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Recent discussion topics from POB's global community of geospatial professionals - RPLS.com
RPLS.com

Who is Liable for Locating a Building on a Construction Site?

January 3, 2012

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Posted by: Geodeticmatt

Hey guys I am looking for a little ammo.

I am in a battle with a large firm that will not answer my RFI's about the locations of the buildings on a very large construction site.

I have been given the following.

One Grid Line / Grid Line intersection for one of 13 Buildings on a site.  They are all connected by a main concourse.  The given control line has two monuments fly tied and the said control point has a North Bearing.  The length of the control line is 70 feet.

This site is roughly 1,400 feet in lenght and roughly 800 feet wide.

I have been adomant that this is not enough to determine the deisigners intent with regards to the building locations.  I have requested ties to the site coordinate system for each building.  I asked for 4 for each building.  I could live with two.

I have been fighting these folks for 4 months now and they have affectively delivered nothing.  Their stance is they don't want to take on any of the surveyors liability for this site.

My stance is I have enough liability in ensuring I can locate the buildings accurately according to their design.  They need to be clear on the buildings locations on the site.

We are not designers.  We are Surveyors and are not allowed to design.  By us placing these buildings on the site we are affectively outside our proffesional liability and have moved into the designers role.

I would like to have some Ammo / Support to enter into this battle.

Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.

To read the rest of this thread, go to http://www.rpls.com/forums/viewtopic/44/1277089


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  Comments (3)Post a Comment
Title: Project Layout


First, your contract for work should have specified what plans your layout would be based on and/or specify what information you would need for stake out.
At this point, I would calulate the stakeout points, produce a skecth showing how you derived the coordinates from the material provided and submit it to the design engineer/srchitect for review and approval. Only upon thier approval, would I proceed. If they do not approve, state the plans provided, state ambiguous or conflicting information and state you cannot proceed untill clarification is provided.
Communicate only through submittals or email. Document all and keep the owner of the project in the loop.
It is the reponsibility of the engineer/architect to provide sufficient information for layout of proposed improvements.


Title: Liability


Based from experience, make sure the firm designed the site from a recent as-built survey that ties in the boundary and/or control base line and hasn't been designed using what they've been able to assemble for the site by themselves, such as using old construction plans. You are ultimately responsible in locating the structures on site, but they should also have enough confidence in their design work to offer you the information you need in order for you to proceed.


Title: Building Layout


I am assuming you are providing stakeout of the buildings only and not the associated infrastructure. If the entire site is under construction, I recommend contacting the surveyor staking the utilities, etc. and coordinating your building layout with his controls & layout. You will also need to make sure your ultimate building layout does not encroach into easements and zoning setbacks. If the buildings are a retro fit around existing roads and utilities, then it is encumbent on you to as-built these prior to any building layout. Your contracts should always specify what control will be provided, if any, and another line item for either confirming or establishing horizontal and vertical controls for the project. Providing sketches of your computed building layout to the designer and owner for review and approval is critical, especially on a retro fit project where proposed sidewalks between the new buildings and existing curbs could have ADA issues.


 

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