Post Construction Asbuilt Documentation

Full set of construction drawings which incorporate all changes made during construction process as a result of issuance of change orders, field directives, requests for information forms and other documentation. Drawings usually consist of Architectural, Electrical, Mechanical, Data, Fire Sprinklers and Fire Alarm sets of documentation. Delivery format varies based on project specifications.

Measured Asbuilt Drawings

Drawings which are prepared without a reliance on the existing documentation (from scratch). Depending on the use, drawings may be prepared based on AIA, BOMA or a variety of other industry standards. Measured asbuilt drawings are usually used by Architects and Engineers for a wide array of design purposes during the design phase of construction.

As-builtEdge

As-builtEdge is a patent pending method and a system which was developed by Prime Edge LLC associates in a course of business practice. As-builtEdge has been designated its own start-up company which was founded September 2006 based out of San Francisco, CA. You can read more about the method and its use and potential in the industry at www.asbuiltedge.com

BOMA Plans

BOMA plans usually refer to the ANSI/BOMA standard ANSI/BOMA Z65.1 Standard Method for Measuring Floor Area in Office Buildings. Standard was developed by the BOMA which represents owners and managers of office building industry in order to standardize and compare office structures one to another. Prime Edge LLC had developed an array of on-line tools which help building managers mange and update BOMA plans on-line, proving invaluable information to the entire management team.

Lighting Plan

In commercial structures plan usually relies on a Reflected Ceiling Plan and provides locations of lighting elements, switches, lighting circuits, motion sensors, emergency exist signs, and other related information.

Power Plan

Power plan is an essential element of the construction documentation. Due to its complexity, most number of change orders usually associated with electrical systems. For this reason, it is essential to properly document existing conditions prior to sending out project to bid. Power plan depicts electrical outlets, circuits, conduit runs, circuits and a variety of other elements. Accuracy of the power plans ensures smoother construction process with a reduced number of change orders.

Interior Elevations

Interior elevations are usually a part of the Architectural Set of drawings. Interior elevations are used by a variety of trades and design professionals to determine heights and locations of elements which cannot be determined from looking at the floor plan. Interior elements are usually prepared for the areas with items such as casework and other price-dependant elements.

Equipment Plan

Equipment plans are usually prepared for warehouses, production facilities and other structures with house a variety of heavy machinery and distribution systems. Equipment plans are used to determine and classify equipment installed, provide an equipment schedules, determine traffic patterns, exit pathways and other valuable information.

Exterior Elevations

Architectural side views in orthographic form which depict dimensions of the exterior elements such as walls, columns, doors, windows, stairs etc. Elevations are usually prepared for all visible sides. In San Francisco, for example, structures often have two elevations visible instead of usually four. In such cases schematic plans of obstructed elevations are prepared in order to determine building size and shape. Visible elevations depict either schematically or in wording siding material as well as any architectural details which characterize the structure.

Finish Plan and Schedule

Depending on the type of an asbuilt and the use of the plans finish schedule may be very elaborated or very simple. In cases when an interior designer is involved finish schedules often contain a number of properties starting from the paint color and ending with the carpet design for a particular area. Finish schedules are usually organized in a column and row format by room or an area. Finish plans usually depict colors, designs and other information as originally designed by the interior designer.

Fire Sprinklers (Fire Protection) Plan

Fire protection plans are required to be prepared by a licensed contractor. Prime Edge LLC is allowed to update changes made in the field for asbuilt documentation and prepare existing fire sprinklers layouts. Plans usually depict location of fire sprinkler heads, location and direction of the lines as well as any connection points.

Joist Layout and Foundation Plan

Commercial and Residential foundation plans are very different from one another. Residential plans usually depict elements such as floor joists sizes and spacing, beam locations, sizes and spaces. Commercial foundation plans are usually quite elaborate and consist of a wide variety of information depending on the type of construction.

Floor Plans

Floor Plans are considered to be the most important type of the building representation due to a variety of information that may be included and versatility of data. Floor Plans depict data located below or passing through standard eye-level and above common items such as floor-mounted casework. Floor plans usually depict items such as interior and exterior walls, windows, doors, access doors, window and door schedules, openings, skylights, exposed beams, stairs, furniture layout, built-in casework, attached decks, balconies and patios. Some items will be omitted and others added based on the project needs. Depending on the use, floor plans may also depict some items above the floor-cut level such as soffits, skylights etc. However, if a Reflected Ceiling plans exists, such information will be depicted there instead.

Reflected Ceiling Plans (RCP)

RCP is an essential part of the asbuilt documentation for office structures and other commercial structures. RCP is rarely done for residential structures due to the standard construction methods used. The best way to describe the content of the typical RCP is to imagine yourself laying on the floor and looking at the ceiling. anything that you may see will most likely be depicted on the plans. Doors and windows are usually omitted from the plans. Typical items displayed are ceiling tiles with grids, lighting layouts, emergency exits, soffits, skylights, HVAC registers, ceiling features etc.

Interior Elevations

Interior elevations represent a cut-through section through a part of the structure, usually at a specific location which has features such as casework face elevations which may not be described fully by the information depicted on the floor plans.

MEP

Mechanical Electrical Plumbing. MEP is a term used by consulting engineers to describe this part of the building design industry. MEP industry provides essential life-support systems within structure which allow people and computers function within enclosed space. Often more than fifty percent of the project relies on these trades and thus asbuilt plans of related elements become essential. Because most of the work is covered up within building shell, MEP trades are required to keep redline sets depicting any deviations from the design drawings. Prime Edge LLC records and updates this information for the use during future remodeling and addition projects using all appropriate standards.

Technical Terms

NCS

U.S. National CAD Standard. The NCS is a standard for organizing and classifying CAD drawings and other building design data intended to streamline communication among designers, building owners, constructors, and facility managers. NCS defines standards for many aspects of electronic building-design data, including: CAD Layers, Organization of drawing sets, Drawing sheets and schedules, Drafting conventions, Terms and abbreviations, Graphic symbols, Notations, Code conventions, Plotting etc. Much of the content of the existing standard is related to the representation of electronic 2D information. The NCS Project Committee addresses emerging technologies and develops standards for object data, the appropriate graphical display of geometric information at different scales and in different views, and uniformity of printed output when information is exchanged among different organizations.

CAD

Computer-aided design. CAD is the use of a wide range of computer-based tools that assist engineers, architects and other design professionals in design while using a personal computer. There are many versions of the CAD software products currently on the market. More than half of the market is however covered by the four main corporations Autodesk, Dassault Systemes, PTC, and UGS Corporation. CAD packages can be classified into three types: 2D drafting systems (e.g. AutoCAD LT); mid-range 3D solid feature modelers (e.g. AutoCAD, SolidWorks, SolidEdge, Alibre Design, VariCAD); and high-end 3D hybrid systems (e.g. Pro/ENGINEER, CATIA, Architectural Desktop and Revit)

AIA

American Institute of Architects. Since 1857, the AIA has represented the professional interests of America's architects. As AIA members, over 74,000 licensed architects, emerging professionals, and allied partners express their commitment to excellence in design and livability in our nation's buildings and communities. Members adhere to a code of ethics and professional conduct that assures the client, the public, and colleagues of an AIA-member architect's dedication to the highest standards in professional practice. For more information visit www.aia.org, or call 800-AIA-3837.

CSI

Construction Specifications Institute. CSI is a national association of specifiers, architects, engineers, contractors, building materials suppliers and others involved in commercial and institutional building design and construction. The organization has 145 chapters and more than 16,000 members. CSI provides technical information and products, continuing education, professional conferences, and product shows to enhance communication among all disciplines of building design and construction, and to meet the industry's need for a common system of organizing and presenting construction information. For more information, visit www.csinet.org, or call 800-689-2900.

AGC

Associated General Contractors of America is the nation's oldest and largest trade association representing the construction industry. It was formed in 1918 following a request by President Woodrow Wilson. Wilson, after meeting individually with different builders, suggested that they form an association so they could speak with one voice on matters of concern to the growing industry. AGC of America is headquarted in Arlington, Virginia. There are 98 local AGC chapters across the country, and AGC student chapters on many college campuses. California chapter (http://www.agc-ca.org) was founded in 1920.

NIBS

National Institute of Building Sciences. NIBS is a non-profit, non-governmental organization bringing together representatives of government, the professions, industry, labor and consumer interests to focus on the identification and resolution of problems and potential problems that hamper the construction of safe, affordable structures for housing, commerce and industry throughout the United States. NIBS provides an authoritative source of advice for both the private and public sector of the economy with respect to the use of building science and technology. For more information, visit www.nibs.org, or call 202-289-7800.

HAER

The Historic American Engineering Record. HAER was established in 1969 by the National Park Service, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Library of Congress to document historic sites and structures related to engineering and industry. HAER developed out of a close working alliance between the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and the Smithsonian Institution's (SI) Museum of History and Technology (now the Museum of American History). From its inception, HAER focused less on the building fabric and more on the machinery and processes within, although structures of distinctly industrial character continue to be recorded. As the most ubiquitous historic engineering structure on the landscape, bridges have been a mainstay of HAER recording; HABS also documented more than 100 covered bridges prior to 1969. HABS recording combines drawings, history, and photography to produce a comprehensive, interdisciplinary record. The documentation ranges in scope depending largely upon the level of significance and complexity

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA is a federal organization whose purpose is to save lives, prevent injuries, and protect the health of the workers of America. OSHA's mission is to assure the safety and health of America's workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health. The Cal/OSHA is a part of California Division of Occupational Safety and Health Program which is responsible for enforcing California laws and regulations pertaining to workplace safety and health and for providing assistance to employers and workers about workplace safety and health issues.

OSHA Training Requirements

OSHA enforces training requirements contained in the Construction Safety Orders Subchapter 4 and the General Industry Safety Orders Subchapter 7 of Title 8, Division 1, Chapter 4 of the California Code of Regulations for both Competent and Qualified persons. 10-hour and 30-hour training sessions introduce safety topics which are prevalent to construction industry and working in the construction environment. Although Prime Edge LLC is not engaged in construction activities, we believe that it is our duty to educate all field verification personnel of potential hazards at the job site. All of our field representatives are required to obtain at least 10 hours of safety training by an OSHA certified instructor. A competent person is a person who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions that are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees. The competent person has the authority to impose prompt corrective measures to eliminate these hazards.