Lessons Learned and Best Practices
for Energy and General Construction Projects
General Conditions:
Many times you may want to combine a number of proposed modifications into one contract modification. Don’t, it makes invoicing, and changes to changes difficult. It will also delay progress.
Construction schedule must allow for busy days before Thanksgiving through Christmas.
If a project falls behind schedule, ask for a “recovery” schedule. This cannot simply be a compressed version of the original schedule, but it should show what, where and when additional manpower and effort will bring the project back online. Use the 50/50 rule of labor/manpower to determine roughly how much manpower would have been allowed for initially. Ask for specific numbers. If the GC says that there would have been 50 men on the job originally, then make a wag at how many should be there to get it back on track.
The PM’s office trailer should be located separate from the GC office trailer. Same trailer but separate offices should be avoided.
Have the GC set-up his staging area ASAP. If not, he will start puffing materials anywhere that is convenient for his operation.
Always, always, always have the GC submit a written RFI for needed information.
Enforce timely submittal requirements. This will insure materials are not ordered at the last minute.
Insist early phases be complete including the punchlist before letting the GC start new work.
Incomplete work all over the site affect operations and leads to a very long punchlist at the end of the project.
A project had a $$$$$$ mod because the phasing plan showed no lag time from the end of one phase to the beginning of the next phase It occurred because the owner was responsible to move the goods and did not have the manpower. The GC was issued a mod for his forces to make the move rather than pay him a delay claim.
Consider doing construction hidden from patron first. This gives the perception of a shorter total construction period.
Identify equipment start-up dates for warranty purposes. Warranty usually begins when
beneficial use of the equipment begins. This is superseded by manufacturer’s language which sets a deadline. For chillers and boilers this can be an issue. Get that language removed. If there is a problem with the equipment, make sure you have language that the warranty period is suspended until the fix is made.
Consider holidays for major utility switch overs. Use refrigerated vans in case of emergency outage.
Do not allow your GC to prematurely deliver equipment and materials, particularly in environmentally damaging areas.
Make sure you post all addenda and amendments to the appropriate place in the drawings and specifications SO THE AS BUILTS WILL REALLY BE AS BUILT.
Check the sight lines of all doors opening into restrooms. You should not be able to see people in the restrooms.
Birds can be a nuisance and a mess. Consider this while approving details for reveals on roof copings particularly if bronze(large stepped reveals can look unattractive in time) and in open, outside, vaulted. Vestibules, birds will nest and perch on ledges.
Concrete
On large concrete pours, try to get GC to plan for disasters such as rain, broken equipment etc. Have a pre-coordinated plan to bulkhead and stop the pour.
A quality, straight and level, floor or wall requires a quality concrete pour. More water than required by the design mix results in bleed water rising to the surface. This also means that the solid portion of the pour has dropped. This is not a problem unless embedded items such as Keykold expansion joint are present. Concrete will adhere and not drop at the keykold resulting in what is commonly referred to as "the trowel machine DUG IN" or the items "floated up" in a floor pour which is not true. What results is a crown at every expansion joint equal to the amount of excess water in the pour. All water must be absorbed by the cement in the concrete. Excess water means excess volume and when it does evaporate the actual concrete will be low. This is true of walls and floors.
Masonry
Have the GC wash all masonry ASAP. Efflorescence gets more difficult to remove with time.
GC must wash masonry ASAP to make sure grout color is consistent.
Do not use painted bollards in the front of stores. The paint will chip when hit by carts. Consider using stainless steel.
Steel
Make sure all welds are cleaned and painted on structural steel.
Flooring
Install VCT in logical manner. Skipping around will cause misaligned patterns.
Use color borders to hide jump-joints, windowing, and misalignment in VCT.
Do not clean quarry tile floors with muriatic acid when stainless steel equipment is present. Not only splashes can damage the equipment but fumes will also damage the stainless.
Stop work when first VCT mismatch occurs. Once a large amount of VCT is installed, it is difficult to remove it.
Talk to flooring subcontractor about preforming several moisture tests on the concrete before beginning VCT installation.
Give Special attention to old slabs such as old warehouse areas. Some of the old slabs may not have a moisture barrier. Tile will not adhere well.
Doors
Check door clearances for equipment installation. eg 40 in. in a bakery
Refrigeration
If the refrigeration supplier takes a lot of liberties with the specifications on door locks, display case, and valve sizes and tried to pass it off as "industry standard." Let them know early that these items will be corrected.
Push the GC to submit refrigeration equipment submittals early. Lead time for the equipment is long. Refrigeration suction, discharge, and liquid drain lines should be sloped in the direction of the flow.
GC must use traps at all refrigeration suction risers. GC must use 15% silver when making copper to copper connections and use 40% silver when mating copper to another metal in all refrigeration line installations.
Plumbing
Plumbing drains should be located away from doors on freezers and coolers.
All floor drains which are not used should be removed or plugged. Dry drains lead to odor problems.
Painting
GC's painting subs and inspectors all love flat paint because it does not “show defects”, but it marks easily ,stains permanently and cleans poorly. Semi-gloss or gloss is the better choice with the drywaller putting in the extra effort.
for Energy and General Construction Projects
General Conditions:
Many times you may want to combine a number of proposed modifications into one contract modification. Don’t, it makes invoicing, and changes to changes difficult. It will also delay progress.
Construction schedule must allow for busy days before Thanksgiving through Christmas.
If a project falls behind schedule, ask for a “recovery” schedule. This cannot simply be a compressed version of the original schedule, but it should show what, where and when additional manpower and effort will bring the project back online. Use the 50/50 rule of labor/manpower to determine roughly how much manpower would have been allowed for initially. Ask for specific numbers. If the GC says that there would have been 50 men on the job originally, then make a wag at how many should be there to get it back on track.
The PM’s office trailer should be located separate from the GC office trailer. Same trailer but separate offices should be avoided.
Have the GC set-up his staging area ASAP. If not, he will start puffing materials anywhere that is convenient for his operation.
Always, always, always have the GC submit a written RFI for needed information.
Enforce timely submittal requirements. This will insure materials are not ordered at the last minute.
Insist early phases be complete including the punchlist before letting the GC start new work.
Incomplete work all over the site affect operations and leads to a very long punchlist at the end of the project.
A project had a $$$$$$ mod because the phasing plan showed no lag time from the end of one phase to the beginning of the next phase It occurred because the owner was responsible to move the goods and did not have the manpower. The GC was issued a mod for his forces to make the move rather than pay him a delay claim.
Consider doing construction hidden from patron first. This gives the perception of a shorter total construction period.
Identify equipment start-up dates for warranty purposes. Warranty usually begins when
beneficial use of the equipment begins. This is superseded by manufacturer’s language which sets a deadline. For chillers and boilers this can be an issue. Get that language removed. If there is a problem with the equipment, make sure you have language that the warranty period is suspended until the fix is made.
Consider holidays for major utility switch overs. Use refrigerated vans in case of emergency outage.
Do not allow your GC to prematurely deliver equipment and materials, particularly in environmentally damaging areas.
Make sure you post all addenda and amendments to the appropriate place in the drawings and specifications SO THE AS BUILTS WILL REALLY BE AS BUILT.
Check the sight lines of all doors opening into restrooms. You should not be able to see people in the restrooms.
Birds can be a nuisance and a mess. Consider this while approving details for reveals on roof copings particularly if bronze(large stepped reveals can look unattractive in time) and in open, outside, vaulted. Vestibules, birds will nest and perch on ledges.
Concrete
On large concrete pours, try to get GC to plan for disasters such as rain, broken equipment etc. Have a pre-coordinated plan to bulkhead and stop the pour.
A quality, straight and level, floor or wall requires a quality concrete pour. More water than required by the design mix results in bleed water rising to the surface. This also means that the solid portion of the pour has dropped. This is not a problem unless embedded items such as Keykold expansion joint are present. Concrete will adhere and not drop at the keykold resulting in what is commonly referred to as "the trowel machine DUG IN" or the items "floated up" in a floor pour which is not true. What results is a crown at every expansion joint equal to the amount of excess water in the pour. All water must be absorbed by the cement in the concrete. Excess water means excess volume and when it does evaporate the actual concrete will be low. This is true of walls and floors.
Masonry
Have the GC wash all masonry ASAP. Efflorescence gets more difficult to remove with time.
GC must wash masonry ASAP to make sure grout color is consistent.
Do not use painted bollards in the front of stores. The paint will chip when hit by carts. Consider using stainless steel.
Steel
Make sure all welds are cleaned and painted on structural steel.
Flooring
Install VCT in logical manner. Skipping around will cause misaligned patterns.
Use color borders to hide jump-joints, windowing, and misalignment in VCT.
Do not clean quarry tile floors with muriatic acid when stainless steel equipment is present. Not only splashes can damage the equipment but fumes will also damage the stainless.
Stop work when first VCT mismatch occurs. Once a large amount of VCT is installed, it is difficult to remove it.
Talk to flooring subcontractor about preforming several moisture tests on the concrete before beginning VCT installation.
Give Special attention to old slabs such as old warehouse areas. Some of the old slabs may not have a moisture barrier. Tile will not adhere well.
Doors
Check door clearances for equipment installation. eg 40 in. in a bakery
Refrigeration
If the refrigeration supplier takes a lot of liberties with the specifications on door locks, display case, and valve sizes and tried to pass it off as "industry standard." Let them know early that these items will be corrected.
Push the GC to submit refrigeration equipment submittals early. Lead time for the equipment is long. Refrigeration suction, discharge, and liquid drain lines should be sloped in the direction of the flow.
GC must use traps at all refrigeration suction risers. GC must use 15% silver when making copper to copper connections and use 40% silver when mating copper to another metal in all refrigeration line installations.
Plumbing
Plumbing drains should be located away from doors on freezers and coolers.
All floor drains which are not used should be removed or plugged. Dry drains lead to odor problems.
Painting
GC's painting subs and inspectors all love flat paint because it does not “show defects”, but it marks easily ,stains permanently and cleans poorly. Semi-gloss or gloss is the better choice with the drywaller putting in the extra effort.