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DESIGN QUALITY
CONTROL PLAN
Spencer Engineers, Inc. (SEI) has prepared construction contract drawings
and specifications for more than 1800 construction projects during the past
34 years. SEI engineers believe that the contract documents that we prepare
are only an instrument required for the first step toward construction of a
facility, which is normally our final objective. The Engineers
with SEI are construction oriented and are very experienced at performing
construction contract administration. This assures the constructability of
the construction contract documents that we create. SEI has an in-house
design quality control plan that assures that our project contract documents
are as error free as possible. The SEI project manager is the key person
for all of our project quality design and construction projects. All
decisions, information, and communications are processed through the project
manager.
1.
RESULTS OF SEI QUALITY
CONTROL PROGRAM: SEI has produced
excellent results with our in-house Quality Control Program. The ACASS
summary (Department of Defense AE contract performance summary maintained by
the Corps of Engineers) printout on 30SEP96 for SEI indicates 21 completed
projects with one excellent performance rating, one above average rating,
and the remaining 19 projects with an average performance rating. ACASS
summary printout 08MAY00 reveals 11 projects with one above average rating
and 10 projects with an average rating. A copy of this summary sheet is
included behind the form 254’s. The complete ACASS report indicates that
all but two of these DoD projects were completed without contract
modifications due to design deficiency. These two project modification
amounts totaled less than $10,000.00. The construction value amounted to
more than $60,000,000.00. This report indicates that all of the projects
had the low bid within the funds available, that the AE services were
performed within the time frame allocated, and that all projects were
awarded construction contracts. A copy of this report is included behind
the form 254’s. SEI has commendation letters (1986 & 1987) from U S Army
personnel commending SEI for our AE project management performance. These
commendations are in reference to the total project including programming,
design, management, cost control, timely service, quality of work and
construction contract administration. SEI must be performing to the
satisfaction of these clients, or SEI would not have been awarded such a
continuous stream of projects.
2.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT:
All coordination between our project manager and your organization will be
documented to as much detail as written word and sketches permit. All
meetings and telephone conversations are followed with written confirmation
of all items discussed and decisions made at that meeting. All verbal
instructions from our clients are confirmed in writing. This documentation
is in the form of confirmation notices numbered in sequence so that
continuity of numbered notices assures each recipient that they have all of
the coordination documentation on the project. We do not miss any of our
clients directions due to misinformation. We want Government user input
into the design.
3.
REVIEW MEETINGS:
We have periodic formal coordination review meetings during design with all
disciplines involved. These meetings allow each design discipline to be
informed of the actions of other disciplines, and allow information flow
concerning actions of one discipline affecting other disciplines. All
project designs are coordinated by the Architect (or other lead discipline)
for purposes of overall coordination and integrating the various disciplines
into the project. Our clients are always welcome to and encouraged to
attend these meetings. Client input at these meetings is an important part
of the design process working to satisfy the needs of the client. The
principal of the firm who is the project manager conducts this meeting. All
principals attend design review meetings. The principals of the firm
approve or disapprove the design concept at each stage of the design process
that retains control in detail by the principals of the firm.
4.
PROCESS FOR COMPLIANCE WITH
PROJECT SCHEDULE: SEI has always
emphasized completing our work within the time frames allotted, within
budget and with no field change orders. These are the three things that all
of our clients require, in addition to a facility that meets their facility
requirements. We always meet our schedules, even if the schedules require
effort above and beyond normal expectations. Gerald Spencer, P.E.,
President, Chairman, and 100% stockholder is responsible for all operations,
and is solely responsible for the scheduling of efforts as required for
meeting schedules.
5.
PROCESS FOR COST CONTROL:
All of the SEI designers in each discipline are also the construction cost
estimators that prepare the "Final Government Cost Estimates" that are used
at the project bid openings in accordance with the FARS & DFARS. SEI
believes that all of the designers should also be the cost estimators. This
keeps SEI designers cost conscious in lieu of ivory tower type designers
whose designs are too expensive to construct. SEI also believes that the
designers should perform the Construction Contract Administration for the
projects that they design in order to assure the constructability of their
designs to the point that construction problems are minimized. Construction
cost control is emphasized by all of our licensed professionals and by all
of the SEI designers.
5.1.
cost estimating:
SEI updates cost
estimates during the design phase and advises the client when it appears the
cost estimate will exceed allowable construction funds. SEI has ten years
experience with the U S Army MCACES computer aided cost estimating system
and has completed interim partial design progress construction cost
estimates and the Final Government Cost Estimates for more than 40 Army &
NASA construction projects during the past 4 years. Any construction cost
estimating consultants will report directly to Mr. Spencer. Mr. Spencer is
in charge of our construction cost estimating and is responsible for
assuring that our designs can be constructed within the available
construction funds.
5.2.
PROGRAM,
CONCEPT, PARAMETRIC AND EARLY PRELIMINARY CONSTRUCTION COST ESTIMATING:
SEI designers have many years’ experience and can prepare cost estimates for
funding purposes without a design or documentation.
5.3.
CONSTRUCTION
COSTS DURING DESIGN:
All SEI designers are normally the construction cost estimators for their
portion of a project. We use M-CACES for interim construction cost
estimating at various stages of design. We advise clients of projected
construction costs and recommend changes when they exceed project funding.
5.4.
cost analysis:
SEI has reviewed
many construction cost estimates for construction contract modification
proposals.
5.5.
value engineering:
SEI relies on U. S. Cost, Inc. for value engineering requirements. They
provided value engineering services for the Mine Warfare Center project at
Ingleside, TX.
5.6.
Cost
control:
All SEI
designers are cost estimators. We perform construction contract
administration for our projects to assure the constructability of our
designs and to minimize construction problems.
6.
CADD:
Our CAD systems have greatly enhanced the
appearance of our drawings. This has allowed us to utilize standard proven
details recalled from our central files or from other projects with great
ease. This allows greater plan coordination between disciplines insofar as
locations of features and equipment is concerned. This allows us to perfect
our standard designs.
7.
SPECIFICATIONS:
We
have used the SPECSINTACT program for the last six years. We subscribe to
the CCB and get the up-dated CD-ROMs have all the DoD specifications from
the various branches that participate in the SPECSINTACT program. We have
the latest versions of Microsoft® Word and Wordperfect® to use as word
processing software. We have prepared specifications for more than 500
federally funded projects during the past 33 years.
8.
EXPERIENCE:
SEI completed more than 30 projects for the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; more than 70 projects for NASA Johnson Space
Center; more than 80 projects for the Dallas Postal Service; more than 20
projects for Exxon USA; more than 10 projects for The Methodist Hospital, MD
Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, during the
past 10 years. These projects were all completed successfully with respect
to cost control, quality of work and compliance with project design
schedules. Our record of being selected as the AE of record for many
different projects over the past 30 years for these repeat clients plus many
other different clients should indicate that our approach to quality control
is the correct approach that satisfies the needs of our clients. For the
last few years we have been the AE or record for the Department of State,
National Imagery & Mapping Authority (DoD), and The City of Houston Aviation
Department.
9.
REDICHECK:
We use "REDICHECK INTERDISCIPLINARY COORDINATION" for in-house quality
control that is supplemented with our in-house created checklists.
10.
CONSTRUCTABILITY:
Keeping our
designers assisting construction contract administrators keeps our designers
thinking about the construction, so that their designs do not have
constructability problems. This is not possible on extremely large projects
with extended design and construction time frames, but designers are used as
substitutes when the “construction monitor” is absent due to vacation,
illness, etc. All projects do not need full time CA services, and SEI
offers a cafeteria plan where the USAF can involve SEI as much or as little
as desired. We can perform constructability analysis and review similar to
the Corps of Engineers analysis for our privately funded projects.
11.
CONSTRUCTION
ORIENTATION:
All of the SEI
architects, engineers, and designers are construction oriented. SEI
architects and engineers have participated in many team design/construction
projects where the building foundation and sitework was designed as a
separate package, bid and constructed while the remainder of the building
design drawings were completed. Normally the remainder of the design
drawings, except for user fit-up, could be completed, bid, and contracted
for during the time required for sitework and foundation construction. SEI
has also performed as the General Construction Contractor on special
occasions when our clients request this service, and when they are willing
to pay a premium for expedited team concept design & construction on a cost
plus basis. SEI was the AE
and the general contractor for the Exxon Paleo Lab Relocation project in
1985. Our definition of Contract Management is controlling the acquisition
and construction of projects. The amount of Construction Management desired
depends upon the speed in which the project is needed, project location if
unusual labor and/or material supplies considerations need attention, and
the scope of the project in terms of size and dollars. SEI personnel have
performed as General Contractor and/or Construction Manager when time
constraints prevent normal economical acquisition of the construction
through competitive bidding. We can provide varying degrees of additional
assistance when acquisition of construction is needed quicker than by
employing the most economical processes of bidding.
12.
QUALITY ASSURANCE:
Final design drawings and specifications
for each discipline are checked and stamped (certified) by an officer of the
firm registered in that particular design discipline prior to issue for
bidding or construction. Final design documents are also cross checked by
officers registered in other disciplines insofar as coordination between
disciplines is required (also spelling, graphics, and etc.). We also have
formal checklists for each discipline that are required for final approval.
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