Construction Project Documentation and Database Management

In order to properly manage any construction project documents are very important such as design documents, contracts, submittals, contract claims and credit documents, logs, and schedules etc. Based upon the instructions from the client, the architect prepares sketches and/or drawings to present to the appropriate consultants for his or her review and implementation into the design process. Each consultant is a licensed professional in his or her respective field. The structural engineer is responsible for the design of the floor framing systems, their supports, and foundations. The mechanical engineer is responsible for the heating and ventilation systems, electrical and plumbing requirements, and life-safety systems. High-rise office buildings may require an elevator consultant whose expertise is programming the number and time duration for people movement and related equipment. The civil engineer, also known as the site engineer, is responsible for the site grading and drainage,access roads, and parking requirements. On certain projects there may be additional specialized consultants, such as geotechnical, acoustical, window/façade, elevator, laboratory, landscaping, and blast engineering to assist the architect for the particular needs of the project

The importance of documents at construction site as follows-

1) It is required by law

2) It is required by the terms of the contract

3) It is needed to control the on-going work

4) It is neeeded as data for estimating future work

5) It is needed for preserving the contractor's rights under the contract



A good set of records that might be kept on a fair sized construction project could well include the

following files. Note that these files are assembled into blocks of like subject matter. This approach

greatly facilitates ease of filing and subsequent recall.

1) Original Contract Tender Documents

2) Issued for Construction set, and all subsequent revisions

3) Instructions to contractor

4) Contemplated Change Notices issued by the owner, Change Estimates, and Change Orders

received

5) Sub-contractor quotes, contracts, purchase orders and correspondence

6) Shop drawings, originals, all revisions and re-submissions

7) Shop drawing transmittals, and transmittals log

8) Daily time records

9) Daily equipment use

10) Daily production logs, e.g. concrete pours etc.

11) Material Delivery and Use Records, including expediting

12) Accounting records: pay-roll, accounts payable and receivable, etc.

13) Progress Payment Billings under the contract

14) Daily Force Account Records, pricing and billings

15) Contract Milestone Schedule or Master Schedule

16) Short Term Schedules and up-dates

17) Task schedules and analyses

18) Original tender estimate

19) Construction control budget

20) Actual Cost Reports, weekly or monthly, including Exception Reports.

21) Forecast-to-Complete Estimate up-dates

22) Productivity Reports/Analyses

23) Inter-office correspondence, including memos and faxes (all filed by topic).

24) Contract correspondence

25) Minutes of Contractual Meetings

26) Minutes of Site Coordination Meetings

27) Requests for information

28) Notice of claims for delays and/or extra cost by contractor

29) Government Inspection Reports

30) Consultant Inspection Reports

31) Accident Reports

32) Daily diary or journal entries

33) Notes of telephone conversations

34) Progress Reports, weekly, monthly or quarterly

35) Progress photographs

36) Any other reports, such as special consultant reports

37) A Filing Record of all the Record Files that are being maintained

following files. Note that these files are assembled into blocks of like subject matter. This approach

greatly facilitates ease of filing and subsequent recall.

1) Original Contract Tender Documents

2) Issued for Construction set, and all subsequent revisions

3) Instructions to contractor

4) Contemplated Change Notices issued by the owner, Change Estimates, and Change Orders

received

5) Sub-contractor quotes, contracts, purchase orders and correspondence

6) Shop drawings, originals, all revisions and re-submissions

7) Shop drawing transmittals, and transmittals log

8) Daily time records

9) Daily equipment use

10) Daily production logs, e.g. concrete pours etc.

11) Material Delivery and Use Records, including expediting

12) Accounting records: pay-roll, accounts payable and receivable, etc.

13) Progress Payment Billings under the contract

14) Daily Force Account Records, pricing and billings

15) Contract Milestone Schedule or Master Schedule

16) Short Term Schedules and up-dates

17) Task schedules and analyses

18) Original tender estimate

19) Construction control budget

20) Actual Cost Reports, weekly or monthly, including Exception Reports.

21) Forecast-to-Complete Estimate up-dates

22) Productivity Reports/Analyses

23) Inter-office correspondence, including memos and faxes (all filed by topic).

24) Contract correspondence

25) Minutes of Contractual Meetings

26) Minutes of Site Coordination Meetings

27) Requests for information

28) Notice of claims for delays and/or extra cost by contractor

29) Government Inspection Reports

30) Consultant Inspection Reports

31) Accident Reports

32) Daily diary or journal entries

33) Notes of telephone conversations

34) Progress Reports, weekly, monthly or quarterly

35) Progress photographs

36) Any other reports, such as special consultant reports

37) A Filing Record of all the Record Files that are being maintained