13. Construction Management
Construction management insures that the building is constructed according to specifications, that work is carried out expeditiously, that the necessary coordination of various contractors takes place, and that problems that arise are dealt with rapidly and effectively.
In many cases, the architect provides this service. This needs to be spelled out in the contract between the library and the architect. Among other things, you may wish to specify a minimum number of hours per week during which a representative of the architect will be present.
Other libraries hire a professional construction management firm or an individual to represent the library during the construction process. The use of such firms seems to be increasing, but you will need to have the respective roles of the architect, the construction manager, and the general contractor clearly defined. This is important because some roles proposed by construction management firms are traditionally those of architects or contractors. If you're not careful, you could end up paying twice for some services, or buying services that you may not need.
The project team will consist at a minimum of the architect (or hired construction manager, if you employ one), the contractors and subcontractors, and a representative of the library. This library representative can be the director, or a member of the staff to whom the project is assigned. His presence is essential.
The architect (or construction manager) will work with the contractors and sub-contractors to establish a construction schedule.
During the project, there will be regular weekly or biweekly meetings of the project team to be sure that work is progressing on schedule, to deal with problems, to answer questions, and to make decisions not requiring action by the full library board. If the library board or staff have concerns, it's important that they be taken up immediately at these meetings.
The contractors submit pay requests (usually monthly). These are accompanied by lien waivers for work done by subcontractors for the prior pay requests. A waiver of lien from a subcontractor assures you that the contractor paid the subcontractor the subcontractor's proper share of the contractor's last pay request, and that the subcontractor now waives his right to file a mechanic's lien for that amount against your library.
Normally the library holds back a portion of each request (typically 10 percent) to be paid only after all work by that contractor has been completed to the full satisfaction of the owner and architect.
All projects involve "change orders," which occur when unforeseen problems arise, the owners change their minds, or problems with the bid documents are discovered. All owners try to avoid change orders, because they are expensive. With change orders, costs are arrived at by negotiation rather than by low bid, and the result is inevitably more expensive.
Because most projects involve change orders—particularly in expansion or conversion projects, where unforeseen problems can be discovered—every project needs contingency funds.
Be careful to establish and follow the proper chain of command. In the normal chain of command, the subcontractors report to the contractors and the contractors report to the architect. If you see a contractor doing something you don't like, or you want to make a change, the proper thing to do may be to contact your architect.
Occasionally a contractor will make a mistake and suggest issuing a credit to the owner rather than undoing the mistake. Agreeing to something like this is tempting, particularly because doing things properly may delay the project, but by doing so some libraries have permanently limited the effectiveness of their buildings. If your architect recommends taking the credit, this is a good time to call your consultant and ask his opinion on the importance of the problem.
At the completion of work, "punch lists" are prepared. The architect and owner inspect the project with care, preparing lists of items that must be completed or corrected before the building can be considered complete. When the items on the punch list have been completed to the owner's and architect's satisfaction, the project is considered complete and the retainages are paid to the contractors.
Some contractors will put extreme pressure on owners to pay all but minor amounts of retainages before all punch list items have been totally corrected. It is essential that you resist these pressures. The fact that you are holding back far more than the actual cost of making final corrections is the primary leverage you have to be sure that all the last minor items are fixed.
Before signing off on a project, the owner should receive:
- A full set of operating manuals for the building and its equipment, and a detailed walk-through of the building for all relevant library staff.
- A set of "as-built" drawings for the building. These are blueprints modified to indicate all situations where actual construction details differ from the original plans. As-built drawings are essential for future repairs and alterations, and they should continue to be modified whenever changes are made. Protect them fiercely.
- Unless your as-built drawings are a freshly printed CADD set with all changes indicated, you will also need a clean set of drawings in a permanent medium. (CADD discs are not an acceptable substitute for actual physical prints. Anyone working on your building at a later time will want to see full-sized drawings, and CADD systems change so frequently that your discs are unlikely to be usable when you finally need them.)
Be sure to do another close inspection of your building before the warranty expires, which is typically a year after occupancy.
Library directors typically find that the construction process consumes a vast amount of their available time. Boards should be prepared to provide extra staff funding if it becomes necessary to hire additional help for the director during construction.
