Commercial Interiors Projects

There are basically three ways to get a project built.

• 1. The traditional sequence in building a project

• Traditional design practice involves:• Design the project• Award the contract to a contractor (builder)• Build the project

2.'fast-track' design.

In fast-track design, the construction of the project actuallybegins while the designing is still going on. For example, while the second floor of a two story building is being designedthe first floor construction is underway.

3. 'design-build'.

In design-build projects one party is responsible for both the design and the construction of the interior project. In other words, one company is both the design firm, and the construction firm.

The advantage of this method of doing a project is that the contractor is involved with the project from the beginning, and this may reduce constructionproblems.

The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) is the set of statutes (laws) thatgoverns the commercial transactions of all fifty states, (except Louisiana,the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands).

For practical purposes, the rules governing commercial transactions are consistent throughout the United States because of the existence of the UCC.

In addition to the UCC, each state has its own common law of contracts,and applicable statutes.

The UCC defines the members of a commercial agreement, and the terms towhich they agree.

Some of the terms defined by the UCC are: merchant: a person who deals in a particular kind of goods, or who

claims to have knowledge or skills peculiar to those goodsA merchant is held to a higher standard than those who arenot professional vendors. (See page 31 in the text)

express warranty: is a representation about the quality of a product

implied warranty: is not offered by the seller; it is imposed by law. it is a warranty that is inferred from the nature of the transaction. implied warranties are designed to promote fairness, and honesty.

There are two sets of contract documents a designer must prepare for a completecommercial interior project: the construction contract documents and the FF&Econtract documents.

In addition to these, bidding requirements instruct prospective bidders on the procedures that must be followed so that their bid will not be disqualified.

The bidding requirements are not part of the contract, and they are not enforceable during the administration of the contract.

Bidding requirements typically include:Invitation to bidInstruction to biddersInformation available to biddersBid forms and attachmentsBid security forms

The contract documents describe the work included in the contract to the construction or FF&E contractor. They consist of:

Contract forms: the agreement, certificates of compliance with required regulations, and, more typically in constructioncontracts, performance bonds, and payment bonds

Conditions of the ContractSpecificationsDrawingsContract Modifications

The agreement is between the owner and the contractor.It briefly describes the work of the contract and simply states the project schedule and the contract sum. The agreement includes the other contract documentsby reference.

The written specifications describe the quality of materials and their constructionor installation (for FF&E contracts).

They include information that cannot be communicated graphically in the drawings. These describe, in words, every physical item that is a part of the project, from hinges, to light fixtures, to flooring material, et cetera.

The drawings show the shape and form of the space, as well as the quantities, sizes, and locations of materials and products. Drawings for construction contracts include:

demolition plansexistingconstruction to be modifiednew constructionelevations sectionsdetails.

Drawings for FF&E contracts include furniture, and furnishing plans.

Contract modifications are changes to the construction or FF&E documents.

Modifications made to the bidding documents are called addenda.

Addenda are typically issued before the bids are open.

There are three means of modifying a contract:

Change orderChange directiveSupplemental instruction

A written modification altering the contract sum is called a change order.Only the owner can authorize a change order.

A modification to the contract sum, or to the schedule that is not yet agreedupon by all parties is called a change directive.Change orders often begin as change directives.

A supplemental instruction is provided by the designer when added information,or clarification, is needed that does not change the contract sum or schedule.

Shop Drawings

• Shop drawings are drawings created by a contractor, subcontractor, vendor, manufacturer, or other entity that illustrate the precise construction, materials, dimensions, installation, and other pertinent information for the incorporation of an element or item into the construction project.

• Shop drawings are made by someone OTHER than the designer, and then submitted to the designer for approval. If approved, the designer sends them back to the fabricator, which is the approval to go ahead and build the item as described.

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There are four types of written specifications:

Proprietary specifications: require a specific product from a specific manufacturer indicated by a brandname or model number. This gives complete control over what will be included in the project to the specifier (typically the designer)

Descriptive specifications:detail the requirements for material properties and workmanship.Manufacturers and products are not named. A descriptive spec requires that every aspect of the material be described in writing.

Performance specification:describe the required results of a material or product. These specs describe how the product or material is to perform, not necessarilywhat it is.

Reference standard specifications:based on requirements set by an accepted authority, such as ASTM, or UL.Reference specs tend to be the briefest types of specs.

Regulations, Codes, and Standards

Contract documents must comply with a wide variety of regulations from all levels of government. It is the designer's responsibility to ensure that the design conformsto all applicable laws.

These laws include:federal and state regulationslocal zoning lawsbuilding codesfire codes

A building code sets forth minimum requirements for design and constructionin order to protect public health and safety.

Building codes describe requirements for fire protection, structural design,sanitary facilities, light, and ventilation.

Building codes do not contain criteria to assure efficient, comfortable, or beautiful buildings or spaces.

Building codes have been in existence since the time of the Babylonian KingHammurabi. These are the first recorded building codes, and they date from approximately 2000B.C.

There are many different building codes. Often a state will write its own building code. There are three 'model' building codes that have generally served as thebasis for individual state building codes. These model codes are:

BOCA National Building Code (Building Officials and Code Administrators International)SBCCI (Southern Building Code Congress International)ICBO (International Conference of Building Officials)

Fire codes include:

National Fire Prevention CodeUniform Fire CodeStandard Fire CodeNFPA 101 Life Safety Code

Building Standards

Standards are material specifications, practices, or test methods based on technicalresearch and testing by industry experts. Standards are not laws unless they are incorporated by reference in a code.

The standards referenced in building codes can be classified as material standards,engineering practice standards, , and testing standards.

Both public and private organizations publish standards.

Some of the important standards and testing entities(see page 49 of the text for descriptions) are:

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

Underwriters Laboratory (UL)

Underwriters Laboratory (UL)

• Underwriters Laboratories® is an independent product safety certification organization that has been testing products and writing standards for safety for more than a century.

• UL evaluates more than 19,000 types of products, components, materials and systems annually with 21 billion UL Marks appearing on 72,000 manufacturers' products each year.

• UL's worldwide family of companies and network of service providers includes 62 laboratory, testing and certification facilities serving customers in 99 countries.

Flammability Standards

The standardization of fire safety requirements and safety testing in the UnitedStates coincided roughly with the widespread introduction of electricity at the end of the 19th century.

Insurance industry concern over the staggering number of fire related claimswas the driving force behind the development of objective safety standards.

There are many different flammability tests

• ASTM's fire and flammability standards are involved in the testing and evaluation of the ignition, burning, or combustion characteristics of certain materials.

• Most of these standards are inclined towards the testing of the flammability of interior and exterior building parts, as well as common household and commercial furniture.

• These fire and flammability standards are instrumental in the establishment of building codes, insurance requirements, and other fire regulations that govern the use of building materials, as well as in defining the appropriate criteria for the storage, handling, and transport of highly flammable substances.

• (ASTM International website)

Flame Spread RatingsClass A, B, or C

• Flame-Spread Ratings are used to describe the surface burning characteristics of building materials.

• The best known test for developing this rating is the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Test Method E-84, commonly known as the tunnel test.

• The tunnel test measures how far and how fast flames spread across the surface of the test sample. In this test, a sample of the material 20 inches wide and 25 feet long, is installed as ceiling of a test chamber, and exposed to a gas flame at one end.

Flame Spread RatingsClass A, B, or C

• The resulting flame spread rating (FSR) is expressed as a number on a continuous scale where inorganic reinforced cement board is 0 and red oak is 100.

• The scale is divided into three classes.  

• Fire-rated classifications:

• Class A or I – Flame spread 0-25

• Class B or II – Flame spread 26-75

• Class C or III – Flame spread 76-200

• Smoke developed is less than 400