Shop Drawing Review 1

[cedent]

Recently I was drilled by an architect because our firm's shop drawing stamp did not have an option for "Approved". Our options are: "Reviewed - Exceptions Noted" and "Reviewed - Resubmitt". I do understand why we use the word "Reviewed" instead of "Approved", but this was the first time I was questioned about it. I was a bit surprised.

I am curious to know the shop drawing procedures for other firms. Do you stamp and initial every sheet of the structural steel submittals, for example?

Thanks again,
Claire

 

[jike]

It has been along time since we discussed this in our firm but I believe your insurance underwriter does not recommend using the word "approve" since it may imply taking on additional liability including the detailer's mistakes.

I would encourage you to talk about the specific wording with your firm's insurance agent for more information.

 

[WillisV]

I am used to:

Reviewed with No Exceptions
Reviewed with Exceptions as Noted
Revise and Resubmit
Rejected

Where "Reviewed with No Exceptions" is the same intent as "Approved" without the connotations pointed out by jike.

 

[UcfSE]

I agree with not using the word "approved".

No exceptions taken.
Exceptions taken as noted.
Rejected/resubmit.

 

[JAE]

Well, for many years my previous firm used Approved / Not Approved / Revise & Resubmit / Rejected

But then they got word that "approved" was a bad term to use legally and the changed it to what Imolson states above...using the No Exception terms.

Years later, I heard from more than one source that the wording doesn't matter a bit, that what matters is that
1. You looked at the shop drawings
2. You either marked it up or didn't mark it up.
3. You returned it in a timely matter so as not to delay anyone.
4. You perhaps took additional actions (revised plans, change orders, etc.) as a result of the submittal.

All of these are the "meat" of what the shop drawing review process is about and the wording on the stamp may not mean all that much should your project end up in the lawyers hands.

Even if you use "approved", the concept should be stated below the check boxes saying that the shop drawings were reviewed for general conformance to the plans and specifications and that the contractor is still responsible for meeting the demands of the contract documents.

 

[cedent]

Thanks for your confirming comments. We are having an on-going discussion about this in our office.

Do you stamp every sheet of the submittal... or just the first sheet?

Do you copy your marks by hand?

 

[JAE]

Old firm - stamped every dang sheet.

Today - we only stamp the first sheet of a bound set of anything.

Some of us simply copy the remarks by hand throughout the multiple sets - assuming they aren't too numerous. If there are a lot of them, we will type out a listing of comments (properly referenced to the detail/sheet in Word and staple that to each set.

 

[JAE]

I don't think the actual method you use is that key - what's important is that you properly, logically, and clearly communicate your thoughts to the contractor.

 

[cedent]

JAE,

Typing the comments out is a good time-saving tip.

Thanks!

 

[jike]

We used to mark up multiple sheets but haven't done this for a number of years. We keep the marked up copy and send to the GC and fabricator electronically. The GC prints out however many he needs for the field.

 

[archeng59]

my stamp reads: Furnish as submitted; furnish as corrected; rejected; revise and resubmit; submit specific item. this terminology based on E&O insurance recommendation.

stamp each sheet.

I redline each sheet of multiple copies. just recently, one of the reproduction firms in our area started making "red/black" copies of shop drawings. All of the red ink shows up as red on the copies, everything else shows up black or shade of gray. saves alot of time transferring marks if there are lots of them. prefer to spend the $$ for copies and be working on putting out the other fires instead of the mind-numbing transferring of marks.

 

[chichuck]

additional to archeng59's comments:

by copying the red marks, this is not only mind numbing, but yet one more opportunity to make an error.

A large firm I used to work for is now using computer program to redline drawings: both the in-house drawings, and electronic images of the submittal. For these, the software is of the "collabarative" type, that is, it can store multiple sets of red marks from different people, they are consolidated "manually", that is some one reads all the red marks and makes up one final set of electronic red marks on the electronic drawing or image for transmittal. (This still is a chance to make an error, but it is an improvement on the red pencil method.)

regards,


chichuck

 

[JStephen]

There seems to be a tendence in the engineering world where no one wants to take responsibility for their work, and I think the stamp wording goes along with that idea.

We have jobs where the specifications require us to submit, say, 8 copies of shop drawings. We'll then get 5 back, each marked up by hand, throw 4 of them away, and make the revisions noted on our original drawings and reproduce. I've never quite understood the logic in doing things this way.

A typed list of comments is usually easier to deal with on the receiving end, and has the advantage that it can be faxed back to the contractor rather than mailing a whole set of plans. If comments are minor, it speeds things up all around to have the drawings "approved as noted" (or non-responsibility equivalent) rather than "rejected and re-submit", especially when the review cycles take 60 days or so. If you have questions on shop drawings, a simple phone call may save weeks of review time on a re-submittal as well.

 

[samdamon]

This is the stamp we use, on every sheet:

0 furnish as submitted
0 furnish with noted corrections
0 reviewed
0 revise and resubmit
0 rejected

Review, written comments and/or corrections provided by Engineer are solely for checking conformity of the shop drawings with the design concept of the project. The contractor is responsible for conformity of all shop drawings with all contract documents, confirmation and correlation of dimensions at the project site,selection of construction, erection and fabrication processes, techniques and sequences of construction, and coordination of contractor's work with all other trades.



Date By

 

[Loui1]

Reviewed with no exeptions taken
Reviewed with exeptions
Revise and Resubmit

Stamp Every Structural Steel Drawing

Get two copies, mark them up, keep one, send the other one back.

Any time I talk contractors they use the term Approved as if I'm taking responsibility for any fabricator errors. Just refer the architect to the AISC code of practice.

 

[AggieYank]

1. No exceptions taken
2. Make corrections noted.
3. Amend and resubmit.
4. Rejected.
5. Returned without review. (For when we get sent handrail submittals, or pavement, etc)

We transfer red marks/comments to all the sets. It's a pain in the ass if you're stuck doing it, but usually a drafter or intern can transfer them.

We only stamp the front sheet of whatever we're looking at.

And JAE is right, you can say whatever you want on the stamp, but the lawyers probably won't care. You looked at it, essentially approved it, and now it's screwed up.

 

[archeng59]

just curious, how many of you double check the redline transfer after it's finished by the intern or junior engineer? My old boss never checked my redlines and when I became the boss, I didn't at first. until an intern failed to transfer marks from our copy to one sheet of the sets returned to the architect/contractor. luckily, the missing marks were not a big issue, but I started back checking. that's almost as bad as transferring the marks! having the red/black copies made is great for me. most contractors in our area are not keen on the idea of me sending one set of redlines to them and they have to make copies. dunno why.

 

[Loui1]

AggieYank - the structural engineer is not approving anything. If the contract docs are wrong, thats one thing, but per the code of practice it is not our responsibility to make sure the fabricators shops dont have errors in them. We are checking for general conformance.

As far as backchecking, it's one of those things you just need to chew people out for if they mess up. There is no excuse if the intern cant copy marks correctly. It takes NO experience to copy. I just make sure my marks are large and obvious.

 

[cedent]

We have had two incidents where interns copied marks incorrectly or not at all. We caught them both eventually without and conflict. I agree checking the marks is essential... especially with someone new.

archeng59-
Our contractors provide us multiple copies to start with (hence the problem copying marks to 4 other sets). I don't see the cost difference in the contractor making copies before the mark-ups or after. However, I think we would still have to have three hard copies minimum (one for us, one for the architect, and one for the contractor).