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Categories:
Specifications
Building Codes
Peer
Review
Contract Administration
How long
does it take to prepare project specifications?
Can I specify my
own format for specification sections?
As a consultant,
can I use my own specifications for the project manual?
I’m a consultant
that doesn’t have any specification masters, do you have masters that
I can edit?
As a product
representative, I would like to have a guide specification for my
product(s). Can you develop custom specifications that I can
distribute to my customers?
What information
does RLGA need to start work on a project manual?
The contractor
has submitted a substitute product that is not listed in the
specification. Will RLGA evaluate the substitution for compliance
with the specification?
As a
specification consultant, does RLGA seal the specifications?
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How long
does it take to prepare project specifications?
It depends
on the level of services required and the complexity of the project.
Preparation of a complete project manual including front-end documents
(bidding and contracting requirements), Division 1 General
Requirements, and coordination of consultant specifications will take
more time than just the preparation of specific technical sections. A
project that is complex or unique in either materials, design, or
both, will require more time than a project utilizing typical
construction materials, products and methods.
Yes.
RLGA
master specifications are already formatted according to CSI
PageFormat™ with the ability to customize for project-specific
information in the footer. However, special formats can be
accommodated including margins, footers, paragraph numbering styles,
and fonts.
Yes.
However, to provide consistency throughout the project manual,
RLGA
asks that the specification format for the project be followed.
Click on the links below to download a copy of
RLGA’s Specification
Guidelines for Consultants (Confirm with
RLGA which edition is applicable to the project).
For MasterFormat 1995 Edition
For MasterFormat
2004 Edition
Yes, to a
limited extent. RLGA maintains specification masters for some civil,
landscape, structural, mechanical, and electrical work.
Contact RLGA to obtain a
current listing of available sections.
Definitely.
Using information provided by the client (product data sheets, test
reports, building code evaluation reports, installation instructions,
etc.), RLGA will prepare custom specification sections, complying with
all formatting standards of the
Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), and in one or more
electronic file formats (Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, Rich Text, and
PDF).
After a
proposal is accepted, RLGA will schedule an interview with the client
where a list of specification sections is created, including basic
project data. As design work progresses, information can be provided
to RLGA through a variety of methods. Among the more common means
used are product cut sheets, product/material lists, website links, or
descriptions of performance criteria, which can all be transmitted
readily via email. Of great importance would be any available
schematic or design development drawings.
Yes. Since
it is difficult to anticipate the number of substitutions, review of
substitution requests, either during bidding or during construction,
will be provided on an hourly basis.
No. The
responsibility of sealing the project manual remains with the
architect- and/or engineer(s)-of-record.
What is a
building code analysis?
How long does it
take to prepare a building code analysis?
What is a
building code plan review?
Our project has
a special condition or product that isn’t permissible under the
applicable building code. Can we request a variance?
The plan
reviewer at the building department has made a comment on our project
that we feel isn’t a correct interpretation. How do we address this?
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What is a
building code analysis?
It’s a
thorough review of the building code, plus any amendments, applicable
to the project. It is generally prepared before any extensive design
work begins. The analysis process involves reviewing the code for
specific sections that would affect decisions in design. The analysis
is limited to the nonstructural provisions of the building code.
That depends
on the complexity of the project, including such characteristics as
building size, types of occupancies, and unique features (i.e.
atriums, high-rise, and membrane structures). Typical projects will
require 1 week with more complex projects requiring up to 2 weeks.
It’s a
review of the project drawings for compliance with the nonstructural
provisions of the applicable building code. This will be comparable
to the plan review provided by your local building department.
However, unlike the building department, RLGA will calculate and
prepare the code data (i.e. height, area, occupant load, and egress
width) required on drawings for use by the building department during
their plan review.
Yes, in most
cases. Many building departments have policies or procedures that
will allow alternate methods and materials (AMM), which is explicitly
permitted in all model building codes. RLGA will review the situation
to see if a variance, or code modification, as it is sometimes called,
is justifiable, and then prepare the request with supporting
documentation. Please note that an AMM may require substitute
provisions as a condition of the approval. Since the research and
preparation of documents to justify an AMM can be rather involved,
RLGA will either provide the service on an hourly basis or by separate
agreement.
Because of
the human element involved in plan reviews, interpretations of the
building code are not always consistent.
RLGA will assist clients in
preparing responses to plan review comments, and, if necessary,
request a formal interpretation from the applicable model code
organization, which may be accepted by the local building official.
What is a peer
review?
What is looked at during a
peer review?
How long does a
peer review take?
We would also
like to have our consultants’ drawings reviewed for technical
adequacy. Can RLGA provide those services, too?
Also known
as a third party review, a peer review is the process of having
another firm look at your documents as a means to improve quality
assurance. There are two levels of peer review performed by
RLGA:
The
RLGA
architectural technical peer review will look at the complete set of
architectural documents, as well as some applicable consultant
documents, to ensure that the documents are as clear, concise,
correct, and complete as possible. Some areas that are reviewed
include:
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Details for
technical adequacy (Is this the proper detail for this application?)
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Building code
and accessibility compliance (is the egress width enough?)
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Cross references
(Does the detail coordinate with the reference mark on the plan?)
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Terminology
usage (Is it waterproofing, or dampproofing? Does it match the
specification’s term?)
If requested, RLGA will also conduct a higher
level of review for coordination between documents prepared by the
project’s various consultants, also known as an interdisciplinary
coordination review. This is a detailed review that looks at the
documents prepared by each consultant to ensure that the multiple
building systems integrate with each other without conflict.
The
necessary time to review a set of construction documents depends on
the size and complexity of the project. As a rule of thumb, it takes
about 45 minutes per sheet of drawings and per section of
specifications.
Not
directly. As an architectural consultant,
RLGA’s experience is
limited to architectural applications. However, to provide a single
point-of-contact for the client, RLGA can subcontract the technical
reviews of other consultants to experienced engineers and specialty
consultants. At the completion of the review,
RLGA will provide the
client with a single report.
Why
outsource the CA services of our owner-architect agreement?
When do CA
services begin?
When does CA
services end?
How many
construction observation visits will be made?
How many
construction observation visits will be made?
At the end of contract administration services, will we be
provided copies of all documents?
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Why
outsource the CA services of our owner-architect agreement?
For most
architectural firms, they have the staff available to adequately cover
their CA responsibilities. However, there are instances where a firm
may have lost staff or their workload has exceeded their present
capabilities, and, since CA can involve an extensive amount of time
and effort, this can create problems for firms who find themselves in
those types of situations. RLGA can perform those day-to-day tasks,
but still leave the architect-of-record in full control of the
project.
Typically
they’ll start upon execution of the owner-contractor agreement.
However, RLGA may begin prior to the agreement execution to become
familiar with the project, including reviewing construction documents,
meeting with the design team, and visiting the site.
That may
depend on the owner-architect agreement. Typically, services end with
the acceptance of final payment. RLGA’s CA services may be extended
to include the contractor warranty period.
That depends
on the duration of the construction period and the frequency of the
visits (i.e. once a week, biweekly, etc.) per the owner-architect
agreement. If requested, RLGA can provide additional visits.
Absolutely!
Unless specifically authorized, in writing, by the
architect-of-record, RLGA will not authorize any changes to the
contract documents, including minor changes. All contract
modifications (Architect’s Supplemental Instructions, Construction
Change Directives, and Change Orders) will be signed by the
architect-of-record. RLGA will also consult the architect-of-record
on requests for interpretation (RFIs), unless an answer can be clearly
ascertained from the contract documents.
Yes. At the
conclusion of CA, RLGA will
provide the architect-of-record all original documents (observation
reports, changes, transmittals, letters, pay applications, etc), submittals (product data, samples,
shop drawings, etc), photographs, and other materials obtained in the
course of CA services.
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