If you ask 100 architects the goal of Quality Assurance (QA), you'll get 100 different responses. Here's mine: 'The objective of QA is to reduce change orders, minimize exposure to potential liabilities, and increase the efficiency of construction administration in order to enhance design execution.'
I've spent the course of my career on constructions sites, and have consumed more than my share of humble pie. And the subsequent indigestion has shaped my perspective of what QA is, and how it should be performed.
So after a shot of Pepto-Bismol (with an antacid chaser), I sketched-up a form of QA that I'd like to try when I'm back in the office. The basic concept is analogous to a successful play being dependent on how well actors rehearse their lines. For this reason, I'll call it the Dress Rehearsal Method of QA. However, the similarities with theater end there. For one, our lines are drawn and theirs are spoken. And we're not dealing in make believe. The schedule is real, the budget is real, and the human emotions are very real. And contrary to a Broadway production, my goal for QA is to create the least entertaining, most yawn-inducing experience ever seen on a construction site.
Practice Makes Perfect
The heart of the Dress Rehearsal Method is a process that I will call the 'Alphabet Soup' technique for reviewing drawings ('Alphabet' refers to the letter that each consultant uses on their respective drawings; see below). When employing this technique, construction documents are no longer just a graphic representation of what we want built; instead they become a dress rehearsal for construction. And the more we rehearse, the better we execute. The better we execute, the less drama we have on stage...I mean the site.
Dress Rehearsal QA vs. Checklist QA
The Dress Rehearsal Method is not a substitute for a QA checklist, but instead is meant to enhance and reinforce it. A checklist approach to QA is a good method for assuring that basic architectural scope is accounted for. As an iteration of the checklist, the Dress Rehearsal Method is a forecasting approach to QA where the goal is to minimize delays caused by a lack of coordination among scope items. A dress rehearsal approach to QA is a dynamic process that forces the architect to ask questions about relationships between building components and building systems. This process has the potential to expose hidden scope or conflicts otherwise not apparent through a normal checklist approach. The more questions you're able to ask, the less likely RFI's, change orders or delay claims will be issued by the contractor during construction.
How it Works
To illustrate how the Dress Rehearsal QA can be employed, I'll use an interior partition on a floor plan to demonstrate the Alphabet Soup methodology. Using this technique, reviewing an interior partition on a plan would trigger the following set of questions based on using the first letter that each consultant uses on their respective drawings. (Note: this is just a sampling of questions; your list might be longer or shorter depending on project circumstances)
A – (Architectural)
S – (Structural)
M – (Mechanical)
E – (Electrical)
P – (Plumbing)
FA – (Fire Alarm)
FP – (Fire Protection)
AV – (Audio/Visual)
The above scenario is just one example of my Dress Rehearsal Method; the process can be used for any building component (i.e., Air Handling Unit, Floor Drain, Light Fixture, etc.). You are only limited by the number of consultants you have on your project. As long you cross reference the alphabet soup of trades over each component and ask yourself how each trade affects this component, you'll likely reduce the odds of missing something.
I know the Dress Rehearsal Method of QA can't guarantee a perfect performance, but I'm quite sure the unexciting experience of a stress-free construction site might just get you a standing ovation.
Mark on Hunters Point South Intermediate & High School Construction Site
This is part of a series of an architect's observations and perspectives from a construction site.
I've spent the course of my career on constructions sites, and have consumed more than my share of humble pie. And the subsequent indigestion has shaped my perspective of what QA is, and how it should be performed.
So after a shot of Pepto-Bismol (with an antacid chaser), I sketched-up a form of QA that I'd like to try when I'm back in the office. The basic concept is analogous to a successful play being dependent on how well actors rehearse their lines. For this reason, I'll call it the Dress Rehearsal Method of QA. However, the similarities with theater end there. For one, our lines are drawn and theirs are spoken. And we're not dealing in make believe. The schedule is real, the budget is real, and the human emotions are very real. And contrary to a Broadway production, my goal for QA is to create the least entertaining, most yawn-inducing experience ever seen on a construction site.
Practice Makes Perfect
The heart of the Dress Rehearsal Method is a process that I will call the 'Alphabet Soup' technique for reviewing drawings ('Alphabet' refers to the letter that each consultant uses on their respective drawings; see below). When employing this technique, construction documents are no longer just a graphic representation of what we want built; instead they become a dress rehearsal for construction. And the more we rehearse, the better we execute. The better we execute, the less drama we have on stage...I mean the site.
Dress Rehearsal QA vs. Checklist QA
The Dress Rehearsal Method is not a substitute for a QA checklist, but instead is meant to enhance and reinforce it. A checklist approach to QA is a good method for assuring that basic architectural scope is accounted for. As an iteration of the checklist, the Dress Rehearsal Method is a forecasting approach to QA where the goal is to minimize delays caused by a lack of coordination among scope items. A dress rehearsal approach to QA is a dynamic process that forces the architect to ask questions about relationships between building components and building systems. This process has the potential to expose hidden scope or conflicts otherwise not apparent through a normal checklist approach. The more questions you're able to ask, the less likely RFI's, change orders or delay claims will be issued by the contractor during construction.
How it Works
To illustrate how the Dress Rehearsal QA can be employed, I'll use an interior partition on a floor plan to demonstrate the Alphabet Soup methodology. Using this technique, reviewing an interior partition on a plan would trigger the following set of questions based on using the first letter that each consultant uses on their respective drawings. (Note: this is just a sampling of questions; your list might be longer or shorter depending on project circumstances)
A – (Architectural)
• Can the wall be located to a relative point on the structural grid?
• Is there anything, such as a structural brace, that prevents the wall from being built as planned?
• Does the wall require special detailing to attain a fire rating or acoustic coefficient?
S – (Structural)
• Will the weight of the interior partition require supplemental reinforcement below the slab to support it?
• Does the wall sit below a beam or slab that will experience deflection? If so, what measures am I taking to protect the wall from this deflection.
• Are there lateral forces that need to be accounted for?
• If gypsum board, are the metal studs sufficient to support the height of the wall or should the wall be reinforced or braced at the mid-point?
M – (Mechanical)
• Are there wall registers within the partition? If so, are they located both horizontally and vertically in an interior elevation and if a damper is within the wall, is it accessible.
• Are ducts running in the wall, not just vertically, but horizontally? If so, is the wall wide enough for the duct?
E – (Electrical)
• What electrical devices are located within the wall?
• Is an access door required to reach a pull box or splice box?
• Is there equipment mounted to the wall and is your electrical engineer aware of the circuiting requirements?
• Are the devices located in two directions and do they meet barrier-free requirements?
• If the electrical device is within a shaft wall, have I addressed the fire rating issue of the back box penetrating the wall?
• Are there light fixtures on the wall and if so, have I conducted a meeting between the electrical engineer and lighting designer to review circuiting requirements?
P – (Plumbing)
• What plumbing fixtures are adjacent to the wall and what pipes are running within the wall?
• Is the wall wide enough for the pipes and have I taken into consideration the vent riser associated with the plumbing fixture?
• If it is a water cooler, do I have enough room for the condenser and made sure that the electrical engineer has provided power.
FA – (Fire Alarm)
• What fire alarm devices are located within the wall?
• Have I confirmed the spacing and mounting height for the fire alarm devices?
• What color is the cover plate for the fire alarm device or is the color regulated by the local jurisdiction?
• Aside from the standard drawing for mounting heights, have I dimensioned devices horizontally?
FP – (Fire Protection)
• Does the wall have a dropped soffit that obstructs the ceiling sprinkler from hitting the wall?
• Are there sidewall sprinklers in the wall and if so, how do I intend to run the pipe in the wall?
• Also, what color is the sprinkler escutcheon and does it match the wall color?
• Has the sidewall sprinkler been located on an interior elevation?
• Are there fire hose cabinets in the wall, and if so, did I provide dimensions to locate them? Is the flange of the fire box compatible with the partition type and wall finish?
AV – (Audio/Visual)
• Are there audio/visual devices located on the wall?
• If so, what space do I need within the wall to accommodate this equipment and do I need to provide supplement framing within the wall to support it?
The above scenario is just one example of my Dress Rehearsal Method; the process can be used for any building component (i.e., Air Handling Unit, Floor Drain, Light Fixture, etc.). You are only limited by the number of consultants you have on your project. As long you cross reference the alphabet soup of trades over each component and ask yourself how each trade affects this component, you'll likely reduce the odds of missing something.
I know the Dress Rehearsal Method of QA can't guarantee a perfect performance, but I'm quite sure the unexciting experience of a stress-free construction site might just get you a standing ovation.
Mark on Hunters Point South Intermediate & High School Construction SiteThis is part of a series of an architect's observations and perspectives from a construction site.
