Works progress

Question 1

Warley Hill, Office refurb
What governed your weekly inspections?

Answer 1

As contract administrator it was my responsibility to maintain a site presence and ensure that works were being completed as stated in the contract. My weekly inspections were also governed by the works being completed, i.e. before scaffold was struck I ensured I had inspected all areas at high level.

Question 2

Warley Hill, Office refurb
What case law gives you guidance on what to expect and how often?

Answer 2

The McGlinn V Waltham Contractors case sets down general principles of how frequently and when contract administrators/project managers should complete inspections to avoid litigation.

Question 3

Warley Hill, Office refurb?
What are the principles of McGlinn and Waltham contractors?

Answer 3

a) The frequesncy and duration of inspections should be tailored to the nature of the works going on at the site from time to time.
B) Depending on the importance of the particular element or stage of the works, the inspecting professional can instruct the contractor nto to cover up the relevant elements of the work until they have been inspected.
c) The mere fact that defective work is carried out and covered up between inspection will not automatically amount to a defence an alleged failure to carry out proper inspections.
d)If the element of the work is important because it is going to be repeated throughout the project, the inspecting profesiional should inspect early to form a view on the contractors ability to carry out that particular task.
e) Reasonable examination of the works does not require the inspector to go into every matter indetail.
f) The architect does nto guaruntee that their inspection will reveal or prevent all defective work. It is not apporpariate to judge an architects performance by the result acheived.

Question 4

SBHG Window replacement programme
What guidance did you use when inspecting the works?

Answer 4

When inspecting the works, I ensured that I had my specification for the windows and survey data on my person. Allowing me to check the confriguration and iron mongery. I also used a seven step window inspection checklist:
1) Check trickle vents
2) Inspect frame
3) Check glazing
4) Check seals around the external and internal for water tightness
5) Operation
6) Ironmongery and locks
7) Decorations

Question 5

SBHG Window replacement programme
What certification did you receive on completion of the works?

Answer 5

Works were self certified by the installers. The timber windows received certas certificates and the UPVC , fensa.

Question 6

SBHG Window replacement programme
What building regulations do the fensa/certas cover?

Answer 6

B, F, L, K, and M

Question 7

How do you measure quality during a project?

Answer 7

Setting out key inspection indicators, i.e. consistent method of inspection
Pre and post work items i.e. checking timber repairs ebfore they are decoratd
Alligning the works with the specification documentation
Measuing quality throughout the inspectiosn and setting areas for improvement

Question 8

How is qulaity shown or described within the contract documentation?

Answer 8

Contract documentation describes the design that the contractor is being paid to construct, laying out the materials and workmanship required
Products, defined by standard, attributes or naming with equavilant alternatives being approved
Workmanship defined by compliance with mangfuactures guidance and referece to a code of practice

Question 9

How can progress be recorded on a project?

Answer 9

Against the programme
Inspect site weekly with the contractor programme
Record progress against programme weekly
To monitor quality of works and materials
Daily site visit reports to CA/Client

Question 10

What is the difference between the duties of a contract administrator and a clerk of works?

Answer 10

CA adminsters the contract (impartial) weekly site visits
Clerk of works is specifically on behalf of the client
To monitor quality of works and materials
Daily site visit reports to CA/Client

Question 11

Why is it important to record progress?

Answer 11

To mitigate project creep
To ensure the progress/quality and cost are managed
To ensure that the contractor is adhering to role
To evidence potentail EOT, L&E and Contract Instruction implications
To ensure cirtical path is maintained

Question 12

How often should site visits be undertaken and why?

Answer 12

Weekly to maintain a site presence, and to monitor and reocrd site matters, H&S adherance, respond to contractor requests and monitor workmanship

Question 13

On Warley Hill, how often did you visit site?

Answer 13

I attended weekly throughoutthe project
Completed site inspection reports and issued them to the client
Commenting on workmanship and material quality
Checking works against programme

Question 14

On Warley Hill, how did you determine that the doors were not as specified?

Answer 14

Due to the escape distance at one point being more than 9m, doors were required to be FD30
Contractor installed door closers
Doors has no labels and hinges were not appropriate

Question 15

On Walrey Hill, how did you instruct the contractor to replace the doors?

Answer 15

I wrote to the contractor formally
Instructed them to replace the doors
Referring to the material and workmanship clauses

Question 16

On SBHG, how did you ensure that snagging or quality issues were not repeated?

Answer 16

Carried out inspections weekly with site manager
Identified snags early to prevent repeats
Recorded in a snagging document that was updated weekly and issues to the client and contractor
Revisited to ensure that snags were compelted

Question 17

Did you prepare reports following your site inspections? If you did, explain what was included in these.

Answer 17

Weather condition
Time and date of attendance
Programme progress
H&S matters/ F10 adertisde/ CPP
Welfare, operatives on site/ works progress and any concerns

Question 18

How were you able to establish that there had been no labour on site when there should have been?

Answer 18

Took photos of the sign in book weekly and ensured they were retained on file. Labour was missing for several days and contractor was claiming for EOT. I deducted those days from the EOT

Question 19

What is an extesnion of time request?

Answer 19

An extension of time request is issued by the contractor to delay the contract completion date due to a relevant event.

Question 20

How can you measure project progress>

Answer 20

Units completed
Tasks complete
Against the programme

Question 21

Warley Hill
What did you find to be inconsistent with the works completed and the specification?

Answer 21

The contractor had installed non-fire rated door sets internally, but the specification required FD30S.

Question 22

Warley Hill
What did building regulations part B require?

Answer 22

FD30S doors on all doors a part from bathrooms.
Compartment lines to maintain 30 mins
Penetrations through compartment lines to be firestopped

Question 23

SBHG
What was the total value of the window replacement programme?

Answer 23

At the final account it was approximately 2Mil.

Question 24

SBHG
How often did ou conduct inspections of the ongoing installations?

Answer 24

I inspected weekly.

I would attend with the site manager to the property where windows were being installed first to ensure that materials being installed were as specified and to maintain a site prescence.

I would then visit completed installations to review completed works and highlight any quality issues.

Question 25

SBHG
What were the main snagging issues that you identified?

Answer 25

The most typical snags that I encountered were:

• Untrimmed draft excluders
• Unbalanced sash weights
• Missing trickle vent covers
• No keys
• Missing restrictors

Question 26

SBHG
How did you record your findings and present them to the client and contractor?

Answer 26

I would record my inspections within invidual site inspection reports for each property, highlighted snags and issuing them to the client and contractor.

To keep the client updated I had a tracking sheet that would record snags and completion of windows installed to allow for progress to be quantified to the client.

Question 27

SBHG
What methods did you use to ensure that the contractors supply chain was managed effectively?

Answer 27

At the early stages of the appointment I met with quality control operatives from both supply chains to review early instllations.

This allowed me to set quality parameters early on such as minimum tolerances and decorations/surround repairs with the use of UPVC trims.

Question 28

What experience do you have in analysing and interpreting building regulation requirements?

Answer 28

Recently I have specified the reinstatement of a fire damaged flat. This required me to have an understanding of all the building regulations and make considerations such as:

Part B: FD30S doors due 9m+ escape route
Part E: Installation of suspended ceiling structure to ensure minimum sound travel.
Part F: Installing appropriate levels of extract within the bathroom (16/s) and in the kitchen (60l/s)

Question 29

What strategies have you implemented to ensure that the works are compelted on time and on budget?

Answer 29

To ensure that projects are completed on time I ensure that the contract programme is provided before the contact completion date. When on site I will reivew works completed against the project and review with the site manager.
When completed my site inspection reports I will review the works progressed and then identify if there is any risk to the programme due to the critical path.

To ensure works are kept to budget I keep control over variations. In the pre-start meeting I set out the procedure for the contractor to provide RFI for a variation, so that I can then review it on site to understand works required. I will then request a cost from the contractor before issuing the variation. The variations wil then be trakced with costs against them.