Structural Insulated Panels (SIP) have enjoyed growing popularity as interest in building energy conservation has increased. With its large, prefabricated, factory insulated panels, SIP construction offers nearly continuous insulation, fewer joints than conventional frame construction with stud-cavity insulation, and possibly…
Blog Archives
QA and QC inform each other
Until I recently studied for the CDT exam*, I had considered QA (Quality Assurance) and QC (Quality Control) as synonymous – the same thing with different names. They are different, but they are closely related. Considering construction, QA establishes the…
Interdisciplinary Coordination of Construction Documents
Gaps between design disciplines are a common cause of construction change orders. In some cases, the consulting disciplines’ standard practices may generate a gap. For example, the electrical engineer may establish an electrical scope of work that “stops” 10 feet…
Bidders Trust Bid Documents for Take-off
Estimating quantities from a set of plans prepared by another architect reminds me that bidders are likely to rely on the accuracy of the drawings when preparing a take-off for a bid. If the drawings are inconsistent or include discrepancies,…
Breaking Ground with New Consultants
It can take a few projects to work out the communication kinks with a team of consultants. Consultants who have worked together and with the same team are likely to develop a good understanding of what to expect from other…
Posted in Practice Management, Project Management
Getting up to speed with Air Sealing Details
Article 103 of the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) requires that construction documents include air sealing details. Detailing the building envelope air barrier is a relatively recent challenge for architects, but it is a necessary task for communicating these…
Building Science and the Risks of Experimentation
Science is experimental; it consists of hypothesis and experiment. The path to success can be littered with experiments that fail. Scientists learn to expect failure along the way and to live with experimental failure as the cost of progress. Scientific…
A Few Predictors of Building Failure in New Construction
The following suggested predictors of building failure in new construction are based on years of experience tracing building failures to their causes. While the failures may express themselves as discrete detail flaws, underlying causes are often found in contractual decision…
Planning for Concealed Site Conditions
Discovery of concealed site conditions can raise havoc with a project, possibly disrupting the construction schedule and adversely impacting the project budget. Here’s a link to an article I wrote a few years ago to share some of my experience…
Delegating for Architects
Project results are directly related to the effectiveness of project communications. Successful delegation of responsibilities and tasks depends on effective communication. Download “Delegating for Architects” to read more about this. Copyright Albert R. Russell 2009
