Page 39 - Forensic Structural Engineering Handbook

1.20 DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES

Design Documents
• Design drawings (signed and sealed) by the architect, structural engineer, mechanical
engineer, and other consultants.
• Sketches issued by the architect, structural engineer, mechanical engineer, and other con-
sultants.
• Specifications issued by the architect, structural engineer, mechanical engineer, and other
consultants.

Contracts
• Contract with the owner—Executed official agreement between owner and construction
manager, or owner and general contractor.
• Subcontracts—Executed official agreements between owner and subcontractors, or with
owner’s agent, the construction manager and subcontractors, or general contractor and
subcontractors.
• Purchase orders—Executed official authorizations to purchase certain materials and
labor required for the project.
• Letters to and from all parties involved in the project.
• All documented communication (faxes, e-mails, memorandums, transmittals, etc.).

Submittals
• Shop drawings prepared by individual subcontractors, suppliers and/or manufacturers pro-
viding labor and/or material to the project. They illustrate how their product is built and
accomplishes the intended design function. Drawings are submitted to the general con-
tractor or construction manager who then submits them to the architect and/or engineers
for review and approval for project conformance.
• Manufacturers’ cuts or data sheets pertaining to the material and equipment made by the
manufacturer which will be incorporated into the project. These are also submitted to the
general contractor or construction manager for project conformance prior to their submis-
sion to the architect and/or engineers for review and approval.

Contractor Claims and Credit Documents
Daily Work Report forms used by the general contractor or construction manager to ver-
ify the human-hours and materials used to perform a subcontractor’s work. These report
forms are essential when a subcontractor states that work performed constitutes an addi-
tion to the contracted scope of work.
Backcharge Order forms of the general contractor or construction manager are used to
verify the human-hours and materials used to perform work which was included in a
subcontractor’s scope of work but had to be performed by others; or to verify work
required to repair damage caused by a another subcontractor.
Subcontractor and Vendor Claims are for extra costs incurred over and above the actual
contract or purchase order amount due to work or material provided that was beyond the
original scope of the contract or purchase order. These claims can be billed for on a