SpecWords

Please. Energy is Not Renewable

2012-05-14T14:04:00Z

Can we please stop calling solar, wind, and other LEED and government promoted energy sources "renewable?"

Talk of renewable energy is everywhere. USGBC and governments heavily promote its use through LEED credits, rebates, and subsidies. Just today I read an editorial from a middle school student imploring us to switch to renewable solar energy because fossil fuel supplies are finite and dwindling.

Check the science
Solar energy is produced by fusion at the core of our sun. Four hydrogen atoms join to form one helium atom while releasing a tremendous amount of energy in the process. The atomic mass of helium is about 70% of four hydrogen atoms, accounting for the energy released by fusion. So helium, by itself, cannot revert to hydrogen to repeat the fusion process.

Solar energy is finite
When the hydrogen is consumed, fusion stops and the energy disappears. Granted, our sun has a lot of available hydrogen. And when men first started extracting oil, gas, and coal from Mother Earth, supplies were thought to be more than we would ever need. But things change, and demand increases. We are straining, but not exhausting, our fossil fuel supply. We will never exhaust the supply. The increased cost from demand will curtail its use.

For solar energy, it is the same. It is only a matter of a much longer time--about 5 billion years before the sun transforms to a red giant no longer capable of sustaining fusion. We need not worry, nor our children, nor many generations after us. But the folks living in that year the sun goes out, if humans survive that long, will be worrying a lot.

If not solar, then wind
Okay, let's use renewable wind energy instead. Do you realize that wind is created by--yes you guessed it--the sun? Wind is nature's way of redistributing the heat that the earth absorbs from the sun. No sun, no wind. Should we really be depending only on the sun for our energy?

Except for nuclear energy, every other form of energy available to us today is derived from solar energy.

It's Alternative, not Renewable
If energy was truly renewable, we could have perpetual motion. Remember Albert Einstein's mass-energy equivalence portion of the theory of special relativity E=Mc²? Energy is neither created nor destroyed, only transformed. Therefore, energy cannot be renewable.

Let's call these energy sources what they really are: an alternative to our traditional fossil fuel and nuclear energy sources rather than pretending we found perpetual motion.

BUILDING PRODUCTS MADE FROM MUSHROOMS!?

2012-05-01T12:20:27Z

What would you think of a product that was made from agricultural byproducts and mushrooms that had similar characteristics of expanded polystyrene including insulating values and able to achieve a Class 1 flame spread rating that was 100% natural, renewable, and biodegradable?

The idea may seem far fetched, but this new technology is very much a reality. The company, called Ecovative, has engineered a way to combine these natural ingredients to form insulating products for such things as product packaging, building products, and even structural composites.

How it Works:

Mycelium, the strong root system of mushrooms, is a natural binding agent that can knit together agricultural by-products, including corn and oat husks. The husks and the mushroom root cells, which eat the husks, grow to form a dense network that packs the designated mold formation. The trays spend five to seven days in a darkened warehouse before the rooted mixture is baked and dried into any shape needed.

The result is a lightweight, fireproof, waterproof foam material that feels like polystyrene, but decomposes in only one month after it's been buried in soil.

This product is in development for commercial application such as insulations, SIPs panels, and even acoustic tiles. These materials have low or no VOCs and perform similarly to traditional synthetic materials.

Ecovative is applying this technology to create next generation biocomposite materials using engineered textiles. In addition to the expanded plastic foams they have been replacing, Ecovative is now developing materials to replace dense materials like particle board. By growing structural core materials with mycelium, there is no need for toxic adhesives that contain formaldehyde.

Delegated Design - Where is the architect?

2012-04-30T18:53:40Z

The concept of delegated design is not new. Architects have passed some design responsibility to contractors for a long time. A classic example is structural steel connections. The steel fabricator designs the connections for the full load carrying capacity of the member the connection supports. The result of this delegated design is highly predictable because of the design standards that apply.

But delegated design is extending beyond this traditional role to include more building elements and sometimes the entire building envelope where the results are not so predictable. The subject is the focus of the Philadelphia Chapter CSI second annual Seminar Day later this month.

Design Delivery Methods
So how will the increasingly complex and complicated building envelopes be delivered in the future? We are seeing an increasing use of design-build and design-assist approaches. Both methods pose some questions:

Will it be the contractor's responsibility to interpret the design intent portrayed on the drawings and described in the specifications to meet the architect's intent?

Will the architect maintain aesthetic control, only, passing the technical control to the contractor?

Controlling the Process
Delegated design specifications must go beyond the traditional set of material, product, and performance requirements. What level of participation is required of the contractor? What documentation must the contractor provide? Now the specifications must specify a process to ensure the architect receives adequate information from the contractor at the right time to show compliance with the design intent and to enable the remaining design to be completed.

The contractor cannot be involved to the degree necessary without an agreement to be paid for pre-construction design services. This will require a signed agreement between the Owner and the Construction Manager, General Contractor, Specialty Subcontractor, or possibly all three, to provide design services.

It's Risk Management
What happens when the architect believes the project will proceed with a delegated design approach and the Owner-Contractor agreements are not executed in time? Must the architect then complete the design using a traditional approach? Or can the architect successfully claim the Owner is causing a delay?

Either way, the design completion will be delayed. And the delay will be a liability to the architect's fee and may damage his reputation with the Owner.

How much design should architects pass to contractors, if any at all?

Straight Grained Wood

2012-04-24T09:30:02Z

Are you expecting straight grained wood for your project? Use the right terms to get what you want. Quarter Cut and Rift Cut wood produces similar straight grain results. However, there are differences and limitations. Learn how to distinguish between the two cuts so you are able to select the right look for your next project. Remember to verify the cut is available in the species you select!

Visit http://www.conspectusinc.com/tech-tips.htm to view or download the latest C1030 Quarter and Rift Wood Cuts 12.04.01 and all previous Tech Tips.

Share your comments, your opinions, about this month's Tech Tips, by posting a comment, here.

What Challenges do Specifiers Face?

2012-04-23T17:36:04Z

When I attended a Metro NY CSI planning meeting, we were discussing ideas for chapter programs. I was asked the question "What is the biggest problem you face as a specifier?" There was little thought needed. I hedged my bet and named two.

Realistic schedules and thoughtful, timely responses.

The explanation: if the design team and the specifier cooperate, keeping each other informed the stress of completing each project nearly disappears.

Total Team Commitment
We just completed our first two projects working with a new client. Both projects are in the same development and had many similarities. The schedule was extremely short. We jointly laid out the plan needed to complete on time. This design team was committed to meeting the schedule.

We met to review the project. The entire architectural design team for each project participated, explaining the unique features that must be specified. A single draft spec would be written for both projects. The unique aspects of each project would be individually flagged to identify the applicable project for the text.

One week later, the draft specifications were delivered for review with 10 pages of questions. Each team answered every question, coordinating their response to simplify our understanding. We had the responses by the end of the following day. We met, again with the entire team for both projects to review their responses that needed clarification.

The corrections were completed. Two project specifications were extracted automatically from the single set of draft specs using the flagging built into the documents.

Make Use of Available Tools
On another project, we worked with the firm owner before, but not with her new company. She was designing the renovation of an existing building for a new use. We began by adding the entire project team to our Basecamp web-based project management site, a tool we make available to every client. Everyone had access to all the project data and documents.

Our client began using Basecamp to an extent that none other had. We cooperatively added and edited the electronically shared data about product selections through the writeboard feature. This permitted real time interaction and provided up-to-date information to everyone. When anyone needed to see what had changed, we electronically compared any two versions.

Everyone received email notifications every time data was updated. This gave the opportunity to add comments and ask questions for clarification. The exchange was smooth and timely.

Where Was the Stress?
Our clients cooperated, fully. They met their project schedule, providing thoughtful information when needed.

Was there any stress? Of course there was, but minimal by comparison. The stress of completing both of these projects was entirely under our control by simply managing our own work. Through the commitment and timely response of our clients plus the full use of the management resources we provided, these projects were perfect examples of cooperation and efficiency.

What About the Results?
When the process runs smoothly, the resulting quality is improved. Timely information allows the work to be completed correctly the first time. It is much easier to ensure documents are coordinated as they are initially developed.

We are confident the specifications for these projects are superior to most because the process worked. Now all we need do is continue duplicating the success.

Your Comments are Important

2012-04-19T12:00:25Z

This week our blog post How Do You Communicate Design Intent asked for your responses, but the blog commenting feature did not work. We did not realize it until one of our readers told us.

A recent blog software upgrade disabled all commenting. It is fixed now. So if you intended to comment on this week's blog post, please follow this link to add your comment.

http://www.conspectusinc.com/blog/2012/04/how-do-you-communicate-basis-of-design.html#comments

Thank you for visiting. We look forward to hearing from you.

How do You Communicate Basis of Design?

2012-04-16T16:52:55Z

Collecting basis of design product data before starting the project specifications takes time. It takes even more time to get the right information. From the specifier's perspective, data gathering is often an art form rather than a defined process. Absent a process, the results may be unpredictable.

So how can design teams transfer basis of design decisions to specifiers?

Architects and Engineers: What do You Think?
How do you communicate design intent? How do you work with your specifier? How do you wish you could work with your specifier? How can you ensure your specifier knows your basis of design product decisions?

Please tell us your story, from your perspective. Reply to this posting to share your opinions to make the process better, more efficient, and capable of producing the right result.

A Specifier's Story
I sense dependence. Design teams tend to expect specifiers to know what is required for a particular project. Yet, a specifier's knowledge about a project is limited by the readily available data - annotated drawings, selected product cut sheets, project reports, and designer interviews.

Specifiers sift through everything that is available, making notes, creating lists, identifying questions that must be answered. This initial effort yields the first draft table of contents for the project manual. The contents will include the list of expected specifications sections and the basic content and initial questions for each.

The table of contents is shared with the design team for confirmation that the design intent is understood. The table of contents development is a dialog between the design team and specifier that is maintained throughout the construction documentation process. The table of contents becomes the primary coordination tool between the drawings and specifications.

As a specifier, I rely on the road map the table of contents provides. It is a succinct project summary to communicate with the design team and to guide the specifications development. The communication, though, is often unilateral - specifier to design team - with little or no response from the design team.

The usefulness of the table of contents to the design team becomes questionable. And there begins the dependence, a dependence that may not capture the designer's intent.

The Design Team's Story
What is your story? Sign in and leave your comments here.

Alternative Approaches
I have tried other approaches for data collection and communication with the design team. Each method has seen some acceptance, but none seems to be universally accepted as the best or the preferred method. Here is a partial list of what I have tried:

Master Table of Contents - provided to design team for initial spec section selection
Checklists - provided to design team in blank and partially completed form
Basis of Design Narratives - produced by the design team
Design Team Interviews - based on draft tables of contents
Design Team Interviews - based on UniFormat systems and assemblies outline
Preliminary Project Descriptions (PPD) - produced cooperatively by design team and specifier following UniFormat organization.
Specific Product Questions - posed to design team as specifications are drafted.

The success from using PPDs is promising. Acceptance of PPDs is growing. although, few design teams have opted for this approach. As more experience is gained, we are hopeful PPDs will yield consistently better results. See other blog posts discussing PPDs

We are considering some other alternatives to try to engage the design team and improve the process.

Electronic interactive decision tree for product attribute selections
Web based software such as One Note or Evernote for data gathering
Collaborative software such as Google Docs for managing tables of contents

Will any of these be better? I reserve judgment, pending your response.

Building Owners Requiring Specialty Consultants

2012-04-09T12:44:25Z

Last week I replied to an owner's request for proposal (RFP). The owner included a requirement that the architect retain specific firms for specialty consulting services including geotechnical engineering and medical equipment planning. The owner had previous experience with both firms and obviously trusts their abilities to deliver what the owner requires.

What other specialties should the owner consider?
Well... how about specifiers? Let's discuss how specifiers benefit owners - not architects, but owners.

Specifiers control project quality. Drawings show location, size, and quantity, but cannot convey quality. Do owners routinely ask that a project be built to mediocre or poor quality? No, they usually demand the best or highest quality. If owners wish to control quality, specifications must be controlled. There are several means to do so:

Develop and enforce minimum design and construction criteria
Develop and enforce standard specifications
Insist architects use specifiers familiar with the owner's needs

Criteria and Standards
The first two methods require active participation by the owner for the initial development, on-going maintenance, and enforcement of the documents. These also require staff that is technically knowledgeable about specifications and construction. Conformance to minimum criteria and standards is commonly required by healthcare, university, and large corporate owners.

I have worked with both of these scenarios on many occasions. Usually the process starts with me trying to determine just how old the owner's documents are. There are always telltale clues. It is not unusual to see documents, 10, 15, and even 20 years old. Sometimes required products are no longer available and manufacturers are out of business.

Next, the question, are the documents enforced rigidly, flexibly, uniformly, or selectively? Enforcement is highly variable, even for different projects for the same owner. Often enforcement is dependent on the owner's reviewer and the time available to complete the task.

Of course, these processes take time and cost money. Specifications fees will be inflated to cover the uncertainty of dealing with owner's unfamiliar documents. And spec fees are passed back to the owner, probably with a markup by the architect. So the owner is paying an excessive fee for each and every project because of archaic, standard documents.

Required Specialty Consultant
Requiring architects to use a preselected, certified, professional specifier will allow owners to control the project quality, directly. Through a direct relationship with the owner, the specifier will develop a thorough understanding of the owner's expectations.

The specifier's understanding will be built over time, one project at a time. The specifier will review design documents, offering comment to improve overall coordination. As projects are constructed, specifiers will incorporate lessons learned, building the owner's corporate memory for use on future projects. Professional specifiers, especially independent specifiers, will bring their experience from hundreds of other projects to benefit each project the owner undertakes. Ultimately the specifier will counsel the design team about the owner's material preferences and required quality with virtually no intervention by the owner.

This solution will not happen without an owner's insistence. Design teams may be reluctant to relinquish specifications to an owner selected consultant, thinking the specifier will not respond to the designer's needs. But, in the end, the specifier must be responsible to the owner, delivering documents to produce a building with a quality level meeting the owner's expectations and the design intent.

Finding Qualified Specifiers
Start with the Construction Specifications Institute. Check the directory of Certified Construction Specifiers (CCS). There are a total of 1153. But all are not dedicated full-time specifiers. So check the Specifications Consultants in Independent Practice (SCIP) membership directory with about 150 members to narrow the pool. Check experience and involvement. The best specifiers are involved, constantly learning, and teaching to improve the entire design and construction process for everyone. They exert influence through leadership positions at local, regional, and national levels to guide industry standards and trends. These leaders are the master specifiers.

How Will You Do It?
So corporate and institutional building owners, how do you plan to get the quality you expect from your capital improvements projects? Tell us what you think!

Where is the next crop of Specifiers?

2012-04-02T15:05:23Z

Perhaps the first question should be: Do we need another crop of Specifiers? After all, we should be able to push the BIM spec button and generate a project spec. Right? Well, not yet. And even if we could, who will be responsible to be certain the spec is right?

Specifiers and Academia
Specifiers are not the product of architectural and engineering schools. My own architectural schooling included only one professional practice class, meeting a total of 30 hours. This class was supposed to teach everything needed to run an architectural practice. I'm not making this up folks. I remember specs being mentioned once, but not discussed, not taught. Granted my schooling happened a few years ago. But the academic approach to specs remains the same.

So if schools are not teaching the art of specifying as part of design practice, then how will the specifying profession be perpetuated?

Identify Attitude and Aptitude
Not every architect will be a designer, nor should they be. The profession needs technically grounded individuals creating construction documents capable of realizing the designer's dream. I am happy to leave design to those that are much more creative than I. Although, I will control, or at least influence, many design decisions through the specifications. I am content creating documents that respect and manifest the design. I delight in well executed details that allow designers to revel in the result.

Pay attention to students, interns, and emerging professionals. Watch for those with a specifier's attitude and aptitude. Observe those who think three dimensionally, envisioning assembly intersections and transitions before the condition is modeled or detailed. Listen for those who are inquisitive about materials and products. Note those who volunteer for site visits to see construction in progress.

These individuals are our future Specifiers.

Making a Specifier
Expose potential specifiers to the profession, slowly. Show them a specification. Help them appreciate the importance. Ask them to write a "simple" section for a project. I like to use flush wood doors. Give them a corner sample, some manufacturer's literature, the AWI Architectural Woodwork Standard, and a door schedule. Review the items to explain the content of each.

Leave them alone to work their way through the spec. That simple section turns into hundreds of decisions to finish the spec. The key is not finishing the spec. I know I have a potential specifier when they stop writing and start asking questions.

Help them finish, explaining the process and decisions as you do. Then, use their work and be sure they know it.

Repeat monthly.
Introduce helpful resources along the way.
Repeat weekly.
Assign selected project specs.
Repeat daily!
Assign entire project spec.
Repeat often.
Change business card title to SPECIFIER.

It takes commitment. It takes time. Until academia takes construction documents seriously, this is the only method to ensure a specifier will be available to make certain the future automated BIM specs are right.

Remind good prospects that being a designer and a competent specifier will expand job opportunities.

Polished Lightweight Concrete?

2012-03-29T17:29:47Z

"We can't polish the lightweight concrete floor slabs. Why can't I do that?" was my client's question. "It says in the spec, 'Normal weight concrete: No lightweight aggregate.' "

Even though my wife insists that I believe I am an expert on virtually everything, I had to tell my client that I did not know the answer, and I would have to look into it. I could think of some possibilities, but I could not recite two or more concrete reasons (pardon the pun).

I did some internet research and also called a product rep I know, and I ended up with several explanations but no real, simple solution. In my research I found that The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association has a very tidy overview called "CIP36- Structural Lightweight Concrete". This handy reference told me many things I knew on the subject and a few things I did not know.

Lightweight structural concrete is actually so because of the aggregate, and not the cement. Various aggregate recipes use various light (or "lighter") weight materials to reduce the weight of concrete by as much as 35 to 40%. This lightweight concrete still runs 90-115 pounds per cubic foot, which is still a heavy material. However, the reduced weight of the concrete in structural use means a reduced dead load, allowing reductions in the size of structural columns, footings, and other load bearing elements. Lightweight concrete also provides greater fire resistance and greater R-values than normal weight concrete, in part due to air entrainment, which also allows the internal retention of more water, which enhances internal curing and hence, the strength and durability of the concrete. All of this goes in the "plus" column for lightweight concrete.

When our client proposed a polished finish, which requires grinding, densifying, and penetrant coatings, the negatives for lightweight concrete began to emerge. The water retained by the air entrained concrete and the more porous, lightweight aggregates also greatly increases the cure time for fully dry material. The air entrainment also causes the concrete to exhibit a more porous surface after grinding, which can cause irregular results in finish applications. According to the product rep I consulted, there are also issues with the polishing process and the aggregates in the lightweight concrete. The more porous aggregates, such as shale, will often fracture during grinding. These imperfections can cause inconsistency in the way the concrete accepts applied finishes. The manufacturer did not completely rule out polishing the surface of lightweight concrete, but stated emphatically that the customer would not get the type of finish they were expecting, and must be made aware of the situation.

With no recommendation from the product rep on a substitute finish in the same genre, I returned to my client, who had also researched the issue. We compared notes, with my client noting the lack of viable finish options in the same genre. My client decided to leave the polished finish in the spec and discuss it with his Owner. As the project is a somewhat rustic facility, the final look of the finish might be appropriate even though the resultant finish would not reach typical quality or sheen expectations.

If the Owner insists on a polished concrete finish, then perhaps structural may switch over to normal weight concrete and redesign the support system accordingly. At any rate, for the time being my client does not appear to be considering any other types of finishes and is moving forward with the specified finish.

As specifiers we service the design, but rarely drive the design. We usually work within certain "givens" and within the designer's parameters, so it is very satisfying to provide a solution when the opportunity arises. Within the parameters of this particular situation I was unable to supply that satisfying solution. While disappointing, this becomes a learning opportunity.

I feel like the lack of a solution in this case was due to restricted design parameters and a lack of ingenuity on my part to goad my client outward from those parameters. So I am hoping to look outward myself. What might I have suggested to my client to solve his dilemma? What other direction might we have pursued?

Great Ex-Spec-tations - Part 2 Strengths and Weaknesses

2012-03-26T14:31:13Z

To read Part 1 of this discussion, see http://www.conspectusinc.com/blog/2012/03/great-ex-spec-tations.html#comment-3829

Often I have heard architects proclaim that so-and-so product is no good, and they absolutely refuse to use it on any of their projects. This is usually the result of a bad experience with that product. Often, this bad experience occurred many, many years ago. Yet, this visceral, bad feeling toward that product remains. This emotional response to products is sometimes justified, but often it is not.

When I have encountered this sort of negative reaction to a product suggested for a project, I will usually point out that a product is intrinsically neither good nor bad. Rather there are appropriate and inappropriate applications for each product.

Upon closer examination of the situation surrounding the bad experience with the "bad" product, I have found that many times the product was not used in the appropriate way. The old saying "That's about as smart as a screen door on a submarine." comes to mind as an example of an inappropriate application of a product.

Now, none of the experiences I have had with the inappropriate application of a product was ever as obvious as the example of the screen door in a submarine. They have all been relatively subtle or the result of an over simplification of a complex situation. Sometimes it has been the result of an architect having unrealistic expectations based on a sales presentation - either in person or in print.

What is critical here is that architects need to clearly understand the problem at hand and all the factors that affect a successful outcome. They must also be able to clearly communicate the problem and conditions to the product reps with whom they are working.

The product reps, in turn, must fully understand the strengths AND the weaknesses of the product they represent. Product reps must clearly convey that information to architects. Additionally, the product reps must be sure architects intend to use the product correctly and have realistic expectation of the product's performance. To withhold critical information or mislead architects regarding a product's proper application is likely to cause irreparable harm to an otherwise "good" product's reputation - not to mention the architect's reputation.

This situation could be the result of one or more of the following factors:

Architect assumes he already knows enough about the product to proceed without consulting a product rep.
Architect is pressed for time and prays he knows enough about the product to "wing it."
Architect may have been mislead (sometimes intentionally, but unintentionally the vast majority of the time) into selecting a product where it is not suited.
Either architect or the product rep (or sometimes both) do not fully understand the problem at hand.

Example: An architect once asked me to specify a particular "paint" for his project. He gave me a color chip with the product information on the back. I immediately recognized the product as an industrial, epoxy floor coating. Because I was familiar with the project, I could not imagine where such a product might be used, so I asked. I was informed that it was to be used as the finish on an accent wall of a posh lobby. When I told the architect how this "paint" was suppose to be used, he replied, "But the product rep said it could be used on walls."

Well, yes. Of course, the product rep told him that; but that was only half true. Yes, the product could be used on vertical surfaces; but no, it was not intended for this application.

I asked the architect what it was about the industrial, epoxy floor coating that he liked. What he liked was its multiple colors and mottled appearance. With that information, I directed the architect to some multicolor coating systems, such as Zolatone. The architect was delighted with the multicolor coating systems color selections - even more so than he was with the industrial, epoxy floor coating.

If the industrial, epoxy floor coating had been used on this project rather than a multicolor coating systems; there may not have been any significant negative repercussions. However, this example illustrates how such misapplications occur.

Water Vapor Transmission - Get the Units Right

2012-03-20T09:04:03Z

Water vapor transmission is confusing - three different properties, each with their own units of measure. Can you rely on manufacturer's data reporting product performance? Be careful. Check the values and the units of measure. Be sure the units are correct and the value consistent with what should be expected. Incorrect units make the reported data useless.

Visit http://www.conspectusinc.com/tech-tips.htm to view or download the latest B1010 Water Vapor Transmission 12.03.01 and all previous Tech Tips.

Share your comments, your opinions, about this month's Tech Tips, by posting a comment, here.

"I didn't expect this...what do we do now?"

2012-03-19T15:14:05Z

The clause typically found in the General Conditions of the Contract for Construction to address the discovery of differing site conditions during the construction phase is a clause that means nothing except when a problem arises, so why include it? Well, have you ever worked on a project that DIDN'T have unforeseen problems? If so, you are blessed.

AIA Documents

AIA Document A201-2007, General Conditions of the Contract for Construction, Article 3.7.4 Concealed or Unknown Conditions addresses what happens to be a common occurrence in the industry of construction, which is why this clause is so important. The cost of addressing differing conditions during construction can be astronomical, depending on the particular condition discovered. For example, finding bedrock where boring logs indicate sand or soil can add considerable cost to the excavation phase of a project, and can cause significant delays early in a project, which can result in delay claims from all succeeding contractors. The potentially substantial impact differing site conditions can have on a project necessitates the requirement for a contract condition which outlines the procedures to follow when they are encountered.

No one knows this better than the General Services Administration (GSA), one of the largest property managers in America. Prior to the existence of this clause, the risk of encountering adverse site conditions was borne by contractors. To protect themselves if unknown site conditions were encountered during construction, contractors bidding on federal work would build substantial contingencies into their bids which, if no such adverse conditions were encountered, constituted a windfall profit for them. The federal government saw that money could be saved if they assumed the risk of unknown site conditions and developed the differing site conditions clause.

Types of Differing Conditions

Both the federal "differing site conditions" clause and the "concealed conditions..." clause in AIA Standard Documents distinguish between any physical condition that differs materially from what is indicated in contract documents and a physical condition that differs materially from conditions normally expected in the type of construction work in the contract involved. As with dispute resolutions and changes to the contract, certain procedural requirements apply when a differing condition is encountered, but essentially, the clause is a comprehensive and fair solution to address the discovery of differing site conditions.

Contractor's Responsibilities

It is the duty of the contractor to give prompt written notice when differing site conditions are encountered. The first purpose of promptly notifying the owner is to provide them with an opportunity to view and investigate the condition to verify that it is a differing site condition. Failure of the contractor to promptly notify the owner of a differing site condition may make it impossible to make a determination if the condition is disturbed or obliterated. The other purpose of giving notice promptly is to provide the owner with the opportunity to direct the actions to be taken by the contractor to deal with the differing site condition. Sometimes, the discovery can result in the necessity to redesign all or part of the project, which is a function that should be controlled by the owner.

Owner's Responsibilities

The owner, in turn, is responsible to promptly investigate the condition and make a determination. Failure to promptly investigate and decide the course of action is a breach of contract. Without this clause, the only way a contractor can recover costs associated with encountering a differing condition is to sue the owner for breach of contract, since the actual work is materially different from that described in the contract documents on which the contractor bid. The clause provides an orderly process by which the contractor can recover his costs through an agreed-upon adjustment to the contract.

Great Ex-Spec-tations

2012-03-08T15:56:34Z

I once heard a Chinese proverb that went something like, "Expectations are the cause of all disappointment." I don't know if it's really a Chinese proverb or just something I remember from a fortune cookie. However, product representatives are often disappointed when their product is not specified for a project. Is it really the product rep's expectations that cause their disappointment? Maybe it is something more basic like lack of salesmanship or that their products lack something essential. Actually, it could be any combination of these 3 possibilities.

I will not address salesmanship or product characteristics. These topics are too broad to cover here. Instead, I will focus on expectations.

So, how do a product rep's expectations play into getting a product specified?

Once, a product rep came into my office on a random cold call to show us the wonders of his product. Before he left, he kindly gave us a binder for our library. A month or so later, when the next project came out of our office, he called to complain that his product had NOT been specified. He didn't ask why his product was not included. Instead, he instructed me that it should have been included; because "After all, I gave you a binder!"

I don't remember the product or the product rep. I do remember that the type of product he was promoting was NOT even used in the project. Furthermore, at the time he visited the office, most of the product selections had already been made.

OK, there are a number of problems here:

The product rep knew nothing about the project that was out for bid, except that his product was not specified,
He was not interested in knowing why his product was not included,
He was not interested in knowing how the product might be specified for the next project,
And - worst of all - he seemed to think that a binder was the cost of admission into the specifications!

This poor fellow obviously had unrealistic expectations. Why? Because he had no clue as to how products - especially his own - are selected for projects.

Although this is the worst case I have ever encountered, it is amazing how many product reps do not understand some of the basics of the design and construction process. Here is my list of things each product rep should know to improve the odds of being specified; to focus time and effort efficiently and effectively; and to have more realistic expectations:

Know your product's strengths and weaknesses.
Know what factors will effect the selection of your product.
Know when your product will be considered during the design process.
Know the degree of importance the architect places on your product.
Know who influences the selection of your product
Know who will make the final decision.

OK, so each of these points seems pretty straight-forward, but how and where does one obtain that knowledge?

Stay tuned. I will address each of these in future blog posts.

In the meantime, if you have any similar experiences, please let us know by posting a response to this blog.

Thanks. I look forward to your comments.

Improving Knowledge & Skills Through Community

2012-03-05T15:43:40Z

This month is jam packed with opportunities to improve personal knowledge and skills. This underlying theme is the same for all for all three.

The CSI Specifying Practice Group
The CSI Academies
The CSI Master Specifiers Retreat

Two down, and one to go. Traveling is disrupting the normal schedule. So I will be posting a summary of the Practice Group a bit later; stay tuned. The retreat will happen later this week. Meanwhile here is a report of the Academies.

Nearly 150 people trekked to beautiful San Diego, CA to attend the Academies this year: Product Representative, Specifiers, and Construction Administrators. Each group had their own track of education sessions stretching over three days to earn 14.5 education credits. I was honored to serve as an instructor for three sessions. See http://www.conspectusinc.com/firm-news.htm for more information and links to the program downloads.

Social Media ROI
The program started with a joint session about the ROI of Social Media presented by Joy Davis @CSIConstruction. It was all about social media and a sharing community, so during the presentation Brent Williams @Brent_Williams1 led the TweetChat #CSIAcademies. By the end of the Joy's presentation the TweetChat had 345,000 impressions reaching 36,000 people. But the chat continued throughout the event.

ROI is nearly impossible to measure with social media. Joy featured one of my tweets as an example. I tweeted about a document offered by Universal Design that gave technical assistance on accessible pool entry and exit. Universal Design's website was shared with my 350 followers. Some, like Joy, of those retweeted the message reaching thousands more. All essentially free advertising.

According to Joy, if you plan to be working in ten years, you must embrace social media, now.

By the end of the Academies, the TweetChat had 750,000 impressions on 39,000 people. There was an opportunity to learn without the advantage of attending in purpose. CSI members embrace "community." They willingly share what they know. The TweetChat and all the Academies' volunteer instructors are great examples.

Join the Community
Here is a list, in no particular order, of those that contribute to the CSI Twitter community. I recommend you follow them all. And of course follow me @dstutzman and @Conspectusinc.

@Brent_Williams1
@CSIConstruction
@Hal_Good
@MetalEraInc
@NPI_procurement
@SpecmonkeyNorth
@LizOSullivanAIA
@TJMcCue
@thegainesgroup
@EricDLussier
@TomHopkinsSales
@perspectivearch
@CSICincyChapter
@PaDutch_descent
@csiallentown
@swolfearch
@NPI_Conference
@SmartBidNet
@AGWilsonBS
@builderpro
@m2architek
@Archathome
@jnmob2
@vivianvolz
@DenverCSI
@johndanes
@geverding
@dtrconsulting
@JWMollohan1
@Heitert16
@AssuranceScreen
@dmwfitzhugh
@EnovativeGroup
@jamiill
@collier1960
@VCLD_TomD
@archfan
@sellrunrest
@SB_AEC
@CentralPennCSI
@LynnJav
@CSIWillamette
@HuttonArch
@LoriGreeneAHC
@ViridianSystems
@JonCarter1989
@LizLenox_IR
@JaniceKrieg
@MeetMeme