Clear Communications Creates Common Understanding
The Tower of Babel, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, 1563. Public Domain
Modern construction is increasingly complex. New codes and standards, specialized materials and equipment, new occupancy types and greater concern for sustainability add to the difficulties of construction communication.
A Facility's design intent is described in the Construction Documents. In order for the many members of the construction team to clearly understand that intent, those documents must communicate the design intent clearly.
Construction requires the continuous movement of Materials, Labor, Information and Money. If any of these are interrupted due to lack of clarity, the process may stop, or a result other than that intended may occur. The common understanding of all parties is necessary to achieve the intended goal.
Clear Communication creates a Common Understanding that can help avoid disputes and enable construction to move forward with a minimum of obstructions.
Documents and formats produced by the Construction Specifications provide a framework in which to place this critical design information so that it can be accessed by all members of the team, without conflict or ambiguity, as well as methods and practices for the transmission of Information and Money while maintaining the risk and reward relationships of the Parties to the Contract.
The project in today's painting went awry and was eventually abandoned due to the inability of the construction team members to communicate with one another. If CSI formats had been available to ancient Babylonians, the outcome might have been different.
Future posts will describe these formats and their use in greater detail.
