Instructor Office Contact

Information

Mark E. Bess, AIA, NCARB, CSI, CDT

Office: Weston # 677 Hours by appointment
e-mail: mbess@njit.edu
web site: http://web.njit.edu/~mbess
Course Description

Contract documents are the means by which

architectural designs are communicated to the
building industry, code officials, product
manufacturers, suppliers and fabricators.
The course will introduce the student to a logical
approach of contract document preparation.
The student will develop their second year design
project into a set of contract documents throughout
the semester.
Course Description

Using the contract documents for the School

of Architecture as an example, students will
compare the architects construction
documents to the actual finished
construction.
The course will run for 15 weeks with topical
instruction and discussion, project pin-up
reviews and films.
Textbooks/Readings

A Manual of Construction Documentation

Glenn E. Wiggins, AIA
Published by Whitney Library of Design / Watson-
Guptill Publications
The Professional Practice of Architectural
Working Drawings 3rd Edition
Osamu A, Wikita & Richard M. Linde
Published by John Wiley & Sons ISBN 0-471-
39540-4
Course Requirements

Quizzes 6 open-note quizzes

Midterm Exam a closed-note exam
Semester Project students work on
individual CD project using their own 2nd
year design as a basis.
Relevant Dates
The instructor will monitor the progress of your semester long project
at specific intervals. Quizzes, exams and reviews are administered
and or due on the following dates.
January 16 Review #1 Present project / concept package & cartoon set
January 30 Quiz #1
February 13 Quiz #2 & Review #2 floor plans
February 27 Quiz #3
March 6: Midterm Exam & Review #3 foundation and roof plans
March 27: Quiz #4
April 3: Review #4 reflected ceiling plans and exterior elevations
April 10: Quiz #5
April 24: Quiz #6 & Review #5 wall section(s), details, schedules and
specification(s)
May 1: Submit semester Project in my mailbox (main office)
Course Assessment and Final Grade
Determination

This class meets once per week, therefore in order to be successful

the student must attend all 15 classes; missing more than 3 classes
may result in failure.
Successful office contract document preparation involves interaction
with various team members; therefore a portion of your grade includes
your degree of meaningful class participation and discussion.
Assignments test and quiz allocations are as follows:
Quizzes #1-#6 - 20%
Midterm Exam - 35%
Semester Project - 45%
Late work will not be accepted (refer to relevant dates above); missed
quizzes, exams or assignments will be recorded as an F.
Finally, the policies outlined in the NJIT Honor Code will be upheld in
this class. Any perceived violations will immediately be brought to the
attention of the Dean of Students.
Construction
Documents
&
Contracts
General

In most architectural offices, between 40 and

50 percent of a project fee typically will be
allocated to preparing Construction
Documents.
Thus, for any given project, almost half of an
architect's time will be spent on construction
documentation.
Poor skills in this area will hurt almost any
practicing architect.
General

Even that small percentage of practitioners

who will be involved only with design will
benefit from knowledge of construction
documentation, as it will help them to
communicate more clearly with those who
are preparing the construction documents.
Role of Role of Working Drawings

The primary role or function of working

drawings is to convert design data into
construction information and to clearly
communicate that information to building
industry, code officials, product
manufacturers, suppliers and fabricators.
Role of Role of Working Drawings

The drawings must provide and transmit a

complete, faithful and accurate graphic
depiction of the project design concept, to
scale.
Role of Working Drawings

The essence of the working drawings is that

they are the design professionals
interpretation of how the project should be
built.
Working Drawings

To bring a design concept to reality, there

must be a process of selecting the materials
to be used for the project.
These materials must be combined into
systems, where possible, or distinct details
that gather and utilize them to formulate
pieces of construction.
Working Drawings

Fundamental to this entire process is a

working knowledge of construction materials
(production, fabrication, testing, availability,
cost, etc.).
Specifications

Part of the role of drawings is to cross-

reference information between drawings and
between drawings and specifications.
Construction
Documents
&
Contracts
Role of Working Drawings

The3 primary aspects of a set

of working drawings:
configuration / size
height
construction
Role of Working Drawings

These translate into:

floor plans which deal with shape
(configuration) and size in the form of length &
width
exterior elevations add the element and
relationship of height, giving the 3rd dimension of
the project.
wall sections which reveal construction
Without one of these a project is incomplete.
These 3 categories form the base of
information for other drawings in the set
A few quotable(s):

The profession has been slow to recognize

that design expertise has its counterparts in
other aspects of practice. George M.
White FAIA (former architect of the Capitol)
A few quotable(s):

The architect should be equipped with the

knowledge of many branches of study and varied
kinds of reasoning, for it is by his judgment that all
work done by others is put to the testit follows,
therefore, that architects who have aimed at
acquiring manual skill without scholarship have
never been able to reach a position of authority to
correspond to their pains, while those who relied
upon theories and scholarship were obviously
hunting the shadow, not the substance. Vitruvius
On Architecture Book 1 [25 B.C.]
Contracts

In addition to drawings & specifications,

contract documents include
contract forms including agreements and bid
forms
conditions relevant to project construction
and..
changes made to the drawings and specifications
prior to bidding.
Quality Management

Introduction & General Concepts

Structural Integrity
Water & Moisture Control
Flood-proofing
Horizontal & Vertical Surfaces
Sealants
Subsurface Water
Condensation
Environmental Considerations
Quality Management

Introduction
Analyze conceptual drawings; SD & DD
Detect potential and real problems EARLY
Develop the cartoon set (see handout)
Quality Control (QC): Check work prior to issue; too
late in process
Quality Assurance (QA): check work during
development; segmented process
Total Quality Management (TQM): Incorporates both
QC & QA with owner satisfaction
Quality Management Structural Integrity

Vertical Forces
Gravity loads include building weight & contents
Load Path
Engineer determines soil characteristics; architect
to verify such investigations & include in CDs
Architect to note water settlement frost wind
(vertical up-lift)
Quality Management Structural Integrity

Lateral & Horizontal Forces

Below grade forces on foundation walls & ground water
loads
Above grade earthquake (seismic action) and wind loads
(pressure & suction)
Reinforce below grade walls
Provide drainage
Detail windows to resist pressures
Provide mechanical connections & ballast on roof
Shape buildings uniformly with uniform strength &
stiffness to resist seismic forces
Quality Management Structural Integrity

Structural Integrity Review

Stiff frames resist torsion shear walls
Disconnect rigid cores
Brace soft floors
Disconnect slabs at corners
Height matters
Lightweight buildings of regular shapes are better
Winds can yield pressure at corners, glass & roof
Quality Management
Water & Moisture Control

Water is the enemy, it can

Damage building materials
Destroy building contents
Promote mold and insect action
Flood-proofing
Locate building outside 100 year flood plain;
elevate building
Quality Management
Water & Moisture Control

Steep Slope Roofing

+4:12; mostly shingle types
Critical locations: penetrations, valleys, wall-roof
intersections
Low Slope Roofing
per foot minimum slope; critical locations
parapet walls & penetrations
Warranty period and approved installer
Quality Management
Water & Moisture Control

Vertical Surfaces: Exterior openings need

flashing details, which include:
Sheet metal
Waterproof membranes
Weep holes
Joint sealants
Quality Management
Water & Moisture Control

Subsurface Water
Slope earth away from building
Apply waterproof membrane to foundation wall
Install perforated drainage pipe to direct water
away from building
Quality Management
Water & Moisture Control

Condensation
Water vapor in the air will condense into liquid
water when in contact with cooler surfaces
Condensation may drip onto materials
Vapor retarders are applied inside the building
(warm side of construction) to stop vapor
movement
Ventilation mechanical or natural is helpful & is
required in attics
Quality Management
Water & Moisture Control

Water & Moisture Control Review

Locate building away from flood plain; elevate
Provide flashing details at roof penetrations, junctures &
terminations
Use sealants at vertical to horizontal intersections
Use flashing overlapping materials & sealants at vertical
openings (windows, doors, etc.)
Use appropriate sealants
Slope ground away from building
Provide waterproofing & drainage at bldg. perimeters &
underslab
Provide vapor retarder on warm side of construction;
provide adequate ventilation
Quality Management
Thermal and Acoustic Control

General: Site, landscape, spaces uses &

location, quantity of wall openings & material
selection all influence thermal and acoustic
control; e.g..:
Sunshades
Glass & glazing
Insulation wall assembly
Building assemblies including windows
Quality Management
Thermal and Acoustic Control

Thermal Expansion & Contraction has to do

with the materials selected:
Aluminum expands 4X as much as masonry & 2X
as much as concrete
Roofs expand more than walls
Thermal expansion causes cracking in materials
with low tensile strength (masonry & concrete)
Expansion Joints: allow portions of construction
to move independently of the frame
Control Joints: relieve internal forces
Quality Management
Thermal and Acoustic Control

Acoustical Concerns Sound Absorption vs.

Isolation
Sound absorption performance is measured by
NRC. NRC 0.85 means it absorbs 85% of sound
& reflects 15% back; lightweight porous materials
Sound isolation or the ability to reduce sound
transmission is measured as STC (CAC for
ceilings); heavy, impervious materials
Assignments

Read Lesson 1 pp 1-30

Identify your project
Develop the cartoon set