Dale C. Moll Award 2006 Recipient

Below is excerpted from csinet.org  Article

Justin R. Cole, CSI-S, Assoc. AIA, of Bristol, Tenn., to Receive Dale C. Moll Student Activity Fund from the Construction Specifications Institute
 

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Feb. 1, 2006)_ Justin R. Cole, CSI-S, Assoc. AIA, of Bristol, Tenn., will receive the Dale C. Moll Student Activity Fund Award from the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) in March.

CSI is a national association of specifiers, architects, engineers, contractors, building materials suppliers and others involved in building design and construction. The organization has 146 chapters and more than 16,000 members in the United States.

Cole will be recognized in Las Vegas during the Opening General Session of The 50th Annual CSI Show™ & Convention (www.thecsishow.com). The session is open to the public.

The Dale C. Moll Student Activity Fund was established to promote the greater awareness of CSI to students completing studies in a construction-related education program. The fund is intended to enable a student and faculty member from the student’s institution of higher learning to attend The Annual CSI Show & Convention. Cole was selected to receive the award after submitting the attached essay on construction documents and the construction process.

Cole is a Master of Landscape Architecture student at the University of Georgia in Athens.  Cole completed his undergraduate work at the University of Tennessee with a major in Architecture and a minor in Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design.

Justin Coles' Essay:

How Does the Quality of Construction Documents
Relate to the Constructor or The Construction Process?

From design completion to the realization of an architect/engineer’s (A/E’s) vision, construction documents provide a communications link within the tripartite relationship (the owner, A/E, and contractor). Quality construction documents can reduce construction problems, give credibility to the A/E, and increase client satisfaction.

Architect Mies van der Rohe once said, “God is in the details.” He could not have been closer to the truth. As design professionals, architects and engineers have to clearly convey how a building is put together. To do this, construction documents must be complete. They must describe the structure graphically through drawings in plan, section, elevation, and in details showing dimensions and location of building parts. This describes the structure quantitatively. Further, the structure needs to be described qualitatively through written specifications. By coordinating with consultants and product representatives, an A/E can control the proper construction of a structure through collaborative knowledge and by designing to the specific issues of the project at hand. The A/E must also consider the format in which the information is presented. The contractor needs to understand the intent of the A/E. Easily readable, consistently-formatted documents aid in conveying the A/E’s design.

Since the 1960s the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) has set standards in the industry for presenting construction documents. MasterFormat™ has been the industry standard for writing specifications for years. Having this standard format makes it easier for a contractor to locate information. Without MasterFormat, a contractor working with many different A/E firms would have to learn how each separate firm compiles its specifications. For the same reasons CSI recently has developed standards for drawn construction documents through the implementation of the Uniform Drawing System™ and the collaborative effort of the National CAD Standard. Now contractors will be able to read drawings with the same consistency and clarity as they read specifications. This standard organizes the information within the construction documents and allows the contractors to better find the information thus minimizing requests for information and change orders, increasing productivity and streamlining the entire building process.

When a project can be completed on time and on budget, life is easier for the client. Of course client satisfaction is any good A/E’s goal. Quality construction documents save time, money, and a lot of indigestion for the client. A contractor is more likely to work better with an A/E that shows quality and credibility in his or her construction documents than one that produces documents that are unclear and do not provide sufficient information to construct the project. Such documents also help protect the client against paying for nonconforming construction. With a combination of well-written, standardized contracts and quality drawn and written documents, any problems that arise in a project can be easily handled using the guidelines set by the construction documents.

In conclusion, without quality construction documents there is wasted time, effort, and money; construction delays; not to mention frustrations, damaged relationships, and increased potential for claims. Taking the time to compile quality construction documents that are clear, correct, and complete and that concisely define the intent of the A/E makes the construction process more efficient and can forge a strong link between the A/E, owner, and contractor. If nothing else, quality construction documents establish the A/E as a knowledgeable professional participant in the building process.