| Author |
Message |
Priscilla Lee
Senior Member
Username: pjlee
Post Number: 15
Registered: 11-2019
| | Posted on Thursday, September 17, 2020 - 02:07 pm: |    |
How do construction firms deal with localized changes to baseline specs?
"Localized" meaning "different site." |
John Bunzick
Senior Member
Username: bunzick
Post Number: 1822
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, September 17, 2020 - 04:48 pm: | |
Some context would help. Is this a situation where the architect is not creating new documents for the new site? I'm not sure how that would work, at least for site/civil work, since every site would be so different. |
J. Peter Jordan
Senior Member
Username: jpjordan
Post Number: 1136
Registered: 05-2004
| | Posted on Friday, September 18, 2020 - 10:12 am: | |
While there are relatively consistent requirements in most specs, these are surprisingly few, and it is interesting to think about the differences. I am working on a remodel project at an airport right now. No fire-resistive construction and no bathrooms, Drywall and tile specs are different. Finish materials (suspended acoustical ceilings, wall and floor finishes, and cabinets) vary significantly depending on the Architect and depending on the Owner's requirements. Even Divisiion 01 is not unaffected (single or multistory building? utility available and paid for by Owner or require temporary meeters? special security requirements?).
If the Contractor's baseline "specification" is hollow-core painted doors in hollow metal doors in metal stud walls with 1/2-inch gypsum board, they will find most of that going out the window in almost every one of my projects.
I was involved in a conversation a couple of years ago for a commercial office building where the Contractor thought that 8-foot tall solid core wood doors would be to heavy and wanted to use hollow-core doors. I pointed to the door on the conference room we were sitting in and told him that that was a 3-0 x 8-0 SC wood door and that his office was full of them. I have also received comments about "we have not ever done that before," when I know that it has been a part of almost every construction contract they have signed for the last 20 years.
Some contractors develop ideas about what is "standard" that simply are not consistent with commercial standards or good design practice. It does help to know that the standards vary somewhat depending on the building type (multi-family housing vs commercial office construction) and location.
Contractors need not look at the plans and specs, raise questions about stuff they see that they believe to be non-standard, and then price and construct what is designed.
J. Peter Jordan, FCSI, AIA, CCS, LEED AP, SCIP
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Priscilla Lee
Senior Member
Username: pjlee
Post Number: 16
Registered: 11-2019
| | Posted on Sunday, September 20, 2020 - 08:45 pm: | |
Thank you for the help on this question. I appreciate it. |
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