Constructability REVIEWS:CASE STUDY OF BID DOCUMENT ERRORS AND OMISSIONS

The specific objective of a Constructability Review should be to minimize or eliminate potential change orders and delay claims during construction by ensuring that the Construction Documents are fully coordinated, complete, and buildable. While accomplishing that primary objective, a Constructability review should also seek to eliminate the redundancy in quality control reviews being performed by different entities involved in the project such as architects, peer reviewers, and permitting agencies.

 

Formal Constructability review programs have been conducted on enormous public works programs such as the Los Angeles County USC Medical Center and the Los Angeles Unified School District's school bond program as well as many other programs across the nation.

 

Formal Constructability review programs have been conducted on enormous public works programs such as the Los Angeles County USC Medical Center and the Los Angeles Unified School District's school bond program as well as many other programs across the nation.

 

For a large public works program with construction cost of over $500 million, a 2 to 5% reduction in construction costs through a comprehensive Constructability review can result in millions of dollars in savings for what are relatively minor costs associated with conducting the reviews.

 

Any project whether small or large stands to benefit by a properly conducted Constructability review by reducing the occurrence and extent of change orders, claims, schedule delays, or simply by preserving a better relationship between owner, construction manager, contractor, and architect. This article describes some particular recurring construction document errors and omissions or trends that were encountered on projects that instituted a formal review process.

 

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) embarked on a program in 2000 to construct over 150 new schools with a combined hard construction cost of $1.5 billion through a voter-approved bond proposition.

 

The program was completing its design phase and transitioning into the plan check/permit phase. The District recognized the need to conduct Constructability reviews at the conclusion of the design phase mitigate contract change exposure. The Contract Documents were being produced with subjective and arbitrary notes such as…

 

"The Architect assumes no responsibility for the completeness of the plans for bid purposes…

"

"Provide trap and vent as required. Provide condensate pumps if necessary"

 

"Contractor to provide fire and smoke dampers as needed at all rated wall penetrations"

 

"If phased construction is required by the District, the District will allow a 30-day time extension for the contract"

 

A unique Constructability Program was adopted by the LAUSD to address the potential contract change order exposure.

 

Constructability management tools were developed and utilized on the LAUSD program including comprehensive Constructability checklists, dedicated in-house review teams, Constructability audits as construction was on-going or complete, and a detailed scope of work for all review participants.

 

A Constructability team was mobilized and over the span of a year was successful in reviewing all of the design packages prior to submission to the permitting agency. The team discovered literally thousands of errors, omissions, conflicts and ambiguities in the contract documents which were noted and, as verified by a back-check system, incorporated into the contract documents.

 

A Constructability team was mobilized and over the span of a year was successful in reviewing all of the design packages prior to submission to the permitting agency. The team discovered literally thousands of errors, omissions, conflicts and ambiguities in the contract documents which were noted and, as verified by a back-check system, incorporated into the contract documents.