Building Design and Construction Handbook - Merritt - Ventech!

THE BUILDING TEAM—MANAGING THE BUILDING PROCESS 2.23
laws and regulations. Contract forms vary, depending on the type and usage of the
project.
Contract Conditions. These define the rights, responsibilities, and relationships
of the various parties involved in the construction process. Two types of contract
conditions exist, General Conditions and Supplementary Conditions.
The General Conditions have general clauses that establish how the project is
to be administered. They normally contain provisions that are common practice.
Definitions of project terms, temporary provisions, site security, management process
required, and warranties and guarantees are among those items addressed in
the General Conditions.
The Supplementary Conditions modify or supplement the general conditions to
provide for requirements unique to a specific project and not normally found in
standard General Conditions.
2.19 QUALITY CONTROL FOR ARCHITECTS
AND ENGINEERS
To maintain a consistently high level of quality in design and construction documentation,
a rigorous internal review of the documents prepared by the architect or
engineer, which draws on the full depth and experience of resources available,
should be undertaken during the contract document phase. Quality control can begin
in the earliest stages of design, when criteria are established and developed as
design guidelines for use throughout the project. At each stage of development, a
coordination checklist, based on previous experience, can be utilized for the project
through an independent internal or external technical checking program.
Computer file management may be used to enable the various technical disciplines
to share graphic data and check for interference conditions, thereby enhancing
technical coordination of the documents. Quality control should also continue
throughout the construction phase with architect and engineer review of shop drawings
and on-site observation of the work.
Quality Management Program. To have a truly meaningful quality management
program, all personnel must be committed to it. To help the professional staff
understand the quality program, quality systems should be developed, updated,
maintained, and administered to assist the architect and professional staff in providing
quality service to clients. An individual in each office may be assigned to
assist in the quality management program. This person should undertake to instill
in all personnel the importance of such a program in every aspect of the daily
conduct of business.
The quality management program should set quality goals; develop professional
interaction for meeting these goals among peers and peer groups; review building
systems, specifications, and drawings to ensure quality; and see that these objectives
are known to the public. Such a program will result in a client base that will
communicate the quality level of the architect to others in the community, profession,
and international marketplace. The architect’s image is of extreme importance
in acquiring and maintaining clients, and the best quality management program
focuses on client service and dedication to the profession.