as-built structural drawings

[archeng59]

for licensed engineers: how often are you asked to provide as-built drawings? do you seal and sign the drawings?

I seal and sign original construction documents, specs, addenda and construction bulletins, which is required by state statutes. State statutes do not address as-builts per se, but require "documents of service" to be sealed and signed. After the building is constructed, what is the need for sealed and signed as-builts? as-builts are a record set for the owner to have on-hand for future use, but not for construction.

curious to know other's opinions and experiences.

 

[PEStructural]

The Nevada statutes address this:


10. A licensee is not required to stamp the following documents:

(a) An engineering as?built plan or record plan;

I believe that an engineer should never stamp as-built plans because you might be assuming responsibility for the way it was built, rather than the way you designed it.

 

[JAE]

I'd agree with PEStructural. In fact, we try not to call them "As Built" drawings. We use the term "Record Drawings" as the As-Built phrase implies that the drawings reflect the true configuration of the actual structure where the record drawings imply that you are simply replicating the "records" of the contractor and those may or may not reflect actual conditions.

 

[archeng59]

thanks for the responses. this is a discussion going on among several engineers at another firm. They asked my opinion, and I feel the same as both of you. Don't seal and sign as-builts. Just wondered what other's thought.

Interesting to know that the Nevada statutes have a specific statement about as-builts. Oklahoma statutes mention several types of documents that require seals and signatures, but as-builts are not included in the list. unless as-builts are intended to be included under the catch-all phrase, "documents of service".

 

[SperlingPE]

The only clients that have asked for as-built structural were two of the colleges/universtities that we do work for. Most as-built requests are for architectural, mechanical, and electrical and the request is usually made in the contract.
No stamps or signatures are ever put on the drawings.

 

[MotorCity]

My experience has been similar to those above. The as-built drawings are the responsibility of the contractor to document what he actually built. As such, he is not an engineer and therefore is not able, nor required, to seal the drawings. It is simply a way to document what was built, if different from the contract drawings.