Construction risks are many and they can be the difference between a successful and profitable project for all involved.
One of the least addressed but most expensive risks during construction is water intrusion or releases and its effects. From damaged materials, schedule delays and/or the most egregious mold growth and remediation, water intrusion at almost any point in building construction can prove to be a major problem for the designer, the builder and the owner.
Murphy’s Law seems to be kin to moisture problems – a drought breaks the day before the roof is complete and wets the drywall hung early to get ahead of the schedule or the day wood flooring is laid a sprinkler head is knocked off and the room is flooded in a matter of minutes! These types of problems occur on most projects but they can be avoided sometimes or their damage minimized when you can’t. GCI has developed a system and an expertise to help our clients do just that and it is called the Moisture Management Program and here is a brief explanation of how it works:
Initial phase In this phase, the importance of moisture management throughout the construction schedule is explained and stressed to the general contractor and the sub-contractors. If there is an attitude of maintaining a clean and dry construction site, many moisture issues can be avoided or at least stopped before major damage is done. Additionally the importance of material handling, storage and installation will be explained and discussed.
Pre-trim and post-trim phases During the building construction at two critical phases, a third party (GCI) will be observing each unit/room in the building to ensure the proper installation of materials. This may include observing the proper installation of water piping anchoring or maybe the proper sequencing of a lightweight concrete pour; both of these can have an immediate and/or long term negative impact on the project if not installed correctly.
Acceptance phase As a final check before turnover, a third party (GCI) will observe the operation of all fixtures, drains, appliances, sinks, toilets, HVAC systems, etc. to ensure proper operation. This will be done in each unit/room and discrepancies noted.
Emergency conditions An emergency response plan will be put into place to ensure that immediate actions are taken to minimize the impact of any unexpected/unintended moisture release during construction and the turnover period.