In terms of retention, it depends, too, on who in the design/construction process we are talking about -- the designer, the builder, or the owner. 

From the designer's perspective, you must determine which drawing set "documents the project" for your firm. Your contract with the owner may require you to simply design the building to a point called "Design Development" and nothing more. If you are contracted to design it to the next phase of design -- Construction Documents, then the Construction Documents (CD) set documents your role in the project. Or you may be contracted to take the process through the bid phase, and so the bid documents and addenda are yours also. If the designing firm also does Construction Administration (CA), then you will be retaining the drawings that include the mark-ups showing what actually happened in the field, as discussed by Bob & Larry. These may remain mark-ups, or you may incorporate the changes and generate a revised drawing/set.

It really depends on the designer's contractual role in the project. A design firm may be asked to do no more than review and mark up a set of "shop drawings" - drawings submitted by a manufacturer or vendor for a certain component of the building. In that case, those shop drawings document the project for you.

The many sets of drawings generated by a design firm for a single project makes this a case where "context" is an important concept in document indexing and retention. 

Gary Link, CRM 
Corporate Records Manager
Astorino
227 Fort Pitt Boulevard
Pittsburgh, PA  15222
412.765.1700 
412.765.1711 Fax
www.astorino.com




-----Original Message-----
From: Larry Medina [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, July 04, 2006 11:50 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [RM] Retention of Engineering Drawing Question


>
>
> 1.      Bid Set (Used or produced to accompany the bid documents to the
> vendor)


Comments may be submitted by bidder with respect to these drawings that
result in a change prior to construction, or may be used to defend selection
of one constructor over another.  Marked up bid drawings (generally existing
ONLY in hard copy) are sometimes retained to satisfy claims from
non-successful bidders.

2.      Construction Set, plus approved changes (Used during the project
> construction)

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