LESSONS LEARNED
A general contractor submits a change order for additional work. The work is for a drinking fountain located in the corridor of a new school that is being constructed. The plumbing drawings do not illustrate that pipping is to be provided, however, the drinking fountain is referenced in from the architectural drawings.(The water fountain was added late in design due to code changes but was not picked up by the plumbing engineer.) The architect reviews the change order in behalf of the owner and recommends that the CO not be accepted stating that the pipping and associated work can be inferred from the contract documents. Additionally, the architect argues that the GC had the opportunity to submit an RFI during the bidding phase prior to being awarded the contract.
Who is responsible? Why
Responsibility is shared between all parties involved as any successful project is a team effort and relies on early effective communication and coordination. Without a thorough review of the contract documents an answer cannot be readily determined. The owner may agree with the contractor, in efforts to not delay the progress of the work and accept the added costs to pay for the labor and materials associated with the omitted work. Premiums and work to undo and repair architectural improvements (wall and floor finishes) to access and install the omitted work may fall on the architect if negligence can be proven and an overall standard of care was not met. Additionally, the architect is responsible for the work of its consultants and is therefore responsible for the plumbing drawings.
No set of bid documents is perfect. The architect should educate and discuss with the client based on industry standard what percentage of the total construction budget attributed to errors and omissions is acceptable. Third party hashtag#constructability reviews when conducted as late as the 50% design deliverable can help to identify potential conflicts prior to advertising the bid documents and before problems arise during construction. Avoid costly change orders by requesting APECx's disciplined review process of your bid documents. To learn more about how APECx works for you visit our website at www.apecx.com.
Can #constructability_reviews be performed after construction?
A critical and unbiased review of the plans, specifications and as-built drawings by an expert third party #AEC consultant may help to uncover underlying issues to existing building deficiencies and building enclosure performance due to water and air infiltration of the building envelope. Common building problems such as water leakage at window heads, efflorescence staining and brick spalling may be attributed to #moisture_intrusion caused by discontinuous through-wall flashings and air/water barriers where exterior cladding and material transitions occur. Industry standard recommends that constructability reviews occur as early as the 50% deliverable of the design documents. However, even during the later stages of owner occupancy a review of the plans can prove to be beneficial in correcting ongoing water infiltration issues. If this lessons learned sounds familiar to you, visit our website at http://www.APECx.com and connect with us today to discover how APECx works for you!