Here are my suggestions for preparing to complete a construction administration site visit as the design engineer for the project. This is part two of a four-part discussion on the role of a design engineer when a project moves into the construction phase of work/fee.
As always, the designer should prepare herself for the site visit by uploading specific documents to her laptop, tablet, or iPad. Before she does this, she should know the status of the HVAC installation by reading the latest trade contractor’s weekly meeting minutes and reviewing the HVAC installation status by checking the project installation schedule. Also, call ahead to the project’s mechanical-electrical coordinator to confirm the HVAC installation status, so that the trip out to the site is not wasted. Armed with this information, the designer should upload pertinent documents. For this example, we are going to assume the focus of the designer’s visit will be to complete a tour of a central air handling equipment room, so she should bring the following: