Urbandale concrete specification reviewed for this package says reinforcement, inserts, embedded parts, and joints should not be disturbed during placement. That is why the article treats conduit as an embedded item that must be visible and coordinated before placement.

The utility and owner standards support the importance of caps, marks, and location records in underground and concrete-adjacent conduit work. PG&E, Hawaiian Electric, FortisBC, and CPS examples are not general code commands for every building project. They are reviewed examples showing that serious owners often require conduit caps, markings, routing records, stub protection, and concrete coordination because these conditions become expensive to verify after placement.

Compliance and safety limits

This article does not interpret the NEC, approve a raceway method, size conduit, calculate conductor fill, set grounding or bonding requirements, approve embedded conduit in structural slabs, select expansion fittings, set vapor-retarder repair procedures, authorize post-tension work, approve penetrations, or release concrete placement. It is a documentation structure for preserving pre-placement evidence.

The approved drawings, project specifications, product listing, manufacturer instructions, structural engineer, electrical engineer, concrete engineer, inspector, authority having jurisdiction, and qualified contractors control the work. If those documents conflict with this checklist, follow the controlling document and record the decision in the pre-placement package.

Do not cut reinforcement, move conduits, drill slabs, disturb post-tension components, remove caps, energize conductors, abandon raceways, add spare conduits, change bend types, alter grounding paths, or release concrete placement outside the qualified team's authority and approved procedure. When the condition is unclear, hold the placement area and get direction before the concrete covers the evidence.

Final release questions

Can every conduit be identified from the record without opening the slab? Does each stub-up have a readable tag, approved location, correct destination, documented height, visible cap or plug, and photo evidence of the bend or sweep below the slab line? Are spares clearly separated from active conduits?

Can the concrete crew place the slab without moving, crushing, filling, or burying the stub-ups? Are reinforcement, vapor retarder, joints, blockouts, sleeves, slab edges, anchor zones, and equipment pads checked? Is there a named person responsible for watching the stub-up area during placement?

Are exceptions resolved or clearly held? Does each correction have a retest photo? Does the release say exactly which conduits and slab area can be poured? If the answer is yes, the record is useful. If the answer is no, the record is still a draft and the placement release should wait.

Sources checked

• WBDG NASA UFGS 26 05 00.00 40, Common Work Results for ElectricalUsed for conduit stub-ups through concrete floors, flush couplings, plugs, embedded slab conduit context, bends, supports, and future conduit termination language.
• WBDG VA Section 26 05 33, Raceway and Boxes for Electrical SystemsUsed for conduit supports, closed empty conduit ends, plugs, caps, bend methods, and unused opening context.
• WBDG UFGS 03 30 00, Cast-In-Place ConcreteUsed for concrete readiness, forms, reinforcement, embedded items, conduit and sleeve locations, and concrete placement coordination.
• Steel Tube Institute, Guidelines for Installing Steel Conduit/TubingUsed for steel conduit support, secure fastening, fitting checks, field bending, embedment precautions, and bend workmanship context.
• CANTEX, Installation Guidelines, Engineering Design, and Warranty InformationUsed for PVC conduit bending allowances, minimum radius context, support spacing, embedded material support, and factory bend guidance.
• CANTEX Full Line PVC Electrical Product CatalogUsed for PVC conduit, fittings, end caps, poly plugs, elbows, and concrete slab stubdown product context.
• CANTEX PVC End Caps Sell SheetUsed for PVC end cap purpose, temporary or permanent cap context, material, and schedule/application compatibility.
• CANTEX Poly Plugs Sell SheetUsed for temporary conduit sealing, pull-eye plug, debris protection, and removable plug context.
• Carlon Sales, Schedule 40 and 80 PVC Conduit ElbowsUsed for PVC elbow, conduit support, expansion movement, and field-bending care context.
• NEMA PRP 4, Expansion Fittings for PVC Rigid Nonmetallic ConduitUsed for expansion fitting placement, secure and loose support context, and movement-related record prompts.
• Klein Tools, Conduit Bender GuideUsed for 90 degree stub-up bend terminology, bender size, marking, springback, and safe bend setup context.
• Chicago Public Schools, Section 26 05 33.13 Conduit for Electrical SystemsUsed as owner-standard context for coordination, record routing, structural slab embedment approval, stub-up protection, bend visibility, and movement control.
• PG&E Greenbook, Underground ConduitsUsed as utility-standard context for capped conduits, temporary plugs, pull tape attachment, debris clearance, and stub-out length records.
• Hawaiian Electric, Specification for Construction of Underground FacilitiesUsed as utility-standard context for conduit stub-out caps, waterproof tape, conduit sealing, and plastic conduit termination.
• FortisBC, Specification for Installation of Underground Conduit SystemsUsed as utility-standard context for capped and marked terminated conduit, duct designation, sweep location, and concrete encasement checks.
• City of Urbandale, Section 03 30 00 Cast-In-Place ConcreteUsed as public concrete-spec context for reinforcement, inserts, embedded parts, joints, and preventing disturbance during concrete placement.

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