Speaking the Same Language CONSTRUCT #H16

The Tower of Babel Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Experienced AEC professionals are not surprised that the by-word for confused communication is a construction project.  The Babylonian effort to build a tower to Heaven was stymied by the workers' inability to communicate.

In the left foreground of Bruegel's painting, we see the unhappy client discussing the issue with his design team who are frustrated by the huge volume of RFI's and changes required to move the project forward.  The architect is kneeling before the king, hoping not to lose his head. The specifier is stooping with his hat off.

Perhaps part of the problem is that the public works contract for the tower was different from the private construction contracts familiar to the designers and builders?

In our modern world, private organizations such as AIA, EJCDC and Consensus Docs (along with manyothers) publish model contract documents for private projects, using a lexicon of familiar contract terms.  

In the goverment sphere, the contract document is the FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulations) which has developed a lexicon of it's own over many years.

Not surprisingly, many terms are similar, but with different meanings.  Others sound completely different and mean the same thing.  No wonder it is hard to move from one contract world to another without misunderstanding.

In hopes of forestalling one of the miscommunication issues of modern construction, CSI is undertaking, along with several U.S. Government agencies, an initiative to create a side-by-side glossary of Contract Terms used in Federal and private contracts.  This Glossary will be the starting effort of the Construction Documents Technologist "+G" (plus Government) certification which is the goal of the CSI CDT+G Task Team.

Please consider attending Session H16, Thursday September 26, at 4:00 PM to hear a panel discussion with Mr. Steven Freitas of US Army Corps of Engineers, Sheryl Dodd-Hansen FCSI, Michael Chambers, FAIA, FCSI and myself concerning this effort to promote clear communication and common understanding between Federal agencies and private sector contractors.