STATEMENT OF PROBLEM:

This project had a substantial amount of header steel required for the coolant supply and return mains. Since this header steel was only to support the piping, the steel was awarded to the piping subcontractor and they were responsible for design and install. The piping subcontractor submitted a hand sketch of their pipe fabrication shop drawing plans as did not anticipate to submit a CAD drawing as required by GM. After a week delay in getting the piping subcontractor to submit CAD pipe drawings, the subcontractor came back and stated they had reached out to multiple engineering firms and requested to employ CCC's design team to transfer hand sketches to the CAD/DWG files. Once the CCC design team got a hold of Ghafari's bid package for the support steel it became evident that their design was not feasible and could not be installed. CCC design team redesigned the entire system and it was submitted to Ghafari for approval. Ghafari approved the submittal, however when the steel began to be installed GM stated it did not look like the bid drawings and put the piping install on hold. GM came back to CCC and the piping subcontractor and stated that a submittal is not an acceptable way to change a design and a DCR should of been submitted when we found out that Ghafari's design was not feasible. 

ROOT CAUSE:

The root cause of the issue was lack of communication and planning. Due to the bid documents/IFC drawings  being rushed the design basis was not feasible for install. 
Also, with multiple delays in the design process, it caused the submittal to be rushed through and not reviewed properly by all parties, nor were the changes properly identified. 

COURSE OF ACTION:

The team scheduled a meeting with GM, Ghafari, CCC Design team, and the piping subcontractor to discuss the changes and why they needed to be done to make the support steel installable. GM requested many changes of what had already been approved and installed and stated that these would be at cost to the contractor as they did not submit a DCR. After many meetings and discussion CCC agreed to credit back the line item for steel from the PO and GM paid T&M for the install of the steel. The piping contractor ate the cost of the deisgn as they should have carried that cost. 

LESSON FOR FUTURE PROJECTS:

When working on a GM project make sure to submit a DCR or deviation request when changes need to be made in design aspects. Do not assume that just because it was submitted in a submittal that GM/design firm realized there was a change to the base contract design.