To effectively manage construction costs and mitigate claims, it is essential to minimize change orders and associated expenses. This goal can be accomplished through careful attention to detail during the preparation of design, bidding, and construction documents. It is crucial to ensure the feasibility of the design, enhance the quality of working drawings and specifications, and remain vigilant regarding common causes of claims that can result in cost overruns. By implementing these measures, controlling construction costs and reducing claims can be effectively achieved.

Course Objectives:

After participating in this course, you will be able to:

Improve communications and design-review procedures
Implement quality enhancement measures in the production of construction documents
Improve the quality of design, bidding and construction documents
Integrate a checking process into the production of construction documents
Avoid future errors in the communication of construction information and prevent claims

Who Should Attend?

Designers
Architects
Engineers
Professionals
Project Managers
Planners
Contractors
Owners
Government, Institutional & Private Sector Owners
Construction Personnel

Course Outlines:

the Problems: Where Are We Now?

Scope of program-types of facilities
Industry trends that give rise to major concerns
Scale of losses resulting from changes and claims
Stages of a project-architectural and engineering
Components of the bidding documents
Recent claims-weaknesses in the documents?
Project delivery methods-their impacts

Legal Issues

Consultants liability
Owners liability
Contractors liability

Contracts-A Synopsis

Contract forms
Who is responsible for what?
Client/consultant agreements
Special consultants-their roles
Owner/contractor agreements
Contractor/subcontractor agreements

Inconsistencies in the Documents-An Owner's Perspective

Where do they start?
What do owners expect from their consultants?
Project initiation
Planning and design stages
Cost planning and cost control
Document preparation and bidding stages
What do owners expect from contractors/subcontractors
Construction stages
Construction modifications

Difficulties In Producing The Documents- A Consultants Point of View - What Are They?

What do consultants expect from owners
Project Team-Owner/Consultants
The process of preparing drawings and specifications
Cost planning and control
Coordination with owner requirements
Coordination with authorities
Coordination with consultants
Computer-aided design and drafting

Shortcomings in the Documents- A Contractor's Point of View

In the bidding documents
During the contract award
In the "issued for construction" documents
Instructions issued during construction
Claims from contractors resulting from imperfect documents

Reasons Why Change Orders and Delay Claims Happen

Owner caused
Design team caused
Construction team caused
As Found conditions
Authorities having jurisdiction
Logging of changes

Avoid Problems – Drawings

But first-what are they?
Demolition
Architectural and landscaping
Civil and structural
Mechanical and electrical
Specialty trades

Avoid Problems Specifications

Here are some for discussion

Supplemental conditions
Instructions to bidders
Bid form(s)
Trade sections
Coordination between sections/between drawings and specifications

Filters