Reduce water damage losses and increase profits while preventing delays.
Preventing water damage is critical to you as a construction business owner, even if insurance is in place, because at least a portion of these losses are absorbed by the contractor. These losses can include property damage, debris removal, re-work and delay costs-not to mention the damage to your reputation. It generally costs very little to prevent water damage and primarily requires a focus on quality, planning and testing throughout the construction process.
Water damage is a major cause of loss during construction and represents the majority of the construction business owner's risk claims. It occurs as a result of water entering the building envelope or from internal building releases. The mitigation of water damage losses can dramatically reduce builders' risk claims, increasing the contractor's profitability and preventing project delays.
Many water losses are preventable by reducing construction defects. Expensive repairs and project delays can be avoided through awareness of the typical water damage causes and taking steps to prevent them before, during and after construction. Contractors should be aware of the typical water damage causes listed in the table below.Reduce water damage losses and increase profits while preventing delays.
Preventing water damage is critical to you as a construction business owner, even if insurance is in place, because at least a portion of these losses are absorbed by the contractor. These losses can include property damage, debris removal, re-work and delay costs-not to mention the damage to your reputation. It generally costs very little to prevent water damage and primarily requires a focus on quality, planning and testing throughout the construction process.
Water damage is a major cause of loss during construction and represents the majority of the construction business owner's risk claims. It occurs as a result of water entering the building envelope or from internal building releases. The mitigation of water damage losses can dramatically reduce builders' risk claims, increasing the contractor's profitability and preventing project delays.
Many water losses are preventable by reducing construction defects. Expensive repairs and project delays can be avoided through awareness of the typical water damage causes and taking steps to prevent them before, during and after construction. Contractors should be aware of the typical water damage causes listed in the table below.
Water Damage Prevention at Each Stage
There are several steps that a contractor can take to prevent water damage in each phase of construction. Each stage is crucial and cannot be neglected. Even minor efforts and diligence during the construction process can prevent loss.
Pre-Construction
During the first phase, pre-construction, it is necessary to design a formal Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) program. Following this program, additional peer review of the plans and specifications should be performed before executing a project. Evaluate the contract documents for areas of water infiltration susceptibility, and consider the drainage of water away from the structure and planned excavations. Before starting construction, it is also important that the contractor evaluate the inter-relationship of specified materials and building systems. If an area of weakness is identified, the engineer should be notified in the form of a Request for Information (RFI). Schedule the installation and testing of piping systems, such as hydronic systems, as early as possible in the project. This will minimize damage, as the majority of finish work will not have been started. Backup power and pumping systems must also be considered to prevent dewatering issues during construction.
During Construction
It is necessary to maintain a company-wide full-time corporate quality director who enforces adherence to the quality mission statement. The director is responsible for the development of a quality manual, and the auditing and improvement of ongoing projects. It is critical that subcontractors' work be included in the QA/QC program and that the "no defects" policy is incorporated into the language of any subcontracts. This policy should be reinforced through inspections, documentation and photographs. Specifically review the coordination of subcontractors' scopes to determine if waterproofing details have been overlooked.
To strengthen these efforts, dedicate a team to focus on water protection and be responsible for tracking, monitoring and repairing problems that arise. If internal resources for inspection are not available or the project type is outside of the company's typical expertise, the use of consultants, who may be more qualified to identify deficient construction, is prudent. Establish a budget to train employees and key subcontractors pertaining to company quality procedures.
During active construction, establish a weekly punch list to mitigate water issues, and close out all issues weekly. Don't allow unresolved problems to persist. Mock-up all critical waterproofing systems prior to construction and discuss critical building system details and inspection concerns. Throughout construction, perform frequent testing, and if a problem is found, address it immediately. Never pay for work with waterproofing issues unresolved. The building's structure should be fully enclosed, with all windows, doors, walls and roofs complete prior to the installation of finishes (never allow scheduling concerns to modify this sequence). Perform material verification to determine that installed materials are as specified. If the finishing materials are stored in the building prior to installation, they should be on pallets and covered adequately by tarps or plastic sheeting.
Testing
Once the roof is installed on your construction project, conduct extensive water tightness testing. This testing can be performed by a roof testing expert using Electric Field Vector Mapping (EFVM) or similar testing techniques. After this testing has been performed, maintain a roof free of debris during construction, and watch for low areas that might form. If there are any problems, quickly address and repair them before damage occurs. In addition to water-tightness testing, make sure that fire protection systems are hydrostatically tested per requirements of the most recent edition of NFPA 13 "Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems," and monitor for leakage during testing. In addition, air pressurization testing of all piping systems should be performed prior to charging with water, even if the system passed a hydrostatic test previously. Always charge piping systems by zone and not with all valves open. This will minimize the chances of a large unnoticed water release. When charing piping, establish personnel whose sole responsibility is monitoring piping systems for at least the first 24 hours.
Post-Construction
During the project close period, it is important to maintain a dedicated punch-list team, and reserve them for punch-list related repairs. This ensures that adequate resources exist to close the project properly. Address the punch-list items on a weekly basis to ensure that only a week's worth of punch-list items remain at the end of the construction period. Maintain a team that can respond quickly to warranty issues, and resolve all water issues as soon as possible-and no later than 48 hours. Take all "good faith" efforts to prevent further damage if water damage is discovered.
Unsecured Building Openings
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Building Envelope System Deficiencies
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Water Delivery or Drainage System Failure
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Site Drainage Problems
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Subsurface Drainage Problems
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Foundation and Structural Element Problems
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Material Storage Problems
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How Your Construction Insurance Partner Can Help
Your insurance carrier and on-site field engineers can help you identify risks and prepare appropriate risk management plans and programs. They can assist in inspecting your construction site and use their loss experiences and expertise to evaluate potential water damage risks. You may want to consider finding a risk consultant who can provide insurance and share information on how to reduce losses and decrease project delays.
Emergency Measures
To ensure that prompt and proper action is taken during an emergency, a formal "severe weather disaster plan" should be developed, describing job duties in case of severe weather events. The plan should include all possible scenarios and a specific course of action for each. Delegate one person to take control during an emergency and initiate the established plan. In the event of a severe storm or hurricane, use your severe weather disaster plan or hurricane plan checklist to secure the site and structure.
If structural failures occur, such as cracks or fissures as a result of settlement or displacement, contact the structural and geotechnical engineer for advice immediately, rather than making aesthetic corrections to the structure. During construction, prevent the accumulations of snow and ice to prevent structural failures and water infiltration, especially when the structural system is not fully established. Provide security personnel with a list of who to call 24/7 in the event of an after-hours water release.
Construction Business Owner, September 2010
