This phase of the project is very exciting, it is when you finally land on site and see a spade hit the ground. There are often months or even years of working to get to this point. This is generally when contracts have been signed, fees will be paid, council submissions are (or close to being) approved and your months/years of work have finally paid off. It is where you see your vision come to life. Tender Process As mentioned in reflection 3, tender drawings are compiled and sent to the QS to send out for tender. When it is returned you will adjudicate the tenders with the client, QS and project manager. There are names which everyone knows and are always preferred, however, sometimes the work is in a new area and there will be contractors whom you have never heard of. This is when you will look at previous work and references to evaluate which is the best contractor to go for. The cheapest is seldom the best option. It could mean that the contractor is inexperienced, desperate and could be hiding fees which will come out of the wash later in the project. Due to the size of our projects, the bulk of this work is done by the project manager (principal agent) and QS, however with our recommendations in mind. Site Handover Site handover meetings are when the site is given to the contractor to start the work. The JBCC or similar contract will be signed and we will issue our construction drawings. These cannot deviate too drastically from the tender drawings otherwise it will throw out the expected budget and timeline. Often these drawings are only the general arrangement drawings, detail sections and schedules. Seldomly, it includes coordinated ceiling plans, finishes drawings, 1:5 details etc., these will come later. The contractor will use these drawings to set out the project programme and information required schedule. I have yet to run a site handover meeting, as these have always been done by the project manager. Site meetings then follow weekly or biweekly, where progress, budget and problems are discussed. I have attended many of these over the years. It is always important to remain professional, not mad mouth other consultants and resolve issues with a high level of integrity. Inspection of works As the project moves along, I always pick up issues or see things which deviate from the drawings. It is important to inform the contractor, project manager and any other relevant parties of these issues. This can be done in an email or a progress report. In my 17 years, no project has run smoothly without hiccups, it is the nature of the game. I see new buildings as prototypes. As much as you fixate and try to iron out every potential risk or complication, you don’t really know all of them until the prototype is tested or constructed. |
Seth AlfinoProfessional Architectural Technologist working in Cape Town, South Africa Blogs |