Restoration Management

MANAGEMENT OF CONCRETE RESTORATION PROJECTS

by

Louis J Daniello, President

Selecting the proper team is extremely important in order to have a successful concrete restoration project. The team consists of the owners’ representative (Board of Directors, Building Manager or other designated person), a competent and experienced structural engineer and a competent and experienced contractor with a minimum of five years experience in the work area.

 

The owners’ representatives must plan ahead for the project with the consensus of the majority of the residents/owners that the work is necessary and in the best interests of all the residents/owners. Once the need is acknowledged the owners’ representative should interview several structural engineers in the area with experience and a track record for successful concrete restoration projects.  The engineer will survey the building (for a fee to be negotiated) and provide an estimated budget for the anticipated work. This will enable the owners’ representative to determine what funds are available or need to be raised by assessments or a loan program.

 

The next step is to select several competent contractors with a proved record for a minimum of five years who may be selected by the owners’ representatives with the recommendations of the engineer. The engineer will prepare specifications and a bid sheet with estimated quantities of repairs for all selected contractor to submit their bids to the owners representative for a bid opening with the engineer. Once the bids are opened the engineer should prepare a spreadsheet comparing each contractors bid against the others in an orderly understandable format.

 

Upon analysis of the contractors the owners representatives should interviews each of the three contractors that present the best bids asking such questions a history of the company and the owners of the company, the size of the work force, what equipment will be used, the ability to secure performance bonds if so requested, insurance coverage, who are the foreman and superintendents permanently assigned to the project and the estimated time for completion of the project. Once the contractor is chosen and a contract is executed the project can begin.

 

The contractor must apply for a building permit from the local building department and submit proper insurances certificates to the owners and the building department. It is important to schedule a pre construction with the owners representatives, the engineer and the contractor, including the foremen that will be permanently assigned to the project, to determine what is needed to start the project such as placement of dumpsters, port-o-lets, storage areas need.

While the permit is being processed the contractor may choose to mobilize the equipment. Dumpsters and port-o-let so that as soon as the permit is issued full work can begin.

 

At the start of the project is important to hold progress meeting weekly or bi weekly with the owners’ representative, the engineer, the contractor and his foreman to discuss the progress, any problems and any improvements that can be made to make the project run smoother. Minutes of the meetings should be sent via e-mail or fax in order to keep all parties up to date.          

~Lou Daniello

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