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What are your biggest pet peeves with consultants (engineers or designers) in our industry? I'm interested.
Just a little about why I ask - I work as a consultant and also in our business development. In a backwards way, understanding the pain points only helps guide where I can improve and hopefully help business as well. Thanks in advance for your thoughts! Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
8 Comments
joe s
12/5/2019 10:08:41 am
We are forgotten about to the last minute and no one wants to take the time and learn about our trade!
ioan rincu
12/20/2019 11:04:07 am
This is the most astute comment I've heard in a very long time.
Anon.
12/5/2019 10:22:39 am
Sorry, I'm not quite understanding the context. Can you clarify what you mean by "consultant (engineers or designers)"? Are you referring to an engineer or designer or FPE who represents, for example, the owner and/or architect, as opposed to a designer/engineer who works for an installing sprinkler contractor? Person's who may provide specifications for a specific project (and in rare cases design drawings) for the owner?
ORIGINAL SUBMITTER
12/5/2019 12:49:07 pm
Sorry - I'm talking about consultants as specifying engineer working for the architect/owner.
RJ
12/5/2019 10:23:49 am
It seems that to them, it doesn't matter how many years you have actually been installing systems and are able to look at their design and give feedback on why it won't work. Too many times the answer is because I went to college and got a degree in 'xx whatever'. It appears a lot have forgotten that every design ALWAYS works on paper. In real life, not so much.
Gonna tread lightly on this one, knowing the company we keep here. I assume you are referring to specifying engineers who prepare drawings for the purposes of bidding.
Dave
12/5/2019 01:26:01 pm
Regarding specifying engineers, usually ME's, sometimes FPE's: Most, while specifying and producing drawings for fire sprinkler systems, break their state's law and ethical responsibility by practicing beyond their area of expertise. They leave out the important items like flow tests, determining hazards, pushing the Architect to produce RCP's, and do ridiculous things like hatch in an entire floor and tag a note to it that says, "Light hazard .10gpm/1500sq.ft." Then challenge us when we use a 900 sq.ft. QR design in their 9'-0 ceiling area, ask for a C/O to move the FDC that they failed to locate to a wall that's pleasing to the owner, or use a mechanical tee in new construction. In the meantime, they're oblivious to things like 8 sprink or 3000sq.ft. design areas with certain TJI construction and are too lazy (or confused) to pick the options in their master spec. so show all options. I chuckle at the long list of ASTM pipe standards that are in many specs or where the system is described: Sprinkler system shall be a [wet/dry/preaction/deluge] system. Ok..thanks for that key info, and I'll also make sure I provide those [Automatic/Central/Firematic] sprinklers specified!
anon.
12/6/2019 12:54:26 pm
Got it - I thought that's what the original post may have been asking, I just wanted to clarify, because I am on that side, yet have also experienced those frustrations. The company I work for tries to be an exception to the norm you all are experiencing (like that "generic" riser detail we've all seen), and since I and my co-workers have also spent many years on the contracting side, and maintain close business relationships with the contracting side, I think we do a pretty good job. Even though a few things in our specs are beyond NFPA 13. Leave a Reply. |
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