Consulting-Specifying Engineer - October 2007 - (Page 30)

Professional Practices construction, coordination with other trades, or cost reduction. Contractor requested COs rarely are used when any other category is appropriate, because most contractors do not want to take responsibility for design changes. Also, generally speaking, contractors are not bashful about pointing out some other reason for a CO. Code conflict A Code conflict CO arises when a building code or local ordinance changes between the time the project was designed and when construction begins. The fundamental reason for such conflicts is that the design process can overlap the code change cycle. In most jurisdictions the code that must be used for the construction is the one that was in effect at the time the construction permit was issued. Any project where the design process requires more than a few months is a candidate for a Code conflict CO. Most design professionals perform a code compliance review for major code changes immediately prior to release of a project for bidding, especially if the design has overlapped a code revision cycle. Unfortunately, a delay in issuing contracts, with subsequent delay in obtaining construction permits, can cause the same problem. For the designer, the issue of Code conflict CO poses an unresolvable dilemma because some plan reviewers will not approve plans that are designed based on pending code changes that are not in effect at the time of the review. It should be noted that code conflicts, where the code was actually in effect at the time of the design, are called designer errors. Inspector requirement Occasionally a code inspection official who is acting on behalf of an authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) requires a change to be made on a project due to a perceived code problem or a personal preference. This is really a special category of the Code conflict category, in which the code section cited by the inspection official is interpreted differently by the inspector and the designer. The main element of the Inspector requirement category is controversy. The inspector may be right or wrong, but the change must be made because the project cannot be delayed while the code issue is being resolved. Changes of this type can be either major or minor; if a great deal of money is involved it is likely that the inspector’s position will be appealed to higher authorities. If the inspector’s position is confirmed, the CO falls into the Code conflict category. In general, projects that are being run on a very tight time schedule tend to accept more Inspector requirement COs than projects which are built in a more leisurely manner. Owner request An Owner requested CO is one where the owner alone desires the change. While the needs and requirements of an owner can certainly change during the design and construction process, the most common reason for an owner requested CO is that the owner becomes aware of what is actually being built only after construction has started. In this case, either the owner did not carefully review the contract documents during the design phase of the project, or did not fully understand what the drawings were portraying. Some owners are more familiar with construction drawings than others. Communication errors between the designer and owner can result in costly COs of this type. Part M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N A B O U T emf shielding …Is Just a Click Away. Find out how steel conduit reduces the EMF that can reek havoc on your building’s electronic systems and computers. Visit us at the web address below, then click on “Benefits.” http://www.steelconduit.org 2000 Ponce de Leon, Suite 600, Coral Gables, Florida 33134, (305) 443-1603 • www.steeltubeinstitute.org go Input #218 at csemag.com/quickResponse 30 Consulting-Specifying Engineer • OCTOBER, 2007 http://www.steeltubeinstitute.org http://www.steelconduit.org http://www.steeltubeinstitute.org http://csemag.com/quickResponse

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Consulting-Specifying Engineer - October 2007

Consulting-Specifying Engineer - October 2007 Contents On the Web In the News M/E Roundtable How To Beat the Energy Codes Professional Practices Codes & Standards A Capital Job on Engineered Buiding Systems Going Green in Data Centers Overcurrent Protection: Fuses or Breakers? Third-Party Liability Management Report New Products Product Spotlight Jobs/Classifieds Specifier's Notebook

Consulting-Specifying Engineer - October 2007

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