It's electric

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is making it easier for architects, contractors, owners, attorneys, builders and others in the construction industry to use AIA contract documents with the release of a new upgraded version of its electronic contract documents software: EF v3.0. The software includes current forms and editions for more than 70 AIA standard contract documents.

Published for more than 100 years, the contract documents provide the basis for nationwide uniformity for contractual relationships in the design and construction process. They represent the state of the law regarding construction industry practices and new legal developments.

"AIA contract documents really provide a roadmap for a project," says Steven F. Weiss, principal of Weiss Architects of Chicago. "They describe the process and who's responsible for doing what.

"This new version is a fairly extensive revision to the electronic format," adds Weiss, who says that the software's help system, which was written from scratch, has been greatly improved. "With the previous version of the software, I had to use the instruction sheet from the paper format. This is much faster," he notes.

Another key new feature lets users work on several documents at the same time, speeding project paperwork. Other improvements include easy customization of documents and enhanced navigation tools. The software also allows selective purchase of documents. Like a postage meter, it charges an account only when a final version of a contract document is printed. High-volume users may purchase an annual license option that allows unlimited access and printing of contract documents.

Further information is available on the World Wide Web at www.aia.org/documents/ef.