During the submittal process, the architect rejects shop drawings for curtain wall systems due to inadequate structural calculations. As the general contractor, what is your next step?
Correct Answer
D) Return the shop drawings to the subcontractor for revision
When shop drawings are rejected by the architect, the general contractor should return them to the responsible subcontractor for correction and resubmission. The subcontractor is responsible for providing adequate information.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
When an architect rejects shop drawings, the general contractor's proper role is to route the rejected drawings back to the responsible subcontractor — in this case the curtain wall subcontractor — for correction and resubmission. The subcontractor supplied the shop drawings and bears responsibility for ensuring the structural calculations meet the specifications. The GC's duty is to manage the submittal flow, not to engineer solutions.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: Hire an independent engineer to verify the calculations
Hiring an independent engineer to verify calculations is the subcontractor's obligation, not the GC's. The GC taking on engineering responsibility could create liability and would bypass the contractual chain of responsibility. It also does not resolve the underlying deficiency in the subcontractor's documentation.
Option B: Proceed with installation using similar approved details
Proceeding with installation using 'similar approved details' is a critical mistake. Using unapproved shop drawings bypasses the entire submittal review process, exposes the GC to liability for non-conforming work, and could result in unsafe construction that violates the contract documents.
Option C: Request the architect to provide the required calculations
Requesting the architect to provide calculations reverses the contractual responsibility. The architect's role is review and approval, not production of the contractor's or subcontractor's engineering documentation. Asking the architect to produce calculations would be inappropriate and outside the standard division of responsibility.
Memory Technique
Think of shop drawings as a package: the architect stamps 'Return to Sender' and the GC is the post office — they deliver the rejected package back to the originating subcontractor, not try to fix the contents themselves.
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