You might think AE consultant scopes of work are automatically coordinated, but practice shows that proactive coordination led by the project architect is needed to assure completeness and consistency without duplication. Many change order claims that arise on building projects…
Blog Archives
The Value of Mentoring
I was recently looking through photos and other memorabilia from a large retail mall project that kept me busy for two years and was completed about 40 years ago. As I looked through the materials, I wondered about the value…
10 Features of Good Construction Documents for Massachusetts Filed Sub-Bids
Public building projects in Massachusetts are subject to unique public bidding requirements for some designated trades. For projects where these trades are subcontracted under a general contract, they are called Filed Sub-Bids, and scope clarity is the highest priority when…
Please Follow the Wood Ceiling System Specifications…
Suspended wood ceiling systems can look very nice and can earn LEED credits for the right wood, but all components of the system must work together in order for the ceiling to stay up. A few years ago in a…
The Power of Approval
If your experience with construction contract administration is like that of many, you may think of it as “being jerked around” more than “administering”. You may be confounded by a flood of RFIs and feel you are unable to do…
Posted in Construction Administration, Project Management
In a punch list inspection, look for the missing
Project punch lists can grow into volumes of pages listing paint blemishes, scuff marks, and bits of dust, while neglecting to note significant missing items. On one project the punch list team had tagged and noted as many as 20…
Posted in Construction Administration
Planning Construction Site Visits
Construction activities and materials change with stages of construction, so it is useful to consider the activities and products you should expect to see on a given site visit before you go. If, like most construction administrators, your job is…
Learning from Building Envelope Failures
Recently, I had the pleasure and honor of delivering a 1-hour HSW continuing education presentation on “Learning from Building Envelope Failures” to the Vermont 2014 ACX, a collaborative event organized by Vermont Chapter CSI and AIA Vermont. The presentation included…
The Devil in the Details: Installation of Vinyl Composition Tile
When we think of the “Devil in the Details”, we may think mostly of drawing details, but there are other types of details that can affect a project. The following situation illustrates the importance of installation details to the quality…
Posted in Construction Administration, Specifications
Design-Build Risks for Architects
When an architect is a sub to a contractor leading a Design-Build team, the architect’s primary allegiance is typically to the contractor and not to the owner. The Design-Build contractor is likely to control the architect’s scope of services and…
