AN ARCHITECTS BASIC SERVICES (4)

CONTRACT IMPLEMENTATION +
MANAGEMENT PHASE
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AN ARCHITECTS BASIC SERVICES

(1) SCHEMATIC DESIGN PHASE
(2) DESIGN DEVELOPMENT PHASE
(3) CONTRACT DOCUMENTATION PHASE
(4) CONTRACT IMPLEMENTATION + MANAGEMENT PHASE
(5) FINAL COMPLETION STAGE

Contract Implementation + Management Phase

1. Performing all the functions and duties of the architectural

consultancy practice under the terms and conditions of the
building contract.
2. Advising the client on the site staff required for the project and
estimating the cost and duration of their employment.
3. Providing information and issuing instructions to the contractor as
required under the terms and conditions of the building contract to
enable the contractor to proceed with the works.

5. Examining the works program submitted by the contractor and to

be satisfied that the works can reasonably be completed within the
contract period.
5. Inspecting the works at periodic intervals so as to ensure that the
works are being executed in accordance with the building contract
and to issue a certificate of practical completion.

Monitoring time, quality and cost

Quality
How do we quantify Quality?
What are the minimum standards of Quality?
How can you define Quality in relation to construction
and professional services? especially in an
environment where values are often based on cost
Clients perceptions of quality may be based on their
experience in the building and the cost
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Quality
For private sector projects, many developers are now beginning to focus
more on selling Quality than price
And the strategy seems to be effective especially with blue chip
companies
Clients are beginning to see buildings in the same way they view cars,
that is preferring to go for a higher value product/ service, rather than a
low cost, low quality product/ service
i.e. it pays to pay more (Mercedes or BMW)
But of course, higher Quality does not necessary mean higher costs

Quality

Additionally, poor Quality works can result in higher costs for all
parties for example:

Management costs to handle client complaints

Inspection time for poor Quality works
Making good of sub-standard work
Replacement of sub-standard work
Administering contract of badly managed construction works

Improving Quality should also mean improving efficiency

Commonly in building contracts 5% of costs is reserved for
rectification works

Quality Control at Site

Definitions

Quality Assurance (QA)

Refers to the management system to produce high quality work
consistently
Also considered as good management practice

Quality Control (QC)

Is concerned with inspection of the works to ensure required quality
standards are met
An inspection or sampling process
In summary, QA sets the agreed quality standards, and QC makes
sure that the standards are being met
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Quality Control at Site

Quality Management System (QMS)

QAQC system to achieve high performance and standards

QMS also defined as:
A set of policies, processes and procedures required for
planning and execution (production/ development/ service) in
the core business area of an organisation. QMS also integrates
the various internal processes within the organisation and
intends to provide a process for project execution. QMS
enables the organisation to identify, measure, control and
improve the various core business processes that will
ultimately lead to improved business performance - Wikipedia
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Quality Control at Site

Most construction companies will have a Quality Manager (Quality Controller)

Important components of a QMS:

Effective systems, procedures, and working methods
Clear communications systems
Clear lines of responsibility
Thorough documentation of all systems
Control and monitoring of all documentation and clear procedures for change
Training regime
Clear system for Quality Auditing

The whole QMS should be merely a means to an end, it is not really about the
systems, otherwise it will become pure beaurocrecy, it should focus on the
interpretation of the procedures

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Quality Control at Site

General guidelines for architects
Must be familiar with the contract
documents, including drawings,
specifications, BQ, and conditions of
building contract
All drawings must be dated with records of
revisions, changes and amendments
Must be familiar with roles and
responsibilities of all the parties involved
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Quality Control at Site

Progressive Inspection of the Works

Site representatives daily

The architect periodically

Contractors supervisors daily (or as required to supervise

all of the works)
Contractors supervisors should have formal initial inspection, follow
up inspections and inspection on completion of each definable
element of work

For all areas to be covered (eg concreting, above ceilings) the

architect will notify the contractor not to cover the work until it has
been inspected. If the contractor fails to comply he may be instructed
to open up the works to facilitate inspection at his own cost
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Quality Control at Site

Recording and reporting

In order to manage the work as it progresses on site, the architect will issue
various types of documents directly to the contractor, including Architects
Instructions (AI), Variation Orders (VO) for changes/variations, non-compliance
reports (NCR), and other notices
All documents should be copied to all relevant parties
The architect will also inform the client on a regular basis of physical progress
of the works, and financial status
Site representatives will issue memos/ site instructions where time is of the
essence to be covered by the architect as above (eg AI). Also site
representatives to keep daily inspection records, highlighting commencement/
completion of any parts of the works

Contractor is required to maintain daily records of each element, keep a site

diary and to submit regular progress reports to the architect as directed by the
architect (often at monthly site meeting)

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Quality Control at Site

Some general issues

All site project managers/supervisory staff must be approved by the

architect based on qualifications/experience
For each trade/ sub-contract the main contractor must nominate a specialist
inspector/ supervisor whose suitability must again be verified by the
architect
The role of the supervisor are to ensure that the works are done according
to the drawings and specification and to an acceptable quality set by the
architect
If contractors have their own QAQC systems, then the architect will monitor
correct adherence to the system, with proper administration and monitoring
It is becoming good practice to require contractors to have QAQC systems,
including important elements such as submission and approval by the
architect of method statements for all elements of the works prior to
commencement of that work
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Quality Control at Site

Drawings and specification 1

Architect (and consultants) to issue 2 sets of construction drawings (and

chopped for construction) to the contractor within 2 weeks from the Letter
of Award of the Contract
1 set is required to be available at site for reference by the consultants at all
working times
The contractor should check through all the drawings/ specification issued
to him, and if any discrepancies, conflicting information, unusual
requirements, conflicts with bye-laws, etc. are discovered he must
immediately notify the architect for clarification, before commencing the
works involved.
The contractor is required to coordinate with all sub-contractors (whether
Nominated or domestic), particularly in common areas of operation and
ensure that all completed works are acceptable by the consultants

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Quality Control at Site

Drawings and specification 2

Based on specific individual requirements of particular contracts, the

contractor may be required to:
1
list all shop drawings required
2
list all method statements required (for architectural, C +S
and M +E works) These should normally be submitted to
the architect within the first month
3
Submission for approval all shop drawings
4
Submission for approval all method statements
Normally about 2 months before commencement of the works
concerned, to allow for approval process
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Quality Control at Site

Drawings of Record
Depending on the contract requirements, the contractor
may be required to conform to a Document
Management/ Control system in order to track and
record all aspects of documentation for the works
However for all projects the minimum actions required
are to mark and record on construction drawings all
changes made at site, these will later form the basis for
as-built drawings, which the contractor will normally be
required to submit 3 months after the Certificate of
Practical Completion has been issued

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Quality Control at Site

Contractors typical daily record
1
weather conditions total hours of rain
2
activities work phases, including locations and descriptions of each
activity and inspection
3
issues to clarify, queries, etc.
4
deficiences/ non-compliances description, location and corrective
action
5
Instructions given/required
6
progress information actual/anticipated delays and action
taken/proposed
7
equipment all arrivals and departures with manufacturer, model,
serial no., capacity, etc., and record of equipment in use and idle
8
others including, claims, progress schedule, storage of materials,
photographs, safety issues, requests for information (RFI), requests for
inspections
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all reports should be presented in a standard format and properly
dated and signed
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SITE
MANAGEMENT 2
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Monitoring time, quality and cost

In UK in the mid 1980s findings of the Building Research
Establishment (BRE) concluded that:

90% of building failures were attributed to problems arising

during design and construction in other words they are
avoidable
These were mainly people related problems including:
Poor communication
Inadequate information or failure to check information
Inadequate checks and controls
Lack of technical expertise and skills
Inadequate feedback leading to recurring errors

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Monitoring time, quality and cost

The Latham Report of July 1994, was sponsored
by the UK Government in the light of several
poorly performing projects including Canary
Wharfe and the Channel Tunnel
Entitled Constructing The Team, Sir Michael
Lathams published report would be responsible
for initiating a process of reform in the
procurement of buildings which has profoundly
influenced the way architects carry on their
practice
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Monitoring time, quality and cost

This was followed 4 years later by Sir John
Egans Construction Task Forces published
report Rethinking Construction, again
commissioned by the UK Government.
The main thrust of this report was that the
construction industry needed practical steps to
improve productivity and profits, and decrease
quality failings and accidents
The report also proposed the creation of a
movement for change from within the industry.
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Monitoring time, quality and cost

Beyond Egan and Latham

The long term reforms within the industry have been felt not only in
UK but worldwide.
As an example, a local Department of Public Works and Services (in
this case NSW) in Australia, requires prequalifying requirements for
contractors to include the following categories in submissions:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Commitment to client satisfaction

Quality Management
Occupational Health and Safety and Rehabilitation Management
Co-operative contracting
Workplace reform
Management of Environmental Issues
Partnering
Benchmarking
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Monitoring time, quality and cost

The concepts of value management, total quality
management, buildability/constructability,
benchmarking, partnering and reengineering
would have been unheared of to a senior
contractor or even to most construction
management undergraduates as recently as the
eighties, and would still be unfamiliar to many
today.
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THANK YOU

QUESTION
TIME
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