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Updating the CDs during CCA phase

  • 1.  Updating the CDs during CCA phase

    Posted 18 days ago

    The following is an excerpt from a Client contract; "Architect shall (and shall cause its consultants to) routinely and progressively update and 
    revise the Construction Documents to keep them current with all supplemental and change documentation during the Construction Phase including but not limited to closed addenda, requests for information (RFIs), ASI's, bulletins (poster's comment: what ever those are as it is not defined in the Contract), approved change orders and construction change directives. "  My understanding is many owners want these "updated" sets as it gives them a nicly bundled "Contract Set" for any future litigation issues.Is this standard? Should we consider this to be an Additional service or at least ensure it's part of the CCA fee? I would actually change the paragraph to indicate; "Architect shall (and shall cause its consultants to) routinely and progressively update and revise the Construction Documents to keep them current with all supplemental and change documentation during the Construction Phase including but not limited to closed addenda, requests for information (RFIs), ASI's, approved change orders and construction change directives. This RECORD Drawing (GC As-builts are not included) will be given to Owner at Project's completion." I may have answered my own question, but thoughts anyone? Has anyone done this progressive  update issuance?



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    Janene Christopher AIA
    Steinberg Hart
    San Diego CA
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  • 2.  RE: Updating the CDs during CCA phase

    Posted 17 days ago

    I have not seen nor done this.  It would appear they trust the design team more than the contractor when it comes to maintaining records and marking-up changes.

    Performing such a service should be clearly identified as an additional service, with appropriate compensation.  Developing a protocol for saving / preserving the look of the documents immediately before the updates were made would be a challenge.

    I could imagine it keeping quite a few folks busy  but hard to plan for the work.  For some things, inserting a flag note reference, with the backup merely tagged but not "physically" changing the original, could work.

    Labeling of the documents, even as "record", should state that the as-constructed work may include variances from approved drawings which the architect and consultants have know knowledge.  Basically, you're recording the contractual (and, in the case of RFIs, non-contractual) changes. 

    I am reminded of a practice I heard about in the aircraft manufacturing world years ago, when drafting was by hand:   "Advance drawing change notices".  Basically, "such and such a drawing will be changed in the following manner ...."  If you wanted to know what the part really should look like, you had to read all of the ADCNs and mark up a print of the original.



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    Joel Niemi AIA
    Joel Niemi Architect
    Snohomish, WA
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  • 3.  RE: Updating the CDs during CCA phase

    Posted 17 days ago

    To Joel's insightful remarks, I would add:

    To me, the contract language implies an assumption that the "change documentation" will be generated from a Building Information Model that is being shared with the General Contractor and Owner, resulting in the Construction Documents being kept current more or less automatically (at least accordingly to the Client's understanding of Building Information Modeling). Perhaps the Client has borrowed language from a project with a shared BIM model. If that is not the type of the project in question, additional contract negotiations are definitely called for.

    In any case, I think some discussion and negotiation is warranted surrounding the issues of: the time, effort, and practicality involved in issuing updated CD sets with every change; standard construction practice of requiring the General Contractor to track contract changes and record them in a record set (along with the transference of the costs and liabilities of this responsibility from party to party); and perhaps the number of changes expected.



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    Sean Catherall AIA
    Murray UT
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  • 4.  RE: Updating the CDs during CCA phase

    Posted 14 days ago

    Notwithstanding any requirement by the AE to create a Record set for the Owner, any AE that does not update thier drawings and specs throughout the construction phase is asking for trouble. All submittal reviews, RFI responses, and change documents (RFPs, CCDs, etc) must be created on the basis of up-to-date CDs (including everything created by the AE and its consultants, and the Owner's consultants).  Otherwise conflicts will be created. Frankly doing otherwise is unprofessional in my opinion, based on almost 50 years of experience. 

    That doesn't mean that the AE owes the Owner those updated CDs, just that the AE needs them updated for self protection. 



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    Ellis Whitby AIA Member Emeritus
    Alexandria VA
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  • 5.  RE: Updating the CDs during CCA phase

    Posted 13 days ago
    Adding my two cents:

    Seems to me that maintaining the documents that we ourselves are producing ought to be our responsibility.  

    When you are working on a large project, with many actors, and work on the field and in the offices of the subs, proceeding simultaneously over many fronts, it is essential that the contract documents be coordinated at all times.    

    As Sean says, the way to do this would be for the A/E to work directly on the model, which would keep it up to date at all times.   The model would then be uploaded periodically (up to once a week, depending on the frequency of the changes).  The design team would tag each change with a delta and note it accordingly on the title block, since each time that one issues a sketch depicting a portion of a drawing, one is in fact, re-issuing the drawing.   In fact, it would be preferable and all around easier if you simply re-issue the drawing in its entirety instead of just a portion of it.  (Using sketches is a remnant of a time when producing a copy of a full drawing was very laborious, and the product could not be sent to the contractor quickly, whereas a sketch could be faxed.   All this is no longer valid:  producing a sketch on a 8,5" x 11" takes the same time as producing a full drawing, and both can be transmitted with the same speed.)

    Note:  The same rationale should be used for specs:  If you issue a revision to the section, you ought to issue the full section, including the header and footer, which should contain the dates of original issue and the revision in question (just like we do with the drawings).      

    Gustavo Lima, AIA, MRAIC, DBIA, CCCA, LEED AP

    President
    m: 716-909-1709

    www.LimaArchitecture.com

     






  • 6.  RE: Updating the CDs during CCA phase

    Posted 12 days ago

    While I do agree, depending upon how the contract is written, the contract drawings should be kept up to date.  That said, I do disagree with the following:

    "All this is no longer valid:  producing a sketch on a 8,5" x 11" takes the same time as producing a full drawing, and both can be transmitted with the same speed.)"

    As a full time CA, who travels to multiple job sites, in my back pack is an 8 1/2 x 11 gridded pad and my drawing instruments.  It is much, much quicker for me to sketch a detail in the field, take a picture with my phone or iPad and email to the contractor.  They love it as they don't have to wait for a drawing to be formally issued.  My laptop does not even have Revit nor to my team members want me working in the model.  Don't summarily discount "old school" ways of doing things.



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    Michael Miller AIA
    HKS, Inc.
    Richmond VA
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  • 7.  RE: Updating the CDs during CCA phase

    Posted 12 days ago

    Michael:  a quick sketch is fine as a stop gap measure.  But it seems to me you will want to follow that with a true change document (ASI, Bulletin, answer to an RFI, Change Proposal Request).   

    Field sketches are a "shoot from the hip" solution, which can be very helpful to clarify conditions for the contractor, but which may also lead to plenty of problems.  For example:

    Do they have a sketch number and date of issuance?  Does the drawing that this sketch modifies show now a new revision number for this sketch?  When other members of the CCA team are revising the drawings, will they be aware of the changes you introduced through this sketch?  Will the sketch be in conflict with other changes that other members of the team may have introduced in the documents before, and that you didn't see because you just drew the sketch on your pad?  

    we are never going to abandon the ability to resolve a pressing problem via a an illustration, we are architects, after all!  But we need to use these tools judiciously, or we risk creating all sorts of problems.

    Best regards,



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    Gustavo Lima AIA, MRAIC, CCCA, DBIA, LEED AP
    Gustavo A. Lima Architecture, PC
    Buffalo, NY
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  • 8.  RE: Updating the CDs during CCA phase

    Posted 12 days ago

    Gustavo,

    Perhaps a bit of clarification is in order.  For the most part, my sketches are either a part of an RFI response or generate a confirming RFI, which then will end up as a part of a true change document.

    On the contrary, my field sketches are not "a 'shoot from the hip' solution".  They are thought out in collaboration with the contractor and the team.  It is what I do for a living and have been for many years.  Them becoming a part of an RFI waylays your concerns regarding number, date of issuance, revisions number, etc.  The sketch gets incorporated into the documents by the team.

    "Will the sketch be in conflict with other changes that other members of the team may have introduced in the documents before, and that you didn't see because you just drew the sketch on your pad?" That assumes I am not looking at the current documents with the current updates, which is not the case. I have the current documents available on my iPad.



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    Michael Miller AIA
    HKS, Inc.
    Richmond VA
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  • 9.  RE: Updating the CDs during CCA phase

    Posted 12 days ago

    While I have seen projects where Gustavo's concerns were realized (RFIs being uncoordinated with other documents), I have also been fortunate to work for excellent AEs where RFIs get coordinated fully and correctly into the CDs, as described by Michael.  Starting with a hand  sketch or a written response is not a problem.







  • 10.  RE: Updating the CDs during CCA phase

    Posted 12 days ago
    Michael:

    Thanks for the clarification.  I agree: as long as you follow up with a full response to the RFI, and, when that response includes a drawing, this is issued officially, with a number, date and revision entry, everything is fine.

    So that later, when somebody consults the "current" set of drawings in order to implement a change, they find that the drawings contain ALL the previously issued instructions. 

    Otherwise, if the total body of the instructions issued to the contractor is made up of a series of hand drawn sketches not registered anywhere, and issued by different people, those drawings in your iPad would not be up to date.

    The point is that all instructions issued to the contractor ought to be (sooner rather than later) formally issued via a modified drawing or spec section.

    Otherwise, we'll end up with chaos.

    Gustavo A. Lima, AIA, MRAIC, DBIA, LEED AP
    www.LimaArchitecture.com

    Sent from Gus' mobile device





  • 11.  RE: Updating the CDs during CCA phase

    Posted 12 days ago
    Love your graphic software!







  • 12.  RE: Updating the CDs during CCA phase

    Posted 14 days ago
    When I was an "architect author" in the decade that preceded the 2007 release of documents. We stressed clear shorter sentences that were not compounded and obfuscated into legalese.  

    Such is not the case today as demonstrated by this particular parenthetical phrase and discussion.  

    Architects! You are wordsmithing your selves into oblivion, or at least are documents.  

    I headed the task force to create the A105-2007 simplified document for projects of Limited Scope.  We never calked Small Family.  When U saw the revised document of 2017, I was gobsmacked by its wordiness, equivocation and legalese.  

    After 30 years AND over 65 retentions as an Expert Architect & Witness, I  Offer my services against for a 10-year sentence on the Contract Documents Cimmittee. 

    Douglas Kirves AIA





  • 13.  RE: Updating the CDs during CCA phase

    Posted 12 days ago

    The contract language you quote doesn't say you need to provide updated documents to the Owner or Contractor, just that you need to keep your documents up to date, which seems reasonable and is something we do as best practice whether the contract says to or not. It similar to the provision that Contractors also keep an up to date set of documents on site. Then, at the project completion you can furnish the Record Documents as you note. I agree these are different than as-builts and something we routinely need to provide to the Owner at closeout. 

    We also often provide a "Conformed Set" of documents at the conclusion of bidding and provide those to the GC/CM. The Conformed Set is not a contractual requirement (at least it hasn't been yet), but is quite customary for the types and scales of projects we work on. The Conformed Set is an updated set of drawings and specs with all addenda through the bidding period posted to it. We provide it as a convenience for contractors and every drawing sheet and project manual cover page includes a warning or note that the Conformed Set is provided "For Contractor convenience only and cannot be relied up as an accurate record of all issued revisions to the documents". The warning then goes on to say that the official contract documents consist of the originally issued bid documents plus all addenda and modifications thereto, or something like that. After we hand this over to the GC/CM, we don't issue another "full set" of the documents until the Record set at the end. However, we do diligently maintain a posted set throughout construction. 

    I'll add one more wrinkle for projects in Massachusetts; the MA code DOES technically require "amended construction documents" to be submitted to the AHJ for approval of "any changes made during construction not in compliance with the approved construction documents".  This provision of the code is very poorly enforced in MA and we usually need to discuss directly with each AHJ exactly what they want to see as "amended" documents. They don't care so much about changes in paint color, but modifications to an egress stair would likely be of interest to them. Many of them are not even aware of this requirement and would probably prefer it didn't exist. In any event, it does put an extra burden on the registered design professionals to maintain accurate records and at least have the ability to produce them on request. 



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    David Mentzer AIA
    Dore & Whittier Architects, Inc.
    Burlington VT
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