Technical Services Department for Construction Projects

Submittals: what is reviewed and why the route matters

A submittal is a document or sample sent for approval before the related work is ordered or built. The usual route runs from the trade contractor to the main contractor, then to the consultant and sometimes the owner, and back with a status such as approved, approved as noted, revise and resubmit, or rejected. Work started on unapproved material risks being removed.

Technical queries: writing them so they get closed

A technical query, often called a request for information, is the formal way to resolve a gap or conflict in the design documents. Vague or misaddressed queries sit unanswered, so a good one follows this pattern.

1. Cite the drawing numbers and specification clauses involved
2. Describe the conflict in a sentence, with a sketch or marked-up photograph
3. Propose a solution instead of only asking
4. State the date an answer is needed and what depends on it
5. Address it to the party who can decide, and give it a reference number

Where documents disagree, the contract normally sets an order of precedence between them, and checking that order early prevents arguments over which drawing governs. A query should stay open on the log until the answer is issued and the drawings are revised, not when a reply lands in someone's inbox.

Coordination drawings and checks between trades

Coordination happens on paper first because that is where it costs least. Typical checks include the following.

• Reflected ceiling plans overlaying lights, air diffusers, sprinklers, speakers, cameras and access panels, so the ceiling layout works for every service. See Ceiling Systems (All Types) and MEP Works.
• Wall build-ups against services, so pipes and boxes fit within the wall thickness and partition type. See Gypsum & Cement-Board Partitions.
• Fixture and tile layouts in wet areas, so outlets land on the finished centre lines
• Structure-to-finish tolerances, where the built structure is out of line with the drawings and cladding, doors or joinery must absorb the difference
• Facade fixing systems, where anchors, brackets and tolerances need drawing approval before fabrication. See Granite & Marble Cladding.

At Institute of Public Administration, the external granite used a mechanical cladding system, the kind of detail where shop drawings, tolerances and open queries need closing before installation.

Substitutions and the submittal log

Substitution requests, often prompted by supply delays, are a frequent source of trouble. A responsible request shows the proposed product's data against the specified performance, notes any effect on compatibility with adjoining materials, and is approved in writing before anything is ordered. The submittal log keeps all of this visible. A useful log lists, for each item:

• The item and its specification clause
• The date submitted and the current status
• The date it is needed on site
• Who currently holds it

Technical services on an Ashlaar project sits with project management and quality-and-safety supervision on one support-engineering team and works to the approved design, coordinating rather than developing it, as Supervision & Consultancy explains. See Project Management & Scheduling for how these dates feed the programme.