The architect notices that the connection details are different from the ones proposed in the contract documents

If the intention of submittal reviews is to check for conformance with the contract documents, then what about this would indicate that we should be bringing this to the attention of the structural engineer as opposed to rejecting thye submittal and asking the fabricator to retain the original detail?

What part of A201 specifically refers to how an architect should act in this situation? Whenever a reference is proivided, it would be helpful to know where in the material to refer to this information.

Hi @william,

Thanks for your question. Can you please let me know where you are seeing this question - was it a quiz or practice exam, and what form #? If you could also provide me with the 5-digit code on the lower right corner of your screen when on the question, that would be very helpful.

There may be some additional context presented in the question/scenario that is being used to determine the answer here.

Please be sure not to post any screenshots of paid content here.

Thanks!

Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB
Black Spectacles

Hello @kiaragalicinao,

This is a question from the Form 3 Practice Exam. The 5 digit code is 25248.

Thanks @william!

You are correct in that the purpose of a submittal review is to check for conformance with the contract documents. Because the structural engineer is a consultant under the architect, the architect should consult with them to review any deviation in submittals within their discipline. The structural engineer, being the expert in this area, would be able to provide further insight as to whether the proposed connection details are acceptable in lieu of the originally specified ones.

Non-conformance does not always mean ‘incorrect’ and could also be acceptable given the circumstances; however, the architect should not make this decision - the specific consultant should.

See AIA A201 § 3.12.8:

“The Work shall be in accordance with approved submittals except that the Contractor shall not be relieved of responsibility for deviations from the requirements of the Contract Documents by the Architect’s approval of Shop Drawings, Product Data, Samples, or similar submittals, unless the Contractor has specifically notified the Architect of such deviation at the time of submittal and (1) the Architect has given written approval to the specific deviation as a minor change in the Work, or (2) a Change Order or Construction Change Directive has been issued authorizing the deviation. The Contractor shall not be relieved of responsibility for errors or omissions in Shop Drawings, Product Data, Samples, or similar submittals, by the Architect’s approval thereof.”

Also see AIA A201 § 4.2.7.

While this question relates to the above mentioned sections, it also requires a general understanding of the A201 as a whole - relationships between the owner, contractor, architect, and consultants. Tip: Use the ‘Find’ or ‘Search’ function when navigating the contracts to search for key words (in this case: ‘submittal’).

Hope this helps!

Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB
Black Spectacles