Letters

We are an M/E consulting engineering firm based in Denver since 1949. Completeness of drawings at all levels of the design process has been a concern of ours for quite some time.

Just over five years ago we changed our drawing standards to full 3-D documents using software that, in most cases, is the same as the mechanical contractors' fabrication software. During the past five years we have found an order-of-magnitude reduction in the number of RFIs related to field coordination items from these more complete documents. On several projects we have been asked by the general contractor to provide leadership for the project's pre-construction coordination efforts. It is clear from the enthusiasm and input received that contractor and design teams are saving time and money due to the more complete documents.

Despite the documented success of these projects, an overwhelming number of architects, construction managers, and owner's representatives still place little value on the service. The selection of M/E engineers in our region has been reduced to a low-bid environment. The notion of QBS (qualification-based selection) of consultants is little more that a concept. The pervasive philosophy is that hiring individual team members based on low fee will result in the lowest overall project cost, despite the documentation that indicates otherwise. An industry dominated with these beliefs has resulted in many design firms reducing services to meet fee budgets rather than working for the overall benefit of the client. We continue to provide the service in key market segments, but are finding it more difficult in the broader market, due to the lower project fees.

The question we get asked by other architects and engineers is: "By producing these documents, aren't you increasing your liability?" Our response is simple. We have never seen where a lack of documentation has averted a potential liability claim. Further, it is our belief that design documents serve the basic function of helping our clients construct their projects. If the documents we produce do not serve that basic function and need to be redrawn, then it is only a matter of time before the design industry as we know it ceases to exist.

Gary W. Orazio, P.E., President, Swanson Rink Inc., Denver