The Value of Construction Administration

Comprised of professionals with architecture, engineering and construction backgrounds, Hixson Construction Administrators (CAs) help building owners realize the full value of their capital investments and achieve their project goals by providing technical knowledge, a thorough understanding of how to work with contractors and suppliers, and unbiased input. Simply put, they are the client’s advocate on the construction phase of the project.

In one recent example, the Hixson CA participating on a concrete pre-placement call recommended that the concrete contractor take elevation readings of the existing concrete floor. The CA wished to determine if there would be complications of tying the new concrete floor into the existing slab around the entire perimeter of the placement. The initial recommendation was ignored, so the Hixson CA raised the request again later in the meeting. When asked why, the Hixson CA explained that, based on past experience, there can be unintended elevational impacts even on simple slabs.

During a later follow-up call, the Hixson CA again raised the recommendation, at which point the concrete contractor finally agreed to take the elevations.

The result?

As shown below, a 1″ high spot was identified in a critical location in the slab. Had this high spot not been detected, water would have flowed toward adjacent the Production Area, Electrical Room, and Gowning Area doors, resulting in having to manually divert water back towards trench drains unless addressed.

With increasingly tight budgets, some companies may consider cutting Construction Administration services from the project budget to save money. However, even with issues like this one above, the involvement of a CA professional on a project often pays for itself.