Building Museums: A Handbook for Small and Midsize Organizations

Chapter 7: Construction

115 CHAPTER 7 Construction During construction, the building committee’s role will be different than it was in the earlier planning phases. The lead shifts from you and the designer to the general contractor. Nevertheless, you still have important oversight responsibilities . Understanding the stages of construction will help prepare you for those times during construction when you may be required to make important decisions. Construction Management Construction projects are generally complex undertakings involving many people: multiple vendors, contractors, and subcontractors, each with their own schedule, level of involvement, responsibility, and allegiance. A mix of professionals , tradespeople, and unskilled workers will be involved, and their schedules need to mesh smoothly for the project to be completed on time and on budget. This requires management. Who will do this? Will you hire someone or have a staff person manage the project? On some projects the general contractor assumes management responsibilities . Sometimes the building committee, museum staff, or board does it. In some instances an individual or firm specializing in construction management is hired. The term construction manager applies to any of these scenarios. Schedule Management Schedule management is a crucial aspect of construction management. Subcontractors need to begin work in the correct sequence. Materials have to arrive at the right time, and the right people have to be there in order to install them. When there is a delay, the manager may have to coordinate with multiple contractors and vendors to adjust schedules. Budget and Quality Management Ensuring that your project stays within budget and representing your institution to ensure quality control are other important roles of the construction manager. He or she sees that the materials and equipment specified in the construction BUILDING MUSEUMS: A HANDBOOK 116 documents are delivered in the quantity and quality called for and properly installed or, in more candid terms, that you get what you pay for. The construction manager oversees quality control while the work is done. For example, is the specified number of coats of paint or waterproofing being applied? Is the concrete the type and grade specified and is it being poured within the acceptable range of temperature so that it will cure properly? Budget and quality management also involves advising and keeping track of change orders, contingency funds, value engineering, and deduct- and add-alternates. Change Orders Any change requested after contracts for the project have been signed requires a change order. Examples of changes include adding or moving a door or wall, replacing or upgrading a material or a piece of equipment, or correcting an error that was discovered in the plans. A change order is like a separate purchase agreement and incurs an additional cost. Since the work will not get bid but will be undertaken by the firm already under contract at a price that they alone determine , change orders tend to be expensive. They need to be kept to a minimum for the project to stay within budget. When changes need to be made, a professional construction manager may be able to suggest less expensive alternatives; part of a construction manager’s job is to analyze costs so that the solution selected is also the most cost effective. Contingency Fund As the name suggests, a contingency fund is money allocated in the budget for unanticipated costs. An example of an unanticipated cost might be the removal and disposal of a previously unknown hazardous material discovered on the site. Or you may find that you must substitute a piece of equipment that costs more than the one originally specified because the original has been discontinued. You may unexpectedly discover a design error, which will require a change order to correct. Or you might decide to implement an add-alternate (see page 117). Another function of the construction manager is to advise the building committee when it is appropriate or essential to use contingency funds. Value Engineering When a project goes over budget, a change is necessary to make up this additional expense. Value engineering is a euphemistic term to describe the process either of reducing quality or quantity or of eliminating something altogether to reduce cost. Since many, if not most, architects and engineers have little 7. CONSTRUCTION 117 experience with museums, libraries, and archives and the nuances of how they function, you need to bring your knowledge to bear, pay close attention, and be very involved in the process of value engineering. Architects and engineers will...