by a Special Inspections company specializing in that type of work, that is hired either by the Owner directly or as a sub to the design engineer if the Owner wants to deflect risk and the required on site coordination headaches. Special inspection requirements were originally adopted into the IBC primarily in response to a parking garage collapse in Fairfax VA. It doesn’t sound like the SIER was contracted to the design engineer in this case, and as it is in NYC who knows how this process is carried out there.