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Characteristics of a Good Set of Plans
A good set of drawings is neat with crisp clear lines, when reproduced. Labeling is easily understood and conventions referencing between plans, sections and details are easily followed. A good architect is a thorough task master to the other design disciplines. They understand the importance of clarity and completeness in depicting the design on the plans and in the necessity to maintain continuity between the disciplines. They not only understands aesthetics and material selections but he thoroughly understands all of the important issues of constructability and durability in all disciplines and this shows in the caliber of their plans and those of their design team.
Of utmost importance is that no detail is left undefined. Within the architectural drawings representing the exterior closure of the building, this is particularly important for each and every waterproofing point of closure, at the point wherever unlike materials join and for each expansion and control joint. Expansion and control joints (breaks in long stretches of one material intended to relieve forces of thermal movement without distress) should be clearly dimensioned on plan views and elevations. Frequently, a bad set of plans will not show the locations of these nor their specific details of construction. I have found when these details are not shown on the plans and are left to be defined by verbiage in the technical specifications, the end result is usually unsatisfactory and damage or water intrusion results.
Generally, a good set of plans reflects the reality of the building construction process and the day to day workings at the construction site. On site during construction, plans are repeatedly referenced and referred to and details become familiar, often memorized by the builders and the overseers. Specifications, the name given to the written technical portion of the Project Documents which are normally in a booklet format, are rarely referenced during installation and field observation. They normally work well to define the materials and methods to be used but work poorly when referencing specific configurations and details of construction. The old saying of "a picture is worth a thousand words" was never truer than in referencing the relationship of Construction Plans to Specifications.
Submittal Process
From the perspective of a lender's Technical Representative, the worst construction plans and project documents and specifications leave the determination of final details to the submittal process. When I see this, I suspect that the Designer of Record is likely naive regarding the progression of the construction process and/or that he or she is not familiar with the proper detail, appropriate to the situation. The following is intended to provide an understanding of the submittal process.
For each item specified, prior to it being constructed or installed, the project documents and specifications usually require that the contractor provide a submittal to the Designer of Record for his approval. Such a submittal is usually prepared by the manufacturer of the item and is in the form of either data, drawings (known as shop drawings), calculations or actual samples of material, as appropriate. The intent of a submittal is to clarify, to the architect, the item that the contractor intends to install, according to his interpretation of the plans and specifications. In practice, the contractor obtains the Submittal information from a manufacturer's representative, a salesman, assigned a specific territory to represent the manufacturer. Manufacturer's representatives make their living selling their products and pleasing their clients, who are the contractors. I have seen submittals of supposedly "manufacturer's approved details", apparently produced by someone in the employment of the manufacturer, that were poorly crafted and, upon inquiry to a qualified technical representative of the manufacturer, were concluded to be improper. It is obvious that such information can easily be falsified or be used out of context.
Specifying the Use of Manufacturer’s Approved Details
In the case of a poorly conceived set of plans, a detail may not be shown on the plans. In the specifications, reference is made to "use manufacturer's approved detail" for this item. From the perspective of a lender's Technical Representative, who is reviewing the plans, I can only guess at the outcome and the final configuration of the detail. It is my experience that this sequence of events will result in improper details within the final constructed product, as often as not.
The submittal process is intended to confirm the quality of materials and the details of construction for each item that is to be installed. It also exists to permit the contractor to propose substitutions that he feels are "equal to" the items specified. This includes both materials and details of construction. The Designer of Record then evaluates the submittal information and either "approves" or "does not approve" the items to be installed. Conceptually, the proposed substitutions should provide a benefit to the process, such as providing cost savings (to owner and contractor), improving the design and quality of construction or reducing the time of construction. In reality, when plans and specifications are of a poor quality, the process often deteriorates into legal posturing, with the contractor trying to substitute items to lower his costs. With poorly crafted Construction Documents, the Designer of Record has insufficient basis to reject the submittal which the contractor claims to be a substitution "equal to" the item specified.
The project documents and specifications should define the submittal process in sufficient detail to assure that the Designer of Record has sufficient information, in an appropriate format to determine if a proposed substitution is "equal to" the details shown on the drawings and the intended products specified. In order to assure this, the section of the project documents defining "Submittals and Substitutions" should:
- Completely identify each submittal by showing the drawing number and page of specification to which it applies, and whether this is an original submittal or a re-submittal, plus the name, address and phone number of individual who can provide further information.
- Require shop drawings for all items clearly showing all pertinent features, methods of connection, and deviations from the Construction Documents, even if the item to be installed is exactly as shown on the drawings and as specified.
- Specify the scale of shop drawings, type and number of prints, the accuracy of samples (the precise article and color proposed), the number of samples to be submitted (one always to be kept on file).
- Require submittal of certified records of conformance with testing or standards specified, along with manufacturers recommended installation instructions.
- Define the procedures, time frames and responsibility of each party in the process.
- Specify the number of and format of operating manuals and instructions to be provided after a submittal or substitution has been approved, including lists of replacement parts, addresses of vendors of parts, copies of all warranties and copy of approved Shop Drawings with all data concerning further changes approved and made during construction.
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