Room Mockup

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Author Message Steve Taylor Senior Member Username: steveatwi Post Number: 55 Registered: 07-2008 Posted on Wednesday, October 31, 2012 - 02:50 pm:    I am reviewing a millwork spec that calls for a mockup, essentially of a whole room. Since it calls for doors, windows, framing, sheathing, underlayment, painting, etc. as well as the millwork, should the basic requirement be somewhere else? Division 1? It does say to "Co-ordinate with necessary trades to construct mockup to reflect actual construction." I know that the specifications are not intended to divide the work, but as written I see the responsibility being on the millwork subcontractor. How would I put the responsibility on the contractor and have all the trades participate? Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI, CDT Senior Member Username: rliebing Post Number: 1351 Registered: 02-2003 Posted on Wednesday, October 31, 2012 - 02:56 pm:    Specifications are intended to speak, overall to the General Contractor [and in turn to each sub as approriate]. So here, you should respond to the GC when asked to contribute to the mock-up. That response would/should included only the work specified in the Section for millwork. If specified in "Finish Carpentry", for example, you are responsible for the millwork only. Robert W. Johnson Senior Member Username: robert_w_johnson Post Number: 219 Registered: 03-2009 Posted on Wednesday, October 31, 2012 - 03:01 pm:    01 43 39 Mockups with references from affected sections. Steve Taylor Senior Member Username: steveatwi Post Number: 56 Registered: 07-2008 Posted on Wednesday, October 31, 2012 - 03:17 pm:    Robert, You're saying that each of the affected sections should mention the mockup, both with specific requirements applicable to that section, and by reference to 01 43 39? Steve Lynn Javoroski FCSI CCS LEEDŽ AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 1578 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Wednesday, October 31, 2012 - 03:27 pm:    They way we do it: reference the Division 01 section in each technical section, and include a mock-up article describing what is to be included; in the Division 01 Section, describe the complete mock-up. ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 359 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Wednesday, October 31, 2012 - 03:35 pm:    Steve, will millwork be responsible for finishing doors, windows, etc? Do those items need to be furnished to the millworker by the other suppliers? I would tend to agree with Lynn (as a general rule and in this instance). Include mock-up requirements germaine to each Section in those affected Sections with cross-reference to Division 01. Specify overall size, coordination, and configuration requirements in Division 01. If your intention is that some aspect of the Work be the driver, such as Millwork, perhaps you can include wording clarifying that finishes shall match those attained in Division 06 Section "Millwork" or some similar wording in keeping with you typical content. Richard L Matteo, AIA, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: rlmat Post Number: 552 Registered: 10-2003 Posted on Wednesday, October 31, 2012 - 03:40 pm:    I concur with Lynn & Ken. Steve Taylor Senior Member Username: steveatwi Post Number: 57 Registered: 07-2008 Posted on Wednesday, October 31, 2012 - 04:00 pm:    Thank you all. While I came to my senses some time ago I was once a millwork manufacturer. The wording of this spec left me wondering how much of the mock up would be my responsibility. The language asking me to get the co-operation of the other trades left me wondering if I would have to pay them or if the contractor is responsible. I was sure there would be a better way, and you've shown me. Thanks, Steve John Regener, AIA, CCS, CCCA, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: john_regener Post Number: 591 Registered: 04-2002 Posted on Thursday, November 01, 2012 - 12:39 pm:    The magnitude of mock-ups can vary project-to-project. Mock-ups should be neither over-specified nor "under-specified." (Think Goldilocks and the porridge) On many projects, I specify in the architectural casework section that the acceptable mock-up may be incorporated into the completed construction. That keeps the cost down. For a project with repetitious construction, such as hotel rooms or hospital patient rooms, mock-ups of entire rooms are sometimes specified. On one hospital project, the mock-ups were off-site in a warehouse. It was a patient room, including toilet-shower/bath room. It included surrounding walls, including windows and doors. It included plumbing/piping/power/signal/lighting systems. All finishes were included. All accessories were included and all systems were operational as much as posssible. The elaborate mock-up helped avoid conflicts, delays and reconstructing of multiple deficiencies. Overall, it saved time and money and improved quality. The common comment after construction of the hospital was completed was that the mock-up was extremely valuable. There was agreement that even more of the facility should have been mocked-up. For exterior construction and for interior mock-ups, I have found that detailing the mock-up on the Drawings adds to clarity about the scope of the mock-up. Exterior mock-ups should include conditions at ground level, intermediate floors, building corners and roof parapets. Yes, a general requirements Section should be included in Division 01. And yes, specific requirements for mock-ups should be specified in the specific requirements of Sections in other Divisions. Who is responsible for the various elements of the mock-up? Overall, THE Contractor is responsible. How the Contractor divides and manages construction of the mock-up and integrates the systems and finishes is up to the Contractor ... and such demonstration is a major purpose of mock-ups! Uh, doesn't the Schedule of Values, from which the Contractor is paid, include a line under Div 01 for mock-ups and a line at the bottom for "overhead" which includes management services (doing the means, methods, techniques and sequences of construction)? Inherent in the originating comment of this thread is the misbelief that construction documents can be simply torn apart and the portions issued for complete, correct and realistic sub-bids "per plans and specs." And the subs can and should coordinate their work without disturbing the GC. Steve Taylor Senior Member Username: steveatwi Post Number: 58 Registered: 07-2008 Posted on Thursday, November 01, 2012 - 01:25 pm:    John, "Inherent in the originating comment of this thread is the misbelief that construction documents can be simply torn apart and the portions issued for complete, correct and realistic sub-bids "per plans and specs." And the subs can and should coordinate their work without disturbing the GC." While we talk a lot about not telling the contractor how to divide up the work, my experience has been that the GC asks the millwork sub to "Bid sections..." They can be quite snippish about exceptions. Also the language in the section seemed to imply that the millwork company should co-ordinate the work and involve the other subs. I am looking for a way to require the mock-up, and explicitly make it the responsibility of the GC to co-ordinate and direct the work (and pay the other sub contractors.) Specifiers have a well developed view of how the business of construction is supposed to work, and I agree with that view almost all the time. One of the reasons I like the specifier theory is that I've been badly bitten a time or two by contractors who didn't see it that way. I would have had no problem with the mock-up article in this specification if it hadn't specified rough framing, flooring, wall surfacing, and paint (among other things) in the millwork section. I hope I don't seem a little snippish myself, I'm always grateful for the responses I get here. Your generosity has helped me develop my skills more than any other resource. Steve J. Peter Jordan Senior Member Username: jpjordan Post Number: 513 Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Thursday, November 01, 2012 - 02:09 pm:    I have developed a Division 01 mockup section for "exterior integrated mockups" to be constructed on the job site and encourage my clients (the architect) to do a drawing of exactly what they want. This sometimes gets used simply for final color and texture decisions, but more and more we are seeing it used for workmanship, quality control, and testing on concealed flashings, air barriers, window openings, etc. The GC complains a lot about the expense, but if the construction has any degree of complexity, they find that it pays for itself very quickly. Hotels and upper-end apartments have done this for years, mocking up an entire unit complete with finshes and furnishings. It does work better to put this in Division 01 as well. Although we can talk about the GC being responsible for all the work and the arrangement of specs (and drawings) not controlling the "division of the work," putting mockups in Division 01 makes it clear that there will be more than a few trades involved. I will caution that getting the same materials and installers (same people doing the same stuff) on the real building as did the mockup can be problematic. No one s going to order all of the materials until the mockup has been approved, manufacturers can go out of business, and craftsmen can move on to other jobs. This is usually not a problem for smaller projects, but can be a problem for projects having a duration longer than 30 to 40 months. This is especially true if the mockup is required to be done early. This does not mean you should not do a mockup, but does mean you should be realistic.