1) Responsibility for Disposal of Hazardous waste
2) Project Closeout, know who initiates
3) When the contractor is entitled to final payment
4) Understand punch list (i.e. A punch list is initated before final payment, and the items listed therein can be completed after substantial completion)
5) Understand what “time” means in A201
6) Know the differences between and purposes of the following:
-change order (substantial change to cost/construction time)
-architect’s supplemental instructions(minor change, no money, no time extension)
-construction change directives (a change order that is not agreed to by contractor)
7) Responsibility of consultant to the architect (C141)
8 ) Know Who is responsible for coordination of work or lack thereof on construction site, and who has to pay as
a result of the latter (the contractor)
9) Know how contractor communicates with the owner (A201)
10) Know how contractor communicates with other contractors/subcontractors directly hired by the owner (A201)
11) Know the logical order of the drawings (how the disciplines are ordered, as well as how the architectural drawings could be ordered etc.)
12) How bids are awarded (the process), and how bids are awarded on public projects
13) Know bidding/negotiation (i.e., architect conducts bidding or negotiation….not both)
14) Some Acoustics questions, Know how to control sound through the use of partitions
15) ADA – ramps, headroom under stairs, guardrails, hallways, wheelchair access
16) Maximum length of a dead end corridor is typically 20ft.
17) Codes – purpose of a building code vs. a zoning ordinace, and what each affects
18) NFPA 101 is for life safety
19) Know purposes of drawings (i.e., the structural framing plan and architectural sections are good for determining necessary plenum heights)
20) What information is typically shown in a a site plan
21) Know What kind of information is shown on electrical site plan
22) Know purpose of and difference between bonds and insurance
23) Know when a subcontractor will need to claim against a performance bond (public project) and when they will file mechanic’s lien (typical if not paid)
25) How each engineer contributes (i.e., The civil engineer can devise a stormwater management plan (site specific), while the plumbing engineer deals with the roof drains (building specific))
Also read the B141 and A201 contracts
Building Section Vignette:
1) All about Practicing the software.
2) All about Norman Dorf. Use his solutions book. it is invaluable
3) Try at least two solutions for each vignette on the NCARB practice software, then ask questions on the ARE forum
