Plumbing - Architect or Builder error

Discussion in 'Development' started by AnneC, 5th May, 2020.

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  1. AnneC

    AnneC Well-Known Member

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    Hi all,

    Building a few towhouses and recently went and did a site inspection. Noted that plumbing from upper levels to lower levels were not going to located in the walls but external to the wall . So will have boxed in columns in the corner or middle of walls.

    Builder blames architect , saying not possible because steel beam in the way and other reasons etc which I did not understand. I can accept if this was the case for one townhouse but all four?

    How can I get to the bottom of this? I was somehow not convinced about it all being the architects fault as the builder then told me that we were to write to him to say that we were ok with it.

    Where there is supposed to be a cupboard/ bench of 60cm depth, we found it to be 55cm. This was just a random check because it looked narrow. Is this within the tolerance? Need to go through the plans. Not sure if there is supposed to be a washing machine there.

    Anne
     
  2. Tufan Chakir

    Tufan Chakir Well-Known Member

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    Architect or Drafter? Start by talking with them and get some solid advice/opinion. Are they not doing contract administration? Are you relying on the builder to provide you with advice? If so, don't. The builder will try to persuade you that anything done (mistake or otherwise) is ok, or a mistake by someone else.
    You need someone independent and on your side to help
    My first question is important - I'm so tired of drafters holding themselves out to be architects ...
     
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  3. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    Did you/architect engage services consultants to design the systems or has this aspect been left to the builder & their contractors?
     
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  4. AnneC

    AnneC Well-Known Member

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    Tufan, it is architect designed.
    We have engaged a Project Superintendent separately
     
  5. AnneC

    AnneC Well-Known Member

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    The architect plans show plumbing within the walls but we did not engage separate services to design the system. It was left to the builder and their contractors.
     
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  6. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    No-one had the foresight to blow a hole through a beam with an oxy torch? (with engineer approval).
     
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  7. Tufan Chakir

    Tufan Chakir Well-Known Member

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    What does the superintendent say?
     
  8. AnneC

    AnneC Well-Known Member

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    He wants a plan and explanation of why this has happened
     
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  9. The_Billy

    The_Billy Well-Known Member

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    Who managed your design? it is their fault. For example; if it was your superintendent they should have been coordinating the architect, engineer, hydraulic engineer and picked up on this. If it was your architect responsible for managing all the designers they should have picked up that this detail was not working before construction. It's classic case of designers price the job for a certain fee and only spend a specific amount of time on it and hope that the rest gets resolved onsite.
     
  10. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    The reason it happened would be because the Project Superintendent sort of took his eye off the ball.
     
  11. AnneC

    AnneC Well-Known Member

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    The architects drawings had stackers to allow for this and the builder said that it just did not work out. Shouldnt the builder follow the architects plans?
     
  12. AnneC

    AnneC Well-Known Member

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    So, this should have been picked up before construction. We are only finding out about it now, so has the architect designed it incorrectly or has the builder not built as per plans, with walls not being in correct location. Is 50cm within the tolerance for a corridor width to be out by?
     
  13. Joynz

    Joynz Well-Known Member

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    See the Victorian Guide to Standards and Tolerances Online.

    What’s a ‘stacker’?
     
  14. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    I sure hope not. If my hallway was reduced from 1m to 50cm I'd class it a confined space.
     
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  15. Tufan Chakir

    Tufan Chakir Well-Known Member

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    Maybe vertical duct?
     
  16. Tufan Chakir

    Tufan Chakir Well-Known Member

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    Sounds like not built according to the plans. If this is the case the builder should have contacted parties (owner, super, architect) and say it doesn't work, before changing things.
    I think you may mean 50mm...and no, that's just not a "minor" variation/tolerance. eg a 900mm passage becomes 850mm, again see my comment above.
    Reducing 600mm cupboards to 550 can also result in problems later (eg say Ikea cutouts will fit 600 but may not fit 550, depending or tracks and door thicknesses
    I really think you need to get the Super and the Arch in a room together to sort out and then approach the builder.
    Builder will resist changing things because it will cost to redo/undo work
     
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  17. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    Things often need to change during a build when reality collides with ideas. The builder should have asked if they needed to deviate from the architect plans. Builders can be a bit like water - they look for the easiest path. But equally, the Super/Project Manager should have been on top of the job and noticed that something was going awry. Was he on site much?
     
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  18. AnneC

    AnneC Well-Known Member

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    Builder did not ask that they needed to deviate. We were just told that we were going to end up with downpipes which will be boxed in the corner of a room. The project Manager was not on site much.
     
  19. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    I think the builder should have asked. And the project manager should have noticed what was happening.
     
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